iPhone 6, is it worth 150-200% the price of Android high-end phones?

[skaertus]

I am planning to buy a new smartphone, probably as early as today. I currently have a 16 GB iPhone 5 and it is getting really slow, and battery life drains too fast. The one I intend to buy is a 64 GB iPhone 6. It has a great size and seems awesome, with the exception of battery life, which seems to be crappy.

The thing is, the iPhone 6 is insanely expensive here in Brazil. The minimum prices are as follows (these are not the prices suggested by Apple, which are even higher; these are the cheapest models I managed to find for each model):

• 16 GB iPhone 6: US$ 1100
• 64 GB iPhone 6: US$ 1250
• 128 GB iPhone 6: US$ 1400
• 16 GB iPhone 6 Plus: US$ 1250
• 64 GB iPhone 6 Plus: US$ 1400
• 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus: US$ 1700

The prices are very high because of the huge taxes charges by the government (the prices are a little lower than they used to be because the US dollar has gone up in the last few days). Anyway, the iPhone is the most expensive smartphone here. All Android phones are much less expensive.

Here is a list of the Android phones I managed to find:

• LG G3: US$ 570
• Samsung Galaxy Alpha
• Samsung Galaxy S5 (16 GB): US$ 690
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (32 GB): US$ 950
• Motorola Moto G: US$ 270
• Motorola Moto X: US$ 500
• Motorola Droid Turbo (64 GB) (called Moto Maxx here): US$ 770
• Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (16 GB): US$ 580
• Sony Xperia Z3 (16 GB): US$ 725

All of them, even the flagship Android phones, are much cheaper than the iPhone; and Windows phones follow the same pattern.

The thing is, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 last year to replace my iPhone 4s (about june 2013) and I just couldn't use it. It was awkaward to hold in one hand. It was uncomfortable to use. The user interface was terrible. The software available for Android was worse and less polished than the software available for iOS. The touch screen of the S4 was not so accurate as the one in the iPhone. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S4 provided a sub-par experience compared to the iPhone; the experience was not half as polished. So, after two weeks, I gave the S4 to my mother (I cannot take the phone back to the store like in the U.S.; here, if I take it out of the store, it's mine forever). Then, I bought an iPhone 5, which is the one I want to replace now.

Now, it's time to replace my iPhone again and I am just wondering.

I look at several smartphones in the stores, and they all look great and nice, and are much cheaper than the iPhone. And they seem to provide a much better battery life than the iPhone, which is something critical (as I must carry chargers with me all day to provide extra battery). I used the Nexus 5 of a friend for a few minutes and it felt very good and polished and all; and it was way cheaper than an iPhone (the Nexus 5 is not available for sale anymore here in Brazil).

But, at the same time, I wonder whether I will feel the same lack of polish that I felt after using the S4 for a couple of weeks back in 2013. I know the Android phones must have improved, and that Android and software available to it must have improved as well. Or that there may be smartphones more comfortable to use than the S4. An Android phone is cheaper, but if the experience is crap again, then I will end up buying another iPhone anyway.

So, what would you recommend? Has Android phones improved a lot since last year? Given my experience, should I go with the iPhone 6 or should I try another Android phone?

 

[dpham00]

Of one handed use is a concern and the s4 was a problem then many of the phones you list are larger than the s4.

Also you might have had a defective s4.my touch screen on my s3,note 2, 3,and 4, and moto g are accurate even compared to my iphone 6 plus.

Not sure what you mean by lack of Polish, I think that at least all the android that I had were well made. But the interface is certainly different.

For me, I got the iPhone 6 plus for $135 no contract or anything in the end though it was a bit of work. But I just couldn't get used to iOS. It is a great os, but it just didn't feel right to me. Similarly, someone who used iPhones might feel the same about switching to Android.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums.

The polish I believe is in reference to an app's final look. That is getting much better.

The prices you are quoting are the biggest reason Apple is not doing well outside the US. If you really like the way Android works, then you should give it a shot. Of the phones you have listed, I would look at either the G3 or the Moto X if price is an issue.

 

[dpham00]

Welcome to the forums.

The polish I believe is in reference to an app's final look. That is getting much better.

The prices you are quoting are the biggest reason Apple is not doing well outside the US. If you really like the way Android works, then you should give it a shot. Of the phones you have listed, I would look at either the G3 or the Moto X if price is an issue.

But for one handed use, it might be difficult, seeing as how the op had issues with using the s4 one handed. The Moto X 14 and g3 both have larger screens. Now they do have curved backs compared to the s4,which should make them easier to hold but imo accessing the entire screen with one hand without adjustment would be more difficult on the g3 and moto x 2014 than with the iPhone 6.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[Golfdriver97]

But for one handed use, it might be difficult, seeing as how the op had issues with using the s4 one handed. The Moto X 14 and g3 both have larger screens. Now they do have curved backs compared to the s4,which should make them easier to hold but imo accessing the entire screen with one hand without adjustment would be more difficult on the g3 and moto x 2014 than with the iPhone 6.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Bezels are smaller on at least the Moto X. Same might go for the G3 as well. That can make a difference as well.

 

[dpham00]

Bezels are smaller on at least the Moto X. Same might go for the G3 as well. That can make a difference as well.

True but it is just the sheer screen size that might require adjustment to touch the 4 corners of the screen . It did for me at least on the g3. Obviously this depends on your hand size as well.

Some phones have features to help with one handed mode, but to me, smaller screen size is the biggest help

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[Golfdriver97]

Something else that might help is third party launchers like Nova can add actions like the notification shade and quick toggles as buttons that can be moved toward the bottom of the device screen.

From an AOSP M8

 

[dpham00]

I think that the best option in terms of one handed use is the Moto X 2013. 4.7" with on screen buttons or 4.3" with off screen buttons is imo,the limit of easy one handed use. Z3c is similar in size. But I haven't used any Sony smartphones so can't comment beyond that.

Also imo, the iPhone 6 might be hard for one handed use. Depends on your personal situation

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[baldhero]

been using both Android and iOS for some times now, usually carries two phones with me at all time, Android for work and iOS for personal. Personally, I'd think iPhone is quite enough for day to day use, in terms of usability and simple UI. However, there are still countless applications I'd wish I can get em on my iPhone. But whenever when I am with my kids, they seems to navigate easily with iOS compare to Android, save the long journey hassle many many times.

 

[andrewsean7830]

Perhaps you are not that interested in high power specs and the ability to switch roms, maybe you just want something small, lightweight and stylish that would make a good alternative to the iPhone 6. In this case let’s take a good look at the Gionee Elife S5.1, the world’s thinnest LTE smartphone with a body of just 5.1mm! The Elife S5.1 boasts a 1920 x 1080, Super AMOLED, 4.8-inch display, 1GB RAM, Gorilla Glass 3 front and rear panels, and LTE support. The processor is a Snapdragon 400 chip running at 1.2Ghz and cameras are similar to the iPhone 6 with the rear being an 8 mega-pixel model.