10 year iPhone user switching to Samsung.

[TheStu]

No, let ME step in and end this. Consider this a blanket warning for all involved; get this back to a more civil conversation or I'll close the whole thing down.

Moderator TheStu

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Reading comments like this is a sad reminder of the limited choice that the US market offers (I'm presuming you're in the US based on your limited comparison). Nothing to do with the average US consumer but definitely the overbearing influence of the carriers. Samsung is NOT android and the choices available are extensive beyond the brainwashing and payment plans US consumers have. Europe and the rest of the world have a more extensive choice, hence the rise of Huawei et al.

So...... Zte, Nokia, Xiaomi, Huawei, Nubia, HTC, Sony, Blackberry, Motorola/Lenovo, One Plus etc are perfectly good alternatives. In fact one of the best bargains on the market today is the Zuk Edge. You've probably never heard of it because it wasn't pushed in many markets but it's still the steal of the year (approximately $250 now with worldwide bands and a Snapdragon 821) along with the Huawei Mate 8 and 9. Personally I'm buying the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 in a couple of weeks (with unlimited updates, extensive mods thanks to xda and a nice design). But all this is probably a waste of time for a nation that gets most of its information from Facebook and is reaping the consequences from reality tv and social media consumption. Yeah, I'm referring to Donald Chump and the ignorance that elected him. Not much different than your assessment of choices in the Android market. Garbage in, Garbage out.

The hell you talking about? There are plenty of Zuk, Huawei, moto, and Xiaomi phones on amazon. And with tons of reviews there alone lots of people bought them. Pulling presidental politics into a question about phones is unnecessary and moronic. (Also rich coming from somewhere that needs the government to tell them there are more than one browser and search engine..)

As to the OP, I would tamper my expectations some. iOS and android are increasingly similar these days. Don't expect some great revelation of freedom if you switch. Google want you to cast videos so you have to research which phone will let you plug in a projector if that's important (afaik mine will not let me). File manager is convenient, but using dropbox is far easier anyway, so you don't have to bother plugging your phone in. (and isn't a file manger coming to iOS?). No headphone jack I can understand though, I'm not accepting that!

 

[TheOracle72]

"Also rich coming from somewhere that needs the government to tell them there are more than one browser and search engine."

I'll have to ask my Governor Rick Scott which Browser and Search engine I can switch to. Lol.

Btw you're right, I shouldn't have involved Presidential politics but these are the times we live in and I'm guilty.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

"Also rich coming from somewhere that needs the government to tell them there are more than one browser and search engine."

I'll have to ask my Governor Rick Scott which Browser and Search engine I can switch to. Lol.

Btw you're right, I shouldn't have involved Presidential politics but these are the times we live in and I'm guilty.

I thought you referred to Europe somewhere? Sorry, maybe that was somebody else. Still.

 

[TheOracle72]

I thought you referred to Europe somewhere? Sorry, maybe that was somebody else. Still.

It may very well have been me but how that makes me European I don't know. I also don't know of any autocratic governments in western Europe. Maybe eastern Europe.

Anyway the point is that US buyers have a limited choice compared to those elsewhere. Much of that has to do with North American countries using lte bands that no one else uses and a virtual duopoly by Samsung and Apple in consumers minds.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

It may very well have been me but how that makes me European I don't know. I also don't know of any autocratic governments in western Europe. Maybe eastern Europe.

Anyway the point is that US buyers have a limited choice compared to those elsewhere. Much of that has to do with North American countries using lte bands that no one else uses and a virtual duopoly by Samsung and Apple in consumers minds.

huh, what did I say about autocratic governments? I just referred to how the EU has to force browser and search engine ballots, because of supposedly "limited choice" (i.e. clicking a button..)

Anyhow, what do you mean US buyers have limited choice? Like I said I found tons of different smartphone brands on amazon, a simple click away. Most or all of the examples you mentioned I believe. Maybe there are fewer options than the EU, or india (which has like a phone every $5 price point..), but there are still plenty of non-apple/samsung options. So I'm just a bit confused what you're referring to.

 

[TheOracle72]

huh, what did I say about autocratic governments? I just referred to how the EU has to force browser and search engine ballots, because of supposedly "limited choice" (i.e. clicking a button..)

