So the impossible happened, I bought an iPhone. Impressions...

[miller7796]

Your decision would be easy for me. I’m opposite of you. I have a iPhone and debating note 10+. If it was any other phone the iPhone is a no brainer. If the note series didn’t exist I wouldn’t own any other android phone. And it iPhone had a pen or stylus and better multitasking I would be there in a heartbeat, especially given the battery life I get on a pro Max.

Sadly, the only Android phones that I have any interest in are the Pixel and OnePlus, but I'm not impressed with the camera on the OnePlus. I have had warranty issues with every generation of the Pixels so I'm thinking the P4 won't happen at this point. Battery life is a major item for me as well, the P3 is severely lacking in that department.

 

[tekjunkie28]

Sadly, the only Android phones that I have any interest in are the Pixel and OnePlus, but I'm not impressed with the camera on the OnePlus. I have had warranty issues with every generation of the Pixels so I'm thinking the P4 won't happen at this point. Battery life is a major item for me as well, the P3 is severely lacking in that department.

Pro Max all the way then. I took it off the charger yesterday at 9 am. Today it’s still at 67% at 8 am. Apple hardware quality is extremely good and i have only had 1 iPhone die on me but I’m blaming sprint on that one. I swear they get the worst phones some how. That all being said the notes have been the only phones to get me okay battery until the pro Max. I’m probably gonna switch to the Note 10+ today but I honestly think you would be extremely satisfied with the pro Max.

 

[miller7796]

Pro Max all the way then. I took it off the charger yesterday at 9 am. Today it’s still at 67% at 8 am. Apple hardware quality is extremely good and i have only had 1 iPhone die on me but I’m blaming sprint on that one. I swear they get the worst phones some how. That all being said the notes have been the only phones to get me okay battery until the pro Max. I’m probably gonna switch to the Note 10+ today but I honestly think you would be extremely satisfied with the pro Max.

Appreciate the feedback! Looking at the standard 11 because I don't want to spend that much. That's pretty impressive battery life on the pro max.

 

[tekjunkie28]

Appreciate the feedback! Looking at the standard 11 because I don't want to spend that much. That's pretty impressive battery life on the pro max.

Yea. The 11 should be very very good also. Only downside may be the LCD screen. I he’s the XR was the battery champ last year so I’m sure it’s just better this year.

 

[anon(5990673)]

I'm in the same boat as you except that the roles are reversed. I'm a long time iPhone user (Since 2008) that switched to android. I'm currently using a Galaxy Note 9. I miss many aspects of iOS but I know that if I go back to iPhone I'll miss many aspects of android. Both are fantastic in their own ways. Enjoy your new phone.

Wouldn't it be nice to get a Samsung device with iOS in it haha and a hint of one UI... call me crazy but that combo will be a killer, won't it?

 

[miller7796]

Yea. The 11 should be very very good also. Only downside may be the LCD screen. I he’s the XR was the battery champ last year so I’m sure it’s just better this year.

Welp, not switching to an iphone. Placed my order with a pick up window, only to get to the store to be told it isn't in stock and they don't know when it will be, other than 'sometime today, probably.' I have to return my P3 today if I make a change but I won't be able to get back to the store today. Too bad Apple's site doesn't ask why you're canceling an item.

Feels like a Seinfeld episode.

 

[EMGSM]

the P3 is severely lacking in that department.

I have the P3XL and I agree battery is sort of lacking when compared to what others have to offer. I still think the P3XL is solid overall though.

 

[axia55]

This post is interesting timing for me. I have been a long-time android user (last iPhone was the original 6), but recently I have been keeping my phones longer and not as interested in switching regularly. As I prepare to be disappointed by the Pixel 4 battery life (yet again), I have been thinking about switching to the iPhone 11 Pro.

The things that are keeping me from switching (for now) is the lightening cable, lack of ability to switch map default and the iPhone notification system.

 

[Guyinbox]

This post is interesting timing for me. I have been a long-time android user (last iPhone was the original 6), but recently I have been keeping my phones longer and not as interested in switching regularly. As I prepare to be disappointed by the Pixel 4 battery life (yet again), I have been thinking about switching to the iPhone 11 Pro.

