Need advice: Android after iOS

[joe watson1]

I really want to jump ship from Apple to Android. I have been a Apple user from day one. It's been a great experience. Very reliable phone and superior customer service. But that being said I'm finding the iphone to be very boring now. I have been looking at those same damn rows of icons for almost 8 years. I need a change. I need some freedom. I would consider myself a gadget geek kinda guy and I miss tinkering with stuff soooooo I have been lurking and reading trying to decide between the M8, S5 and LG G3. Just when I think I make my mind up I see another crop of problem come up with one of these phones like the overheating shutdowns on the LG or the touchwiz leggy feel. The one thing that bothers me about these androids is that when a problem occurs people are quick to just recommend and widget or program that works better. Sorry but that just bothers me. The damn phone should work period. Let us decide if we want to change the look and feel. But what you pay for should work. The biggest one that bothers me is this notification light stuff. People complain that they are getting a notification light so everyone recommends downloading bla bla bla app. Works perfect! This seems like basic stuff to me it should just work. Or when quirky stuff starts happening everyone just says do a factory reset! How many times over the life of my phone am I going to have to do this? In 8 years of owning an iPhone I have never had to do a factory reset to fix anything. Is this stuff just just a few people coming to the forums to complain and the majority of these phones work great? Tell me I'm over reacting lol.

The iPhone is boring but it works. But I'm not here to brag about the iPhone. I really want to give Android a shot.

I'm eligible in 3 weeks but I just don't want to be regretting this in 3 months when all sorts of issues start coming up.

Ok enough of my soap box rant. Sorry now what phone should I get? HELP

 

[Golfdriver97]

The biggest hurdle for Android is the fact that there is not only different hardware sets (SoC, etc), but there is skins over Android, and carrier apps/services on top of the skins.

As for resetting, it depends on the problem. Sometimes, it is the only option. However, it is suggested far too often. A recovery cache clear usually works just as well and is much less intrusive.

Of the 2 devices you listed, I would suggest the M8.

However what carrier do you have? Sometimes, that can make a difference. In all honesty, I would actually suggest a Moto X. I know it is a phone that is a year old, but that device will be good for another 18 months in my opinion.

 

[Paul Ellis1]

As a long term ios user myself, I can honestly recommend the moto x to anyone switching over from Apple. It's a great size device with a 4.7" screen and the software is every bit as smooth and consistent as my iPhone.

I tried Samsung but found the moto to be far more enjoyable to use.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[sting7k]

I would highly recommend checking out the Moto X and Nexus 5. The Moto X is really a great all around device with no software headaches.

 

[Kianski]

I switched from the iPhone 5 to the nexus 5. In fact, I sold off my iPhone and bought out my contact. I love it.

I've had a few issues, and it's about to be returned for repair for the second time (the screen keeps going dim on 100%) but I love it. Android is more fun.

I can't say I won't consider the iPhone 6S when my contact is up for renewal though!

 

[joe watson1]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll go check out a MotoX but I'm really thrilled about buying a phone already a year old on a 2 year contract. That would drive me nuts lol.

So why is the MotoX so much better? Is it hardware or software?

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll go check out a MotoX but I'm really thrilled about buying a phone already a year old on a 2 year contract. That would drive me nuts lol.

So why is the MotoX so much better? Is it hardware or software?

It's the fact that the software was optimized for the hardware. That and between Active notifications and always listening, this device is a whole new breed of awesome.

 

[joe watson1]

I switched from the iPhone 5 to the nexus 5. In fact, I sold off my iPhone and bought out my contact. I love it.

I've had a few issues, and it's about to be returned for repair for the second time (the screen keeps going dim on 100%) but I love it. Android is more fun.

I can't say I won't consider the iPhone 6S when my contact is up for renewal though!

See I'm not that interested in the iphone6 when it comes out. I have seen IOS8 in action and it's just going to be a larger version of what I'm trying to get away from.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

My preference would be for either the M8 (I have the M7 and love it), or the LG G3 (which is a beautiful device).

 

[JeffDenver]

The one thing that bothers me about these androids is that when a problem occurs people are quick to just recommend and widget or program that works better. Sorry but that just bothers me. The damn phone should work period.

