10 year iPhone user switching to Samsung.

[ibex333]

Let me step in and end this debate right here. iPhone's are the greatest creation ever and no other phone will ever surpass them in iSheep land.

Your childish sarcasm is not appreciated. I never said iPhone was the best ever. But it is surely better than Samsung when it comes to core basics such as phone calls... When it comes to the PDA functionality, Samsung wins in many ways, but none of them are essential.

 

[TheOracle72]

Your childish sarcasm is not appreciated. I never said iPhone was the best ever. But it is surely better than Samsung when it comes to core basics such as phone calls... When it comes to the PDA functionality, Samsung wins in many ways, but none of them are essential.

"Core basics such as phone calls" ? I guess you missed the memo on the calling issues (crackling and hissing) with the iPhone 8? The PDA functionalities may not be essential but I think clear phone calls would be the minimum for any phone.

 

[zerogear]

Well said sir apart from the fact that you need hands like Shaq to operate the S8+ and Note 8. But you're definitely on point.

TIL I have Shaq hands.

 

[Red Storm]

TIL I have Shaq hands.

Apparently me too!

 

[TheOracle72]

Your childish sarcasm is not appreciated. I never said iPhone was the best ever. But it is surely better than Samsung when it comes to core basics such as phone calls... When it comes to the PDA functionality, Samsung wins in many ways, but none of them are essential.

Or how about this basic function?
https://www.phonearena.com/news/Thi...alculator-is-giving-the-wrong-answers_id99282

 

[Chocu1a]

Apparently me too!

Me three! but seriously, my hands are on the smaller side. I wear a size 8 wedding ring. That is on the smaller size for a man. No probs at all using the Note 8. In fact, this is the easiest Note to use 1 hand.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

I need to get all my photos off the phone now and transfer to my PC (not to mention later data to switch to new phone), but the cable jack on the iPhone is busted. Both are on the same WiFi network. How can I do this?

 

[TheOracle72]

I need to get all my photos off the phone now and transfer to my PC (not to mention later data to switch to new phone), but the cable jack on the iPhone is busted. Both are on the same WiFi network. How can I do this?

I don't know if it's available on IOS but there's an app called ShareIt on Android that does that. There are various other ones and I'm sure there are others to share to pc. Again I don't know what IOS allows but you should experiment.

 

[Oyeve]

I need to get all my photos off the phone now and transfer to my PC (not to mention later data to switch to new phone), but the cable jack on the iPhone is busted. Both are on the same WiFi network. How can I do this?

Send Anywhere is a decent app. You can send most file types between ios and Android and there is even a chrome version to use on pcs. I use it to send video files to my iPad 10.5.

 

[ibex333]

"Core basics such as phone calls" ? I guess you missed the memo on the calling issues (crackling and hissing) with the iPhone 8? The PDA functionalities may not be essential but I think clear phone calls would be the minimum for any phone.

I don't know anything about iPhone 8 and I don't care. My iPhone 6S Plus has absolutely no such issues. Neither does the iPhone 7 or any iPhone that came before it.

 

[gorcorps]

I need to get all my photos off the phone now and transfer to my PC (not to mention later data to switch to new phone), but the cable jack on the iPhone is busted. Both are on the same WiFi network. How can I do this?

I would just use dropbox or something and then download to the computer later. I know it's an extra step, but it works for me.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

Thanks guys.
I have dropbox still installed, and used it a couple of times a couple of years ago. Tried to use it earlier, and it says I need to upgrade as it’s full. I suppose I can just delete the files on my computer folder to free it up, then copy chunks over from my phone?
I’ll assume I have to use iCloud to transfer all the data on my iPhone to my new phone? I know there’s some kind of size limit on that.
I really try to avoid all of the ‘linking’ (accounts and otherwise), automatic wireless uploads to ‘clouds’, Facebook auto-logins, etc. I had some bad experiences a few years ago with leaked data, so I much prefer something like a cable and transferring things when I need.
One of several things which turned me off of Apple was reading in the Steve Jobs biography about how they were able to challenge IBM by being about user freedom and breaking control, symbolized by their 1984 commercial . Later when they got a foothold, he did a 180 and was all about controlling the customers. He took risks to make sure he could do things like get peoples credit card numbers, as he claimed (rightly) this would make it easier to manipulate them.
I really don’t like this interconnected hyper manipulation that seems to be the becoming the standard model now, and I was hoping buying an android would be taking a step away from that.

