Should I not consider the iPhone 6?

[andiron1]

Okay....don't beat me up yet. I come by the question honestly and want input. And I'm not interested in going to an Apple forum to get a reply because I am currently, and always have been, on Android. I like Google stuff and have an inherent dislike of Apple. But this dislike is probably not to the point of hate and I do have a respect for their ability to produce some innovating and well built products. So onto the question....

My wife and I are still sporting Sprint Evo 4Gs...the original ones we got about 4 years ago. I'm surprised they work...they're glitchy and each of us has problems. My wife is going to kick my **** if we don't do something soon. I have put her off so many times. So I waited for one last phone...the Droid Turbo. But I read of several issues with the Turbo and don't know if I should gamble on updates and/or Lollipop bringing a fix....especially to the camera.

I have considered the HTC One....but want a better camera, the S5 but don't care for Touchwiz...and think the phone is ugly and low on internal storage, The LG G3...but it doesn't just blow me away. And finally the Note 4...still in contention but on the large side...and again...has TW.

My wife and I both really want a phone with a "very good to excellent" camera. Every photo I look at with regard to the Turbo...even the best of them...looks weird to me. They have a very shallow depth of field. I've not read where anyone else has said this...but for me the focus within the photos are all limited to one small portion of the pic. I always get some feeling that the majority of content of the photos are ever so slightly out of focus. I do love the idea of the Moto Assist features and simplified Android....and the specs are all decent. Just worry about speaker volume, camera and wifi issues. Very sad that this was not the answer to my quest.

Okay..so I didn't ask the question and have dumped.... but here is what I would like to know....

If I were looking for a phone for my wife, and myself, with a very good to excellent camera, close to 5 inch screen, does everything well...text, email, navigation....then why wouldn't I take a look at the iPhone 6?

I am nervous about switching to iOS8, wish for at least a 5" screen, would like to continue using my current phone chargers and think the 720p resolution a bit out of date. But...I can't identify a phone on Android that has as good of a camera, and is not as large as the Note 4.

(My perfect phone would have been a Droid Turbo or HTC One with a camera that is as nice as the Note 4 or iPhone 6/plus.)

Sorry this is a long post. I'm actually starting to get aggravated that not one manufacturer of an Android phone can deliver the total package. They all are strong and weak in different ways. Maybe it's a conspiracy? LOL

Any reason, given my parameters, that I should avoid the iPhone 6 in favor of another phone? It seems to deliver most of the basics well. Screen size being a bit small and lower in resolution...and a switch of platforms seem the only negatives?

Opinions appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Rukbat]

And finally the Note 4...still in contention but on the large side...and again...has TW.

If TW is your only concern, install Nova launcher as soon as you get the phone. Set it as the default launcher. No more TW.

My wife and I both really want a phone with a "very good to excellent" camera.

Nokia, but you'll get a Windows phone.

If I were looking for a phone for my wife, and myself, with a very good to excellent camera, close to 5 inch screen, does everything well...text, email, navigation....then why wouldn't I take a look at the iPhone 6?

Limited access to anything, for one. Non-replaceable battery (that removes ANY phone from my list.) New (and buggy) OS updates all the time.

(My perfect phone would have been

The only perfect hardware or software is the one you design yourself. Since you can't raise the water, lower the bridge (your expectations).

Any reason, given my parameters, that I should avoid the iPhone 6 in favor of another phone? It seems to deliver most of the basics well. Screen size being a bit small and lower in resolution...and a switch of platforms seem the only negatives?

The OS, non-replaceable battery and the company (I've lost too much writing Mac software - they lie like a rug) are all negatives for me. Maybe not for you. And, again for me, too many Android apps to start over again on iOS. If all you want are the apps that come on the phone, that's not a problem for you.

 

[andiron1]

My experience with iOS is limited. I have spent some time on an iPad 2... but it's my wife's and I haven't really set it up, downloaded apps etc. I'm pretty simple. I like the sound of apps...have downloaded mostly free ones to my EVO...but I'm not sure I would be unhappy with apps written for the iPhone...especially since I don't typically use that many. Using the Nova Launcher sounds interesting...but I would be concerned about losing some functionality of the Note 4 in the process. But I may sound ignorant here...because I am....never have rooted a phone or used a launcher.

