iPhone to Android - phone recommendations?

[David]

I like my iPhone 16 well enough. I'm not a 'power user' by any stretch. Really for me it was the ability to customize the way it works. And I've moved away from all my Apple products over the last year. Primarily because to run the programs I needed to run I would have had to drop a massive amount of cash on a new MacBook to get sufficient processing power. Instead I spent $800 on a Dell Laptop, threw another $60 worth of RAM into it and I have something that will run Fusion, Alibre and the slicer simultaneously.

 

[SomeGuy]

Yes, it helps to keep the battery between 20 - 80 percent and keep it ideally at 50%. Even better... don't use your phone

You guys do know you can exchange the battery in your phones, right? It is not super trivial but not a big deal. Usually does not pay as your 3 year old phone is not worth to keep and spend 30-40 on a new battery.

You could be nice to your wife and as a present get her a new battery!

I'm going on 5 years and still get 2 days of battery life out of my Pixel 5...it's very much a case of the battery lasting the life of the phone, as 5 years is about right before needing to stay current.

 

[Don Sipes]

I like the Google Nexus phones direct from Google.
Not the cheapest but they always get the OS updates pushed through first before crap like Samsung get them.
They also don't have all the bloatware present on a lot of the other phones.
Generally they promise updates for five years before the phone ages out and you're on your own.
Cameras are awesome. There is a decent trade in value when it's time to upgrade as well.
I've got an 8A

Me Too for all the same reasons. I'm on my third one if I remember correct.

 

[David]

I'm going on 5 years and still get 2 days of battery life out of my Pixel 5...it's very much a case of the battery lasting the life of the phone, as 5 years is about right before needing to stay current.

I just learned that you can set the max charge percentage in the Android OS. You can't do that on an iPhone.
My pattern is that I plug the phone in at the end of the day and leave it on all night. So I'm prematurely aging my battery which was the reason I got rid of my iPhone 13. After two years the battery was down to 78% capacity.
But if I can set the max charge to 80% then I don't have to worry about this.

 

[Doggggboy]

I just learned that you can set the max charge percentage in the Android OS. You can't do that on an iPhone.
My pattern is that I plug the phone in at the end of the day and leave it on all night. So I'm prematurely aging my battery which was the reason I got rid of my iPhone 13. After two years the battery was down to 78% capacity.
But if I can set the max charge to 80% then I don't have to worry about this.

And it will still do a 100% charge every couple of weeks to keep it exercised properly.

 

[trlvn]

I just learned that you can set the max charge percentage in the Android OS. You can't do that on an iPhone.
...

Actually, you can limit the max percentage the battery is charged to on iOS. From Settings, got to Battery -> Charging.

However, there seems to be little practical benefit. iOS charges the battery slowly between 80 and 100 per cent. Someone did a year long test of limiting to 80%. They ran out of battery from time to time and had a minor improvement in battery health:

Apple's 80% Charging Limit for iPhone: How Much Did It Help After a Year?

With the iPhone 15 models that came out last year, Apple added an opt-in battery setting that limits maximum charge to 80 percent. The idea is that...

www.macrumors.com

Craig

 

[DPittman]

And it will still do a 100% charge every couple of weeks to keep it exercised properly.

I haven't noticed the 100% charge on my Samsung unless I turn of the battery protect or whatever they call it that stops the charge at 80%

 

[David]

Actually, you can limit the max percentage the battery is charged to on iOS. From Settings, got to Battery -> Charging.

However, there seems to be little practical benefit. iOS charges the battery slowly between 80 and 100 per cent. Someone did a year long test of limiting to 80%. They ran out of battery from time to time and had a minor improvement in battery health:

Apple's 80% Charging Limit for iPhone: How Much Did It Help After a Year?

With the iPhone 15 models that came out last year, Apple added an opt-in battery setting that limits maximum charge to 80 percent. The idea is that...

www.macrumors.com

Craig

Thanks I didn’t know that! Wish I had.

 

[Susquatch]

What is that people don't like about their iphones?

I sometimes wonder about this too.

I have come to think they are mostly more alike than different. Pick your poison. There are only a few things that one can do that the other can't. For the most part, they are equals.

But there are several things that drive the Apple or Android decision for most people.

1. What are you used to. Whatever that is, it is always easier to stick with it.

2. What does your main support fellow use? Most people need support every so often. It's always better to have whatever he has. If his is an apple, you best have one too.

3. What do your family and friends use. If most of them have android, you had best have android too.

4. Job preference. If your boss or the company are apple oriented, you had best have an apple too.

5. And lastly, your home infrastructure. It's usually better to have computers and phones on the same system.

I am an android user. But I really don't think one is better than the other.

 

[David]

I started with Apple because I worked for a web design company and we all used Macs.

 

[L98Fiero]

I sometimes wonder about this too.

I have come to think they are mostly more alike than different. Pick your poison. There are only a few things that one can do that the other can't. For the most part, they are equals.

But there are several things that drive the Apple or Android decision for most people.