Anyhow, what do you mean US buyers have limited choice? Like I said I found tons of different smartphone brands on amazon, a simple click away. Most or all of the examples you mentioned I believe. Maybe there are fewer options than the EU, or india (which has like a phone every $5 price point..), but there are still plenty of non-apple/samsung options. So I'm just a bit confused what you're referring to.

Now I see what you were getting at but it doesn't reflect on the general population. Suffice it to say that the Nanny State that some European countries have become isn't universally popular.

By limited choice I'm referring to how the majority of Americans buy their phones. Would you agree that most people buy their phones through the four major carriers with some sort of financing package? Assuming you agree, then walking into one of their stores you have perhaps four or five brands to choose from at different price points with Samsung, Apple, LG, Motorola, HTC and maybe Sony predominantly available on the high-end. At least that's what I see at T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon stores in the Miami area. (Unlocked phones aren't that popular yet but it's changing thanks to T-Mobile). You will rarely see a high-end ZTE/Nubia, Huawei, Zuk, Xiaomi etc other than online and the unlocked phones sold by Best Buy are generally mid-range models like the Honor 6X. I hope that clarifies my point.

 

[Red Storm]

Millions of people shop on Amazon, just one of the many online stores where you can buy any number of phones from. I don't feel like we are very limited in choice at all here in the US.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Now I see what you were getting at but it doesn't reflect on the general population. Suffice it to say that the Nanny State that some European countries have become isn't universally popular.

By limited choice I'm referring to how the majority of Americans buy their phones. Would you agree that most people buy their phones through the four major carriers with some sort of financing package? Assuming you agree, then walking into one of their stores you have perhaps four or five brands to choose from at different price points with Samsung, Apple, LG, Motorola, HTC and maybe Sony predominantly available on the high-end. At least that's what I see at T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon stores in the Miami area. (Unlocked phones aren't that popular yet but it's changing thanks to T-Mobile). You will rarely see a high-end ZTE/Nubia, Huawei, Zuk, Xiaomi etc other than online and the unlocked phones sold by Best Buy are generally mid-range models like the Honor 6X. I hope that clarifies my point.

I have no idea how people buy their phones. Maybe you're right. Personally I don't understand why you'd buy from a carrier; do people buy their car at the gas station..? But in any case that's not limited choice, and is why EU rules are nonsense too. Just because people only choose two brands doesn't mean they don't have other options. Maybe people really like samsung phones, I'm sure they're great.

We have the internets, you can choose many other phones from many websites and have it shipped to your house. That's even easier than going to store! I haven't been to a carrier store since ~2011. I don't see how you can say we don't have choice. People might not take advantage of it, but that's a different issue. Why should I care that most people don't, as long as I can choose other phones? That's their problem.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

Thanks for the info guys. More confused than ever now. The charge Jack is partly broken on my phone, so I have to move on this soon.
I guess I want to avoid unnecessary fancy gadgets and proprietory stuff as much as I can. Big screen is most important as I use it for the Internet a lot. Good sound would be nice, as I listen to music all the time with it. I don’t buy a lot of apps, or download iTunes stuff. Just a basic frustration free phone is what I’m after. I’m not sure how the unlock stuff works, or if it’s doable here in Japan.

 

[TheOracle72]

[

Millions of people shop on Amazon, just one of the many online stores where you can buy any number of phones from. I don't feel like we are very limited in choice at all here in the US.

Agreed but many online purchases of the brands I'm referring to carry no practical warranty (shipping back to China for repairs etc) and therefore are avoided by many people.

I have no idea how people buy their phones. Maybe you're right. Personally I don't understand why you'd buy from a carrier; do people buy their car at the gas station..? But in any case that's not limited choice, and is why EU rules are nonsense too. Just because people only choose two brands doesn't mean they don't have other options. Maybe people really like samsung phones, I'm sure they're great.

We have the internets, you can choose many other phones from many websites and have it shipped to your house. That's even easier than going to store! I haven't been to a carrier store since ~2011. I don't see how you can say we don't have choice. People might not take advantage of it, but that's a different issue. Why should I care that most people don't, as long as I can choose other phones? That's their problem.

Do a Google search for the percentage of unlocked phones (and by extension online phones) versus carrier phones sold in the US and you'll know what I'm talking about. I have never personally bought a carrier phone either and only use dual-sim phones. If I walk into a shop in London I have a much larger choice along with financing and the option of buying online too. Vivo, Oppo, ZTE, Lenovo etc are readily available both online and in shops.

