iPhone user thinking to switch

[Surfing32]

All, I know you've probably seen many of these posts before, but would appreciate your help. 3 years ago switched from Blackberry to iPhone and been using it since. Love it actually and currently have the iPhone 5 but recently I have had this feeling I would like a different phone with larger screen and maybe better experience. Never really had any experience with Android what so ever and of course debating first of all if I should attempt to switch over and second whether I should go with the HTC One or the GS4. I looked at both and held them briefly few weeks back at a store and both felt pretty good, so very confused what to do.....any inputs would be appreciated

 

[Gathomblipoob]

I bought the One (I'm an iPhone 5 user) and love the screen size and text auto-format in the browser. I don't find the One a cure-all for my iPhone 5 by a long shot, but it's the best Android phone I've tried by far.

 

[aokusman]

All, I know you've probably seen many of these posts before, but would appreciate your help. 3 years ago switched from Blackberry to iPhone and been using it since. Love it actually and currently have the iPhone 5 but recently I have had this feeling I would like a different phone with larger screen and maybe better experience. Never really had any experience with Android what so ever and of course debating first of all if I should attempt to switch over and second whether I should go with the HTC One or the GS4. I looked at both and held them briefly few weeks back at a store and both felt pretty good, so very confused what to do.....any inputs would be appreciated

I dont get your confusion. If you like it, buy it. I switch platforms as it fits me. I may go back to ios with the next iPhone. I like both ios and android.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[TarekElsakka]

His question is really mostly about the device rather than the platform, aokusman.

I'd say go for the HTC One, Surfing. I had a Galaxy S3 for a while and to be honest it had a lot of problems and I felt like TouchWiz really did not take full advantage of the device's hardware capabilities. It was much better to run on AOSP (non-TouchWiz) ROMs on the SIII, actually. The HTC One is an excellent device that not only features the latest in hardware technology but also Sense UI 5.0 has surpassed my expectations, coming from a HTC One X before the SIII. It is very quick, fluid and lag-free. Coming from an iPhone 5, you must be used to the snappy and fluid iOS 6, and so Sense UI is not going to feel any different in that case.

 

[mcpricex]

Moving from an os you have used for years to another you have never tried is going to be a culture shock and judging by the majority of accounts I have read, you will probably go through a period of deep regret and resentment, however, if you can get through that, the consensus seems to be worth it. I suppose it all depends on why you want to move, if it is hardware related then you might find you struggle to come to terms with just how different Android is from iOS, yes they both do exactly the same thing but they do it in very different ways. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a different way of interacting with your phone, then Android is the way to go and you will soon be wondering why you didn't make the move sooner.

Choosing between the One and the S4 is a tough one, both are excellent and very powerful devices. The Samsung has some very interesting software features such as the air gestures and eye tracking while the HTC has a very strong hardware package, those speakers are a revelation. Although they are both Android phones the ui's are slightly different with each manufacturer putting their own 'skin' over the basic os to give it their own style. Samsung's Touchwiz interface is known to be a little clunky and even the Samsung faithful will admit its shortcomings. HTC's Sense is probably closer to basic Android, so simpler for a first time user to get to grips with. The thing with Android is, you don't have to stick with what the manufacturer gives you and the whole interface can be changed with just a few clicks in the Play Store.

My advice is to handle both as much as possible and then go with whichever one feels more natural (or at least, less awkward) to you.

 

[Jim Seth]

All, I know you've probably seen many of these posts before, but would appreciate your help. 3 years ago switched from Blackberry to iPhone and been using it since. Love it actually and currently have the iPhone 5 but recently I have had this feeling I would like a different phone with larger screen and maybe better experience. Never really had any experience with Android what so ever and of course debating first of all if I should attempt to switch over and second whether I should go with the HTC One or the GS4. I looked at both and held them briefly few weeks back at a store and both felt pretty good, so very confused what to do.....any inputs would be appreciated

Honestly it all depends on what you are looking at ?? I have used all gen iphones and briefly tried samsung s3 last year but again was not impressed by the touchwiz, so I went back to iphone.

