After 1 week, I might go back to iPhone. Here's why...

[James Ev]

I am in this guy's exact same shoes. I've had an S4 for about a week after having a couple iPhones the last four years. Things that really excited me:

1) Having a phone that I can develop an App for without paying Apple $100. And in Java! (I'm a Software Engineer, too)
2) I can put my own storage in.
3) Huge screen!
4) It's open.

For point 1) I'm still thrilled, though I'd have to consider supporting an order of magnitude more devices to write an Android app. Worth it though to not have to muck with Objective-C and pay to get a license.
Point 2 is awesome until you realize that it's really hard to use the damn thing. I was super excited about being able to upload all my music to Google Play and keep it synched from there until I get a 64GB card today and learned I can't put my music via Google Play on the card. I guess it's not a dealbreaker but it's a PIA. Tried a few synching solutions and none worked well. Why in the world can't I sync my songs that I uploaded to Google Play to my SD card?
Point 3) The screen is still awesome. I can't reach everything on it with one hand, but that hasn't been a big problem, yet. Not sure what the OP is saying about the Alarm and Phone answering toggles. They seem similar enough to iPhone.

Some annoyances: I can't get a camera app to show up on the lock screen if I have a PIN set. Stupid. What does that get turned off? Seems like a Samsung thing. Then, I found that if I'm using the Samsung music player I can control it from the lock screen but it also kicks off the Google Play app and I end up with two songs playing at once. So buggy. And the bloat! Why can't I delete this TripAdvisor adware crap? Why do I need multiple text apps installed from the start? And the eye-scanning thing and hand waving thing... they don't work most of the time and are gimmicky. And I agree, I really don't want to have to swipe in to get to my texts when I get a notification. Really annoying and a waste of time.

I find myself vacillating between wanting to swap it for an iPhone 5 and keeping it. The iPhone just works so well out of the box. I never had to put any time or thought into getting it to work well. That said, this S4 seems like it has so much potential and it's exciting to have so much control over it but little things just don't work well and I don't want to waste a ton of time getting a phone to work well.

As for the music synching and controls/notifications on the lock screen: anyone have any suggestions?

 

[tarnak]

Hi Mattkruse & everyone else here - I've been following this thread for a bit as I'm in the same boat as you Matt. Well, lets say I WAS in the same boat. I'm a former
iPhone 4s user and have recently switched and have had the Galaxy S4 for a week. The first few hours and days I was in LOVE. The screen size is perfect compared to iPhone and the camera features and other features are super cool (IF they work). Well, I'm learning now that the S4 has a mind of its own. Some pros and cons:

Pros
- Screen size
- Camera takes good pics
- Extra customization
- LED notification light
- Amazing battery life

Cons
- The volume goes up and down on its own when I'm on a phone call and sometimes listening to music
- When on a call I hear echos and people have complained that the sound is bad
- I'm getting repeat texts messages that were sent yesterday
- When I close out of an app and select the home button it goes to some random app that I didn't even touch
- Some of the features like eye scroll, etc. don't work...pretty gimmicky
- When I place the phone down after its been locked the screen comes on with a random app as well
- Work microsoft email takes FOREVER to load.

I've done a reset, have read the forums and taken the recommended steps, etc.to optimize performance and the issues are still there SO.....

Being a former iphone user I thought I'd give S4 a shot because I've gotten sort of bored with iOs and what it has to offer, however, when I think about it I really only use the phone for calls, text messaging, FB/social media and picture taking. I occasionally like to change my wallpaper pic as well, lol. The FB app on the S4 is a pain for many reasons. It just works easier with iPhone. The camera on the S4, although 13 mp, I'm finding that the iPhone photos are more clear, bright and vivid. So what else do I really need? I like the idea of customization, however, what is the point of having to spend hours on a phone to customize it how you want? With iPhone everything really just does work. It's simple, sleek and smooth.

I think I'll sacrifice the big screen, led light etc. for a phone that just "works".

Just wanted to give feedback on what I thought of the switch to S4 and to let you know Mattkruse that I'm feeling your pain, lol. The S4 is a great phone for some but for me, I'll stick to the iPhone. You really can't go wrong.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Strange, I must be lucky then, I have not had any of these issues, then again, I did not have any issues with my rezound, even though people report a number of issues. I prefer the S4 over our work issued Iphone5's, I like the camera much better, battery is just as good or better, I do like the I5's music app, I use that all the time, but the biggest thing for me is the ability to organize photos and other info by files, very important when I go to conventions, cant do that with an I5.

 

[badbrad17]

I am in this guy's exact same shoes. I've had an S4 for about a week after having a couple iPhones the last four years. Things that really excited me:

1) Having a phone that I can develop an App for without paying Apple $100. And in Java! (I'm a Software Engineer, too)
2) I can put my own storage in.
3) Huge screen!
4) It's open.