 

[FIVR]

I remember when I was "5 year iPhone user switching to samsung" back in 2013. Ended up buying a Galaxy S4 because Apple took over a month without filling my iPhone 5 order so I cancelled it.


Worst purchase mistake I ever made. I didn't even lasting 9 months before I bought another iPhone (5S). The iPhone ended up being way, way better than the S4 with its ginormous OLED screen with oversaturated colors.


People who know electronics buy iPhones. People who don't know electronics buy iPhones too. But people who think they know electronics better than anybody else always buy Samsung.

OP, you can still avoid all this buy ordering an iPhone X on the 27th like me. You can still be saved all that disappointment....

 

[Red Storm]

I remember when I was "5 year iPhone user switching to samsung" back in 2013. Ended up buying a Galaxy S4 because Apple took over a month without filling my iPhone 5 order so I cancelled it.


Worst purchase mistake I ever made. I didn't even lasting 9 months before I bought another iPhone (5S). The iPhone ended up being way, way better than the S4 with its ginormous OLED screen with oversaturated colors.


People who know electronics buy iPhones. People who don't know electronics buy iPhones too. But people who think they know electronics better than anybody else always buy Samsung.

People who post like this most definitely do not know electronics, or what other people know.

 

[FIVR]

People who post like this most definitely do not know electronics, or what other people know.

Sounds like you think you know a lot about electronics.... definitely more than me!



What does that say?

 

[Oyeve]

I remember when I was "5 year iPhone user switching to samsung" back in 2013. Ended up buying a Galaxy S4 because Apple took over a month without filling my iPhone 5 order so I cancelled it.


Worst purchase mistake I ever made. I didn't even lasting 9 months before I bought another iPhone (5S). The iPhone ended up being way, way better than the S4 with its ginormous OLED screen with oversaturated colors.


People who know electronics buy iPhones. People who don't know electronics buy iPhones too. But people who think they know electronics better than anybody else always buy Samsung.

OP, you can still avoid all this buy ordering an iPhone X on the 27th like me. You can still be saved all that disappointment....

This is the most dumbest assessment I have read in quite a long time.

 

[TheOracle72]

I remember when I was "5 year iPhone user switching to samsung" back in 2013. Ended up buying a Galaxy S4 because Apple took over a month without filling my iPhone 5 order so I cancelled it.


Worst purchase mistake I ever made. I didn't even lasting 9 months before I bought another iPhone (5S). The iPhone ended up being way, way better than the S4 with its ginormous OLED screen with oversaturated colors.


People who know electronics buy iPhones. People who don't know electronics buy iPhones too. But people who think they know electronics better than anybody else always buy Samsung.

OP, you can still avoid all this buy ordering an iPhone X on the 27th like me. You can still be saved all that disappointment....

Back in 2013 I could understand your pain because Android and the S4 in particular weren't 'on par with the iPhone. But in the mobile phone world things have changed dramatically and the iPhone isn't cutting edge any longer and hasn't been for a while. More importantly is the OP's frustration with IOS and its infuriating and money making restrictions which is actually more relevant to this discussion.

This is primarily a computer geek site and you're probably here because you dig into the capabilities of your computer/electronics. Android has XDA too but I'm not aware of any similar site endorsed by Apple for the iPhone. Probably because it's a closed, restrictive ecosystem that's designed for the average consumer. If you're on this site and can't appreciate the potential of android then you're the one that knows nothing about electronics.

 

[TheOracle72]

Thanks for the info guys. More confused than ever now. The charge Jack is partly broken on my phone, so I have to move on this soon.
I guess I want to avoid unnecessary fancy gadgets and proprietory stuff as much as I can. Big screen is most important as I use it for the Internet a lot. Good sound would be nice, as I listen to music all the time with it. I don’t buy a lot of apps, or download iTunes stuff. Just a basic frustration free phone is what I’m after. I’m not sure how the unlock stuff works, or if it’s doable here in Japan.

It's my understanding that most phones in Japan are on the same US carrier model. You'd probably have to check your local forums to find out how they do it. I do know that the original bezel-less Sharp Aquos that everyone wanted was difficult to unlock/customize for use outside Japan since they were locked to NTT etc. I'm quite sure that the newer android phones have the bands to work in Japan but you'll have to find out which ones allow unlocked phones that tourists would likely use. One advantage you have is the availability of the full Sony lineup and they're excellent phones even though they aren't as popular as Samsung.

