Why do you prefer the Android OS over iOS?

[bryantj3303]

I came across this on Droid Life and it has generated almost 2,000 comments in just a couple of days!

https://www.droid-life.com/2019/11/21/why-are-you-still-using-android/

As for me, I had both the iPhone 4 and 6, and just found the experience to be very frustrating. I experienced some hardware issues with the batter and reception, and the system was just not intuitive to me. I've always owned Windows computers and used Google services. My first android was a Galaxy S8 and things just clicked. I liked being able to customize my device and most of all, file sharing with Windows 10 (esp. photos and music) were sooooo much easier!! I have a Note 9 now, and it's the best phone I've ever owned. The only Apple product I've really liked was the iPad and still use it regularly. It comes in handy for basic web-browsing and reading when I want a screen bigger than my phone and something smaller than a laptop. I do think the iOS aesthetic is nice and well-optimized, but I've found the OS frustrating to use when it comes to anything beyond basic tasks including browsing and social media. For me, Android has been a nice fit!

 

[eric002]

I've always loved Android for a number of reasons. Number one, freeness and flexibility of applications and development. Number two, customization of UI completely. Number three, you're not locked down to do anything any one way. The customization one, is a really big thing to me it's everyone else here! IOS hasn't changed the home screen since it was introduced by Steve Jobs. And the widgets in the notification panel don't work all that well. I enjoyed widget since day one, and they not only improved but they make the experience better if you choose to use them. For example, on the pixel launcher, you have widgets for the temperature, and calendar. I use that every single day of my life! It makes my life so much easier.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

I've had Android since 2011, didn't even consider apple with the number of iPods I had die on me.

Worked Verizon 2012 until 2016 and was there for the launch of the 5, 5s, 6, 6s. I absolutely hated using the small screens, lack of swype to text, ugly UI, walled ecosystem, lack of expandable storage, lack of customization. Needing to connect to iTunes for so many things including ring tones while Android let me use any audio file. There were just so many things my Galaxy Notes could do that iOS was incapable of. Dealing with the constant software bugs and glitches in iOS had me convinced it was unstable trash software.

IOS has come a long way, but I still would'nt consider leaving Android for iOS.

 

[PixelTracer]

I personally prefer Android because it's more open and customizable.

Although, I have been messing around with iOS lately on the iPad Air I got from my cousin.

As for transferring files, I found it easier to send it to myself via email or downloading it through Google Photos/Drive. I'm glad there's an iOS version of it. Because iCloud can be a real pain sometimes.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I prefer Android due to the customisation options, the availability of a real file manager as in desktop computer operating systems, and the ability to use various apps as the defaults rather than just the Google apps.

 

[Javier P]

For me it's all about choice. With Android I can decide not only how my phone looks and behaves but how much I want to pay for a new phone or which hardware features are better for my needs. With iOS you have an iPhone, which is good, but there's no much room for personal options.

 

[me just saying]

one word - customization. sure there are other reasons, but that is the main one and if apple allowed it, I would consider them again

 

[B. Diddy]

I like the wide variety of devices, customization options, easy integration with Google services, and the fantastic Pixel camera. I also tend to go against the flow of trendy things -- I don't like people or companies essentially telling me what's cool.

 

[anon(50597)]

I came across this on Droid Life and it has generated almost 2,000 comments in just a couple of days!

https://www.droid-life.com/2019/11/21/why-are-you-still-using-android/

As for me, I had both the iPhone 4 and 6, and just found the experience to be very frustrating. I experienced some hardware issues with the batter and reception, and the system was just not intuitive to me. I've always owned Windows computers and used Google services. My first android was a Galaxy S8 and things just clicked. I liked being able to customize my device and most of all, file sharing with Windows 10 (esp. photos and music) were sooooo much easier!! I have a Note 9 now, and it's the best phone I've ever owned. The only Apple product I've really liked was the iPad and still use it regularly. It comes in handy for basic web-browsing and reading when I want a screen bigger than my phone and something smaller than a laptop. I do think the iOS aesthetic is nice and well-optimized, but I've found the OS frustrating to use when it comes to anything beyond basic tasks including browsing and social media. For me, Android has been a nice fit!

iPhone 6? They’ve come a long way since then.