For point 1) I'm still thrilled, though I'd have to consider supporting an order of magnitude more devices to write an Android app. Worth it though to not have to muck with Objective-C and pay to get a license.
Point 2 is awesome until you realize that it's really hard to use the damn thing. I was super excited about being able to upload all my music to Google Play and keep it synched from there until I get a 64GB card today and learned I can't put my music via Google Play on the card. I guess it's not a dealbreaker but it's a PIA. Tried a few synching solutions and none worked well. Why in the world can't I sync my songs that I uploaded to Google Play to my SD card?
Point 3) The screen is still awesome. I can't reach everything on it with one hand, but that hasn't been a big problem, yet. Not sure what the OP is saying about the Alarm and Phone answering toggles. They seem similar enough to iPhone.

Some annoyances: I can't get a camera app to show up on the lock screen if I have a PIN set. Stupid. What does that get turned off? Seems like a Samsung thing. Then, I found that if I'm using the Samsung music player I can control it from the lock screen but it also kicks off the Google Play app and I end up with two songs playing at once. So buggy. And the bloat! Why can't I delete this TripAdvisor adware crap? Why do I need multiple text apps installed from the start? And the eye-scanning thing and hand waving thing... they don't work most of the time and are gimmicky. And I agree, I really don't want to have to swipe in to get to my texts when I get a notification. Really annoying and a waste of time.

I find myself vacillating between wanting to swap it for an iPhone 5 and keeping it. The iPhone just works so well out of the box. I never had to put any time or thought into getting it to work well. That said, this S4 seems like it has so much potential and it's exciting to have so much control over it but little things just don't work well and I don't want to waste a ton of time getting a phone to work well.

As for the music synching and controls/notifications on the lock screen: anyone have any suggestions?

Cough *Nexus 4* Cough.

For the music SD card thing. Can't you just plug in your phone to your computer and copy it over to the SD card?

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[garublador]

I was super excited about being able to upload all my music to Google Play and keep it synched from there until I get a 64GB card today and learned I can't put my music via Google Play on the card. I guess it's not a dealbreaker but it's a PIA. Tried a few synching solutions and none worked well. Why in the world can't I sync my songs that I uploaded to Google Play to my SD card?

That's a Google Play issue. My guess is it's to avoid you pinning all your songs to your friends' SD cards. If you want to use an SD card for your music you'll most likely need a different music management system. Ironically, I have had good luck using iTunes and iSyncr.

Some annoyances: I can't get a camera app to show up on the lock screen if I have a PIN set. Stupid. What does that get turned off?

It's a security thing. What's the use in having a PIN if it can just be bypassed by opening the camera? It's too difficult to enforce security like that in a platform that's this open.

Then, I found that if I'm using the Samsung music player I can control it from the lock screen but it also kicks off the Google Play app and I end up with two songs playing at once.

Again, this is an artifact of the open architecture. It's hard to be both open and have absolute control of how every app operates. It's a bug in either the Google Play app or the Samsung app. Controlling things from the lock screen is fairly new to Android.

And the bloat! Why can't I delete this TripAdvisor adware crap?

That is super annoying but at least you can disable them now.

I find myself vacillating between wanting to swap it for an iPhone 5 and keeping it. The iPhone just works so well out of the box. I never had to put any time or thought into getting it to work well. That said, this S4 seems like it has so much potential and it's exciting to have so much control over it but little things just don't work well and I don't want to waste a ton of time getting a phone to work well.

This again seems like a case where "works well" really means "works like an iPhone." If you can accept that the best way to do things will be slightly different than an iPhone you'll have a much better experience.

 

[klynch76]

Sadly, I spent 13 days with the s4 and turned it in for the iPhone 5. I had an iPhone 4 prior trying the S4. I researched Android like crazy and after a few months settled on the S4. I really enjoyed the screen and the customization. What I ultimately had issues with was some of the noticeable lag (I did turn off some of the animations to help with this). Also, the seamless messaging through iMessage is really like no other. Not being able to send a 10 sec video clip to my wife because "the file was too big" was unacceptable. I realize this isn't the device fault but rather SMS. I tried smspro and some other app to work around this but really couldn't replicate the ease of iMessage. Especially when so many of my friends and family use iPhones. So, now I am back on an iPhone. I have the 5. Do I like it? Sure. Am i tired of ios? yes. Do I miss the s4? Yes. I miss the screen. I miss some of the customization. The widgets. If android figures out a way to enhance the messaging, I will make the switch again in a heartbeat. For now, I'll cont to ride the Apple bus. Waiting for either a bigger iPhone screen and more customization or a better text/video messaging option on an Android device. I think in another year, I'll b back on Android.