 

[dawheat]

Sounds like you think you know a lot about electronics.... definitely more than me!



What does that say?

Snarkiness doesn't win you any points. You have a fair point about your experience with Android - the S4 was notably a bad year for Samsung when it came to unoptimized software and bloat.

I personally don't think Samsung phones really could be considered an overall competitor to the equivalent iPhone until the Galaxy S7 (the Note 4 was a positive outlier for other reasons). Their industrial design had a second year of polish to get to iPhone levels, the cameras were actually superior, and the overall Android + Touchwiz experience finally got to a point where the average user would be satisfied.

The one knock still is the number of unnecessary apps that come bundled with Samsung carrier phones but thankfully most can now either be uninstalled or disabled.

Now with the S8 generation, I don't have an issue with recommending it to anyone regardless of their past usage. The S8+ especially when it goes on promo unlocked from Samsung for $550ish is a particular bargain compared to the iPhone X.

 

[TheOracle72]

Snarkiness doesn't win you any points. You have a fair point about your experience with Android - the S4 was notably a bad year for Samsung when it came to unoptimized software and bloat.

I personally don't think Samsung phones really could be considered an overall competitor to the equivalent iPhone until the Galaxy S7 (the Note 4 was a positive outlier for other reasons). Their industrial design had a second year of polish to get to iPhone levels, the cameras were actually superior, and the overall Android + Touchwiz experience finally got to a point where the average user would be satisfied.

The one knock still is the number of unnecessary apps that come bundled with Samsung carrier phones but thankfully most can now either be uninstalled or disabled.

Now with the S8 generation, I don't have an issue with recommending it to anyone regardless of their past usage. The S8+ especially when it goes on promo unlocked from Samsung for $550ish is a particular bargain compared to the iPhone X.

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.

 

[KentState]

Another 5th grader. My iphone 7 has the worst speaker phone possible. I can barely hear anyone on the earpiece. Are you even serious?

Agree about the iPhone 7 speaker phone. Compared to my past Android devices, it's rather poor.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

Can you minimize the screen while listening to YouTube videos on android? Apple blocks that feature, I’m assuming so you can’t put it in your pocket and listen to audio over YouTube at the same time.

 

[mrochester]

Can you minimize the screen while listening to YouTube videos on android? Apple blocks that feature, I’m assuming so you can’t put it in your pocket and listen to audio over YouTube at the same time.

I believe it's Google that blocks that feature, not Apple. You won't be able to do it on Android either.

 

[TheOracle72]

I believe it's Google that blocks that feature, not Apple. You won't be able to do it on Android either.

Don't Nougat and Oreo allow it now with split screen?

 

[Chocu1a]

Can you minimize the screen while listening to YouTube videos on android? Apple blocks that feature, I’m assuming so you can’t put it in your pocket and listen to audio over YouTube at the same time.

I believe it's Google that blocks that feature, not Apple. You won't be able to do it on Android either.

Yes, yes you can. It is called YouTube Music, & it plays in the background while screen is off.

 

[notposting]

Apple does have Bluetooth transfer -- there's AirDrop on both iOS devices and Mac. It's considerably easier, but it's not universal. Otherwise Apple tends to prefer cloud transfers (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive...).

Well, not any standardized BT transfer - like you said, Airdrop only versus just regular BT protocols etc.But...

I'd just make sure that you're comfortable with performance and policies in Android before jumping ship. I really like Android, but the tendency toward excess customization on some phones (to where the OS actually bogs down over time) and poor update policies (hope you don't mind waiting half a year for that OS upgrade!) drive me up the wall. If it were my money, I'd go straight to a Google Pixel 2, because that's the only surefire way to get both a lightweight Android install and updates that show up quickly, as they should on every phone.

Yeah, if Android were more unified with less manufacturer (and being on VZW, carrier) meddling, I would probably find it easier to switch, it's why I went with an iPhone anyway, don't have time or interest in flashing ROM's or making sure a bootloader is unlocked, and whether it will limit something later on, etc etc. That and finding a phone that supports Verizon without a bunch of garbage included...I would have gone for a Nokia TBH but that's a no-go on VZW.