This year I made up my mind that I have to give a shot to android and I bought s4, it's a gud phone and have lots of features for sure but somehow I always felt that the phone was not smooth as it should be (blame it to touchwiz)..then I bought one..now I am not trying to compare the phones here..but coming from iphone and was accustomed to the smooth os..one can straight away give you that feeling...although there are certain features it does lack..but there is always play store for that and I am loving the android world, there is so much you can do which for iphone users can only be possible after jailbreak.

Its a good phone and I am sure you wont regret it.

 

[ffejjj]

When i made the jump to android several years ago i never looked back. I like having a lot of control over my phone, its content and how its displayed and android gave me that freedom. You might have to spend a bit more time initially setting up your phone the way you like it but when you're done you have something that fits you as an individual.

The Htc One has been fantastic for me so far...

EDIT: The One is the first android phone that i felt rivaled the smoothness of the iphone

 

[Golfdriver97]

All, I know you've probably seen many of these posts before, but would appreciate your help. 3 years ago switched from Blackberry to iPhone and been using it since. Love it actually and currently have the iPhone 5 but recently I have had this feeling I would like a different phone with larger screen and maybe better experience. Never really had any experience with Android what so ever and of course debating first of all if I should attempt to switch over and second whether I should go with the HTC One or the GS4. I looked at both and held them briefly few weeks back at a store and both felt pretty good, so very confused what to do.....any inputs would be appreciated

Many, many iPhonr users seem to prefer the HTC One over the S4. Another post stated that TouchWiz has shortcomings, and it is true (I also prefer Samaung devices), but simply loading a different launcher from Play will changr all that. I would suggest spending more time in the stores. Play with the devices (the fun part!!), even ask if you have friends who have either device, or even the S3. You should be able to exchange devices before two weeks is up, so give each a shot of at least a week.

We are all here to help, so no matter which device you choose, someone here will spare some time to help.

Sent from a M.O.A.R. Galaxy S3

 

[Surfing32]

Wow you are all so kind and generous with your detailed replies and I really appreciate it. I am now even more excited to go back to the AT&T tore this weekend and make up my mind! Thanks again everyone

 

[Jennifer Stough]

Wow you are all so kind and generous with your detailed replies and I really appreciate it. I am now even more excited to go back to the AT&T tore this weekend and make up my mind! Thanks again everyone

It's awesome to see new users getting honest and helpful answers. Too many times it becomes a contest of popularity or a chance to make snide remarks at each other. Good luck on choosing what device works best for you, and please, come back and let us know what you decide

Jennifer Stough
Forums Moderator
Device: Droid DNA unlocked, s-off, rooted, running Hatka Supreme Sense 5.0, Android 4.1.2

 

[XontheP]

I recently moved from iPhone to the HTC One. The One is a powerful and versatile unit, no question. But be prepared for what seems an unending need to tweak and customize this phone (and maybe all upper-end Android phones). You'll have to remember to click your bluetooth on and off, your wifi on and off, dim your screen whenever possible, and so forth in order to get the great battery life everyone talks about. Be prepared for a phone that takes 4 hours to charge, and develop a plan so that you are never without a charging device. The phone is so powerful, and does so much, that if you really push it, multitask, stream, navigate, and don't watch your power management, the charger won't keep up - it will drain faster than it charges. I could go on forever. If you're a tinkerer, a techie, and a perfectionist (I'm all 3), you'll love this phone. I'm committed, it's too late for me to exchange my phone, but I'm mostly enjoying the journey. But outside the large screen (which is nice, but isn't the thrill I thought it would be), and the keyboard, I cannot honestly think of anything else I like better about this phone than the iPhone.

 

[chirag05]

I would suggest GS 4 Cuz it is power beast and with the features it comes such as Air view, air gesture, smart pause etc. They Can entice any customer then, of course those features do appeal very much.
Though, HTC one's aluminium body is commendable and it feels good in hands and the brightness in low light is better than GS4 but still it doesn't surpass s4 in the competition.
For me Android means, Samsung.
I may switch to Apple if the next product comes mind blowing.

