Ex iPhone users - what made u choose Android?

[uzee]

I am very interested in learning why users who previously had an iPhone moved to an Android phone?

What were the reasons?
Any functions/features?
What did the iPhone lack?

I would be very grateful.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

The sales people at the Apple Store. Had an iPhone 3G for almost 2 years, had an issue with it, brought it back to them and the told me they would fix it for $200, they said this to me with this big dopey grin on there face. The iPhone 4 was just around the corner (3 more months until it came out) and they wouldn't do anything for me at all. I ended up fixing the phone myself for $30 (cost of the part and shipping). After that I just wanted something new and brought an N1.

To this day I don't regret it. From the moment I turned it on and got my first nofitications that didn't pop up on the screen all the time, finding out what a widget was, and playing with all the other countless features I knew I was hooked. I believe Android is able to deliever information faster and better then iOS. With the way my home screens are set up I can check the weather, check facebook, check my sport scores, check my stocks with just a flick of the screen and never entering one program.

Apple makes a solid phone hardware wise and their iOS goes well with it. It's Steve Jobs attitude and the attitude of the people who use iOS stuff that makes me shy away (I know I am generalizing, but my father is an iOS guy and the crap that comes out of his mouth is just amazing).

Long live Android.

 

[james515]

i got tired of dealing with apple and itunes. My wife still has her iphone and an ipad2. but i have pretty much told her she needs to learn how to do those things her self, like adding apps and updating the software.

i will NEVER deal with apple products again.

Droid all the way

James

 

[redy]

The customizability and Swype, that's what initially got me hooked on to the EVO. I took it on as a trial and ended up sticking with it and moving onto evo 3d. Cant really see myself going back to iphone.

 

[Thefoodman52]

Back when the hero first launched on Sprint... I already didnt like the iPhone, and I was just hopping off board Nextel with my father and going to Sprint. The hero seemed to be the neatest looking one out of the touch pro 2, the pre, etc., so I got that!

True story, but it couldn't have been a better OS to stumble onto on a whim. I wouldn't have made a different choice to this day.

 

[kenproffitt]

I didn't want to be behind the times. When the iPhone came out and lead the way. Now they just seem like they are trailing behind and not really trying to meet the customer's needs.

 

[!on]

Not iphone, but ipod touch.... meh

Yesterday safari started acting up, constantly crashing, then I couldn't click links. I have another browser on it which worked fine.

Apple products are not as perfect as they'd like to make out!

 

[uzee]

Thanks for your views, general views and expereinces : )

I'd like yo to focus on specifics now.

For me one of the differences are updating either phones. As Android is open source, major updates come quickly. With the iPhone i think you only get the major updates when you buy the next iPhone, otherwise your stuck with the current version?.

 

[wide awake]

Google tasks, calander, gmail, contacts all sync instantly between my phone, tablet, and any pc I log into. If a wreck a phone all I have to do is sign in to the new one and everything is there. I never have to hook up to a computer. Never have to use iTunes... and widgets of course. It is a no brainer in my opinion. I try to explain it to my iphone using friends and they always say "mine does that", I just laugh and say, "No, it really doesn't".

 

[B2L]

Thanks for your views, general views and expereinces : )

I'd like yo to focus on specifics now.

For me one of the differences are updating either phones. As Android is open source, major updates come quickly. With the iPhone i think you only get the major updates when you buy the next iPhone, otherwise your stuck with the current version?.

When it comes to updates it really depends on which device you purchase. For example, some devices may only get updated once a year. But if you own a stock Android device (Nexus) you will get multiple updates throughout the year. I have had my Nexus S since December, and have received somewhere around 4-5 updates in the last 9 months.

With the iPhone you can expect one update a year. As long as the device is still supported. For example if you bought an iPhone 4 last year, you can expect to be getting iOS 5 on it this year. With the iPhone you are guaranteed an update every year, unless you have had it for a few years.

Just like if you buy an older Android device, you can't expect to have the software updated. Since most older phones the hardware isn't compatible. Updates also depend on your carrier, and manufacturer. It will also take longer to receive an update if your Android device is running a manufacturer overlay such as Sense, Touchwiz, or Motoblur.

 

[roadkizzle]

Until January of this year, I had been using my original iPhone 3G. Last year after iOS 4, my phone started acting up horribly. It had constant lag, with me regularly finishing entire sentences before they would show up whenever I would type anywhere, my battery would last 3-4 hours max if I even checked my email or sent any texts, et al.

