Simply can't decide: ditch the iPhone 5S for a Nexus 5?

RavenSword

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
989
0
0
Visit site
I simply can't decide whether to ditch my iPhone 5S and pick up a nexus 5. I mean, there's a part of me that does want a open system and one that's customizable, but at the same time I really want a smooth, hitch free experience. I currently own a 2013 nexus 7 and I can't help but notice that its not as smooth and lag free as my ipad 4 or iPhone. I get these stalls when switching things, some app crashes, bits of lag and I keep getting key presses that don't register when I type on the keyboard.

I don't know if the new nexus 7 is just not the fastest thing available or what, but i was under the impression that it was one of the fastest tablets out there? And I'm honestly worried I'll get the same annoyances with a nexus 5. I can't tell if its the tech or just android itself. I did do a lot of factory restores on this device, but I don't know if that would cause software or hardware damage?

The things I really like about android are its customizability, its flexibility, and that I don't feel like I'm stuck buying a particular brand of hardware for all my stuff. Like, with iOS I feel like I need to then buy a mac!, iPad, apple TV, and etc. But with android, the services work well with pretty much anything. From PC to a Mac. But maybe this is just a perception issue for me.

I know no one can decide this but me, but do you guys have any advice?
 

thatotherdude24

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2012
375
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

I bought android phone after android phone and would always end up back on my iPhone.

Then I ended up with a Note 2 and actually sat and looked at the features and how they could help me..... Wow. The biggest thing was sharing, any app can share to any app in android but iOS only has certain ones. The s pen was another big one.

Then I got the moto x and it's a whole different game. It's amazing the useful features it has, it knows when I'm driving and automatically reads my texts out loud and my callers.

You may just like iOS better but my advice is to actually try android out and how it helps your productivity and no 1 day is not a big enough trial period.

Sent From My Woven Black and Yellow Moto X
 

RavenSword

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
989
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

I bought android phone after android phone and would always end up back on my iPhone.

Then I ended up with a Note 2 and actually sat and looked at the features and how they could help me..... Wow. The biggest thing was sharing, any app can share to any app in android but iOS only has certain ones. The s pen was another big one.

Then I got the moto x and it's a whole different game. It's amazing the useful features it has, it knows when I'm driving and automatically reads my texts out loud and my callers.

You may just like iOS better but my advice is to actually try android out and how it helps your productivity and no 1 day is not a big enough trial period.

Sent From My Woven Black and Yellow Moto X

Yeah, I really like the interoperability of apps and the keyboard.

I don't know if I'm too far down the apple hole, though. I'd like to keep my iPad at least. I also own a Apple TV. I avoided buying a lot of iTunes video . Just apps.
 

thatotherdude24

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2012
375
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

Yeah, I really like the interoperability of apps and the keyboard.

I don't know if I'm too far down the apple hole, though. I'd like to keep my iPad at least. I also own a Apple TV. I avoided buying a lot of iTunes video . Just apps.

I owned a Mac, iPad, iPhone and apple TV at one point. The only devices I have left are my iPhone which just sits there and my apple TV which I rarely use in favor of my chromecast.

I use a ton of Google services, I buy music from wherever I have a credit for, I'm not loyal. I download it to my computer and Google music manager automatically uploads all the songs I add to that folder to my Google account so all my music is on one spot and it matches all my music with the proper artist and so on

Sent From My Woven Black and Yellow Moto X
 

RavenSword

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
989
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

I owned a Mac, iPad, iPhone and apple TV at one point. The only devices I have left are my iPhone which just sits there and my apple TV which I rarely use in favor of my chromecast.

I use a ton of Google services, I buy music from wherever I have a credit for, I'm not loyal. I download it to my computer and Google music manager automatically uploads all the songs I add to that folder to my Google account so all my music is on one spot and it matches all my music with the proper artist and so on

Sent From My Woven Black and Yellow Moto X

I do have a birthday coming up in a week, so I should get some cash for gifts. If I budget, I should be able to have enough for a nexus 5 in a few weeks. So I might just do that. There's always selling the iPad, but i don't know if I wanna do that or not.
 

dctokyo

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2014
216
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

and the new 7.1 update for the iPhone has just made it harder as everyone is reporting that it has made their phone faster and smoother than before
 

itic

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2013
759
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

My experience with nexus is that it commands that you have patience. It's smooth, fast and well spec'd but while i liked the speed of which it operated i never found myself needing to customize it past running stock with the bootloader unlocked just in case i bricked the phone somehow, but i never did. Running it stock was fine. Over my year with nexus i did grow tiresome of the glitches brought on my bug infested updates and there impacts on the phone and that if i had a problem i had to find the answer from a community, web site or blog with little to no support from google or the developers of the phone. When it came time to upgrade from my nexus i decided i what i wanted in my next android experience was stability but be free of bloatware, carrier branded phone restrictions and manufacturer backed support. I ended up with the t-mobile moto x variant b/c its still vanilla enough but oh so stabile and reliable yet pretty fast and aesthetically appealing.
 

