How does everyone feel about iPhones?

Surprise.

Bet you didn’t see this one coming.

This week’s post has been pretty late. I’m a bit troubled by yesterday’s thread on Apple. So, a foreword: It’s OK to prefer something over another, it’s not OK to say people who like different phones than you are somehow more childish or less intelligent than you. Again, we are going for casual, yet intensely helpful here, so please don’t call people names over petty reasons, we have rules here.

Previously on Lemmy:

Past Discussions:

In this post, it’s not about saying how bad iPhones are, but I’d just like to hear the perspective on iPhones from Android users. I, for one, had an old iPhone 4 for a long time (call it nostalgia, or laziness, or just being cheap), and it was my general frustration with the device that ultimately led to my preference for Androids, (It was quite a while back though).

  • It was absolutely painful to transfer files from the phone to my computer (Ugh, iTunes).
  • I got it pre-jailbroken and didn’t realize you can’t just update the system casually, so it was really fun trying to find ways to downgrade the system until I realized that I can’t and have to pray for the next jailbreak to get half my things working again.
  • The 40-pin cable wears out so fast, and always in the same spot on the strain relief. I swear I’ve gone through 3 of these cables in one year just from normal use.
  • All the browsers are somehow flavors of Safari. To do anything, I will have the choice of ad-filled websites, or ad-filled apps.

It always just seemed like I’m fighting against the system. Never did I have that “it just works” moment, until I’ve got my first Android, and realize I have the freedom to do whatever I want with it, and I can install what I want, and if there’s a problem, I can look things up and fix it myself.

(Having a back button is also a game changer.)

Of course, there is a lot that Android manufacturers can learn from Apple as well, one of the most obvious one is the time for software support: I think my old iPhone has gone through like 3 version updates over the years, whereas currently I’m lucky to get 2 out of any Android manufacturer.

But it seems that Android manufacturers are more content on copying things that works for iOS, but doesn’t work for Android, like removing the headphone jack. Or big notches. (It makes no sense to do that because of Android’s notification system uses the full length of the bar.) It’s gotten to the point that I don’t think people who makes Android phones actually uses Android but are content to copy superficial features from Apple without understanding why Apple do them.

Like a bunch of lemmings. (Heh)

Again, these are my personal preferences, I have nothing against people who prefers iPhones, nor do I think they are lesser for it, but it’s just not for me.

I’d use a one as a work phone/for iMessages though.

Aux,

I don’t care.

baubt,

I think that Apple makes a quality product, but I can't stand the company and their mindset towards consumers. I don't like that they tell me what my user experience will be and demand that I enjoy it. Their products remind me of America Online (AOL), where they put the internet into a can and fenced off the user experience. It's great for the most basic of users, but frustrating if you want to have control and do things your way.

I'm forced to use iphones for work, so I'm not unfamiliar with ios, but I prefer my S23 much more.

wccrawford,

As a developer, the experience is so much better on Android for me. And I oppose the walled garden on a ideological level.

But I have to admit some of the features are compelling. Some of them aren’t even really Apple’s doing, such as Genshin Impact supporting wireless controllers on IOS14+, but not Android at all. Others are built in, such as the lidar scanning.

They haven’t yet tempted me over, though, because phones are incredibly expensive and even if I weren’t opposed to the walled garden, I’m pretty invested in the Android ecosystem now.

At some point I plan to borrow someone’s iPhone and try Genshin on it, and if that works well… Well, I might just switch anyhow. Or maybe I get sick of that game before that. ;)

hellishharlot,

I had an iPhone 12 Pro Max before my pixel fold. I love carplay compared to Android auto, the UI personally looks prettier except for the home screen layout, I like how seamless the experience can be between Apple devices, and it’s nice to be on the platform that gets more attention from app devs.

But all was not perfectThe past 6 months that I’d had it, it would overheat anytime you had to charge it which led to issues with carplay and such. The charger itself was a pain to have be different from my USBC devices like the MacBook, iPad, keyboard, mouse, work laptop, monitor, anyone else’s phones, headphones, and literally everything else. Lastly, the lack of call screener like I’d had on my pixel 4 before it and now on my pixel fold. It’s so nice having a virtual secretary

echodot,

I would consider getting an iPhone if they went back to making cheap plastic phones again like the 5C.

Otherwise they’re just too fragile and expensive. That’s the real problem I have with iPhones, you either pay a lot of money for a fragile phone or you don’t have an iPhone. They don’t provide another option anymore.

With Android you can run the gambit from a plastic phone that is $50, it’ll be slow but it will run apps, right up to $5,000 phones with folding screens. Admittedly most of them are made by Samsung.

kratoz29,

I like them, but I like Android more, I was an iPhone user since the 4 model up to 6s, my girlfriend still is, she currently has an iPhone 13 and I am amazed of how well iOS feels and behaves, we also share an iPad it’s so good to use and with Apple you get a shit ton of versions support as well.