1. What are you used to. Whatever that is, it is always easier to stick with it.

2. What does your main support fellow use? Most people need support every so often. It's always better to have whatever he has. If his is an apple, you best have one too.

3. What do your family and friends use. If most of them have android, you had best have android too.

4. Job preference. If your boss or the company are apple oriented, you had best have an apple too.

5. And lastly, your home infrastructure. It's usually better to have computers and phones on the same system.

I am an android user. But I really don't think one is better than the other.

Another thing is that many cellular packages include an iphone, not an android phone.

 

[David]

There was a time when iOS was more advanced, had more features than Android but I don’t think that’s not the case anymore.

 

[L98Fiero]

There was a time when iOS was more advanced, had more features than Android but I don’t think that’s not the case anymore.

Apple has better security features as well, but I doubt that's relevant for most people

 

[Mike R]

My biggest gripe with iPhone is the constant reminders that I'm out of iCloud storage, and I can't find out how to tell it to f-off. I have other brand online storage so not paying Apple. Also on iPhone as wife has it and has family itunes, but I'm not wedded to Apple. I tried Samsung back in the old days, work provided phone. I hated it. Was the most clunky operating system ever. Has probably tainted me for life (same way for GM...). Just takes 1 bad experience to loose customers for life.
Also, regarding phone plans, last time I checked buying your own device and getting a separate plan was the way to go. None of the plans that included a phone were a good deal. Over the term of the plan you paid something like 50% more for the phone (hundreds of dollars) - was akin to getting a loan at 20-25% interest rate. Made my daughter do a spreadsheet to do the shopping comparison to get her to see the difference.

 

[Tecnico]

What is that people don't like about their iphones?

I’m a recent convert (due to family compatibility choice) and the one thing that I’m surprised by and annoyed by is the alarm function.

With my Android if I had an upcoming alarm notification I could swipe down and cancel the upcoming instance without deleting the recurring alarm but on the eye phone you have to turn off all (daily) instances then remember to turn it back on later after the event time has passed.

I can’t imagine that it would be that hard to code for Apple or an aftermarket app but so far no work around. Lots of postings about the same issue from old Android users.

Oh, how do I like the Apple? Works fine for me and a huge update is being able to plug it in as a drive to download photos vs. the old hokey way that needed iTunes to get at the photos.

D

 

[Susquatch]

Also, regarding phone plans, last time I checked buying your own device and getting a separate plan was the way to go. None of the plans that included a phone were a good deal. Over the term of the plan you paid something like 50% more for the phone (hundreds of dollars) - was akin to getting a loan at 20-25% interest rate. Made my daughter do a spreadsheet to do the shopping comparison to get her to see the difference.

^ This.

There is a certain segment of the market that just has to have the latest and greatest phone. But they can't afford the big up front shell-out. They talk themselves into "the included phone".

 

[trlvn]

My biggest gripe with iPhone is the constant reminders that I'm out of iCloud storage

The basic 5 GB allotment is an embarrassment to Apple and should be increased. However:

Is your iCloud storage full? 5 tips on how to free up space

Reclaim your space: 5 steps to boosting your iCloud storage

www.tomsguide.com

Craig

 

[trevj]

What is that people don't like about their iphones?

I pretty much have just one major beef with Apple, and that is that they went out of their way to prevent repairs being possible.

Intentionally killing off functionality of basic systems within the phone, if the screen was replaced, or the home button was, just seems to me to have been entirely about preventing anyone from fixing these phones.

The only 'new' Apple product I have ever bought was an Ipod Touch, and even that has had at least one DIY screen replacement. The rest I have or have had, were almost entirely broken phones and ipads from family or friends, fixed with cheap ebay parts.

I solved my iCloud storage nagging, by getting in to the settings, and preventing it from backing up stuff like pictures, and deleting multiple saves of the same basic stuff. 5 Gb is LOTS when you don't have multiple copies of a bunch of the same stuff you don't really care all that much about (if you cared, you would have it backed up somewhere that you actually had sole possession of, instead of on Apple's servers, which could all be flushed out at about any time, IMO)

 

[PeterT]

I solved my iCloud storage nagging, by getting in to the settings, and preventing it from backing up stuff like pictures, and deleting multiple saves of the same basic stuff.

That's what I do. I leave Contacts & Notes & lightweight stuff as automatically synch/backup to iCloud. But for photos every so often at 'backup time' when I'm on the PC/WiFi I temporarily turn on synch for photos, download them from iCloud to my PC, basically remove anything from phone I no longer want present & turn off auto-synch for Photos again. But some people want their entire photo library on their phone & so need synch/backup enabled. So that's the rub as I understand it, lots of content potentially means running low on space, so Apple is there to sell you some more via subscription add (as do all the other cloud services).

 

[trlvn]

We've gone with the Apple One Family plan. The four in our family share 200 GB of cloud storage so there is never a space problem. We can each use Apple Music and Apple TV+ from any device. It is $26 per month which is basically the price of a subscription for one to Music and TV+.

Apple One

Apple One bundles your Apple services into one low monthly payment. It’s the best way to enjoy Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, and more.

www.apple.com

Craig