Sent from my GSIII

 

[Grizzly_Atoms]

I too am a recent convert. I owned the 3GS, 4, 4S and the 5. I still think Apple makes great phones and the UI is smoother than Android. That said, after using iOS for so long I was ready for a change. A co-worker came in with the One and I happened to play around with it. I was really impressed with it and decided to make the jump. If you're fairly tech savvy it will take a week or two to get used to the new OS. But I really love the phone overall, I did miss a lot of my iOS apps and find that fragmentation is sometimes an issue. Some apps work with our phones and others do not.
The biggest downside to me is the camera, it simply does not compare to the 5 or even the 4S frankly. But that's not a deal breaker for me.

 

[GadgetGator]

I recently moved from iPhone to the HTC One. The One is a powerful and versatile unit, no question. But be prepared for what seems an unending need to tweak and customize this phone (and maybe all upper-end Android phones). You'll have to remember to click your bluetooth on and off, your wifi on and off, dim your screen whenever possible, and so forth in order to get the great battery life everyone talks about.

No you don't. You don't need to remember any of that stuff at all. You can use something like Tasker or Llama and have that all automated for you. For example, I use Llama and when I am home my phone turns off GPS, when I am out and about, it turns off wifi. At night it turns the screen way down so it doesn't blind me. In certain areas I travel, it knows to raise the volume to max because those are noisy areas. At work it can put the phone silent. You can even have your wallpaper change based on location. And far more advanced things can be done then what I am doing too. Precisely why I love Android.

 

[XontheP]

GG - exactly. You made my point precisely. You have to be willing (and able) to make those modifications and tweaks. You obviously enjoy the process, and have a thorough understanding of the platform. Not everyone wants that same experience. With an IPhone it's not so much that you can't make similar modifications, you don't have to. You can't teak the settings, but it's not necessary. And it's not crippled for a lack of those abilities. Like I said earlier, I've yet to find anything this phone does better than an iPhone, other than the keyboard. And there's quite a few things the iPhone does better. I'm enjoying the phone and the challenge of getting it just right, but part of me thinks I shouldn't have to do all this.

 

[GadgetGator]

It's SUPER easy to do what I did with my automation. It's not hard at all. Apple even has some limited ability in this regard as well. I really start to wonder how people get by when even the little things are too much of a hill to climb. How do people use computers? How do they use a home theatre system? How do they hook all this stuff up? It seems like a lot of people out there have become very unable or unwilling to do the most basic of things these days. You must have thought that Apple was crippled in some way, else you wouldn't have picked up an Android and wouldn't be here.

I guess that is what strikes me the most about such post. People are unhappy, change from an iPhone for some reason, then come here and complain their phone isn't an a iPhone. I'm not sure what people are expecting when they change platforms like that. Of course they aren't going to work exactly the same. That's like going from a 7/11 to a supermarket for more choices and then complaining that the supermarket is too big and you can't find anything. It makes no sense.

 

[XontheP]

GG - the initial poster was contemplating a move from iPhone to Android, I gave him details on my experiences, positive and negative. Most of the "necessary" tweaks are super easy, you're absolutely correct. I'm a tech-savvy person, a programmer by profession. I spend my days trying to make the best software possible for our users. For me it's not frustration as much as amazement that these system tweaks are needed at all. On what is arguably the best phone in the world, why would a user need to install utility apps that dim the display, turn wifi and bluetooth on and off, and so forth. Yes it's easy, but why? In a way, it's like Linux. Fast, stable, secure, but the smallest change, like plugging in a new mouse, has to be manually configured and drivers manually loaded. A great OS, but it's absolutely not for everyone. I'm sticking with the phone, I have too much time and money invested to change. And the entire platform fascinates me in a somewhat perverse way. Besides, I need to learn how to use NFC tags, configure Tasker...

 

[GadgetGator]

Why? Well, I suppose you could leave all the unneeded radios turned on and let your battery run down. But then I'd have to ask you why in return. The great thing about the android platform is that you can literally do almost anything you want with the OS. If Google hasn't addressed it, chances are someone else will. Just like the jailbreak community addresses some things Apple does not. I guess I am scratching my head why anyone would NOT want automation. It's awesome having your phone change it's look and feel, sounds, and behavior based on where you are. Have it shoot a text message to someone when you get to a spot, remind you to pick up something when you are near the store...that's the star trek future we were always promised would come. Well, it's starting to be here. It's still in it's infancy, but it's starting to arrive. Yeah you can use a phone to just make calls and play a game, but why use it like a feature phone when you have a little computer in your hands?