 

[Notsosure]

Sadly, I spent 13 days with the s4 and turned it in for the iPhone 5. I had an iPhone 4 prior trying the S4. I researched Android like crazy and after a few months settled on the S4. I really enjoyed the screen and the customization. What I ultimately had issues with was some of the noticeable lag (I did turn off some of the animations to help with this). Also, the seamless messaging through iMessage is really like no other. Not being able to send a 10 sec video clip to my wife because "the file was too big" was unacceptable. I realize this isn't the device fault but rather SMS. I tried smspro and some other app to work around this but really couldn't replicate the ease of iMessage. Especially when so many of my friends and family use iPhones. So, now I am back on an iPhone. I have the 5. Do I like it? Sure. Am i tired of ios? yes. Do I miss the s4? Yes. I miss the screen. I miss some of the customization. The widgets. If android figures out a way to enhance the messaging, I will make the switch again in a heartbeat. For now, I'll cont to ride the Apple bus. Waiting for either a bigger iPhone screen and more customization or a better text/video messaging option on an Android device. I think in another year, I'll b back on Android.

To be quite honest I'm contemplating the same thing. My wife used to have the 5 but switched to the note 2. So there is an almost brand new iPhone 5 that I am starting to play with. Although not sure if its the iPhone 5 issue or am I just used to lightning speed on my s4, even though there is no lag the iPhone 5 is downloading apps and processing very slowly. I searched for the spotify app in the app store and it took literally 30 seconds to process it. I know my wife was complaining about how slow it is when she had it but I didn't think it was this slow. And I used to have the 4s, and it definitely was almost the same speed. Not sure if there is a problem with the phone or what. Plus the battery is draining fast, literally like 11% in less than 15 minutes of playing with it. My issue with the s4 is with the lag. I like to play games on the phone. For some reason the Verizon s4 I have lags like crazy when I play temple run 2 and other running games. My wife played with the games on my s4 and she even asked why is it so laggy. So I am literally bouncing between the 2 phones trying to figure out which one I'll be able to cope with. I do love the s4 screen and customization. But one thing I enjoy the most about have a smartphone is these little games. Any thoughts?

Sent from my Galaxy S4

 

[badbrad17]

Sadly, I spent 13 days with the s4 and turned it in for the iPhone 5. I had an iPhone 4 prior trying the S4. I researched Android like crazy and after a few months settled on the S4. I really enjoyed the screen and the customization. What I ultimately had issues with was some of the noticeable lag (I did turn off some of the animations to help with this). Also, the seamless messaging through iMessage is really like no other. Not being able to send a 10 sec video clip to my wife because "the file was too big" was unacceptable. I realize this isn't the device fault but rather SMS. I tried smspro and some other app to work around this but really couldn't replicate the ease of iMessage. Especially when so many of my friends and family use iPhones. So, now I am back on an iPhone. I have the 5. Do I like it? Sure. Am i tired of ios? yes. Do I miss the s4? Yes. I miss the screen. I miss some of the customization. The widgets. If android figures out a way to enhance the messaging, I will make the switch again in a heartbeat. For now, I'll cont to ride the Apple bus. Waiting for either a bigger iPhone screen and more customization or a better text/video messaging option on an Android device. I think in another year, I'll b back on Android.

Never quite understood the need to send video via text, but I guess some people like it. Maybe when BBM comes out it will give us some better options for cross platform messaging.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[badbrad17]

To be quite honest I'm contemplating the same thing. My wife used to have the 5 but switched to the note 2. So there is an almost brand new iPhone 5 that I am starting to play with. Although not sure if its the iPhone 5 issue or am I just used to lightning speed on my s4, even though there is no lag the iPhone 5 is downloading apps and processing very slowly. I searched for the spotify app in the app store and it took literally 30 seconds to process it. I know my wife was complaining about how slow it is when she had it but I didn't think it was this slow. And I used to have the 4s, and it definitely was almost the same speed. Not sure if there is a problem with the phone or what. Plus the battery is draining fast, literally like 11% in less than 15 minutes of playing with it. My issue with the s4 is with the lag. I like to play games on the phone. For some reason the Verizon s4 I have lags like crazy when I play temple run 2 and other running games. My wife played with the games on my s4 and she even asked why is it so laggy. So I am literally bouncing between the 2 phones trying to figure out which one I'll be able to cope with. I do love the s4 screen and customization. But one thing I enjoy the most about have a smartphone is these little games. Any thoughts?

Sent from my Galaxy S4

Well I would do a factory reset on the iPhone first. Plus if you are looking for fast and no lag your best options are the HTC One or a Nexus 4. But these may not be an option with your carrier.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[Aquila]

Never quite understood the need to send video via text, but I guess some people like it. Maybe when BBM comes out it will give us some better options for cross platform messaging.

Sent from my Nexus 4

There were a few really long threads about this. It was actually pretty ridiculous. "Hey, you can share that just as easily with better apps". "NO IT MUST BE MMS!!! WTF!" I don't get it either. There are plenty of other options, most with a very similar amount of "effort", most of which do not degrade video quality when just about every video sent on MMS is compressed.

