Leaving iOS for Android

In the last month, I’ve used Android alongside iOS and I finally decided to switch completely over to Android. I’ve made a few noteworthy observations from the switch. But first, a disclaimer: this is in no means an Android/iOS comparison. This is just my thoughts from switching over. Now Switching wasn’t really an issue. It was the adjustment period afterwards. Having extra navigation buttons, or losing 3D touch for instance. That was a bit of a learning curve. So these are the things I liked and disliked about switching to Android in no particular order. The phones I switched from was an iPhone 6S to a Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Visuals and Performance

In terms of build quality, specs and features, the Samsung definitely looks — and feels better. With it’s IP68 water resistance, vivid AMOLED display, and 18W USB-C fast charging. In contrast it’s easy to think of even the iPhone 8+ as dated with it’s huge bezels and washed out LCD by today’s standards. In terms of real world performance (app usage, RAM management, camera) however, it’s clear why I held on to the iPhone for a while. Concerning battery life, my new Android phone is undeniably a battery champ. Although my iPhone was probably due for a battery change, there was never a time when it could never get me through a full day. At least not with the way I use phones.

However, I don’t even bother to charge my Android much. Two days after switching, I forgot to carry along my Power Bank and as the day went by, I realized it was no problem. Still got home with 38%. That was with over 5 hours of intense-use screen-on time. Battery doesn’t seem like it’s on the top of Apple’s list. Again, people don’t even bother to change out the batteries on their 4/5 year old iPhones. With Android phones however, their relatively short life-spans mean we don’t get to suffer from worn out batteries.

While I was still using the two phones simultaneously, I had one SIM card in each of them. On deciding to switch completely, I placed both SIMs on the Android. A dual SIM phone is quite useful. Home and Work; Voice and Data — in one place. Admittedly, it gets annoying having my browsing interrupted by a call on the other line. Apple finally brought about dual SIM iPhones but they don’t exactly work like you’d expect.

Data, Services, and Charges

The first thing that crossed my mind as I popped out my SIM was the activation charges. Subconsciously, I’d mostly avoided switching SIM cards on my iPhone. Because each time I changed SIM cards, I was charged — In Airtime, not cash — to activate iMessages and Facetime on my new line. Thus, it was relieving to know I didn’t have to verify every new SIM with a text.

But I was also losing iMessages and Facetime. iMessage is quite underrated. It’s convenience and security is Unrivaled. And it gets pretty fun to play games over text. And all without the 4 naira per text charge. I could do without Facetime though. I hardly even used it anymore. Not with how good Whatsapp video calls have gotten.

Apple offers Subscription services for all kinds of media content. iOS has a Music (Apple Music), Movies (Apple Channels), and even Games (Apple Arcade) subscription service. Android offers Google Play Pass for games as well but their Music and Movies subscription aren’t available in Nigeria just yet. Subscription services are a great way to save money.

iPhones do not use more data than Android phones! I would love for people to stop saying that. Matter of fact, in iOS settings, you can turn off Data connection completely for individual apps. Whether you think it uses too much data, or you wanted to stop seeing ads. On Android, that setting still only applies to background data usage restrictions. Although I bet you’re still wondering why the phones themselves are “quite expensive”. Hopefully, this answers your question.

Apps and Storage

That being said, I noticed that apps on the App Store were a lot larger than similar apps on Play Store. Although Apple has announced iOS 13 would bring a 50% decrease in app sizes on downloads. Further, there’s this other misconception about everything costing money on the App Store. All the popular, free apps on Android are also free on iOS.

notice that apps on the App Store were a lot larger than similar apps on Play Store. Although Apple has announced iOS 13 would bring a 50% decrease in app sizes on downloads. Further, there’s this other misconception about everything costing money on the App Store. All the popular, free apps on Android are also free on iOS.

The real difference is that it’s easier to get past payments on Android. I loved that about Android a few years back. But today, with our Digital Security more at risk, I only download apps Verified by Play Protect. Besides, if you love the app so much, then it must be worth paying the Developers for. It’s a one lifetime charge anyways.