JeffDenver

Banned
May 3, 2010
2,998
27
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

I simply can't decide whether to ditch my iPhone 5S and pick up a nexus 5. ... I know no one can decide this but me, but do you guys have any advice?
What are the top 5 things that are most important to you? Once you know that you will know which phone is better.

No phone is the best at everything. What is the best for you will depend on what you care about most.

I mean, there's a part of me that does want a open system and one that's customizable, but at the same time I really want a smooth, hitch free experience.
The nexus is pretty smooth. I have had mine for months and do not see any slowdown or lag ever. Even under load.

I currently own a 2013 nexus 7 and I can't help but notice that its not as smooth and lag free as my ipad 4 or iPhone. I get these stalls when switching things, some app crashes, bits of lag and I keep getting key presses that don't register when I type on the keyboard.
iOS is always going to be at least a little better, because they make the UI a priority. The processor will stop doing other stuff any time the UI needs cycles.

Apple has made compromises to do this though. Android handles multi-tasking better because it does not make the same compromises Apple does with it's UI.

I don't know if the new nexus 7 is just not the fastest thing available or what, but i was under the impression that it was one of the fastest tablets out there?
It is. It's about as good as it gets for Android right now IMO.

And I'm honestly worried I'll get the same annoyances with a nexus 5. I can't tell if its the tech or just android itself. I did do a lot of factory restores on this device, but I don't know if that would cause software or hardware damage?
I have never done a factory restore in the months I have had my Nexus 5. Never had any major issues with it that were not my own fault.

The things I really like about android are its customizability, its flexibility, and that I don't feel like I'm stuck buying a particular brand of hardware for all my stuff. Like, with iOS I feel like I need to then buy a mac!, iPad, apple TV, and etc. But with android, the services work well with pretty much anything. From PC to a Mac. But maybe this is just a perception issue for me.
With iOS I think it is true. With the mac, not so much. OSX is actually a lot more open than iOS is.

These are the main reasons I don't like Apple personally:

- No 3rd party app integration. meaning, I have to use all of Apple's apps as my default. I can't make a different browser or email app as my default.
- No share menu...I love not having the OS decide what apps I can and cannot share stuff with
- No back button at the OS level. This has always driven me nuts on iOS. I basically have to start over instead of just backing out to where I was.
- No unrestricted media...on Android I do not have to use Google's market exclusively, and can even sideload stuff directly. So if Google were to ban an app (say, "Flappy Birds" for example) I could still get it from other sources, and would not need to root to do it. Censorship matters a lot more on Apple because you are locked into their store.
- Notifications are a lot less intrusive on Android, and a lot easier to get to IMO
- Multitasking on the Nexus 5 is worlds better than on iOS (and on other Android phones for that matter ... I blame physical buttons...they make the process more tedious than it needs to be)
- Customization does not matter to me as much as it used to, but being able to use a different launcher is a big deal to me. It is not just about looks, but about functionality. If it was not for this option I would be stuck using GEL on the Nexus 5, which I don't like.
- I like that Google is not all up in my business when it comes to rooting...they are not actively trying to thwart my attempts to use my phone as I see fit. Apple seems to be actively trying to pee on the parade of jailbreakers, and to me that is obnoxious and unecessary
- Wireless/remote app install...love being able to install stuff to any Android device I own, on a whim, using only my GMail account

This is not a list of "why Android is better" (that list is actually a lot longer). This list is simply why I personally would not enjoy using Apple stuff. These are the things I would immediately miss if I were to switch.
 
Last edited:

RavenSword

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
989
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

What are the top 5 things that are most important to you? Once you know that you will know which phone is better

Well, if I had to list them they would probably be:

1. A stable, fast, lag free experience. I'm on my phone or tablet all the time, and I don't want to deal with crashes, lag, hitches, and unresponsiveness all the time.

2. Apps. What makes these devices so great is apps. Its the reason why I couldn't use a windows phone, because of the app selection compared to iOS or android.

3. Battery life: my phone is with me all day. I listen to lots of audio while I'm out. And my phone needs to get me through that day of moderate to heavy use.