No one is forcing you to use all the extra features. If you only use the basic functions, it will work every bit as reliably as an iPhone.

That being said, there is no vendor skin (touchwiz, Sense, ect) that will improve vanilla android...they all slow it down, it's just a matter of degree. If smoothness and reliability are your main concerns, you need to stick with Vanilla Android phones (Nexus, GPE phones, or Moto X/G/E). Non-Vanilla phones will never be more reliable or faster/smoother.

Let us decide if we want to change the look and feel. But what you pay for should work. The biggest one that bothers me is this notification light stuff. People complain that they are getting a notification light so everyone recommends downloading bla bla bla app. Works perfect! This seems like basic stuff to me it should just work. Or when quirky stuff starts happening everyone just says do a factory reset! How many times over the life of my phone am I going to have to do this? In 8 years of owning an iPhone I have never had to do a factory reset to fix anything.

The iPhone doesn't do anything, so there is less to break. It's a tradeoff.

I have not done a factory reset on my Nexus since right after I bought it, and that was only to verify that a problem with the phone was not hardware related (and it turned out that yes, it was because of an app I had installed...removing the app fixed the problem).

If you only use stock-everything, you will not have to do factory resets. If you want to tinker with the phone, factory resets are a possibility you need to accept. That being said, I tinker heavily, and have only had to do it that one time.

The iPhone is boring but it works.

It works because it does a lot less. You do not have to use all of Android's features...if you strip features from Android, it becomes as reliable as any iPhone. Don't install widgets or live wallpapers or any non-stock memory-resident app...just use the app drawer. I guarantee it will never break.

If you want an iPhone-like experience, you need to get a vanilla device. Contrary to popular believe among the Apple crowd, Samsung is not Android. Samsung is a Samsung-version of Android.

 

[JeffDenver]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll go check out a MotoX but I'm really thrilled about buying a phone already a year old on a 2 year contract.

The Moto X already does more than the best iPhone right now. "Outdated" on Android is the "future" of iOS. It is likely to be well supported. Moto has changed it's tune a lot since the Moto X appeared.

So why is the MotoX so much better? Is it hardware or software?

Both. It has a 720p display and true touchless controls. It has a special chip that allows it to receive voice commands even when the display is off.

My advice (especially to Apple users) is to get a Nexus 5, which is about the same price. Faster CPU and better camera and 1080p display, though it does not have the always-on voice feature. Nexus 5 also has wireless charging. The Nexus 5 is designed to be the "main" Android phone...If Android only had one phone like iOS does, the Nexus would be it. It's designed as a reference for other Android phone makers to emulate.

The Moto X is a nice phone though and a lot of people prefer it's styling. Moto tends to produce the best voice (normal phone speaker and radio reception) hardware. The Nexus 5 will feel more like an iPhone in the hand though.

 

[sting7k]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll go check out a MotoX but I'm really thrilled about buying a phone already a year old on a 2 year contract. That would drive me nuts lol.

So why is the MotoX so much better? Is it hardware or software?

The Moto X2 shouldn't be far away.

 

[joe watson1]

Thanks everyone. That's really good info and explains a lot co think I'll wait and see what the Moto X-1 brings to the table.

 

[radicchio]

I was excited to see this thread, as the OP mentioned many of my concerns---only difference is I'm coming from a standard flip phone so it's a bigger jump to Android. I have had my eyes on Samsung's Note 3 for a long time---the features I want are a bigger screen, removable battery, and SD card. I also like that a stylus is included in the phone, as I use a stylus for my tablet constantly and have a case for it that has a loop to keep the stylus with the tablet. I can't find a similar style case for any of the phones I've looked at, so I would just have to remember to keep a stylus with me at all times and dig it out when needed. I don't necessarily need to be able to write with the stylus like the S-Pen does, but I do use it heavily for navigating through screens and on the keyboard (long fingernails make it a chore otherwise).

Is there a way to minimize the effect of Touchwiz on its performance? I intend to use Smart Launcher, which is a very simple launcher that uses few resources. Will doing that negate some of Touchwiz's negative effects on the phone? The Note 3 keeps calling to me and almost everyone tells me what a great phone it is, but I do have the same concerns as the OP. I don't tend to download a ton of apps, although I do have my favorites---almost all of which are paid apps. I actually prefer to pay for my apps, because I don't want a bunch of advertising popping up on my phone.