 

[TheOracle72]

Thanks guys.
I have dropbox still installed, and used it a couple of times a couple of years ago. Tried to use it earlier, and it says I need to upgrade as it’s full. I suppose I can just delete the files on my computer folder to free it up, then copy chunks over from my phone?
I’ll assume I have to use iCloud to transfer all the data on my iPhone to my new phone? I know there’s some kind of size limit on that.
I really try to avoid all of the ‘linking’ (accounts and otherwise), automatic wireless uploads to ‘clouds’, Facebook auto-logins, etc. I had some bad experiences a few years ago with leaked data, so I much prefer something like a cable and transferring things when I need.
One of several things which turned me off of Apple was reading in the Steve Jobs biography about how they were able to challenge IBM by being about user freedom and breaking control, symbolized by their 1984 commercial . Later when they got a foothold, he did a 180 and was all about controlling the customers. He took risks to make sure he could do things like get peoples credit card numbers, as he claimed (rightly) this would make it easier to manipulate them.
I really don’t like this interconnected hyper manipulation that seems to be the becoming the standard model now, and I was hoping buying an android would be taking a step away from that.

Download the Google Photos app and it will automatically upload all your photos and videos to the cloud with unlimited storage. Use Google drive for the rest since it gives you 15GB free which should be enough.

Your frustration with the restrictions of IOS are shared by many and the reason why I won't use an Apple product. Though Android gives you virtually unrestricted freedom, Google does manipulate and use your data for their own ends which I'm sure you're aware of. But in terms of the flexibility you're looking for Android is the exact opposite of IOS. Apple fans will probably scream and shout but it's the truth.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

Ok thanks. It’s too bad Google fired Damore. Hearing a lot of bad stuff about them now.

 

[Commodus]

Ok thanks. It’s too bad Google fired Damore. Hearing a lot of bad stuff about them now.

Not sure what firing an I'm-totally-not-sexist-but-actually-I-am guy has to do with Google's ecosystem in a mobile-focused thread. Can we keep the focus on tech in this thread and save the hagiography of Damore for P&N?

 

[TheOracle72]

Not sure what firing an I'm-totally-not-sexist-but-actually-I-am guy has to do with Google's ecosystem in a mobile-focused thread. Can we keep the focus on tech in this thread and save the hagiography of Damore for P&N?

Since it's his thread I'm not sure why you think you can direct where he takes it.

 

[TheStu]

Since it's his thread I'm not sure why you think you can direct where he takes it.

Welcome to Anandtech Forums. We try to keep threads that start in a Tech sub-forum (such as Mobile Devices & Gadgets), related to that sub-forum. Commodus is correct that if OP wants to get into why Damore was fired, then he should take it over to Politics & News.

 

[TheOracle72]

Welcome to Anandtech Forums. We try to keep threads that start in a Tech sub-forum (such as Mobile Devices & Gadgets), related to that sub-forum. Commodus is correct that if OP wants to get into why Damore was fired, then he should take it over to Politics & News.

Fair enough and I appreciate the point but it wasn't about to derail the thread in any way. If it had gone any further then I could understand. Having the thought police members jump on every little statement tends to lead to derailing too.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

I’m sure there’s members on this forum that know a lot more about these issues than I do. But I was under the impression that android phones offered less manipulation than Apple phones. What influence, if any, does Google have over an android Samsung phone that I’m thinking of buying, along with the full carrier package? I recently found out about a lot of manipulation and censorship of information for financial and political reasons, by google, that most of their customers, like me, were unaware of, via the Damore case. I was very disappointed. It’s made me more cautious of signing on to Google products. Are android phones completely separated from this?
I just want a basic smartphone that does the simple things I want, and isn’t going to try and maneuver me into things I don’t.