As for some of the other things you mention....the non removable battery. I am personally okay with this now. I'm willing to accept any disadvantage that comes with non removable. From your comments the most curious thing for me is "limited access to anything" and buggy OS. Can you tell me what you mean by these comments?

Rukbat, I appreciate your reply...it is very much the kind of information I am looking for so as to make a decision. With this said, I don't want to come off as asking for help and then being argumentative...but wonder if your experience with Mac software is of more influence for you than it would be for me and my wife. Lot's of "iSheep" as they are called are happy. Perhaps we would be happy too...given our only demands are things like a good camera, the ability to see texts, email and do some surfing. I would think there are enough apps to satisfy our desires too...but am I wrong? This is why I ask about your comments. Perhaps I should study up more on the difference between the operating systems but assumed that the basics work either way. With this assumption I further deduce that it may simply be a choice of hardware...with emphasis on camera, call quality, screen quality and overall build quality. Every phone seems to have reasons to "lower the bridge" I kind of thought I might be doing this by even (reluctantly) considering the iPhone.

Oh, and btw....I have more than once thought that I should consider a Window's phone....so that I could grab a Nokia with a nice camera. I guess this is just another rabbit hole I chose not to enter. Perhaps it's yet another mistake to avoid Windows Phone?

Again, I appreciate the reply and would welcome clarification on the two comments previously quoted. I'm taking it all in....wanting to make a decision soon.

 

[belodion]

Before Rukbat passes by again, I will just shove my oar in. I considered answering your post, but would have had difficulty doing so without suggesting particular phones, which I prefer not to do. But I was going to say, there is no reason that you should not use an iPhone 6, or any other phone....I myself use a Nokia Lumia 1020 for its incomparable photographic qualities. However I certainly do think there are several Androids out there that would fit the bill for you.☺

Posted via Android Central App

 

[andiron1]

Before Rukbat passes by again, I will just shove my oar in. I considered answering your post, but would have had difficulty doing so without suggesting particular phones, which I prefer not to do. But I was going to say, there is no reason that you should not use an iPhone 6, or any other phone....I myself use a Nokia Lumia 1020 for its incomparable photographic qualities. However I certainly do think there are several Androids out there that would fit the bill for you.☺

Posted via Android Central App

Thanks for passing through Belodion... I appreciate your sentiments. Of course I understand why you don't want to recommend individual phones...it's always a recipe for disaster because so many people have strong opinions. I must say though that I am curious what phones really fit the bill. The only Android phones I can think of with what I would call good cameras would be the S5, Note 3/4 and the G3...probably a bit towards the bottom. I think the iPhone camera is right there with the best of Android. Now...your Lumia is probably the best of the best with regard to camera. Truthfully I never even explored the idea of Windows because I believed the most action was with Android...more apps and more centered towards Google Maps etc. With this said, I think it would be wrong for me to think about an iPhone without applying the same logic to a Nokia. I'm probably asking too much with this thread and should try to read articles that compare the Windows, Apple and Android OS's.

With any choice I can take more of a risk for myself...but really want my wife to be happy. She is disabled and spends more time using her phone than I do....she is more connected to Facebook and likes to take photos....especially of our dog. She also really likes to be able to take nice close up (macro) shots. Anyway, I should spare your bleeding eyes and end here. Thanks again!

 

[belodion]

^^^Allow me to mention two that I think might serve....LG G2, and Sony Xperia Z2. That's not to say there aren't others, but those two come to mind and I think may be worth checking.

 

[andiron1]

:

^^^Allow me to mention two that I think might serve....LG G2, and Sony Xperia Z2. That's not to say there aren't others, but those two come to mind and I think may be worth checking.

Okay...will do...and will also check out more of the differences between platforms. I think I have plenty of reading in the next few days...before taking the plunge. As a side note...if I thought Android L would solve the Droid Turbo camera deficits I would probably that route. Thanks again for the help....I'm definitely going to look at your suggestions.

 

[Rukbat]

As for some of the other things you mention....the non removable battery. I am personally okay with this now. I'm willing to accept any disadvantage that comes with non removable.

