Been an iPhone user for years, considering upgrading to an Android, BUT...

[Garneth]

I have a few questions. I'm eligible for an upgrade with AT&T Next and am debating whether to wait for the iPhone 7 and see if I like it or bite the bullet and get an Android. I'm very upset with Apple lately as I've found that they tend to be latecomers on a lot of things that have already been on Android.

My questions:

1) Is it a bad time to go out and buy an Android? In other words, are new flagships about to release in the next few months that I should hold off for so I don't get the last generation of a device?

2) What is the current flagship device(s) for the top smartphone manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc) that is currently purchasable (already released)? And are the devices that are out now their flagships for the foreseeable future until 2017?

3) Be objective here: I'm considering holding off to see what the iPhone 7 has to offer in case I like it enough. However, I am really getting bored of my iPhone 6 and really want a new device. I had an Android once (HTC One M7) and liked it besides the fact that the camera was awful. I really love the new ultra flat interface Android has, and I love how I can customize it so much.

4) Important: Will I have a hard time transitioning? I'm an iCloud Drive user, an Apple MacBook Air user, and my entire household is all iPhones. We've become an Apple-centric ecosystem. I do use Google Drive for work, though, and have found Docs and Sheets to be fairly awesome and I even deleted Office in favor of them.

Objective thoughts, y'all?

 

[Golfdriver97]

1. I'd hold off for a few months. Let a couple more devices get released so you can test them all.

2. Samsung S7, HTC One M9 (new one not released yet), LG G4 (G5 not release yet), Sony's flagship is questionable. It is currently the Xperia series but there's rumors of it being replaced.
Google's next Nexus is due this fall along with the new Samsung Note.

3. Not a bad idea. Apple releases in the fall too, so this gives you a chance to look at everything all at once.

4. A hard time transitioning? Probably not. But there may be some complications with everyone else on a different ecosystem.

A suggestion.... See if you can find the last iterations of Android used. Get a GSM phone and a prepaid carrier. This allows you a peek without committing to anything.

 

[Morty2264]

Okay, I am by far an expert on Android; but I will answer your questions as best I can.

1) Is it a bad time to go out and buy an Android? In other words, are new flagships about to release in the next few months that I should hold off for so I don't get the last generation of a device?

In my opinion, no, it is not a bad time to go out and buy an Android. I'm not sure if you watched Mobile World Congress being streamed; or if you have heard about the new devices coming out for Android in the next little bit, but there are for sure some exciting new devices coming out that would be sweet to get. So this answer is kind of "a little bit of both": you can absolutely go out and buy an already-out-there-and-being-purchased Android device that is top-notch (i.e.,, LG G4, Nexus 6P); and you'd be paying less (arguably) than if you waited a couple more months to get your hands on, say, the G5. It's really up to you. In my own opinion, the phones that are out now and the ones that have yet to be put on the shelves are both spectacular; and if you want to save some money and still get an awesome device that is high-end, then you can totally buy a phone off the shelf and get amazing results. The Edge devices that are out now are wonderful, too. It's totally up to you whether or not you would like to wait and see or if you want to take the plunge now and buy. Either choice would be a good one.

2) What is the current flagship device(s) for the top smartphone manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc) that is currently purchasable (already released)? And are the devices that are out now their flagships for the foreseeable future until 2017?

As far as devices that are already on the shelves and are purchasable, look out for the Samsung Galaxy S/Edge lines, the G4, and the Nexus 6P. I personally like the Sony Xperia Z5, as well. However, if you liked your HTC M7, you might want to check out the HTC M10, that was teased at MWC. Don't know when it's going to hit the shelves (hopefully soon!), but there are rumours (solid ones, I've heard) that HTC M10's camera will be "world class," or some line like that. If you like HTC and want to give it another go, keep your eyes peeled for M10 stuff and maybe wait if you want to get your hands on it. I love HTC and would totally support this (LOL those are my two cents).

3) Be objective here: I'm considering holding off to see what the iPhone 7 has to offer in case I like it enough. However, I am really getting bored of my iPhone 6 and really want a new device. I had an Android once (HTC One M7) and liked it besides the fact that the camera was awful. I really love the new ultra flat interface Android has, and I love how I can customize it so much.

As I wrote above, the M10 sounds like it would be sick beans (I say that instead of "cool beans" if it's cooler than that); so if you want to wait and see what it will be like, then maybe holding out for that device would be a proper move. That way, you could also wait and see what the iPhone 7 is like, so you're playing it on the safe side and can then choose between two platforms when it suits you and your budget. However, if you enjoy the customization of not just HTC's UI but also, therefore, Android's, I would suggest weighing that against the UI of Apple, as their OS is comparatively straight-forward as compared to Android. I personally love customizing everything from my earrings to my wallet, so I really enjoy the fact that I can tweak my Android until it suits my needs and preferences... And I can then tweak it the next day if I want to. Android has launchers to further customize the layout of your homescreen, icons, wallpapers, UI, etc.; so I would really consider Android if you crave that experience.