 

[bembol]

Nova Launcher Prime and Icon Packs like Umbra, Urman.

 

[B. Diddy]

iPhone 6? They’ve come a long way since then.

True, but so has Android!

 

[anon(50597)]

True, but so has Android!

Absolutely! That’s why you can’t judge either from years past.

 

[Mr Segundus]

I used to prefer Android, most recently having owned a Note 10+, but now I prefer iOS. I have become very protective of my personal data in recent years and Android (ahem, Google) is nowhere near as good at protecting my personal data as Apple. I don't like how Google keeps track of my location, knows what I ask it when using Google Assistant/home devices, nor do I like how everything goes through Google in the Android world. Yes, I know I can opt out of many of those, but they shouldn't be on by default. Allowing Google to have all that personal information about me, and selling that personal info without my consent, and targeting ads based on my location/interests, leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

 

[cbreze]

I have an iPhone 7 and also a pixel 2. I prefer android over iOS though. The amazing customization of android makes it a fun operating system as well as a productive one. When I feel like keeping it simple I switch out to the iPhone for a while. But I always come back. It’s nice to have the option though. I give android the edge for the fun factor and keeping my phone interesting.

 

[anon(50597)]

I have an iPhone 7 and also a pixel 2. I prefer android over iOS though. The amazing customization of android makes it a fun operating system as well as a productive one. When I feel like keeping it simple I switch out to the iPhone for a while. But I always come back. It’s nice to have the option though. I give android the edge for the fun factor and keeping my phone interesting.

I think this is a fair representation of the two OS’s.
I also use both. My main one is iOS because I find it more fluid and secure. When I want to have a little fun, as you said, I switch to Android for a few days. I enjoy both in their own way.

 

[technomom]

No reason really. I like my One Plus 6T. It has everything I need and was a good price. Why would I change and have to register for/purchase all my apps again?

 

[bryantj3303]

In response to the comment about the iPhone 6 being from a long time ago. .

Yes, that was a long time ago, however my basis for the iOS comparison, with respect to file management and tasks beyond web-browsing and social media, is using my Note 9 and my 2018 iPad on iOS 13.2. Thus, I'm comparing current operating systems. The last iPhone I used regularly was the 6, and I still use it periodically. My ideal would be to take what I like from both systems and build a phone from there.

 

[Michael Saxon]

Camera. My daughter has an XR. My Pixel 3a is still better. If apple starts making cameras that are demonstrably better than Pixel cameras, I'll switch.

 

[Keyif]

I prefer Android because of the access and freedom of my files, photos and music even without any Internet availability.
Also the big plus is OTG connection that alleviates the necessity for a computer to transfer data from camera SD cards etc.
I may be wrong but IOS is dependent on Internet and iTunes just to add a ringtone or any file etc to your device making a PC or Mac a requirement.
just to prove a point let's say you have 1gb of personal videos that you want to archive onto an HDD or flashdrive? How would you do it? (you can't even find where those files are)
Android wins hands down.

 

[mikey12345]

Like most, the ability to customize, not being locked into the Apple ecosystem, has been the biggest selling points for staying on Android. Add the fact that I only recently thin Apple has matched Samsung and Pixel cameras, it was really not much of a choice. But you can use all of Google's services and other things on iPhone now with little to no issues. The iPhone 11 Pro is the first iPhone I am actually considering for myself, even though the basic structure of iOS still looks like the iPhone of 2007.

The main thing holding me back right now is Android Auto vs CarPlay. There's also Google assistant which is more comprehensive than Siri (by a lot), but is getting bogged down in weird performance issues. It's starting to do the basic things worse than both Siri and Alexa (in my experience).