Longtime iPhone user goes Android for 4 months. Result? Back to iPhone

[wheresmybacon]

In May I elected to go with the HTC Inspire (ATT), and it just hasn’t been a good experience. There are a few reasons I’m switching back to iPhone, but overall it’s kind of been a cumulative thing; my frustrations continued to mount until yesterday when I’d just had it and decided I’d do whatever it took to switch back.

My reasons for going back to iPhone from Android:

Battery Life: even running essentially stock apps, the battery won’t last past 24 hours whether I’m using the phone or not. What’s odd is initially the battery was very good. Sadly this lasted for only about a month.

Phone Freezing: About once a week I have to power down my phone due to it freezing. It usually freezes when I’m playing one of several games or listening to online radio, but it can freeze at any time. Half the time a cold power down will fix this problem, other times I have to remove the battery.

Spontaneous Massive Battery Drain by virtue of camera operation: Roughly 3-5 times I’ve been using the camera, when the phone simply goes completely black; dead. Battery could be fully charged, then it immediately goes to zero and the phone is inoperable until it’s charged. This is extremely frustrating as I don’t always carry a charger on me, and I’m running around phoneless until I go home.

Device Size: I knew what I was getting in to when I bought the Inspire; it’s no secret it’s huge. The problem is I have a new job where I’m physically moving around quite a bit, so the physical size is now indeed a problem.

The main reason I went Android after being an iPhone user for so long (2007) is I didn’t want to pay $200 for the new iPhone when I could have the Inspire for $50. In hindsight, I’d have just gone Apple if I could do it again.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

In May I elected to go with the HTC Inspire (ATT), and it just hasn’t been a good experience. There are a few reasons I’m switching back to iPhone, but overall it’s kind of been a cumulative thing; my frustrations continued to mount until yesterday when I’d just had it and decided I’d do whatever it took to switch back.

My reasons for going back to iPhone from Android:

Battery Life: even running essentially stock apps, the battery won’t last past 24 hours whether I’m using the phone or not. What’s odd is initially the battery was very good. Sadly this lasted for only about a month.

Phone Freezing: About once a week I have to power down my phone due to it freezing. It usually freezes when I’m playing one of several games or listening to online radio, but it can freeze at any time. Half the time a cold power down will fix this problem, other times I have to remove the battery.

Spontaneous Massive Battery Drain by virtue of camera operation: Roughly 3-5 times I’ve been using the camera, when the phone simply goes completely black; dead. Battery could be fully charged, then it immediately goes to zero and the phone is inoperable until it’s charged. This is extremely frustrating as I don’t always carry a charger on me, and I’m running around phoneless until I go home.

Device Size: I knew what I was getting in to when I bought the Inspire; it’s no secret it’s huge. The problem is I have a new job where I’m physically moving around quite a bit, so the physical size is now indeed a problem.

The main reason I went Android after being an iPhone user for so long (2007) is I didn’t want to pay $200 for the new iPhone when I could have the Inspire for $50. In hindsight, I’d have just gone Apple if I could do it again.

Most of those problems are with HTC not Android. There are plenty of other Android phones that wouldn't have any of those isues. The Nexus S in particular is smaller and has better battery life than the Inspire. The Atrix also is smaller, more powerful, and has better battery life wile being significantly more powerful.

 

[alent1234]

probably dumping my inspire as well when the new iphone comes out. people are paying so much money for it that my iphone will probably be free or close to it

long list of other reasons why android is inferior to iOS



Warning for trolling
If you have a list of reasons, please list them out. Otherwise, your post reads as trolling.

Moderator PM

 

[Fire&Blood]

probably dumping my inspire as well when the new iphone comes out. people are paying so much money for it that my iphone will probably be free or close to it

long list of other reasons why android is inferior to iOS

Very mature of you to throw in that last line because it was oh so contributing to the thread. Start a flame war why don't you?


To the OP: As PJ said, the Nexus S would have been a much better phone to try Android on.

 

[McWatt]

I was pretty happy when I switched from a 3gs to the EVO. Battery life went to hell and I had to fix it with a 2.5x size extended battery, which eliminated power worries but made my EVO probably twice as thick as the iPhone. I preferred typing on the EVO and found GO SMS to be superior to iPhone messaging, but the easy root and tether was the main draw. The UI was certainly less fluid than the iPhone 3gs, much less the 4, but I just switched to a Galaxy S2 which (unrooted, stock battery) gets battery life as good as my EVO's with the extended battery and is nearly as fluid as iOS. A fluid UI is definitely a perk, but it comes with a loss of functionality that I'm not willing to take anymore. Anyone who places a really high premium on UI smoothness should check out Windows Phone 7, which actually beats the iPhone at its own game, but you'll have to deal with another walled garden and a smaller selection of apps.