 

[snookasnoo]

Good thing you don't have to use iTunes at all with an iPhone or iPad then. For someone who "despises" Apple you sure do like the iPhone. Having used both types since the beginning I think most iPhone users would be happiest with a Nexus 4 or HTC One. Stock Android is the ****..I think I like it better than iOS 7, and HTC One build quality, screen, and minimal Sense 5 is excellent too. Not that HTC One build quality is as good as an iPhone 5 but it's the closest I've seen.
Sounds too much you need to go back to a jailbroken iPhone. You aren't going to be happy with Android unless you root it either.
If you like iOS 6 notifications you will really like iOS 7 notifications.

I've been an iPhone user for years, but I despise Apple and especially iTunes. I'm a software engineer, and the promise of an open phone OS with endless possibilities lured me to Android. I got the S4 a week ago, and the transition has been anything but painless. I'm really considering switching back to the iPhone5, and here's why:

1. The S4 is just too big. It doesn't fit in my pocket nicely, and it's not comfortable to hold with one hand. It's awkward, and I often feel like I might drop it.

2. Notifications suck. I love the way iPhone did it - when I get new text messages, the screen lit up and I could see the message right there. If I received multiple messages, I could see them all. If I got Facebook comments, they were there too. All stacked up and scannable without unlocking or going to different apps. This is VERY important to me, because I receive a lot of updates about a lot of things, and I don't want to constantly fiddle with my phone to see them. I have it on my desk and I want to quickly glance to see what came in, then move on. I've tried a few lock screen notification apps, but none seem to work perfectly.

3. Hardware mute. I really miss this on the S4. I like having a hardware toggle switch to mute my phone if it's going off in a meeting or something. I like being able to mute it in my pocket without having to touch the screen at all. IMO, this should be a REQUIRED feature on all phone hardware.

4. Endless tinkering. I've already spent many hours trying apps, reading about Android, messing with widgets, etc. My hope was that I could get it setup exactly how I want, then never have to tinker again, but that doesn't seem like how it will go. I'm still trying to make the user interface something that I think is usable! It just seems so clunky to me, compared to the smooth and efficient interface of the iPhone.

5. App count badges (minor). I loved the little red indicator on each app, telling me how many games I have to play in WWF or how many notifications I have in another app. I miss this easy indicator in Android.

Listen... I love the potential of Android. I get it. It seems like I should be in love with it, but when it comes down to it, I just want a phone that is really usable out of the box. I don't want to have to find 10 different apps to replace the default functionality. I don't want to spend hours messing with the layout of widgets, home screens, and lock screens.

When I REALLY want is either:
- An Android UI that is well designed and consistent across the whole system, removing all the little productivity annoyances
or
- An iPhone that is not so locked down and controlled by Apple.

I have not (yet) rooted my S4, but that sounds like just one more thing to consume my time in the quest for a usable phone.
I've also never jailbroken my iPhones in the past, but I'm wondering if a jailbroken iPhone5 really is nirvana.

Any thoughts? What am I missing that might make me want to stay with the S4+Android?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Notsosure]

Well I would do a factory reset on the iPhone first. Plus if you are looking for fast and no lag your best options are the HTC One or a Nexus 4. But these may not be an option with your carrier.

Sent from my Nexus 4

I would but Verizon and their limited selection of phones doesn't leave me with many options. Really wish vzw get their act together and give people what they want...a bloat ware free, fast update android device, and great selection of android smartphones instead of mostly just the droid crap.

 

[walterkurtz]

ugh. after nearly a week i might not go back to iphone. but i might go to iphone. my experience has been very similar to the OP and others in this thread. however, i came to android from blackberry. i am a long time apple user, and probably would've gone to iphone years ago if it weren't for the simple fact that i left AT&T in a huff...and t-mo didn't have the iphone before this year. that, and with my blackberry, i got sh*t done. that was the point. a year ago when i was having trouble with my BB i tried out the HTC ONE (again the iphone was unavail on t-mo). i loved the ONE but it felt like a giant toy. i need my phone to be a phone first, and then i need to text and email. blackberry was brilliant at that for many years. games, tv/movies, social media etc are all far less important to me. the HTC was great but the battery sucked...and we all know a dead phone is a worthless phone regardless of features. i went back to BB and decided to wait for the new 10s. my anticipation quickly turned to frustration after a week spent with the Q10. BB gave up some core features that we all loved and yet failed to significantly modernize their phone. so i exchanged it for an HTC ONE. the galaxy feels too plasticky for me, and i have read the samsung UI isn't as good as the HTC (although i am using nova for the moment). which i guess in a roundabout way leads me to the point of this post: after a week with android (since this is ultimately the debate), i am considering going to iphone....