The iOS apps also have its charm, I think many of them are better crafted on iOS than Android…

I like Android for everything that has been discussed here already, but who knows if I go back someday to iOS, still need to improve, for now I think it is that good that jailbreak does not feels like a necessity like back in the days…

smileyhead,

Design: best Advertisment: best User experience: best Reliability: best Privacy from propietary crap in app store: best Privacy from Apple: non existing User freedom: worst

jacktherippah, (edited )

Excellent hardware, mediocre software, too expensive. To elaborate on the software, long software update is good. And the iPhone is certainly smooth. However it requires too many workarounds for/straight up can’t do what I would consider basic features on Android. And it certainly isn’t bug free. For the average user though, I don’t think they care about any of that, they only care about the brand, which is why the iPhone still sells so well.

Shurimal,

Excellent hardware

More like excellent industrial design, good chip design and good software support*. The hardware itself is nothing special; having a badly engineered aspect has been the "standard feature" for many Apple devices (butterfly keyboard, soldered SSD-s, phone chassis prone to bending are some examples that come to mind).

For comparison, I had a Huawei P7 phone (back when Huawei was still in good graces everywhere) that was thinner, and had better screen than the contemporary iPhone while also having a strong, beautifully machined aluminium chassis. It proved a very durable and dependable tool, and cost ⅓ of the price of an iPhone. The weak point was update support—it was shipped with Android 4.4.2, updated to 4.4.4, and that was that. Android 5 was supposedly released, but never arrived via OTA and when I updated manually after spending some time searching for the new firmware, it proved to be buggy and half-baked.

*Caveat: when I tried to download KDE Connect for an older iPhone, I couldn't because the OS is no longer supported and Apple store doesn't offer older versions of the apps. On Android I can still dig up an old version from Github or some other source and install what I need—I was still able to install Kodi on my old 4.4.4 phone to use as a DLNA music streamer. On an old Apple device, you're shit outta luck.

BlazingFlames6073,
@BlazingFlames6073@lemdro.id avatar

Sideloading:

  1. I’d be restricted to the apps on the app store that have to restrict themselves to the app store policies.
  2. I wouldn’t have an alternative way to download an app if it gets banned from the app store for any reason. I remember hearing about Fortnite getting banned from both app store and play store but android users can still play it.
  3. I couldn’t use modified apps like revanced.
  4. I think you’d be restricted to region locks in app store which you can circumvent on play store by running a vpn, force stopping play store and then clearing data on it.
  5. Being restricted to app store only means some extraordinary apps wouldn’t be developed like the cool apps on android that aren’t on play store.
  6. Sometimes developers make different versions of the same apps. One is a bit restricted and is for play store. It’s restricted because it has to follow play store policies. The other version ends up having more features. I don’t see this happening on iOS. I heard about EU asking them to make a way to sideload, but I also heard that that might be restricted to EU only which means it wouldn’t pick up as much as it could.

Aesthetics:

Nothing much to say except I don’t like the iOS ui. I even fine it ugly. I much prefer the material you thing android is doing.

Lack of your own choice:

  1. Apple decides for its users. They removed headphone jacks and then the sim card thing in US for no reason. Since they only have flagships, that’s all the users are restricted to.

Android flagships sadly seem to follow their example soon enough

  1. All the browsers on iOS are just reskinned safari.

General bias:

I don’t like apple handles their things and many of their users. That affects my decision so I think I should put it here as a reason. I don’t think I have to mention what apple does but for their users, I live in Asia and a lot of people see iphones as a status thing which I find annoying. Feels like a matter of shoving cash in your face to flex. There’s also the bubble thing I hear in US which I find ridiculous.

Other points:

  1. No back button
  2. No revanced.
  3. Ecosystem locked.
  4. Only expensive phones.
lividhen,
@lividhen@kbin.social avatar

I have some nostalgia for when they introduced the appstore. Aaaand that's where the nice things I have to say end.

rambos,

I got 3GS when it was new, after 1 month it was more at the service then in my pocket. I guess I was unlucky, but they replaced for a new device which died after connecting it to a cheap power bank. They said I spilled the water on it, but I didnt. Looking at USB cable it was at the end of the life after short time. Im sure I was unlucky and I believe many things changed in meantime, but Ill never buy iphone again. Never had bad experience with smartphones, before or after iphone, even with low end cheap models

kowcop, (edited )

I used Android exclusively for about 3-4 years, I was even developing ROMs, then switched to iPhone for work. I wouldn’t go back to Android. Most of the problems with iPhone don’t exist anymore… the walls have mostly come down due to cloud based services and apps being able to use wifi to drag/drop files

IMO, iPhone is easy to use, great quality apps, great battery life, secure and best value for money. They have great resale for those people who upgrade every year, and long support for people who buy a phone every 5 years.

They just work

The Android system just seems so disjointed and the App Store is full of junk apps.

Sootie,

Still running and iPhone XS, battery still lasts all day, still as fast as when I got it. Definitely some annoying things with it but much longer lives than any Android I owned in the past

c0mbatbag3l,
@c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world avatar

I’ve only ever had two iPhones, my 5S, and the 13 I got from work.

All of the issues surrounding the phone are still present, and with no loss of quality in any way on Android I don’t see why I’d ever choose to spend the money on something that I’m mostly paying for the name on.

Engywuck,

It always just seemed like I’m fighting against the system.

I have never used an iPhone and unlikely will, but this was my exact feeling what I unfortunately had to use a Mac for work for a few months.

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