 

[Kenmitch]

I've had the iphone -> 3g -> 3gs -> 4 and can say Apple better hit a grand slam with the next incarnation or I'm jumping ship

I have the unlimited data plan and just learned it can be move to any smart phone yesterday!

Currently leaning towards windows phone at the moment. I don't really care who has more apps I'm not gonna buy.

Not that its worth much but the girl who helped me with my sons phone upgrade yesterday at the att store said most of people who go from iOS to Android aren't happy for long.

 

[Genx87]

HTC's phones are notorious for poor battery life. I have had several, they all were terrible.

 

[Demo24]

All of those issues can come down to either a)something is wrong with that phone or b)its because of HTC. Stock Android devices do not exhibit said problems

 

[dlock13]

HTC's phones are notorious for poor battery life. I have had several, they all were terrible.

This is extremely true. Samsung and Motorola have the best battery life of the Android manufacturers.

The problem I see with Android is it's still way too complicated for the average user. The customizations along with the different skins make most users confused and get sick of Android. I feel like most people that buy an Android phone do it for the looks and not for the functionality Android has to offer.

Honestly, I've been an Android user since the first Incredible came out, and I've just about had it with all of the different interfaces, the plethora of bugs that come my way when I try different things/apps/roms/phones, the hard work it takes to make sure my phone is going to function correctly and quickly with good battery life. I've had a Fascinate since about June or July, and I've had to try so hard to get a good ROM that optimizes the use of the phone and it's battery. I've finally found one with MIUI a month ago, but it has bugs out the wazoo. Sure, I can try another ROM, but you get my point I hope.

Anyway, I'm looking to jump ship to an iPhone or a WP7 whenever VZW gets something good. Sure ICS might be a killer operating system, but I doubt manufacturers will pick up their game when it comes to terrible user interfaces or working out bugs with their devices or packing the right kind of hardware in or making sure it has good battery life. I feel like there is always a risk when you purchase an Android phone.

 

[wheresmybacon]

All of those issues can come down to either a)something is wrong with that phone or b)its because of HTC. Stock Android devices do not exhibit said problems

Probably so.

One other thing I forgot is I just added a new head unit in my car that integrates Pandora with an iPhone, so that's another reason.

My intention wasn't to crap on Android as a platform; I think that with other hardware I could've been happy with it. It's just the Inspire wasn't very good, and overall now that I'm faced with either doing a warranty replacement (due to the battery issues) or re-upgrading to iPhone where I know I'll be happy, I'm going with the latter.

 

[Red Storm]

The problem I see with Android is it's still way too complicated for the average user.

Android's seemingly ever increasing marketshare seems to disagree with your opinion.

I prefer Android over iOS and WP7 because I can actually make the interface even more simple to quickly get to what I want/need. I don't have this option with iOS or WP7. I'm not concerned with screen scrolling smoothness because thanks to Android's highly customizable interface, I don't ever need more than one screen.

HTC is known for having weak batteries. I don't experience any of the other issues with my Droid.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Anyway, I'm looking to jump ship to an iPhone or a WP7 whenever VZW gets something good. Sure ICS might be a killer operating system, but I doubt manufacturers will pick up their game when it comes to terrible user interfaces or working out bugs with their devices or packing the right kind of hardware in or making sure it has good battery life. I feel like there is always a risk when you purchase an Android phone.

Some of them already have. TouchWiz 4 on the Galaxy S2 is actually an improvement over vanilla android and delivers and extremely smooth and stable environment. Even the newest version of Motoblur is much better although I'm still not sure I would say it is an improvement over stock.

There isn't a risk if you read a review of the phone before buying it. It's hardly a secret that the Inspire for example is fat and has a small battery. Likewise it is easy to tell that the Galaxy S2 is a cut above the other Android phones and is the best smartphone currently on the market.

 

[Binky]

Everything in the OP's list except for (maybe) battery life are specific phone problems that most likely have nothing to do with the OS. It's long been known that iPhones have exceptional battery life.

