iPhone 5 vs. Android...what?

[pincushionman]

I'm looking to upgrade my phone in the very near future (exactly when depends on when my wife says "we're going to get new phones, get in the car"). We've moved from iPhone 4's to iPhone 5's, and it's very likely we'll/I'll continue that trend with the 6 unless I hear a very convincing argument otherwise.

I'm asking to see if any of you have any very convincing arguments otherwise - I don't want to dismiss a good opportunity to switch just because.

So again: I have an iPhone 5, my wife does as well, and our little boys are using our old phones as toys, pretty much. Having the same platform that we're all comfortable with is a definite plus. Also, the size of the iPhone 6 is not that much larger than the 5, which is a good thing for me who keeps the phone in the pocket. All the Android models we saw earlier this year were more like small tablets. And I understand the cameras are very good for phones, especially with all the shooting modes available.

Some things I am interested in about Androids, however:

- Battery life. I've been having issues, to put it bluntly.

- Flexibility. I understand that the Android platform can be customized much more than the iOS one; does anyone really do that and why?

- Two bullets is a really short list, but I'm sure you users can better identify "these things work better/worse on X", and that's what I'm interested it. And which models are good?

One last time: I'm most likely to stick with the Apple option here, but I want to hear from you about this because I don't want to rule out switching completely. Plus, somebody else who's more on the fence might appreciate the discussion too.

Thanks much, folks!

[Camacha]

- Flexibility. I understand that the Android platform can be customized much more than the iOS one; does anyone really do that and why?

I do. I run custom software and modify Android quite a bit too. The ROM itself (the OS), a custom launcher ('desktop', so to say), keyboard and browser, to name a couple of things. Stock Android is pretty good, especially when brands do not add their own skins and such. However, I am fairly aware of what is possible, and when a detail is not quite how I like it or annoys me, I can change it. I like the fine grained adaptability to make the experience *exactly* the one I want.

- Custom ROM: much more options while leaving the junk behind. Some also allow advanced tweaking of system parameters to increase things like performance or battery life

- Launcher: this governs the desktop and app drawer. Make those look and feel exactly how you like it

- Keyboard: as I have a rather large phone, I want a keyboard that can split in two and has swyping capabilities

- Browser: added some privacy enhancing features

Those are just a few of the things that are possible and useful. That being said, not everyone needs or wants this. Some people just want to use a phone as is.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Camacha

[GoSlash27]

pincushionman,

Since you're already using Apple, you're probably best served to stick with it. You already have all your files and hardware geared towards that.

Best,

-Slashy

Expanding on the above for those who are not already in an ecosystem...

The "best" way to go really depends on what you're trying to do. If you merely want something that serves as a phone/ text interface then really a smartphone is overkill and it doesn't matter a whole lot which way you go.

In my case, I wanted to use a smartphone to simplify my life rather than complicating it. That means that it needed to replace every other electronic device I had used previously. Camera, MP3 player, GPS, portable DVD viewer, AV remotes, guitar tuner, e-reader, portable gaming system, calculator, watch, etc.

Most smart phones are capable of tackling most (if not all) of the jobs that other devices do, but attempting to use them in that role would quickly lead to battery life and memory capacity issues.

In this role, Apple is at a distinct disadvantage (if you're not already in their ecosystem) because the files aren't in the apple proprietary format. But more importantly...

Most smart phones (regardless of OS) are incapable of accepting expansion battery and memory capacity.

I've been using Samsungs for this very reason, and so long as they keep the removable back/ battery/ and micro SD, I'm going to stick with them.

There are some other manufacturers that share this advantage, but sadly Apple isn't on the list.

I don't consider "intuitive" to be much of an issue. All interfaces are pretty darn intuitive these days.

Your mileage may (and probably will) vary.

Best,

-Slashy

Edited May 24, 2015 by GoSlash27

[SpaceXray]

pincushionman,

Since you're already using Apple, you're probably best served to stick with it. You already have all your files and hardware geared towards that.

Best,

-Slashy

I'll have to agree with him here too. Once you're in their ecosystem, there is no point getting out, especially if you bought apps from the App Store or anything else.

Something I know about Androids from high tech friends:

Google often releases bad updates which can actually decrease your phone's performance drastically, or, like in the case of my friend who has a Nexus 5 and recently updated to the newest Android version, got his phone stuck in a reboot loop and could only fix it by re-installing an update with a PC. Such a mess never happened with iOS.

Yes, Android gives you more customization options, but has a steep learning curve and isn't very intuitive.

I like to modify things, but when it comes to a phone, I don't want a PC with a tiny screen. I just want an easy to use and fast smartphone like the iphone 5s.

Once again, Apple has Touch ID, and very few Android devices have fingerprint scanners (Samsung phones only).

[Camacha]

Google often releases bad updates which can actually decrease your phone's performance drastically, or, like in the case of my friend who has a Nexus 5 and recently updated to the newest Android version, got his phone stuck in a reboot loop and could only fix it by re-installing an update with a PC. Such a mess never happened with iOS.

Google does not often release bad updates, and your friends phone getting stuck in a loop is an unfortunate incident. The same thing happens occasionally with iOS. Everyone is free to pick a favourite ecosystem and I do indeed think OP is best served by sticking to iOS, but these kinds of half truths help no one.

To elaborate: Google did not put out a bad update, as you call it. Google released an update that included a new implementation of encryption. When turned on, it can indeed slow down the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 6, as Google decided not to use the hardware that can accelerate this. How much of an impact it has depends on who you ask (and ranges from none to a lot) and, more importantly, it is both an optional update and feature. If you do not care about encryption, you can run your phone perfectly without. It is expected that other phones have less of a performance impact, as those should be able to use hardware acceleration. It is pretty much why ARMv8 was developed in the first place, along with 64 bits capabilities.

Regarding the boot loop: phones, from whatever brand, are pieces of technology, which means things go awry from time to time. In my personal experience (and numbers say the same) it does not matter which OS, brand or hardware you use, if you mess up or run out of luck any phone or computer will lock up, freeze or do other things that ruin your day.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Camacha

[Camacha]

Yes, Android gives you more customization options, but has a steep learning curve and isn't very intuitive.

My very non-technical mother could not and would not learn how to use a computer, but when we got her an Android phone she jumped right in. Though admittedly highly anecdotal, it made me reconsider people telling each other that Android is unintuitive or harder to learn.

[GoSlash27]

My very non-technical mother could not and would not learn how to use a computer, but when we got her an Android phone she jumped right in. Though admittedly highly anecdotal, it made me reconsider people telling each other that Android is unintuitive or harder to learn.

Agreed.

User interfaces are pretty darn intuitive regardless of OS. I personally think it's an overrated distinction.

Best,

-Slashy