I expected to upgrade to the iPhone 4 until I learned that other phones even existed, due to co-workers having Android phones, so I decided to check them out.

What convinced me that Android was better for me that iPhone:
-Widgets, the ability to have all the information I need at the flick of a finger, without waiting for apps to load. Being able to see with a glance my calendar, weather, or local events happening through twitter feeds.

-Notifications, I despised the pop-up notifications in iOS, that would interrupt anything and force me to either stop anything I'm doing to respond or hunt down what had happened later. If I'm listening to Pandora and received a text I'd have to stop music and reload Pandora again.

-Access to my file system, I'm a bit of a nerd, so I love being able to transfer any file I want between my computer and my phone, whether to transfer to another computer or actually access on my phone. I constantly use this, to transfer music, pictures, and work documents. I cannot get iTunes on my work computer, so whenever I have to go away from the office, and get some light work done I can just put whatever I'm working on on my phone and access it via Quickoffice which came on my Atrix.

-Having multiple buttons, I love the hardwired buttons on Android. Whenever I use my iPhone now I'm always frustrated due to the lack of the back button. I love on my Android that my screen doesn't have the menus constantly cluttering everything, so I can actually see the whole webpage and only access the menu when I need it.

-Quick toggles for settings that I can have set on my homescreen, and within seconds toggle on/off wifi, bluetooth, gps, airplane mode, autosync, and brightness levels.

-Enhanced multi-tasking so I can actually get many things done at the same time, all without stopping my music (unless I have to make or answer a phone call).

-The ability to keep full tabs on my battery usage, as well as constant updates on any data that I've used, even though I have unlimited data I love knowing how much I've used.

-The ability to install alternate keyboards/browsers/launchers/dialers and actually have the phone set them as defaults, I currently use Swype, which I love.

-Console game emulators, I love the ability to play my old NES and GBA games on my phone wherever I go, and with root, I can pair my PS3 controller to my phone and use it to control the emulators.

Edit: I forgot to include another reason why I wanted to switch to Android.
-Tasker, allows me to automatically change settings based on real-world situations, for EX I can keep my phone ringer on all times but have it automatically set to vibrate when I am within gps range of work or during work hours, and silent when I am in a meeting. I can turn syncing off, and it will turn itself on only when I am plugged in to charge. I can automatically keep WiFi settings off unless I am in my house and/or in range of my WiFi network.


In all, the only things that iPhone is adding with iOS 5 are features which have long been implemented in Android, albeit with a little more cutesy bubbly aesthetics. iOS5 provides notifications, icloud interfacing (if you buy Apple's additional overpriced garbage), and wireless syncing/updating. With all of the other OS features they're tacking onto iOS, there still is no urge for me to go back, because I hate the navigation through iOS, being restricted to app icon grid homescreens, with a single button that does nothing but take you back to your homescreen from an app so all you can do is open another app.

Also, not one of my reasons requires root to work. These phones have much more capability straight from the box, and the only way the iPhone can come close is through jailbreaking, of course then you can root Androids and get even more functionality then.

 

[fran33s]

A friend of mine upgraded to a blackberry torch when it first came out, and the reason was simple for him. He said that when you have an iPhone, and a new phone comes out, you feel like you are obligated to buy a new iphone. Something this simple can be so. Switch to droid for 2 years, if you dont like it, buy a new iphone when it comes out

 

[Stuntman]

I expected to upgrade to the iPhone 4 until I learned that other phones even existed, due to co-workers having Android phones, so I decided to check them out.

Before buying my first smartphone, I didn't know anything other than the iPhone existed BlackBerry existed as well. The iPhone was heavily marketed and the BlackBerry was prominent at my work place. Although my first smartphone was a Nokia, I thought it was rather eye opening when I realised there were other options at the time.

 

[uzee]

Hey : )

a long time ago i had created a thread about this and had veryy good quality insights.

I would like to keep this thread/topics alive, so would appreciate it if iphone/iOS to android converters give some insight/views to what made you move etc.

Please post views to this old thread
http://androidforums.com/android-lounge/398995-ex-iphone-users-what-made-u-choose-android.html

Thanks

 

[iTzKPanda]

iPhone is a decent phone. iOS is pretty simple to use. However, the screen is way to small for my humongous fingers, the glass they use for the back isnt very attractive (one slip without a case or with a flimsy case will be the death of the pretty glass back), and it only uses 3G. The main reason is because of the customer service reps (you get maybe one nice and thoughtful rep in your whole lifetime) and Apple itself - suing other companies left and right.