You won't be if the battery dies prematurely and you have to pay $100 to get a $10 battery replaced. Or if the battery decides to overheat to the point that the phone starts melting (ask Sony about lithium batteries exploding) before you can pop the back off and shake the battery out. Or the phone locks up and the only recourse is a battery pull - which you can't do.

From your comments the most curious thing for me is "limited access to anything" and buggy OS. Can you tell me what you mean by these comments?

1) The Apple philosophy is "this is the way we make the phone and there's not much you can do other than what we let you do". Even apps have to be approved by Apple. If someone comes out with a great app, but Apple doesn't like it, there isn't any secondary app store. With Android there are a few. (You can download apps from a lot of sites, but that's just putting up a big "Welcome!" sign for malware.)

As far as a buggy OS, iOS has always been buggier than Android. Apple controls everything, so if there's a bug, only Apple can fix it. If they feel they have enough reason to (read: "we'll lose money if we don't send out an update with a fix"). With Android, if there's a bug to the underlying OS, Linux, it's open source, and anyone can fix it (if they know how to write code well enough). If there's a bug in a particular manufacturer's modification of Android, it's usually fixed as soon as the cause is determined. No company wants to put out a known-buggy phone if they know their customers will just buy someone else's not-buggy one. And there's an awful lot less brand loyalty with Android users that with iPhone users. Some Android users buy a different make phone every time. (Even Google has used a few different manufacturers to make the Nexis.)

And there are a lot of manufacturers and philosophies to choose from. With an iPhone, the hardware is Apple, the firmware is Apple and the apps are Apple-approved. That's a monopoly, which is why an iPhone is always more expensive that the equivalents in Android. It's not a better phone, it's a phone that no one can compete against. Only Apple can make an iPhone, so they can charge what the market can bear. Competition keeps prices down. (Which is one reason a Nexus that's as good as an iPhone, is one third the price.)

Rukbat, I appreciate your reply...it is very much the kind of information I am looking for so as to make a decision. With this said, I don't want to come off as asking for help and then being argumentative...but wonder if your experience with Mac software is of more influence for you than it would be for me and my wife.

When a company makes an industry-wide promise, then breaks it, it leaves a LOT of people unwilling to deal with that company again.

Lot's of "iSheep" as they are called are happy.

Lots of people have no idea what a cellphone can do and think that you can't do more than an iPhone can. then, when they come over to Android, they're amazed.

Perhaps we would be happy too...given our only demands are things like a good camera

Nokia.

the ability to see texts, email and do some surfing.

Any phone, as long as the screen is large enough for you to read comfortably.

I would think there are enough apps to satisfy our desires too...but am I wrong?

Maybe not, it depends on your desires. I use apps you wouldn't, and Apple wouldn't allow, but maybe you want to use some apps that I don't, and they're also not allowed by Apple. If you look on the XDA forums, you'll see a lot of apps being released there, directly by the developers. (Safestrap is probably something Apple would never have allowed. I don't want a phone without it. It takes a lot of effort to brick a phone running Safestrap. Just stupidity won't do it - like flashing a keyboard as a ROM, which I did once when I wasn't paying attention. Five minutes later, my phone was running again. Do that with a phone not running Safestrap, and it can take an hour or so to fix. Do it with an iPhone and you probably have to bring the phone in to get it working again.)

This is why I ask about your comments. Perhaps I should study up more on the difference between the operating systems but assumed that the basics work either way.

Like an apple and a pineapple are both fruit, but they're not the same fruit. Some people can't eat pineapple (or drink the juice), most can. Most people who use iPhones are very happy with them and get the new one every time one comes out.

With this assumption I further deduce that it may simply be a choice of hardware...with emphasis on camera

As I said, Nokia. You're not going to get a digital camera that's as good as film (we don't have the technology yet - you need a 2GP camera to begin to approximate shooting on 2X2 film) but Nokia makes about the best camera, by a factor of about 3.

call quality

That depends. The iPhone 4 was notorious for being terrible when it came to call quality. (The old Apple suggestion to position your hand so it didn't interfere with the antenna wasn't a solution that many liked.) But there have been Android, Windows, Blackberry ... all sorts of phones with which one model or another had great quality or terrible quality. (At least with some Android phones, that can be fixed by the user and a little bit of searching. I'm currently testing to see which of the past 6 modems gives me the best call quality on my Note 3.)

screen quality

Samsung Amoled, probably.

and overall build quality.

