A home on LW for Android users.
RULES
While this is s community focused on Android, some of us have devices from the Android, Apple, Windows and Linux worlds, etc. We may prefer Android, but overzealous and obsessive adherence to Android as some sort of infallible platform won't be tolerated long here.
That said, being critical of brands is fine. Android is frustrating in some ways, just like iOS and so forth. Let's be upfront about that.
Be thoughtful and helpful, even with 'stupid' questions. Otherwise, as ya mama said, say nothing at all. The world won't be made better or worse by snarky dudes schooling naive newcomers on Lemmy.
In no particular order
Sideloading is the big one. I was considering an iPad before getting Xiaomi tablet (even though it costs roughly the same), but sideloading is game changer.
Along the lines of sideloading: proper adblock
I was reminded ads exist after I bought an iPad for school (sadly the notetaking experience is truly unrivaled). Adblock only works on Safari and whether it'll work properly is another roll of the dice.
I want a customizable phone that is not stuck in a walled-garden. Plus I do not use Apple products.
Yes I'm using a Sony phone (Xperia 1V)
Not being locked to one ecosystem and being forced to do everything the 'Apple' way. One of the biggest annoyances I have is being tech support for family with Apple products and they always ask why I am able to do stuff so easily with my 'cheap android'.
There's a certain level of classism I feel when it comes to phones, it almost feels tribal. Outside the tech/enthusiast space, the average person (at least here where I live) correlate Android with being the cheap option, whereas if you pick iPhone, you are picking the premium option.
Absolutely a class deal with my family. They aren't rich by any means but if you aren't running a Macbook, iPad, and iPhone then what are you doing with your life? They have no idea how to use most of their devices and they also have to watch every youtube ad on their official youtube client.. HAHAAHAHAAHHA
More customizable, open source, don't want to pay the apple tax
I used it initially, because I hated Apple and their proprietary stuff and have stayed ever since. I liked androids more universal approach. SD cards, usb, etc.
Sideloading apps is the main reason. I couldn't use a phone without Adblock.
iPhones are also just way more expensive and the few times i've tried them the UX just sucked so much, form over function.
Revanced and Fdroid. Plus, I can use real third party browsers. And sideloading. And getting access to the file system. And having tons of vendors to choose from.
There aren't a whole lot of options. It's not that I particularly care about Android as much as that I don't want to be stuck in the Apple ecosystem. If there was any other usable alternative with a large library of apps I'd definitely check it out.
NewPipe, and Firefox Browser with uBlock Origin installed
That's it.
I prefer the freedom to choose between multiple phone manufacturers, and am not tethered to a closed environment.
It's more open and you're not confined to how Apple thinks your phone should look like.
I was an iOS user for nearly a decade but I increasingly grew tired of the walled garden and lack of customization (i.e. not being possible for me to tailor the OS closer to my needs), especially the lack of third-party stores for FOSS apps. Not to mention the fact that the App Store model actively discourages developers of these apps, so it is an ideological question at the end of the day.
GrapheneOS, other custom OSes, ability to hack/mod/repair.
Apple is one of the most scummy and anti-consumer companies in the world, they won't ever get a dollar from me or any endorsement.
I love the iPhone hardware. Especially the mini.
But I really don't like iOS. Or the lightning connector.
Same thing with Macs.
Overall I think Apple makes gorgeous hardware but the software just isn't for me.
I always tell people the best phone (or best one iPhone vs Android) is whatever is best for them.
My wife loves her iPhone and everything about it, and that's okay!
If you use any app other than what Apple provides, you become a second class citizen on your own phone.
Third party apps simply don't integrate with iOS nicely unless Apple allows it. Even though you can choose a web browser, it has to use Safari's underlying code base.
I'm on a Pixel 7. A lot of people say it's like Google's iPhone, but I can use Firefox as my browser natively. Adblocking actually works, too. I can choose any app as a default for whatever. Lots of FOSS! Google doesn't own my Pixel the same way Apple owns the iPhone.
I like the variety of hardware available, and the customization available in the software, especially with third party launchers.
I may be one of the last hangers-on for this issue, but: my Android phone has a headphone port! That was non-negotiable for me last time I got a new phone. Earbuds do not stay in my ears, are super uncomfortable, and I don't want to charge a wireless headset or mess with an adapter all the time. I have cheap wired headphones for going out and about that I don't lose when they fall out because the wire catches them, and really nice wired headphones at home that are much better quality than wireless ones. My car also has a 3.5 mm hookup that sounds a lot better than Bluetooth audio.
Besides that: Having more customization and control. Firefox + adblockers and other extensions. ReVanced for YouTube. Easier access to the phone's storage and files. Being able to block ads adds so much quality of life.
I can write my own apps without anyone's permission!
The camera on the pixel phones.
My friend recently went on a trip into the mountains for some hiking, they took some photos that made me ask if it was from a DSLR camera, but it was just from a Pixel 7 Pro. Amazing how far phone cameras have come.
I tried ios/ipados devices in the past. I always come to a point the limitations of the system annoyed me so much. Sometimes it's the not accesible nfc reader. Somertimes the garbade filesystem and sometimes i wasn't able to open a file from the app i want because of different reasons. I haven't used it for years, but i think the OS is terrible for someone that want to use file, hardware or any process like i the person is used to it or want to use.
I come and go from both iOS and Android, but on the whole I much prefer Android.