don't get me wrong, i love my HTC. coming from blackberry, i finally feel part of modern society. the size of the screen, build quality etc have all been duly praised by others. and as many have pointed out in this thread, the options for customization and tweaks are endless. but therein lies my problem. like the OP, at some point it simply becomes overwhelming. at what point do you simply need your phone to work? i have been asking myself that very question with every new problem or annoyance that crops up. sure, i can always find answers here (thank you!) and elsewhere, and there's always an app for that. but when will i stop working on my phone and my phone start working for me? i've been telling myself that a week (or two until i can no longer return it) is sufficient for adapting to an entirely new system. but is it? or will i always need to be making adjustments, solving problems, downloading and installing apps? i have had apple computers my entire life. i have no doubt that i will easily adapt to using an iphone. obviously i get apple interfaces. i tried the iphone 5 last week in the store. compared to the htc one on the other side of the room, it was shocking how small the screen felt. i told myself that i needed the notification light of the htc and that the bigger screen would make it easier to type, especially coming off years of qwerty keyboards. now i am not so sure. i know i will adapt to a smaller screen. i know i will adapt to iOS. and maybe all of this customization isn't that important to me. literally everyone i know is on an iphone. i thought i was 'thinking different' by getting an android. perhaps this one needs to go back until the 5S comes out. i don't know. i do know some people will say 'relax dude. it's only a phone.' but this is my only phone...no land line, no separate phone for work and play. i need one phone to do everything i need. in that respect, i miss blackberry. it simply got sh*t done. thanks for letting me vent. now i will go back to spending my morning trying to figure out how to prevent my android from showing duplicates of all of my contacts when i want to send a text or email. yeah, there's probably an app for that....

EDIT: wanted to expand on what is probably the biggest problem: sync. i literally trashed the htc sync application from my computer...total garbage. i have downloaded isyncer and i can't remember the other app for syncing music. i hope the OP or other current or former iOS users can help. (again, i have never owned an iphone) ultimately, this debate is more google vs apple than iphone vs droid for me. if the future and present are about keeping our fractured lives streamlined and in order, what is the best system? i have never used an iphone, but is it safe to assume that it is plug and play? that it will sync my contacts, calendar, email, photos, music et al without 3rd party apps and tweaks? someone tell me it's a dream and i will forgo the larger screen and options for personalization. i will join the flock. i may regret it. but i need a phone to work for me, not vice versa. thank you!!

UPDATE: went on a run this morning and gave careful consideration to my phone situation. i am leaning toward keeping the htc one and here's why:

freedom of choice. maybe it's the holiday, but i prefer having multiple android phones and operating systems and interfaces to choose from than just the one apple.
productivity. it's been nearly a week. i had (have) concerns about battery life. but as i spend less time working on the phone, of course the battery is lasting longer. next week, i will try pushing it a little and see how it holds up. if the battery becomes an achilles heel, i will move to iphone.
competition. because apple really has no competition and a loyal fan base, i think that could ultimately lead to continued loss of technological advantage. of course they compete with android, that's why we're having this discussion. but android phone makers compete with each other to a far greater degree, and i have to believe this leads to more and better technological innovation.
today android wins for me. tomorrow is another day...

 

[badbrad17]

ugh. after nearly a week i might not go back to iphone. but i might go to iphone. my experience has been very similar to the OP and others in this thread. however, i came to android from blackberry. i am a long time apple user, and probably would've gone to iphone years ago if it weren't for the simple fact that i left AT&T in a huff...and t-mo didn't have the iphone before this year. that, and with my blackberry, i got sh*t done. that was the point. a year ago when i was having trouble with my BB i tried out the HTC ONE (again the iphone was unavail on t-mo). i loved the ONE but it felt like a giant toy. i need my phone to be a phone first, and then i need to text and email. blackberry was brilliant at that for many years. games, tv/movies, social media etc are all far less important to me. the HTC was great but the battery sucked...and we all know a dead phone is a worthless phone regardless of features. i went back to BB and decided to wait for the new 10s. my anticipation quickly turned to frustration after a week spent with the Q10. BB gave up some core features that we all loved and yet failed to significantly modernize their phone. so i exchanged it for an HTC ONE. the galaxy feels too plasticky for me, and i have read the samsung UI isn't as good as the HTC (although i am using nova for the moment). which i guess in a roundabout way leads me to the point of this post: after a week with android (since this is ultimately the debate), i am considering going to iphone....

