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Imagine getting on a flight and the first thing the pilot does is try his very best to assure you that everything is all good.
"It's all good until we decide to change the entire interface of the OS every few iteration, abandon apps you love to use, introduce you to multitude of messaging apps (any of which you can't be sure to last), so you need to learn everything over and over again.
And have you heard about our new AI assistant, that's better than our old AI assistant that we're purposefully making dumber by the moment?"
Itβs all good with Google on Android because we ~~need~~ want your data.
Dunno what you mean. I've been using a Pixel since Pixel 1. The UI has only changed a bit at a time. I've used Messages (Google's SMS app) for as long as I can remember. It's only ever had one AI assistant, which is the "hey google" one, and it's always been okay.
I'm guessing some of the issues you're noticing are specific to some Android distributions from specific brands. Mainline Android is pretty stable.
I still have an original pixel xl for photo backup and a pixel 6a for daily use. I had Oneplus and Samsungs and a iPhone in between. Off the top of my head, the notification toggles have changed from simple squares to large rectangle bubbles. You could fit multiple toggles before, now you have 4 (portrait). The wifi and data used to be separate toggle, now they are inside "Internet". To turn off wifi, you need to go inside Internet, then turn off Wifi. Some features and options are moved around different sections inside settings. It used to be double tap to wake the Pixel screen, now it's a single tap. Uninstalling some System apps from playstore doesn't actually uninstall it, it just goes to factory version, and an "Update" button is displayed.
It isn't a significant change if you get monthly updates, but really annoys less technically inclined people who update less frequently, usually when things change for a more complicated process. Many google apps don't even follow their own design language. On iOS, even though its interface is boring I can find settings when I help my parents or relatives even though I don't use it much at all.
I'm not talking about the SMS app. We very rarely use SMS. First there was Google Talk, then Hangouts, Allo & Duo. Now there is Messages by Google, Google Voice, Google Chat, and Hangouts is still on the playstore.
For AI there's Duet AI, Bard AI. These AI are not specifically on Android yet, but you never know with Google.
Seriously? Simplicity and worry-free process?! You can't even switch to Android from Android without having to spend 2 hours logging into each app and setting them up from scratch. Fuck, even resetting your current phone and restoring from its own backup is still a huge hassle!
I helped a Friend move to android a week ago and it is just a nightmare. It is just frustrating since there is not a single guide you can use. Everythin works only from android version X to Y and your phone has android Z and does not seem to get updated anymore even tough it is just one year old. And even if you have the right android Version you are unlikely to be able to follow anything step by step, since everything looks different with every manufacturer.
iOS with its walled garden ecosystem is certainly not great, but Android is just awfull and not an alternative
This hasn't been my experience, but I would recommend the site AlternativeTo to find a modern solution for a deprecated app. Usually, somebody else has filled the niche if the old one is gone.
There is no alternative for whatsapp, and transfering whatsapp chats somehow only works from android 12 (the device had android 11)
That's odd. Doesn't WhatsApp do backups to Google Drive any more?
Not on iOS and there is no way to load an icloud backup into the android app / google drive