Being able to expand storage is definitely a plus for some people. I had a 64gb iPhone so I never really had a problem with a lack of SD card option. But I know from experience how frustrating running out of storage can be. Then not being able to do anything other than buy a new phone entirely if you want more than 6 apps installed on your phone. The latest and greatest iPhones have so much storage, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest iPhones. So in a practical sense, the extra $50-$100 Apple usually charges to upgrade from the base storage is still somewhat ridiculous.

Software

Ahh…my favorite part of this conversation. About a year back, I would have just plainly stated “Apple has the better Software”, no argument. iPhones stay updated for several years, Security is much better with Apple’s strict app guidelines and data policies, and there’s some games that won’t even run on Android.

But Android One has come to try change that. It’s google’s way of making Android OS uniform across the board. Ensuring Android smartphones stay updated for at least two years after (that’s two major versions of Android); As well as consistency with updates. Read the full article before I digress.

Nonetheless, iOS is still as intuitive as ever. iOS 13 brought exciting, truly noteworthy features with it. And it’s av ailable for even the iPhone 6S I moved from. That’s 5 years of updates since the iPhone 6S launched with iOS 9. Popular requests like Dark Mode finally made it’s way to iPhones and even the ability to FINALLY download apps of over 200mb with your own data. HUDs like the volume rocker animation were also finally redesigned.

Quick Edit: Admittedly, Google Assistant quite simply better than Siri. From useful answers, contextual references, insightful tips, and lots of powerful capabilities. Google Dulplex really pushes the Assistant to close to human inraction; even though it’s not available to everyone just yet.

Let’s Talk Music

Let’s talk music. As a Music lover, I’ve been building a Library since my iPhone 4. I had a couple of songs on iTunes before moving over to Apple Music. It’s gotten much, much cheaper too! I’ve been paying 450 naira per month for all of Apple’s 40 million songs since owning a Nigerian Apple ID. Read The Nigerian’s Guide to Apple Music.

But that’s all besides the point. We’re talking about my switch to Android. The Apple Music app for Android was the very first app I got after my switch. My library was ported straight over, but I still had to re-download all my music to listen offline. So I decided to try out Spotify this time — which I’ve also used in the past. So here’s the thing; I was very surprised to find my Spotify Library in-tact. I mean, just as I left it the last time I logged in (almost two years back) — Down to my last Daily Mix and the Hip-hop controller playlist I loved.

In contrast, I’ve happened to lose my Apple Music Library and a few iTunes purchases twice. Once while changing from a US to Nigerian account, and the other time after I cancelled my billing for a bit. While Spotify is free to listen, it’s not officially available in Nigeria so you need a VPN to listen. It’s certainly not worth paying for when it’s not even officially available here. Anyways I’ve cancelled my Apple Music Subscription for a while. Also downloaded AudioMack, Musixmatch, and I still very much use Google Play Music.

Cameras

Another disclaimer; the camera on my new Samsung is NOT that great. I guess the only thing about cameras and image quality I could say is that pictures taken on my iPhone weren’t too vivid. Apple tends to lean towards more natural colors while Samsung have more saturated, rich colors. And this remains true no matter how good their cameras get.

So Which Should You Get?

In the end, there is no “better option” between Android and iOS unless it applies to your use case.

People who love customization options, share a lot of files, or work from their mobile devices should definitely look towards an Android smartphone. Also, various Smartphone manufacturers have customized versions of stock Android with lots of different features I find exciting to learn about. Plus it’s easier to find what you’re looking for in a market with lots of sellers. So if you’re all about specs and numbers; like a 120Hz screen slapped on 12gb of RAM, you won’t find such an iPhone for years to come. The big Android smartphone companies are this popular because they’re doing something right, some better than others.

iOS is a reliable, well supported Software, and would be perfect for people who love consistency, and excellence. iPhones are built to last, so there’s no problem getting an older or refurbished model if you can’t afford their newest releases. Apple mostly adopts an “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach. Sure, some aspects of it may seem limiting, especially when it comes to file sharing, but most of the comptromise allows for a level of security and functionality that’s very scarce in the Android market. Oh and, maybe you just love the Apple logo…hmm?

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