don't get me wrong, i love my HTC. coming from blackberry, i finally feel part of modern society. the size of the screen, build quality etc have all been duly praised by others. and as many have pointed out in this thread, the options for customization and tweaks are endless. but therein lies my problem. like the OP, at some point it simply becomes overwhelming. at what point do you simply need your phone to work? i have been asking myself that very question with every new problem or annoyance that crops up. sure, i can always find answers here (thank you!) and elsewhere, and there's always an app for that. but when will i stop working on my phone and my phone start working for me? i've been telling myself that a week (or two until i can no longer return it) is sufficient for adapting to an entirely new system. but is it? or will i always need to be making adjustments, solving problems, downloading and installing apps? i have had apple computers my entire life. i have no doubt that i will easily adapt to using an iphone. obviously i get apple interfaces. i tried the iphone 5 last week in the store. compared to the htc one on the other side of the room, it was shocking how small the screen felt. i told myself that i needed the notification light of the htc and that the bigger screen would make it easier to type, especially coming off years of qwerty keyboards. now i am not so sure. i know i will adapt to a smaller screen. i know i will adapt to iOS. and maybe all of this customization isn't that important to me. literally everyone i know is on an iphone. i thought i was 'thinking different' by getting an android. perhaps this one needs to go back until the 5S comes out. i don't know. i do know some people will say 'relax dude. it's only a phone.' but this is my only phone...no land line, no separate phone for work and play. i need one phone to do everything i need. in that respect, i miss blackberry. it simply got sh*t done. thanks for letting me vent. now i will go back to spending my morning trying to figure out how to prevent my android from showing duplicates of all of my contacts when i want to send a text or email. yeah, there's probably an app for that....

EDIT: wanted to expand on what is probably the biggest problem: sync. i literally trashed the htc sync application from my computer...total garbage. i have downloaded isyncer and i can't remember the other app for syncing music. i hope the OP or other current or former iOS users can help. (again, i have never owned an iphone) ultimately, this debate is more google vs apple than iphone vs droid for me. if the future and present are about keeping our fractured lives streamlined and in order, what is the best system? i have never used an iphone, but is it safe to assume that it is plug and play? that it will sync my contacts, calendar, email, photos, music et al without 3rd party apps and tweaks? someone tell me it's a dream and i will forgo the larger screen and options for personalization. i will join the flock. i may regret it. but i need a phone to work for me, not vice versa. thank you!!

UPDATE: went on a run this morning and gave careful consideration to my phone situation. i am leaning toward keeping the htc one and here's why:

freedom of choice. maybe it's the holiday, but i prefer having multiple android phones and operating systems and interfaces to choose from than just the one apple.
productivity. it's been nearly a week. i had (have) concerns about battery life. but as i spend less time working on the phone, of course the battery is lasting longer. next week, i will try pushing it a little and see how it holds up. if the battery becomes an achilles heel, i will move to iphone.
competition. because apple really has no competition and a loyal fan base, i think that could ultimately lead to continued loss of technological advantage. of course they compete with android, that's why we're having this discussion. but android phone makers compete with each other to a far greater degree, and i have to believe this leads to more and better technological innovation.
today android wins for me. tomorrow is another day...

Excellent post. Very well thought out and I don't think you are alone. My wife used BlackBerry for over 5 years and appreciated the simplicity of everything and the productivity. She got the HTC One as well (based on my suggestion). She considered the iPhone too, but also wanted the larger screen and to use SwiftKey for typing.

I will say that my darling wife doesn't adapt to change very well. For around 3 weeks she would vent and complain about different things an say how she missed her BB and maybe an iPhone would have been better. I addressed the issues she was having and after a bit of tinkering she now has a very productive phone that she really likes. This is the good and bad thing about Android. You can make it yours but it takes some time. Apple gives you none of that freedom.

So as for syncing. I am fully connected and sync my phone wirelessly. I never plug in my phone to back it up or transfer music. This is where Android and Google shine.

Just a few comments and questions.

1. Do you use Outlook on your computer? If you do I would highly recommend a desktop program called companion link. It does cost $40. But it works amazing. It basically works like a poor man's exchange account and syncs your calendar, contacts, tasks and notes wirelessly between your computer and your Google account which then syncs to your phone. This always means your info is saved in 3 places.

2. Music: I'm not sure where you are located but if Google Play music is available for you then use it. I am on a PC but I use iTunes. Google music allows you to sync any folder directly to your online account. This again happens wirelessly. Just copy the music you want to sync into your folder and it shows up online.

If it is not available then I would opt to just copy music directly to your phone. You have plenty of storage, so put a pile of songs and playlists onto your phone and enjoy it. I know people have trouble sometimes doing this on a Mac as it doesn't work as a usb drive (I think). So my suggestion is to use the Airdroid app. It opens your entire phone contents in your browser. You can upload to it really easily.

3. Backup: HTC has done a great job of adding in their Cloud backup service. Skip htc sync and just use the cloud service to backup your phone. This works in addition to your Google account sync for apps that you've purchased as well as the companion link program.

Hope this help you to get closer to having the perfectly productive device.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[walterkurtz]

Just a few comments and questions.

