What's the best Android phone for a long time Apple User?

[p2dela670]

I went from a 4 straight to an SG3. Soooo glad!!!

 

[Robbzilla]

Most are selecting the EVO? Dude, I selected it, but seriously? The GSIII sales are through the roof by comparison! And many people aren't going to be on Sprint, so that's not a valid choice. Of Course, if the OP is on AT&T, he/she/it can get the One X, but the EVO isn't the lead bull.

That being said, if the OP IS on Sprint, the EVO is def worth a looksie. Or the One X on AT&T. If Verizon, well, the Razr Max would be my poison of choice. T-Mo? I doubt the OP is, but hey, The One S is a sweet little guy too.

 

[dplane]

Unless you're a true display quality snob like myself..I would highly recommend the Moto Razr M..almost identical dimensions to new Iphone 5 but they were able to squeeze in a screen that's slightly bigger (4.3 vs Snapple's 4) ...after playing with it, and recommending it to family I can see battery life and reception are awesome on it and the thing is smooth as butter...and hey..Jelly Bean is in its future.

 

[winexprt]

I did the same thing last month. Couldn't be happier. Love my GS3!

 

[moedin]

My lady just went from long time iSheep to a Galaxy S3 and is totally in love with features and intuitive design into the new TouchWiz ... recently a family member on the other hand converted to the HTC One S because its a snappy phone with a better than iPhone (4S that is, and no purple flare wut?!) camera that is comparable in size to still offer complete one handed usage... You can't really recommend the HTC One X because the GS3 is about the same size, and most would tell you a better device, plus the battery on the GS3 will take your further. The One S has a great better life however and remains in that streamlined smaller form factor an iUser will feel comfortable in, while giving you all the awesome Android lovin' !

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

IMO wait for the new Nexus device to be revealed either this month or early next month.

 

[badbrad17]

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

The HTC one x has a similar screen to the iPhone. Very nice device.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Android Central Forums

 

[Snake Griffin]

Switched from an iphone 4 to hox and I love it. Switching OSes was a slightly learning curve but if you've jailbroken before this shouldn't be a problem at all.

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[Dwiarten]

I have been a long time user of an iPhone for work, but for my personal phone, last year I switched to an Android, the Galaxy Nexus. I am getting an iPhone 5, but for the first time, I feel that Apple is catching up - many of the iPhone 5 innovations were already available on the Nexus last year. Apple probably does everything in a more polished way (except for the Maps), but it's hard for me to say that one is better than the other. They are just different, and I'm happy to have one of each.

 

[VelfarreClubber]

I had the original iPhone, 3G, 4 and now a Galaxy S3 (all AT&T)

Not a fan of the touchwiz but changed the launcher using Apex (found in play store no need to root). My home screen looks more like HTC Sense.
Only downside to the Apex launcher not sure for Nova, is that some apps need an extra line of spacing and will get cut off but Touch Wiz will display it correctly. FYI I'm still an Android noob.



I personally think the One X has a better screen (crisp whites) but chose the S3 for it's physical home button, removable battery and sd card. The S3 does have very deep blacks so videos look amazing! Coming from iPhone's I better have the option to take out the battery and sd card!! (freedom)

The stock web browser didn't do it for me when it came to reading articles online, tap to zoom never aligned correctly but installing Chrome and Firefox fixed that.
Apple's App Store does have more quality apps over Google Play it is Apple's stronghold feature but oh well can't get everything I want.

Here are some Pros and Cons for the S3 (won't list them all)

Pro:

• Large screen size
• Removable battery / SD card
• Physical home button
• Accurate speech typing anywhere a keyboard is used, great for texting
• Good call quality with available EQ for phone calls!
• Loud speaker phone
• Good LTE speeds in LA and OC varies city to city.
• Included in earphones are much better than the iPhone, can't speak for the revised "earpods"
• Almost anyone has a micro-usb cable/charger laying around vs lightning bolt

Con:

• Battery life not as great as iPhone 4 most likely due to my residence being located in a weak LTE zone, so the phone continually searches for a LTE signal. Wish there is a switch to turn that off. iPhone 5 may give me the same results as well.
• Can't see screen in direct sunlight
• Prefer separate volume buttons vs rocker style
• S-Voice not on par with SIRI but Jelly Bean with Google Now should address that. However, I am content with Ice Cream Sandwich.
• Need Android specific head/ear phones I personally love the Bose in earphones. MFI (Made for iPod) won't play nice with the S3
  Bose IE2 Headphones - Audio Headphones - Bose Headsets and Headphones
• Can't move apps to the "real" SD card, in the system the S3 displays 2 SD cards. sdcard= storage inside phone extSdCard= removeable storage

Hope this helps for all iPhone users as I have no regrets with my purchase.