4. Support on updates. I'm the kind of person who updates whenever there's a new version of the is or a app. This is one reason I liked using the nexus devices and/or iOS . you get the updates right away.

5. Productivity. This is a new one kind of, but I want my device to help me In my life. Like helping me be more productive and organized. And I like things working together.

Anyway, j think that's what I value most in a phone or device. Not sure which would fit that bill.
 

JeffDenver

Banned
May 3, 2010
2,998
27
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

1. A stable, fast, lag free experience.
The Nexus does this very well. But iOS does it even better.

Same thing. Android's market is very mature with lots of options, but iOS's is even better. Generally, Android apps will be more flexible and have more options and features though. But iOS apps will be more stable, have a more consistent UI, and will be more mature because developers are likely to give them priority.

3. Battery life
Android. Even Android phones with embedded batteries are often better, but the ones with removable batteries can be upgraded. My ancient HTC rezound could go days between chages, without turning anything down or off, because I got an extended battery for it.

4. Support on updates. I'm the kind of person who updates whenever there's a new version of the is or a app. This is one reason I liked using the nexus devices and/or iOS . you get the updates right away.
Draw. I don't think one is better than the other. Android might have an edge because if there is a problem with the default app (like with the Apple Maps fiasco) you have alternatives you can use. On iOS you cannot change defaults.

5. Productivity.
Android all the way. The share menu lets you effortlessly share content to any app (no OS support required). Multi-tasking is faster and easier on Android. Notifications are less intrusive.

Based on these criteria you would probably be happier overall on an iPhone.
 

RavenSword

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
989
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

The Nexus does this very well. But iOS does it even better.


Same thing. Android's market is very mature with lots of options, but iOS's is even better. Generally, Android apps will be more flexible and have more options and features though. But iOS apps will be more stable, have a more consistent UI, and will be more mature because developers are likely to give them priority.


Android. Even Android phones with embedded batteries are often better, but the ones with removable batteries can be upgraded. My ancient HTC rezound could go days between chages, without turning anything down or off, because I got an extended battery for it.


Draw. I don't think one is better than the other. Android might have an edge because if there is a problem with the default app (like with the Apple Maps fiasco) you have alternatives you can use. On iOS you cannot change defaults.


Android all the way. The share menu lets you effortlessly share content to any app (no OS support required). Multi-tasking is faster and easier on Android. Notifications are less intrusive.

Based on these criteria you would probably be happier overall on an iPhone.

I'm not sure because I also don't like how apple dictates how I use my phone or devices. If I don't like something, I'm stuck with it until apple maybe decides to fix it. Also , I'm finding android more interesting to follow and be apart of than android. With iOS, there's not much excitement until the end of the year. With android, something cool seems to always be going on. Plus, I use a ton of google services, and those probaly would be better integrated on android.
 

JeffDenver

Banned
May 3, 2010
2,998
27
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

I'm not sure because I also don't like how apple dictates how I use my phone or devices.
It doesn't sound to me like it would matter. There is no perfect phone. You'll have to make compromises no matter what you go with. Based on your priorities, Apple seems to be the better platform for you.
 

RavenSword

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
989
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

It doesn't sound to me like it would matter. There is no perfect phone. You'll have to make compromises no matter what you go with. Based on your priorities, Apple seems to be the better platform for you.

There's some services like google music all access that I'm not sure how good they are on iOS. I know the google music app is now on iPhone with all access support, but I'm not sure how good that experience is on iOS. They don't even have a iPad yet. So I would need to either stick with that or go with spotify or rdio on iOS.
 

Haalcyon

Banned
Jul 19, 2013
7,662
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

It is tough. If you think you won't want to customize too much I'd lean towards iOS. If you think you might appreciate a bigger screen and more choices in hardware down the road then android. One of the things I value about iGadgets is the UI consistency from phone to tablet but you'll get this with Nexus too and Samsung to a lesser extent.

Why not try both and keep the one you prefer?


{iRiidium} Technophile. 3 of 4 
 

Haalcyon

Banned
Jul 19, 2013
7,662
0
0
Visit site
Re: simply can't decide..

Because that would involve making a decision at some point. And that is precisely the OP's problem: he can't make a decision. The problem is not with Android or iOS. The problem is with the OP.

Eeny menu miny moe, touch a tiger by his toe, if he hollers let him go....


0rbital  Halcyon
 

Members online

Trending Posts

Forum statistics

Threads
942,406
Messages
6,913,939
Members
3,158,399
Latest member
pauloxcavalcante