Moving from Apple to Android - Help for a Newbie

Feb 15, 2019
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I’m giving strong consideration moving to Android, having had iPhones for 9 years now (bored!), however I’m trying to establish as to whether this will be a seamless/easy transfer and whether functionality can be replicated in as reasonably similar way as possible.

The biggest functionality I can’t see is an equivalent to iTunes, allowing me to manage a centralised music library that incorporates cloud based and locally stored content of music, films, TV shows, audiobooks and podcasts. My laypersons understanding is (within Android), these are kept separate within very specific apps and there is not in fact an iTunes equivalent – I could be wrong.

• Music
I have a locally stored music library (on desktop PC), which is sync’d to iTunes Match (so the library is accessible in the cloud. I also have access to Apple Music (Apple’s proprietary subscription service). Whilst I understand I can mass upload my local content to Google Music, there doesn’t appear to be an desktop equivalent to iTunes.

• Audiobooks
I have a locally stored collection of audiobooks that are accessed and managed by way of the iTunes desktop application. The application also allows me to load my phone with Audiobooks. iTunes does not allow Audiobooks to be sync’d to their iTunes Match cloud service.

• Podcasts
Utilise Apple Podcasts app.

• Photos
Utilise Apple Photos app; I understand I can simply mass upload these to Google Photos?

• Email Account
Utilise a googlemail account already, so no concerns here.

Grateful if you could provide me some guidance on this transition, particularly the positives and negatives
 
Welcome to Android Central!

The biggest functionality I can’t see is an equivalent to iTunes, allowing me to manage a centralised music library that incorporates cloud based and locally stored content of music, films, TV shows, audiobooks and podcasts. My laypersons understanding is (within Android), these are kept separate within very specific apps and there is not in fact an iTunes equivalent – I could be wrong.

You're correct. Music is handled by Google Play Music, movies/TV by Google Play Movies, and books by Google Play Books. Podcasts are in Google Play Music, but can also be accessed in a separate Google Podcasts app (which I think is just a modification of the Google search app itself). Although there is the disadvantage of it not being a centralized system, in my opinion that can also be one of its benefits, since iTunes can be such a big lumbering program (on PCs, anyway).

• Music
I have a locally stored music library (on desktop PC), which is sync’d to iTunes Match (so the library is accessible in the cloud. I also have access to Apple Music (Apple’s proprietary subscription service). Whilst I understand I can mass upload my local content to Google Music, there doesn’t appear to be an desktop equivalent to iTunes.

There's no true sync for Google Play Music -- you basically upload the music to your Play Music "locker" in the cloud. If you delete the music locally from your computer, the music will remain in the cloud (so it's not syncing). I have the Google Play Music unlimited subscription, which is a pretty good selection. It's still unclear what's going to happen between Google Play Music and YouTube Music, since many people think the latter will completely take over and the former will go away. This has caused some concern, because YT Music doesn't have a cloud locker option. I'm guessing they'll either keep GPM active, or add a cloud locker option to YT Music and transfer everything over if there is a transition.

• Photos
Utilise Apple Photos app; I understand I can simply mass upload these to Google Photos?

You're correct -- you could upload them now if you want, since Google Photos works on iPhones as well: https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6193313?co=GENIE.Platform=iOS&hl=en&oco=0. Google Photos is simply awesome -- unlimited storage if you choose the High Quality setting (up to 16 megapixel quality photos with only mild compression that I've never been able to detect), and if you have a Pixel phone, unlimited storage at Original Quality. And the search function is amazing.

Sorry, but I don't have experience with audiobooks, so can't really comment on them.

If you give Android a go, I hope you enjoy it!:)
 

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