 

[LesMiserables]

Well, like others have said you need to look at the options of your carrier, or the carrier you are joining. I'm not very familiar with pre-paid offerings, but each major carrier has a GS III. More specifically if you're looking for other higher end offerings, AT&T: one x or one x+ if you feel like waiting. Verizon: any droid razr is decent. T-Mobile: one s. Sprint: Evo. Also the nexus or galaxy note are nice choices. Or hey, if you haven't already take a look at the iPhone 5; it might still be your best os

 

[clashcityrocker2]

In short, a Nexus device. You will never be frustrated by the time it takes for an update to arrive. It's the "apple like" upgrade experience, without any of the crap that Apple serves up.

 

[FARCrow]

I was a previous iPhone 3GS and 4 user and the Samsung Galaxy S3 is my first Android device and I love it. There are a few things I do miss or are a little smoother/better integrated on iOS but overall the Android experience is much better for me. I'm not a fan of TouchWiz and quickly tested various launchers and settled on Apex Pro. Even with ICS I love my S3 although I recently installed Wanam's Jelly Bean based custom ROM (few nice features but nothing drastic). Keep in mind that the stock Samsung Jelly Bean update has already started rolling out in Europe for those of us with International S3s. My main reason for switching to an S3 was screen size (I do a lot reading, browsing, email on my phone) and I've come to appreciate all the customization options that Android apps offer. However, if you're not in a rush, I'd suggest you wait and see what new Nexus devices are announced as others have recommended to make sure there's nothing better coming out soon.

 

[JobiWan144]

If you're in the US:
Obviously the SGS3 is a solid choice on every carrier. It doesn't have the best screen, and it may be too big for you, but it's packed with features, has a full-day battery life (and you can replace the battery, too! Another thing your iPhone couldn't do), and has a physical home button, which may help you feel "at home" (no pun intended). Otherwise, here are your other best bets:
Verizon:
- Motorola Droid RAZR M if you don't want a big phone (and it's getting Jelly Bean before 2013)
- Motorola Droid RAZR HD if you want a big screen and can wait (also getting Jelly Bean soon)
- Moto Droid RAZR MAXX for the same thing, but a bigger battery and more internal storage
- Galaxy Nexus...with an asterisk. Some people will tell you that it's not a real Nexus because Verizon can delay updates for months (the Jelly Bean update took about 2 months). However, it isn't an issue if you're into jailbreaking (we call it rooting here on the Android side); you may have to wait a couple days tops. You do get 32 GB of onboard storage, though.
- What I would get: Droid RAZR HD.
AT&T:
- HTC One X if you want a big, powerful phone with the best screen on the planet (and are OK with 16 GB of non-expandable storage and slightly questionable battery life)...right now
- HTC One X+ if you want a big, even more powerful phone with the same amazing screen, what should be a full-day battery life and 64 GB of storage...and can wait for it to come out
- Unlocked Galaxy Nexus from the Google Play Store if you want fast updates, pure Android, areasonable screen size (with on-screen buttons, 4.65" feels more like 4.3"), and can sacrifice camera quality, 4G LTE, and anything more than 16 GB of storage...and need it right now
- Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II are really big phones. People call them "phablets," they're so big. With a bigger screen comes added functionally, but you can't use either with one hand. They're both pretty fast, though (obviously the Note II is faster). I'm not sure if the Galaxy Note II is coming to AT&T, but it would make sense, since they were the only one with the first Note for a long time (until T-Mobile got it). The Note II is still international-only right now. I'm not sure if I would recommend these phones to an iPhone user, but it's there.
- Unlocked "Next Nexus": a device that's been rumored, but we know nothing for sure about it, except that it's better than the Galaxy Nexus. No one knows how long you'll have to wait for Google to release it, though.
- LG Optimus G: I'm not very familiar with this one, but LG's best handset will arrive AT&T soon. If you can wait till it comes out, it's one you should consider. Read Phil Nickinson's thoughts on it herehttp://androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-g-hands-g-style, herehttp://androidcentral.com/hands-video-optimus-g, herehttp://androidcentral.com/device/lg-optimus-g, and herehttp://androidcentral.com/tags/lg-optimus-g.
- What I would get: wait for the next Nexus and decide between that and the One X+.
Sprint:
- HTC EVO 4G LTE: (my phone!) what some people say the AT&T One X should have been. Everything's the same, except HTC redesigned the exterior and added a microSD card slot (to complement the 16 GB of storage), a kickstand (that supports two orientations well and a third, portrait orientation if you can get the balance right--I find that I have to turn it around on the table, etc., for it to work), a physical camera button, and, perhaps most importantly, a slightly bigger battery (2000 mAh vs. 1800 in the One X; One X+ has 2100 mAh). Same amazing screen (though, again, you might find it to be too big), same great camera, and same HTC Sense UI, with its great added features (I love 'em) and poor multitasking (I tolerate it). You may not notice it, but lots of people, including me, do. All around a great phone.
- Galaxy Nexus, again with an asterisk. Updates are controlled by Sprint, not Google. That being said, Sprint is usually better about updates than Verizon. The update to Jelly Bean took Sprint about 1.5 months and Verizon about 2. 32 GB of storage (up from 16 on the GSM unlocked version) and some rooting action may console you, though.
- Motorola Photon Q has a great slider keyboard, and the screen isn't too big. It's also Motorola, which Google now owns, so maybe it will see faster updates than phones from other manufacturers (then again, no guarantees). Probably your best bet if you want a slightly smaller screen and a better camera than the Galaxy Nexus, and it's your only option if you want a physical keyboard, though I doubt that's a priority for an iPhone user like yourself.
- Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch is your only good option if you want Sprint's old 4G WiMAX network. The only thing wrong with the phone itself is that it's a year old. That said, if you live in an area of strong WiMAX coverage and don't think you'll get LTE within a year's time (half of your contract), maybe WiMAX is the way you should go. However, I would discourage this. The places Sprint chose to put LTE first are probably the same places for which they did WiMAX. Think twice, no, three times before you get this phone over an LTE-capable phone.
- LG Optimus G is also coming to Sprint with a 13 megapixel camera on the back. (AT&T's version is 8 MP.) Otherwise, it's the exact same thing, but on Sprint's CDMA-based network instead of AT&T's GSM-based network.
- Maybe the next Nexus or an updated version of the HTC EVO LTE (a la One X+), but I wouldn't bet on it.
- What I would buy: HTC EVO LTE. I bought it a couple months ago, and I'm loving it overall.
T-Mobile (not likely, but I'll go ahead anyway):
- Galaxy Nexus (unlocked) is even better here because T-Mobile gives you better speeds sans LTE with their HSPA+ network that's almost as fast as LTE in some places.
- HTC One S gives you impressive speed and great build quality in a smaller package. The screen isn't as great as that of the One X, One X+, and EVO LTE, but the lower pixel count makes the phone run faster. HTC's promised an upgrade to Jelly Bean for this guy, too. Still stuck with 16 GB of internal storage that's not expandable, though. Camera is the same as the One X, i.e. awesome.
- Samsung Galaxy Note or Galaxy Note II: see above. We're pretty sure the Note II is coming to T-Mobile; see herehttp://androidcentral.com/what-t-mobile-branded-galaxy-note-2-will-look
- Next Nexus--see above
- HTC One X or One X+ (RUMORED): T-Mobile may get either of these two phones (getting both is unlikely but still possible) sometime later. I don't recommend betting on it.