The things that are keeping me from switching (for now) is the lightening cable, lack of ability to switch map default and the iPhone notification system.

Apple maps isn't too bad but i still much prefer Google. I'm actually surprised how bad notifications are compared to android. Using the 11 to me is like using a Samsung phone. I’m doing my best to use all of the google apps to take the place of the inferior default apps. Siri is so bad compared to assistant haha. iMessage really is the best thing about iOS that I’ve found

 

[Golurk]

Funny thing. Reading TechRadar’s iPhone 11 review, they’ve claimed that Apple integrating Night Mode into the automatic camera mode is ‘wholly more useful’ than the separate mode offered by Android rivals. Which led me to ask:

1. If not having a separate manual mode isn’t as useful as it turning on automatically, why did the tech media (TechRadar included) criticise Samsung for not initially having a separate manual night mode?

2. You should judge the night mode by the quality of the photos that come out, not the app UI. Apple’s camera app isn’t better than Samsung/Google/Huawei’s...and the photos themselves are on par, not better.

3. Google and Huawei’s camera apps recommend that you use night mode in low light and having a manual mode as an extra option is useful in itself, so the criticism doesn’t make sense.


Is this pro-Apple bias or just inconsistency? I’m curious because TechRadar is in my opinion a usually non-biased tech site and quite reputable.

 

[dsignori]

This post is interesting timing for me. I have been a long-time android user (last iPhone was the original 6), but recently I have been keeping my phones longer and not as interested in switching regularly. As I prepare to be disappointed by the Pixel 4 battery life (yet again), I have been thinking about switching to the iPhone 11 Pro.

The things that are keeping me from switching (for now) is the lightening cable, lack of ability to switch map default and the iPhone notification system.

Well I had the same questions before I switched (except for the lightning cable which has been fine). Things are working much better for me on iOS than I expected, though not perfect of course.

For the Google Maps concern, a concern I also had, there are a few workarounds which work pretty well. After I installed Google Assistant app on my iPhone and set up "Shortcuts" (which are very powerful on iOS), I can now hold the Siri button, say "Navigate Home" and Google Maps will open (after Assistant) and start navigating. No other input is needed.

The battery life on the 11 Pro Max is just insane so far. I mean it is crazy good. So far I am quite glad I ventured out and tried this.

 

[anon(5990673)]

So 3 days ago I said I gave up on my iPhone 11 Pro Max, and was going to hand it to over my brother !

My brother is currently using iPhone Xs Max, convinced me to give 11 Pro Max a shot again. After setting up the 11 Pro Max and using my S10 Plus side by side (so that I don't get android withdrawal symptoms). Im beginning to settle in and like iOS but there are those little things I miss from android like the notifications, app drawer and not being restricted to certain video format.

My S10 Plus is the Exynos variant and the battery life is good to be honest, I get around 6 hours SOT but with this 11 Pro Max I get over 7 hours plus.

I don't know how I feel about this haha

 

[tekjunkie28]

So 3 days ago I said I gave up on my iPhone 11 Pro Max, and was going to hand it to over my brother !

My brother is currently using iPhone Xs Max, convinced me to give 11 Pro Max a shot again. After setting up the 11 Pro Max and using my S10 Plus side by side (so that I don't get android withdrawal symptoms). Im beginning to settle in and like iOS but there are those little things I miss from android like the notifications, app drawer and not being restricted to certain video format.

My S10 Plus is the Exynos variant and the battery life is good to be honest, I get around 6 hours SOT but with this 11 Pro Max I get over 7 hours plus.