HTC, One, Motorola - depends on the model.

Oh, and btw....I have more than once thought that I should consider a Window's phone....so that I could grab a Nokia with a nice camera. I guess this is just another rabbit hole I chose not to enter. Perhaps it's yet another mistake to avoid Windows Phone?

Since I could write apps for a Windows phone (and haven't learned the Android environment well enough yet to feel confident that I could write anything above the level of "terrible"), I was seriously considering switching, but I've found apps for just about everything I want for Android.

 

[CatLady2010]

My previous 2 phones were iPhones, and I recently upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and haven't regretted it. My main concern was a good camera, and the Note 4 has a great one. I've seen some articles comparing the cameras of the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus. It pretty much comes down to features and what you want. It's also a matter of what you can afford or want to pay for (and being eligible for an upgrade helped me decide).

The size of the Note 4 was a bit of a concern for me, but it still fits in my pocket. A couple of colleagues were considering upgrading and held my phone and decided against this model. It's definitely a personal decision.

You have mentioned that your wife is disabled, and I know that can mean many things. My note 4 has some settings so it can be used one handed, if that's what your wife needs. I've seen some other things that can be adjusted for greater accessibility, but haven't explored them. I know the iPhones I had were also adaptable, and I would expect the iPhone 6 to have accessibility settings also.

If you are able to shop for phones in a store, your wife could hold the phones and ask about specific features to see what meets her needs.

 

[sydneycooper1979]

I may have the unpopular opinion since this is an android forum, but I think iPhones would more than suit your needs. The iPhone meets all of your wants and honestly I have yet to have a problem with any iPhone I have owned--that doesn't mean that people don't experience problems, I just haven't. But should you experience a problem, apple's customer service is outstanding. You won't find that level of customer service with any android phone you might be looking at. And before I get slammed as an isheep, I flip back and forth between android and iOS a lot. I honestly like both platforms.

 

[csophie]

As a recent switcher from iPhone to Android I might have some info you can be interested in.
First and foremost - if your no 1 feature is camera, probably the iPhone 6 will do in that area. BUT! If I were to spend that much money on a phone just for the camera, well, I would just buy a damn good camera instead.

Second - very important for me - if you are using Google services(gmail, calendar, etc), forget Apple. Everything from synchro to native apps like Gmail works just horribly. To the point where you dont wanna use it. For me this was the biggest problem.

So consider this a lot- what apps are you using? how do they work on yr android phone? How will they perform on the Apple?

And my overall advice, but clearly personal - dont buy the iP6. It is not worth its price (you can buy better android phones now for 75% of the price). You will be very disappointed in my opinion. The amount of bugs and problems with their iOS8 now is just tremendous. Save yourself that.

 

[andiron1]

Wow,

Great replies! Rukbat...your explanation is very thorough and gives me a much better understanding of your stance. In total I appreciate everyone's response....I think it's a nice snapshot of the various things to consider. I also appreciate the concern for my wife. She's hit with multiple issues...one of them being a genetic disease...but to anyone who would see her they would never know. She's often plagued by neuropathic pain and has a host of other issues that complicate and makes each day up in the air. So it's more of concern for her happiness during what she is dealing with...versus a physical limitation that would prevent mobility or ability to actually use the phone.

After all is said and done I can see reasons both positive and negative for the iPhone. I have heard many times about their customer service and they do have some very faithful people....I believe many of which are thoughtful. I personally like Google...and where it's going with Android L...but have always liked the photos taken with iPhones in the many "shoot out" and comparison articles I've read. It amazes me how Apple manages to make a very good camera...with nice warm and balanced colors...while so many Android sets don't deliver. I believe the Note 4 is the closest yet...maybe as good...but each has separate strengths. I usually prefer the look of the iPhone 6 photos a bit better from what the Note 4 produces....but just barely and mostly because of color balance. If it were all down to JUST the camera I might consider the Nokia...but I think the OS and other components do matter and don't want a smaller screen.. I also plan on switching from Sprint to Verizon and the only Nokia is the 938...with a 4.5" screen and Windows.