If you're in the UK or a similar market, you should really only consider 6 phones:
- Galaxy Nexus...but the camera sucks
- Next Nexus, but we know very little about it, including when it will come out
- Samsung Galaxy S III
- HTC One X+ is probably well worth the wait (compared to the One X)
- LG Optimus G, but availability may vary. Something of a dark horse.
- Samsung Galaxy Note II, with the same caveats as earlier

I don't know much about other markets, but that should hopefully give you lots of help. Sorry for the book, but this shows a great thing about Android: lots of choices. It can get confusing to some people, but it makes the phone you get more personalized.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

 

[tx_tuff]

The nexus is great and I would not discourage you, but the SGSIII is more feature rich at this point, especially if you put JB on it.

Just one feature alone make the grade for me. I can shoot a video, and snap 10 pictures at the same time.

I know a lot of people do not see that as a real upside, but combine that with the other features out there, it puts the SGSIII ahead of the Nexus.

If you have a month, see what happens with the next Nexus.

You mean a 10 picture burst? Because you can also video and take pictures at the same time with Galaxy Nexus with JB.

 

[Amator Androidicus]

Actually, you can take stills while doing video on the Nexus as well.

 

[anon(94115)]

I didn't know that, is it built into aosp or is it a custom rom?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[korbui]

I went from the iPhone 4 to Samsung Galaxy S3 and would defenetely recommend that phone. Won?t be returning to Apple anytime soon...

 

[tx_tuff]

I didn't know that, is it built into aosp or is it a custom rom?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Its part of JB, no custom rom.

Tapatalk mofo

 

[jonathanm1978]

Keep in mind that the stock Samsung Jelly Bean update has already started rolling out in Europe for those of us with International S3s.

Keep in mind that the Sprint jelly been leaks are up to number 3, build LIH, so our Sprint S3 should see a release very soon. (Source: as usual, XDA)

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2