I don't know how I feel about this haha

So after a period of time thinking about things I went back to the pro max. It’s really just better then anything I have used before. Android just isn’t my cup of tea atm. A lot of that has to do with the phones and apps. Not android itself. It’s just so nice to use and the notifications don’t affect me. I have use both so long that’s it’s like riding a bike

 

[Gray Area]

What works best for you is all that matters. Enjoy your device

So after a period of time thinking about things I went back to the pro max. It’s really just better then anything I have used before. Android just isn’t my cup of tea atm. A lot of that has to do with the phones and apps. Not android itself. It’s just so nice to use and the notifications don’t affect me. I have use both so long that’s it’s like riding a bike

 

[anon(5990673)]

So after a period of time thinking about things I went back to the pro max. It’s really just better then anything I have used before. Android just isn’t my cup of tea atm. A lot of that has to do with the phones and apps. Not android itself. It’s just so nice to use and the notifications don’t affect me. I have use both so long that’s it’s like riding a bike

The nice to use part I agree?????? It’s amazing for a change.

 

[Apple2Droid]

Agreed re: the icons. And the lack of an app drawer!

Never had an iPhone. Good for you for trying something different. I think I will stick with my Note 10+ for now. Apple is just too closed of an eco system. Not being able to move my icons on the screen the way I want them he a Killer for me lol.

 

[Golurk]

Agreed re: the icons. And the lack of an app drawer!

I’ve had many people say to me that the icons on Android look childish and are too colourful. Not to hate the perfectly good icons on iOS, but I’ve always loved the extra splash of colour and fun that Android offers (if you don’t know what I mean by fun, check the little animations on the Google Files app etc).

Plus, although I initially was sceptical of how often I would use the app drawer and had an iOS style layout at first, eventually I started using it quite often. The lack of an app drawer can be annoying.

 

[EMGSM]

What works best for you is all that matters. Enjoy your device

^

This

 

[Norg]

As a LONG TIME Android user (since the OG Droid), I actually bought my first iPhone a few days ago, the iPhone 11 Pro Max. I made the move mostly based on:
(1) The apparently improved camera and
(2) The great battery life promised.

I have bounced mostly among Pixels and Galaxy Notes over the last 5 years or so. It's quite strange as I consider myself an Android evangelist. I've used: The OG Droid, Galaxy S, HTC Droid DNA, Galaxy S4, S5, Note 5, Note 7, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 XL, and Note 9.

So far, color me very impressed with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. A few early impressions:
- The battery life so far is flat out really, really great. I won’t go into SOT and all that, but it is WAY better for battery life so far than any Android phone I’ve used. I can't tell you how important this is to me. Obviously value propositions are specific to users, but this is really an important factor for me.
- The camera seems very good. I’ll need more testing, but so far I’m impressed with the smoothness of the camera UI, and the results. I still think the P4 will end up being the better photo camera, but I felt (and still feel) that now the 2 are close enough in photo quality that this is not a deciding factor.
- The speed and fluidity of iOS is really as good as advertised. iOS 13.1 overall with this hardware feels on another level – polish wise – than Pixels or Galaxy Notes. It pains me to say this I must say.
- iMessage is fine. I still don’t see the big deal (and I can’t even pin contacts or change colors/font, etc). Still, it is very functional and cross-device compatible. I like Textra better.
- Gestures and face unlock work perfectly. No issues at all with either yet. Authenticating apps, etc with FaceID is very convenient and smooth. App switching into multi-view is OK, but, like all gesture-based options, it is slower than any Android button for recents. Switching quickly(without the overview screen) to recent apps on iOS is pretty awesome, to my surprise.
- Dark mode is excellent on iOS 13.
- It is not perfect certainly. Trying to get calls-only from my BT headset is impossible (in iOS you HAVE to route both Media and calls, so music always plays there unless I turn off the BT headset). Trying to get a ringtone (locally saved on my PC) I want to work with an app on iOS has been beyond ridiculous to get to work. There are many other small things I am used to on Android that I just can’t do or set how I want on iOS. Of course, Apple forcing default apps still blows. Critically for me however, these things are much less important in real use to me than I envisioned before I took the plunge, at least so far.
- The late Pixel launch date DEFINITELY affected at least this one customer, since I would probably have the P4 now if it launched in July or August..

It is early times, but so far I do not have any buyer's regret. I'm sure that will come around 10/15 . If anyone has any questions, I'll try to answer if I have time.

Your review and opinions shared are done in a very positive and constructive manner. Appreciate your candor and who knows, the next big popular mobile device is surely somewhere on the near horizon right!! BB, iPhone... ?