1. Do you use Outlook on your computer? If you do I would highly recommend a desktop program called companion link. It does cost $40. But it works amazing. It basically works like a poor man's exchange account and syncs your calendar, contacts, tasks and notes wirelessly between your computer and your Google account which then syncs to your phone. This always means your info is saved in 3 places.

2. Music: I'm not sure where you are located but if Google Play music is available for you then use it. I am on a PC but I use iTunes. Google music allows you to sync any folder directly to your online account. This again happens wirelessly. Just copy the music you want to sync into your folder and it shows up online.

If it is not available then I would opt to just copy music directly to your phone. You have plenty of storage, so put a pile of songs and playlists onto your phone and enjoy it. I know people have trouble sometimes doing this on a Mac as it doesn't work as a usb drive (I think). So my suggestion is to use the Airdroid app. It opens your entire phone contents in your browser. You can upload to it really easily.

3. Backup: HTC has done a great job of adding in their Cloud backup service. Skip htc sync and just use the cloud service to backup your phone. This works in addition to your Google account sync for apps that you've purchased as well as the companion link program.

Hope this help you to get closer to having the perfectly productive device.

Sent from my Nexus 4

thanks for this badbrad17. and i apologize in advance for my rudimentary response and lack of knowledge about all things android....but i will try my best.

1. i do not use outlook. it may have come with my mac version of MS office, but i have never used it.

2. i am in california. i haven't tried google play. i use itunes on my desk and laptop. i have been using iSyncr and Android File Transfer for music and pictures to my droid. the software that HTC provided was more trouble than it was worth.

3. i have been hitting the sync button once in a while on google (under accounts and sync). not sure if that syncs 'everything' like the old blackberry back up and restore features. hopefully i won't have to use it. but it is one of the things that pushes me back on the iphone side of this debate. i am certain that back-up between iphone and mac computers (and the cloud) is simple and effortless. and i assume when one upgrades from an older iphone to newer that the system easily transfers your information and settings to the new device. i might be wrong. and i worry what happens when i get the next android should this relationship last.

on that note, i have until the end of this week to return this HTC (with another $50 restocking fee) to t-mobile and wait for the 5S. every day i fall more in love with this phone. i have it set now to where my blackberry was (minus the 'delete on handheld and mailbox' feature). yesterday was my first full day using the phone like i mostly will and the battery did OK. it ran out by 9pm with little to no web use....this was mostly text and email. that concerns me. but i also might need to let go of the notion that a battery will easily last a day like my blackberrys did. the screen and capabilities on this phone far exceed my previous phones. and it's not like i am ever that far from power...still, many factors to consider. thank you for listening to my internal debate.

PS last night i added Easy Battery Saver (per this forum's recommendation). today is the first day to try it. hopefully it will help allay my fear of battery longevity.

 

[badbrad17]

thanks for this badbrad17. and i apologize in advance for my rudimentary response and lack of knowledge about all things android....but i will try my best.

1. i do not use outlook. it may have come with my mac version of MS office, but i have never used it.

2. i am in california. i haven't tried google play. i use itunes on my desk and laptop. i have been using iSyncr and Android File Transfer for music and pictures to my droid. the software that HTC provided was more trouble than it was worth.

3. i have been hitting the sync button once in a while on google (under accounts and sync). not sure if that syncs 'everything' like the old blackberry back up and restore features. hopefully i won't have to use it. but it is one of the things that pushes me back on the iphone side of this debate. i am certain that back-up between iphone and mac computers (and the cloud) is simple and effortless. and i assume when one upgrades from an older iphone to newer that the system easily transfers your information and settings to the new device. i might be wrong. and i worry what happens when i get the next android should this relationship last.

on that note, i have until the end of this week to return this HTC (with another $50 restocking fee) to t-mobile and wait for the 5S. every day i fall more in love with this phone. i have it set now to where my blackberry was (minus the 'delete on handheld and mailbox' feature). yesterday was my first full day using the phone like i mostly will and the battery did OK. it ran out by 9pm with little to no web use....this was mostly text and email. that concerns me. but i also might need to let go of the notion that a battery will easily last a day like my blackberrys did. the screen and capabilities on this phone far exceed my previous phones. and it's not like i am ever that far from power...still, many factors to consider. thank you for listening to my internal debate.

PS last night i added Easy Battery Saver (per this forum's recommendation). today is the first day to try it. hopefully it will help allay my fear of battery longevity.

1. So you are just using the stock Mail on your Mac then? If you are Companion Link won't support it. But it does Outlook for Mac. If you are just using Gmail it becomes even easier.

2. I would suggest giving Google Music a try. There are some excellent features that allow you to have up to 25gb of music stored on the cloud. So much easier and you can continue to use itunes.