4) Important: Will I have a hard time transitioning? I'm an iCloud Drive user, an Apple MacBook Air user, and my entire household is all iPhones. We've become an Apple-centric ecosystem. I do use Google Drive for work, though, and have found Docs and Sheets to be fairly awesome and I even deleted Office in favor of them.

Will it be hard for you to platform jump? Absolutely not. I transitioned myself a few years back - from BlackBerry 10 (still love that) to Android (stock Google, in that situation) and I was used to the device/platforms in less than a week. The transition, in my opinion, gets easier and shorter for you every time you switch devices/jump platforms, etc. So I am sure that you will find the transition easy; especially since you've already jumped from HTC (Android) to iOS anyway. Don't worry about that!

Anyway, here is my long and not-proofread-at-all response. Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

 

[kramer5150]

1) Is it a bad time to go out and buy an Android? In other words, are new flagships about to release in the next few months that I should hold off for so I don't get the last generation of a device?

The technology and data microprocessing is not evolving THAT fast. You could make the argument that features are regressing, with the slow and steady elimination of removable batteries, reduced internal storage. It took a pretty massive outcry of Samsung fans for them to bring back SD card storage. AFIAK Samsung is the only manufacturer to bring back SD card. Once its gone, it generally doesn't come back. What I am getting at is this... if there is a phone out there today that matches all or most of your preferences Go for it. If it uses one of the latter CPUs, and has at least 3-4G of ram it won't be out-dated any time soon.

If you snooze you can lose. That was my situation and the Iphone 5C I was with. I knew months before that I wanted it gone. I kept waiting, and waiting for the next latest and greatest thing. Some magical CPU to revolutionize the industry, which of course never really happened. Meanwhile I was reading about all the Snapdragon 810 overheat problems. In that time the LGV10 (with its SD 808) was in my sights... but I just kept waiting, something just held me back. By the time I made up my mind, I missed out on the free 200G SD, and extra battery+charge cradle LG promotion. While I am happy with the V10, I regret not getting it 2 weeks earlier.

2) What is the current flagship device(s) for the top smartphone manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc) that is currently purchasable (already released)? And are the devices that are out now their flagships for the foreseeable future until 2017?

S7, V10, G5 (Preorder), 6P, 6S+ (iOS), PRIV, Moto turbo-2 are the Verizon flagships.


3) Be objective here: I'm considering holding off to see what the iPhone 7 has to offer in case I like it enough. However, I am really getting bored of my iPhone 6 and really want a new device. I had an Android once (HTC One M7) and liked it besides the fact that the camera was awful. I really love the new ultra flat interface Android has, and I love how I can customize it so much.

iPhones and iOS is pretty stagnant. You could make the argument that they are regressing... if all the rumors are true that they are releasing a ~4 inch handset that near-matches the 5S in many ways. If the rumors are true that they are eliminating the 1/8 headphone/AUX output that's a HUGE-MONUMENTAL regression for me personally. I use my LGV10 as a lossless-32bit audio player and AUX source for my home music listening station.

I am a big fan of the Lightning connector physically. But it ABSOLUTELY STINKS how Apple puts its strangle-hold on the Lightning port accessory market. My 5C had nothing but trouble with anything that wasn't Apple $ertified.

4) Important: Will I have a hard time transitioning? I'm an iCloud Drive user, an Apple MacBook Air user, and my entire household is all iPhones. We've become an Apple-centric ecosystem. I do use Google Drive for work, though, and have found Docs and Sheets to be fairly awesome and I even deleted Office in favor of them.

For me the transition was no where near as monumental as I was led to believe. I have two macbooks, a desktop PC and I too am surrounded by iPhones. The one difference here though is my iCloud usage is very limited. I backup my various apple devices, but thats really about it. I backup all my personal files locally on my own external drives. I have no idea how easily Android communicates with iCloud.

The one thing I do miss however is how iMessage is a COMPLETE communication suite between ALL www connected apple devices. There is nothing on Android that will FULLY merge you back into iMessage. The only iMessage devices you will be able to reach are those with cellular activation. So ipods and ipads, even with wifi connectivity will be out.

Good Luck though!!

Oh one more thing... YT is a great resource for all these kinds of device rumors, leaks, and sneek peaks...etc. Jamie Riviera is one of my fave tubers for all kinds of cellular leaks and the likes. Marcus brown lee also has some good insights in this regard.

 

[scourrgen]

well, it's the right time to buy a Galaxy S7 now. As a long time iPhone users, I have to say it's quite easy to switch to Android. However, it needs some time to be familiar with the new device.

 

[zocster]

I'd hold until the note 6 is out.