Bottom line, is it possible to keep a Note 3 streamlined and avoid issues? Or will Touchwiz always add another layer of complexity that can lead to issues?

 

[JeffDenver]

Is there a way to minimize the effect of Touchwiz on its performance?

Yes.

Go to "About Phone" in settings. Find the part with the build number, and tap on that like 12 times...you should get a message that you are now a developer. You only have to do this once. This will allow the developer menu to show up in your settings (it is right next to the "about phone" section).

Open it and scroll down to "Force GPU rendering". Check that box. Also check "disable hardware overlays". Now your phone will be using the GPU (not your CPU) for rendering your interface. It will be faster and smoother.

This won't eliminate lags completely, but it will improve noticeably. It won't make stuff launch faster. It will just make the UI faster and smoother.

I intend to use Smart Launcher, which is a very simple launcher that uses few resources.

I still use Nova launcher on all my Samsung phones. It is as fast and smooth as anything out there (certainly better than the touchwiz launcher). Remember that you can now use the Google Now launcher (aka GEL) on any device running 4.1 or higher.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e....google.android.launcher&hl=en&token=jhK49JNP

Will doing that negate some of Touchwiz's negative effects on the phone?

It won't negate the messy changes they made to the UI, and it won't make the dialer or menus look different. You can't change that stuff without ROMming it.

The Note 3 keeps calling to me and almost everyone tells me what a great phone it is, but I do have the same concerns as the OP. I don't tend to download a ton of apps, although I do have my favorites---almost all of which are paid apps. I actually prefer to pay for my apps, because I don't want a bunch of advertising popping up on my phone.

Anyone who does not need this extra crap should just avoid skinned phones...stick with Nexus/Moto X/GPE devices. Do not buy Samsung/LG/HTC/whatever if you want a fast and smooth experience. Skins never improve performance.

 

[joe watson1]

Thanks for all the advice. It's really helpful. You've educated on this Android stuff that will help me in making a better decision.

 

[dctokyo]

Thanks for all the advice. It's really helpful. You've educated on this Android stuff that will help me in making a better decision.

I don`t think you will be happy with Android, you really need to thinker with it to get it to run smoothly, The iphone works just great out of the box........................ I have the iphone 5 & a LG G2, both work great but I really needed to thinker with the LG , I would wait until the new iPhone 6 comes out before jumping ship just yet.

 

[Davehow]

I'd give the next moto a shot when it comes or the m8. Or Sony if its available in your country. You could go the nexus route which I used to do but I went back to branded phones because I love the extra features they have too much to go without. If you get a brand that has a good reputation for software you won't feel any performance difference. Right now the two brands with the lightest UI are Moto and Sony, both of which were also the fastest to release 4.4.4.

 

[MDMcAtee]

I take it that you don't want to jail break your iPhone since you have been looking at the same screen for 8 years.

That's fine, I know a lot of people who don't. However it is something to look into at least before ruling out what you already have, and if you are going to switch anyway there's no harm in seeing what you think.

Pure Android devices are nice and have a lot going for it, but many people prefer some of the features Touch Wiz and Sense brings to their phones. Of the 2 Sense is the least intrusive and very easy to get used to. It is very fast and lag free on my M8, more so for a superb out of the box experience than Touch Wiz.

Switching over to Android devices is not that difficult to do. Most of the current flagship phones are light-years ahead of older models now you can find exactly what you want to use.

You can check out the various forums here and look at what is being said about them all and then try to get somewhere to see them in person. See how each respond and then go with your gut.

Posted via Android Central App from my HTC M8

 

[JeffDenver]

I don`t think you will be happy with Android, you really need to thinker with it to get it to run smoothly

I disagree. The Nexus 5 will run smoothly out of the box, with no modifications at all.

I have the iphone 5 & a LG G2, both work great but I really needed to thinker with the LG

That explains a lot. LG phones are not Android. They are Android with LG's crap on top. LG's crap is what is slowing it down.

A Nexus has none of that stuff on top. That is why it is smoother and faster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI8snnLpEDE