 

[TheOracle72]

I’m sure there’s members on this forum that know a lot more about these issues than I do. But I was under the impression that android phones offered less manipulation than Apple phones. What influence, if any, does Google have over an android Samsung phone that I’m thinking of buying, along with the full carrier package? I recently found out about a lot of manipulation and censorship of information for financial and political reasons, by google, that most of their customers, like me, were unaware of, via the Damore case. I was very disappointed. It’s made me more cautious of signing on to Google products. Are android phones completely separated from this?
I just want a basic smartphone that does the simple things I want, and isn’t going to try and maneuver me into things I don’t.

Personally I have no clue what you're talking about regarding manipulation, influence or anything else similar to that regarding Google or Samsung. On the other hand American carriers definitely manipulate your phone with bloat and various other stuff. I have a 3 year old unlocked AT&T Asus Padfone X that's still going strong but still won't allow me to set up a hotspot because of the carrier restrictions. If you feel Google are manipulating you then start by using DuckDuckGo for your search engine to start with. You can also freely use your Android phone without a Google account if you're that worried. Personally I'd be more wary of the prison called IOS and the silent intrusion of Crapple.

 

[Commodus]

Personally I have no clue what you're talking about regarding manipulation, influence or anything else similar to that regarding Google or Samsung. On the other hand American carriers definitely manipulate your phone with bloat and various other stuff. I have a 3 year old unlocked AT&T Asus Padfone X that's still going strong but still won't allow me to set up a hotspot because of the carrier restrictions. If you feel Google are manipulating you then start by using DuckDuckGo for your search engine to start with. You can also freely use your Android phone without a Google account if you're that worried. Personally I'd be more wary of the prison called IOS and the silent intrusion of Crapple.

Silent intrusion how, exactly? Apple doesn't have an ad business or other incentives to scoop up user info (not that Google is as intrusive as some claim, but there is that practical reality).

And prison? Really? They're computing devices. You're not toiling under some terrible yoke of oppression because you can't (normally) install an app from outside the App Store. It's what you can do with a device that makes it empowering, not its theoretical permissions.

 

[TheOracle72]

Silent intrusion how, exactly? Apple doesn't have an ad business or other incentives to scoop up user info (not that Google is as intrusive as some claim, but there is that practical reality).

And prison? Really? They're computing devices. You're not toiling under some terrible yoke of oppression because you can't (normally) install an app from outside the App Store. It's what you can do with a device that makes it empowering, not its theoretical permissions.

They all gather your information for their own purposes. Apple choose not to use it as overtly as Google. There's even speculation that Apple's new Face Id is part of their AI program along with the millions of fingerprints and other user data they already have. Conspiracy theory? Perhaps. But it's certainly not a stretch for Apple, Google or any other oem.

The prison is the Apple ecosystem and all the proprietary restrictions (both hardware and software) it imposes for no other reason than to monetise everything possible at extortionate prices. A $150 fast charger for the $1,000 iPhone X is just the latest example. Something that comes standard with most other brands. Selling storage (both cloud and phone) as if they're doing us a favour is probably the worst when iTunes is mandatory and not cross platform in a truly practical sense. Shall I continue..........

"It's what you can do with a device that makes it empowering, not it's theoretical permissions."
I think you just agreed with my argument. It's what you CAN do with Android that makes it empowering and that's the weakness of IOS.

 

[Commodus]

They all gather your information for their own purposes. Apple choose not to use it as overtly as Google. There's even speculation that Apple's new Face Id is part of their AI program along with the millions of fingerprints and other user data they already have. Conspiracy theory? Perhaps. But it's certainly not a stretch for Apple, Google or any other oem.