I don't know how much my wife and I would miss Google...but I know we are content with Android...just not always happy with hardware and network issues that we've had with our phones and carrier. I think what will end up happening is that my wife will have to consider the Note 4, LG G3 (like it over the G2), S5... and only if insistent...the iPhone. Again, she's happy with the iPad and has used her mother's iPhone 5s with no complaint. I think the Note 4 is the best option other than size...but that's her call. Personally....I wish that Droid Turbo had a better camera.....it would suit me well.

So that's it in a nutshell. I hope to get hands on with a few of these phones soon.

Thank you again for the replies...very interesting to read.

 

[Ben_LikesTrains]

Personally, I'd look at the Nexus 6. The sample shots in the reviews look really good and the display is phenomenal.

 

[Rukbat]

I've just read an article about Lollipop and the new camera APIs. Things like manual focus and shutter settings. You might want to read that before making a decision if the camera is an important part of the phone for you.

 

[CatLady2010]

I was happy with my iPhones (I had a 4S and then a 5C), except for the battery life. Using the camera seemed to deplete the battery very quickly. I may well find this to be true of my Note 4, also, but at least my Note 4 has a removable battery for easy changing, if necessary.

I like that all my devices now sync with each other through Google. There are ways of synching iPhones with Android, though, so if an iPhone ends up being the best option, all is not lost.

 

[thekarens]

My opinion is you should read some independent reviews instead of asking android or apple forums because for the most part you're going to get biased opinions.

I have always used Android and love it, but I'm willing to give credit where it's due and the iPhone has a great camera. As far as spending the money on an independent camera goes, who wants to have to carry around a separate camera?

Good luck in your search!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Rukbat]

My opinion is you should read some independent reviews instead of asking android or apple forums because for the most part you're going to get biased opinions.

People who write reviews aren't like people who write forum posts - they're not biased. (Where's the smiley for sarcasm?)

 

[andiron1]

Yes...there is always bias. I find that sometimes with the bias people bring up things that are more (or less) relate-able. And sometimes you even get information you hadn't considered. You know what really bites is that I'm almost 100% sure that the next round of phones....like the M9 and S6 would probably have camera's that easily satisfy while ticking most of the other boxes too. If I had my way I would wait...but I've literally been stringing my wife on for well over a year. We could have probably upgraded and been waiting on next years models for yet another upgrade in this time. I'm a classic example of waiting for the next best thing. But I think I really would be more satisfied with what's just around the corner. Maybe I can just buy a used phone for my wife on Ebay....pay Sprint an activation fee, avoid contract and be ready for April/May? If I never return tell the police it was my wife! LOL

 

[andiron1]

Just a quick update. I was aware that Lollipop might bring improvements to the camera but wasn't aware of how dramatic they might be...or how guaranteed. After doing some research it appears that Lollipop will indeed bring a lot of improvements to all Android Camera's. The more capable the actual hardware the more L will help to harness that capability. Even video recording will be improved. I just finished watching a few clips of 4K video on a Nexus 5....and it looked pretty darned good! So there is indeed hope that the Droid Turbo camera could improve.

As it stands now I will be considering the Turbo, G3 and Note 4. Have to put hands on them and give this just a bit more thought. Oh...and one more exciting thing about L....it will improve battery life too! So...as far as I can tell....Android just became even more attractive. The several benefits that L will bring make the choice of which platform to choose a much less difficult task.

 

[Rukbat]

1) Unless the eBay seller is local, and you make the phone/money exchange at a Sprint store, where they transfer the record ownership as you pay, stick with Swappa (or even Craig's List if the seller will meet you at the Sprint store.

2) The best phone to buy is always the one they're about to announce. (I may be buying another desktop on Black Friday - and kick myself in January when Microsoft announces that any Windows 8.1 computers bought after January 1 get a free update to 10, or something like that.)

But I'm still happy with my Note 3, and probably won't be updating it for quite a few years.