There are four things that keep me wondering if I'll go back to an iPhone:
That said, these things keep me on Android:
(Apple has improved in these areas, but I'm still more impressed with Android's approach, despite the inherent security risks)
I mean, exactly none of the above is important to regular people, and even most iOS 'power users' are adamant they don't need that level of system access badly enough to leave iOS for it. Which is cool! But I'm glad I have it, and frankly I find my Samsung S23 Ultra experience to be better in just about every way than the various times I boot up my iPhone 13 Pro. (And I've absolutely spent enough time in both camps to know what I'm talking about. 😂)
My iPhone 13 Pro is now not much more than a camera and a gaming machine with the Razer Kishi V2 attached, haha.
That said, there are four things that keep me wondering if I'll go back to an iPhone:
the Watch. The Apple Watch is still the best watch around. I've had the Pixel Watch and the Galaxy Watch 4, and I still miss the Apple Watch 5 gathering dust in my drawer. I prefer the shape (which is why I have an old Oppo Watch and a Huawei Watch Fit 2), and it just does so much more than any Wear OS watch.
Airdrop. Yes, Android has its own take on this concept, but when you use an Android phone with a Macbook, the options are far fewer. Syncthing, Airdroid, Snapdrop, etc. None of them are quite as good.
the general seamless integration across Apple devices.
Better art/design/editing apps.
The price, a burning hatred for apple, and I can switch over to something else like graphine os. I haven't done that yet but I plan to when I get a new phone though!
For me it's probably the ability to sideload apps, among other things. Apps like NewPipe which would never make it to the Play Store are apps that I use every day, because they are just good apps. Also, I just like the UX of my Pixel compared to an iPhone - I couldn't live without things like a back button, and I sort of don't like the iOS UI.
I have a z fold 4 that I use the large screen on to consume a lot of media. Sports, podcasts, movies, tv shows, you name it. I either have a video in full screen or I'm split screening a video with a messenger app on the other side! I also use it as my car's "android head unit". I purchased a tablet CD Mount and I slap it on there opened up and have an app duo that launches automatically when I connect to my car's Bluetooth. Google maps on one side, Spotify on the other at a 70/30 split of screen real estate. And finally, YouTube Revanced.
Just can't do that type of stuff on iphone :)
-firefox with addons (adblock is the condom of internet) -youtube revanced -fdroid -better kde connect integration -termux -the ability to sideload apps -customisation -more device options and generally cheaper models
Well, I don't trust the companies.
But Lineage without Google gives me a decent smartphone experience with minimized tracking capabilities for 3rd parties. (Yeah, provider can still do quite a bit, but the VPN takes care of a bit more there, still not all though)
It's more open and not locked down to proprietary software.
I dislike Apple alot, stupidly Expensive, more than they devices worth, very restrictive on what you can do with them (treat their customers as kids) and their monopoly.
There is also a wide variety of Android phones with different price ranges, and features (like my beloved headphone jacks), wider customisation and a somewhat better repaiability sometimes.
Everything about Apple software rubs me the wrong way. It's like it's wired opposite to my brain. I had a mac laptop for years and pretty much hated it.
I've used iPhone sporadically (and developed for them on one project) and you can't change the things I'd want to change. I dislike the home screen grid and they added widgets far too late. It took them multiple years to semi-fix notifications. The lack of a back button still perplexes me, especially when one app launches another.
Unfortunately I'm increasingly feeling that Android is a buggy mess too. Android 12 was a complete disaster and my phone is still messed up from it (some apps still don't get notifications) even though I'm now on 13. Google is focusing on the wrong things IMO but I don't think I'd last 48h on iPhone. I actually preferred Windows Phone to iOS. Don't get me wrong I don't think iPhone is a bad product in any way (except how closed everything is), it works for a lot of people - just not me.
Mainly that there are really solid midrange android phones nowadays. I just can't justify the iPhone pricetag.
Because there's an Android phone model for every type of person. There's no iPhone with a big screen, sd card slot under $500 cad
I also like IOS due to stability (I have an Ipad Mini) but I need some things firat before switching.
Tasker mostly. And apps for piracy are more plentiful lol
I could post why I do not like Apple, but that isn't why I prefer Android.
I like how there are a ton of options on Android. I can control what hardware I have, from an ultrabudget $100 phone to a $2000 foldable flagship. I can choose how I control my device, I can choose how my device looks. All of these things add up to letting me have the best experience.
I also like how you can install custom ROMs on many devices. This allows even more options in terms of personal control.
With LineageOS + microg I have a cheap phone that performs really well and the battery lasts for multiple days. Had a jailbroken iphone before switching to Android but have never even thougt about going back.
I feel very constricted using Apple. Everything from the OS to any plug has to be theirs, their way. Android gives me choices and more freedom. It's kinda awkward when a bunch of my friends have iPhones and I'm the one android messing up the group chat colors for them but it's well worth that sacrifice
I want my app icons close to the bottom of the screen where my hands are and not at the top of the screen just because Apple demands it. Also I can have ad free apps like ReVanced
Bad things - stupid bugs. The number of phones I’ve had with issues around notification tones not playing or being cut off (e.g. Moto Z2 Play) or stupid hardware decisions (no physical proximity sensor on Galaxy A51). Also, Bitwarden works way better on iOS - I always seem to have issues with Bitwarden’s integration in GBoard, and needing to use the legacy draw-over approach (but the fact Bitwarden can DO that on Android, is a win). Whereas on iOS, it feels far better integrated into the OS, replacing the standard password manager.