The prison is the Apple ecosystem and all the proprietary restrictions (both hardware and software) it imposes for no other reason than to monetise everything possible at extortionate prices. A $150 fast charger for the $1,000 iPhone X is just the latest example. Something that comes standard with most other brands. Selling storage (both cloud and phone) as if they're doing us a favour is probably the worst when iTunes is mandatory and not cross platform in a truly practical sense. Shall I continue..........

"It's what you can do with a device that makes it empowering, not it's theoretical permissions."
I think you just agreed with my argument. It's what you CAN do with Android that makes it empowering and that's the weakness of IOS.

What they gather and how they gather it is absolutely important, though. The whole point is that Apple's data gathering is very limited and consensual, even if Google isn't nearly as sinister as some claim. And I'm sorry, but what you've said about Apple's biometrics is just false. The fingerprints and face data stay on the secure element chip; they don't leave the phone. Both systems authenticate you solely by matching abstract values that can't be reconstructed.

Also, I don't know where the hell you got the $150 figure from, because that's not true either. A 29W USB-C power adapter from Apple is $59, and a USB-C to Lightning cable is $35. That's still not cheap and it still sucks when other vendors offer fast-charging for 'free,' but that's not $150. Then there's claiming that iTunes is mandatory (false unless you want to sync local music/backups)... and what the hell does "not cross-platform in a truly practical sense" mean, anyway? You're not limited feature-wise on Windows.

And no, I didn't agree with your argument at all. When I say what you can do, I mean actual, real, meaningful things. Like making music. Video chats with friends on the other side of the planet. Tracking your health. Editing a document while you're commuting to work. You're not hamstrung in real life because you can't change the default browser to Chrome or sideload a beta social app. There are certainly things Android can do that iOS still can't, but the gap in tangible effects is small.

Look, you're not really helping your case here. You've just made a series of objectively false or dodgy statements, and you clearly didn't understand my statement about empowerment. You may want to bow out gracefully.

 

[TheOracle72]

What they gather and how they gather it is absolutely important, though. The whole point is that Apple's data gathering is very limited and consensual, even if Google isn't nearly as sinister as some claim. And I'm sorry, but what you've said about Apple's biometrics is just false. The fingerprints and face data stay on the secure element chip; they don't leave the phone. Both systems authenticate you solely by matching abstract values that can't be reconstructed.

Also, I don't know where the hell you got the $150 figure from, because that's not true either. A 29W USB-C power adapter from Apple is $59, and a USB-C to Lightning cable is $35. That's still not cheap and it still sucks when other vendors offer fast-charging for 'free,' but that's not $150. Then there's claiming that iTunes is mandatory (false unless you want to sync local music/backups)... and what the hell does "not cross-platform in a truly practical sense" mean, anyway? You're not limited feature-wise on Windows.

And no, I didn't agree with your argument at all. When I say what you can do, I mean actual, real, meaningful things. Like making music. Video chats with friends on the other side of the planet. Tracking your health. Editing a document while you're commuting to work. You're not hamstrung in real life because you can't change the default browser to Chrome or sideload a beta social app. There are certainly things Android can do that iOS still can't, but the gap in tangible effects is small.

Look, you're not really helping your case here. You've just made a series of objectively false or dodgy statements, and you clearly didn't understand my statement about empowerment. You may want to bow out gracefully.

I'm not bowing out. Windows is irrelevant in this discussion and you're being condescending in your points. I have never used an iPhone and I never intend to do so until they allow me to make that phone my own.

Now back to your windows comparison (and I'm no computer expert) but the best laptops I've ever used have been Windows compatible Apple systems. They were truly a pleasure.

Back to the pricing. You're saying it's ok to pay an additional $94 for a cable and charger for a so called fast charging premium phone? We should overlook that "minor point"? On the biometrics I said it was speculation, a simple point that you have taken as fact.

"false unless you want to sync local music/backups"
Where the f*ck else do I want to sync it to?