A crappy piece of hardware doesn't mean that the OS is inferior.

 

[Doboji]

Why the hell did you get an Inspire?

 

[gaidensensei]

Why the hell did you get an Inspire?

He's got little choice, AT&T doesn't really have a good android lineup for 850/1900. That's why some of us elect to go with international devices - canada, europe, than stick with what's available in the USA. It pays good experience in the long run to do a little homework. There is only one choice to pick when shooting for an iphone, it makes choices plain simpleton.

I know what OP means about a smooth UI, it's one important factor to my use of phones.

So far I've never found a stock android device, barring the newest releases, that granted 'smoothness' as iOS. That's until I rooted them with roms and kernels. Result = smoothness, extended battery life, customization achieved . I usually stayed with AOSP (android open source project) and cyanogenmod, it's as vanilla/barebones as you can get.

But stock for stock, yeah, iOS is probably for the no-hassles free, or technically challenged type of people. I'd recommend android to people who are devs, programmers and pc-hobby types, but all else really fall along the lines of apple.

A major culprit of your battery drain is coming very likely from HTC sense.

 

[foghorn67]

Yeah. I'll never buy an HTC product again. Battery life sucks.

 

[gaidensensei]

HTC's been terrible on stock, I can't deny that.
I've owned 4 HTC devices in the past 2 years to understand this.

I even tested it when I got my current phone (yes, HTC).
Used stock OS on my current phone, I got maybe 8-12 hours on a charge, being conservative with my usage. 1-2 hours surfing, I've drained a considerable chunk, 20-30%,

After logging that, I flash to cyanogen, first day I'm already on 20+ hours. I can use wifi + internet for ~2 hours straight in a sitting, from fully charged, I only used up 10-15%.

 

[MrX8503]

Android's seemingly ever increasing marketshare seems to disagree with your opinion.

I don't see a lot of people sick of Android because its confusing, but I do see a lot of people who don't know how to use it. A lot of my Android friends don't even use widgets, I'd imagine this happens a lot.

 

[hanoverphist]

Not that its worth much but the girl who helped me with my sons phone upgrade yesterday at the att store said most of people who go from iOS to Android aren't happy for long.

not worthless at all. when my best friend lost his dumb phone and told me he wanted a smart phone, i went through all the different things available at the time. he thought android would be too complicated and in-depth for the time he wanted to expend on it, so he got the ip4. he is happy, his phone is dead stock and does what he wants out of it. theres plenty of times he grabs my phone to mess with if he comes across something he cant do, but for the most part he just wanted a decent phone that he didnt have to mess with. hell, his sister couldnt even figure out how to make a call from the contacts list on my phone, so she got the ip4 as well. now she is finding my phone easier to operate than her ip4 is.

some people are suited to iOS, some arent.

 

[Red Storm]

I don't see a lot of people sick of Android because its confusing, but I do see a lot of people who don't know how to use it. A lot of my Android friends don't even use widgets, I'd imagine this happens a lot.

I don't use widgets either... but I do understand what you mean.

 

[alkemyst]

I work around a ton of well-paid engineers. There is much Android vs iPhone debate.

However, as soon as any Android user gets real seat time behind the iPhone they admit they bought the Android thinking it's the same only cheaper.

Many don't even bother with Jailbreaking either since $0.99 apps (and free) you know will work fine without screwing around with things.

 

[dougp]

Android's seemingly ever increasing marketshare seems to disagree with your opinion.

Androids increasing marketshare is because of cost of device and the number of handsets sold, at least in the US or markets with subsidized handsets.

 

[alent1234]

Very mature of you to throw in that last line because it was oh so contributing to the thread. Start a flame war why don't you?


To the OP: As PJ said, the Nexus S would have been a much better phone to try Android on.

at least iphone/ipad can connect to my car's USB and it will control the ipod app through my car

tried it with my inspire and it only plays the music on the SD card, not through apps like pandora or slacker

 

[Red Storm]

Androids increasing marketshare is because of cost of device and the number of handsets sold, at least in the US or markets with subsidized handsets.

Doesn't really matter what it costs, you're not going to buy something you don't know how to use. There are exceptions to everything of course, but I highly doubt the majority of Android sales are from people who have no idea how to use a phone at all, else we would be seeing just as many returns as sales.

 

[Ns1]

Doesn't really matter what it costs, you're not going to buy something you don't know how to use.

lol


see: $99 touchpads