Health, document editing, video sharing etc. You're kidding I hope? My Huawei P10 annoys me everyday with it's stupid health app. Documents? Ever heard of all the Google document apps and countless file managers?

I can do virtually anything with my Android including........... Drumroll.......... Expand my storage by 256gb independently of iTunes and whatever Apple tells me I should do.

Are you really arguing these points? Stick to ios is better, updated constantly, not fragmented blah, blah, blah. But don't give me arguments that you can never win.

P.S. I also get 15gb free cloud storage on Google Drive plus unlimited photo and video storage on Google Photos. How much does iTunes give you? Asus also gave me 100gb of free Google drive storage as one of the earliest buyers of the Zenfone 2 (bundled 100 minute fast charger with a $300 phone btw). Would you like to buy some or you're fine with your measley 5gb icloud storage. Let me know.

Waiting for my Mi Mix 2 to arrive to replace my Redmi Note 3 Pro and replacing my P10 with a Mate 10. No notch on either and dual-sim. Can you give a reasonable explanation why Apple is the only major major manufacturer that don't offer a dual-sim phone? Money perhaps?

 

[Commodus]

I'm not bowing out. Windows is irrelevant in this discussion and you're being condescending in your points. I have never used an iPhone and I never intend to do so until they allow me to make that phone my own.

Now back to your windows comparison (and I'm no computer expert) but the best laptops I've ever used have been Windows compatible Apple systems. They were truly a pleasure.

Back to the pricing. You're saying it's ok to pay an additional $94 for a cable and charger for a so called fast charging premium phone? We should overlook that "minor point"? On the biometrics I said it was speculation, a simple point that you have taken as fact.

"false unless you want to sync local music/backups"
Where the f*ck else do I want to sync it to?

Health, document editing, video sharing etc. You're kidding I hope? My Huawei P10 annoys me everyday with it's stupid health app. Documents? Ever heard of all the Google document apps and countless file managers?

I can do virtually anything with my Android including........... Drumroll.......... Expand my storage by 256gb independently of iTunes and whatever Apple tells me I should do.

Are you really arguing these points? Stick to ios is better, updated constantly, not fragmented blah, blah, blah. But don't give me arguments that you can never win.

P.S. I also get 15gb free cloud storage on Google Drive plus unlimited photo and video storage on Google Photos. How much does iTunes give you? Asus also gave me 100gb of free Google drive storage as one of the earliest buyers of the Zenfone 2 (bundled 100 minute fast charger with a $300 phone btw). Would you like to buy some or you're fine with your measley 5gb icloud storage. Let me know.

Waiting for my Mi Mix 2 to arrive to replace my Redmi Note 3 Pro and replacing my P10 with a Mate 10. No notch on either and dual-sim. Can you give a reasonable explanation why Apple is the only major major manufacturer that don't offer a dual-sim phone? Money perhaps?

I took the tone I did because you peddled multiple claims that were objectively false, unsubstantiated, and/or poorly expressed. You don't have to agree with me to get a respectful response; you do have to make statements that I can't disprove based on widespread technical knowledge or a 10-second web search.

Did you actually read what I wrote? I said it sucks having to pay to get fast charging that you get in the box with other phones. My beef was that you pulled the $150 figure out of thin air.

Also, please don't try to dismiss common, frequently valuable phone features just because you don't use them or you don't how like your particular phone implements them. And the point about documents was not that this was somehow a unique platform feature, but that there's a lot of parity in the things you can actually do with different platforms.

Apple is stingy with cloud data; I know that. But it's not like I don't get Google Drive (or Dropbox, or OneDrive, or...) if I want it. You'd have a better argument if there was some extra-deep And I know expandable storage is nice, even if it doesn't matter as much as it used to.

As for dual-SIM phones, it's simple: Apple's a mostly high-end phone manufacturer, and dual-SIM phones are most popular at the lower end (there are exceptions, of course). It's a market the company just doesn't want to play in.