3. You don't really need to press the sync button. It will sync your phone and keep your account backed up. But this is different than the HTC system cloud backup. This works more like iCloud and only on HTC devices. So it would be similar to the iPhone situation. Alternatively you can also try the Helium app to do backups which would allow you to do a restore to any android device.

4. There are very few smartphones that have great battery life. The Note 2 and RAZR Maxx are the best. But with some practice you will learn to know how to get the most out of your phone. LTE and GPS are the biggest culprits. Just make sure that if off when you don't use it. My 2 girls both have iphone 5's and the battery on there phones has been horrible. Granted it seems like they are on them all the time. But they can't make it until 5pm.

One question. Did you say you were using the power saver feature that HTC has on your phone currently? This does help a fair bit too. Easy Battery of Juice Defender may not do too much more in this regard but give them a try and see how it works out.

Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[neonworm]

Sorry I never trust anyone with donuts in their user name. Sheesh. Chill out and get a sense of humour.

Sent from my Nexus 4

I am not trying to be mean, but you didn't make any indication that it was a joke in your post.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[walterkurtz]

1. So you are just using the stock Mail on your Mac then? If you are Companion Link won't support it. But it does Outlook for Mac. If you are just using Gmail it becomes even easier.

2. I would suggest giving Google Music a try. There are some excellent features that allow you to have up to 25gb of music stored on the cloud. So much easier and you can continue to use itunes.

3. You don't really need to press the sync button. It will sync your phone and keep your account backed up. But this is different than the HTC system cloud backup. This works more like iCloud and only on HTC devices. So it would be similar to the iPhone situation. Alternatively you can also try the Helium app to do backups which would allow you to do a restore to any android device.

4. There are very few smartphones that have great battery life. The Note 2 and RAZR Maxx are the best. But with some practice you will learn to know how to get the most out of your phone. LTE and GPS are the biggest culprits. Just make sure that if off when you don't use it. My 2 girls both have iphone 5's and the battery on there phones has been horrible. Granted it seems like they are on them all the time. But they can't make it until 5pm.

One question. Did you say you were using the power saver feature that HTC has on your phone currently? This does help a fair bit too. Easy Battery of Juice Defender may not do too much more in this regard but give them a try and see how it works out.

Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus 4

1. yes sir stock mail. i am only into android a week so far. if i stay with it, i will give serious consideration to greater gmail integration. i have had myname@gmail.com for many years, but it's a mostly unused account.

2. i still don't understand what my phone is doing with music. when i plugged into my desktop this morning, i saw that music was stored in two places: syncr and another folder deep inside the android. i don't think either one were actually in the 'music' folder of the device oddly enough. i blame myself. i have tried two methods, thus far, for adding music to the phone (for alarms and ringtones only as of now). i am not too concerned about it. i don't intend to use my phone for listening to music. i have far too much music (130GB) and a tiny ipod nano for workouts and travel. of course if i had an iphone, and easier sync capabilities, that might be a different story.

3. i think i will buy/try helium when i decide once and for all to keep this phone. of course i am still on the fence...

4. "Just make sure that if off when you don't use it" this is something i am still unsure about with android. does leaving an app close it? or does pressing on the home screen and flicking away open apps close them? it seems if i open my battery settings there are a number of things using power that i either haven't opened or thought i closed. i tried EASY BATTERY SAVER yesterday and uninstalled it when i realized it was disabling my K-9 email sync. i opened the advance settings and it was a bit overwhelming so i balked. it did seem to work however during the time i had it installed. battery drain seemed to slow. but maybe this phone is too new to really tell yet.

i am not using the stock battery conserve button. i did use it one day, and did not notice any difference in phone or battery performance.

i have spent an inordinate amount of time reading comparisons between the iphone and htc one. i continue to lean toward android for a myriad of previously cited reasons. that being said, the iphone has it's obvious allure especially for a life-long apple computer user. add to that, that a new iphone is less than 90 days away and you can feel my pain.

thanks again for all of your help and guidance!

 

[badbrad17]

I am not trying to be mean, but you didn't make any indication that it was a joke in your post.

Posted via Android Central App

Any time I say Donuts it's supposed to be funny. DONUT!

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[Diorarat]

I've been an iPhone user for years, but I despise Apple and especially iTunes. I'm a software engineer, and the promise of an open phone OS with endless possibilities lured me to Android. I got the S4 a week ago, and the transition has been anything but painless. I'm really considering switching back to the iPhone5, and here's why:

1. The S4 is just too big. It doesn't fit in my pocket nicely, and it's not comfortable to hold with one hand. It's awkward, and I often feel like I might drop it.

2. Notifications suck. I love the way iPhone did it - when I get new text messages, the screen lit up and I could see the message right there. If I received multiple messages, I could see them all. If I got Facebook comments, they were there too. All stacked up and scannable without unlocking or going to different apps. This is VERY important to me, because I receive a lot of updates about a lot of things, and I don't want to constantly fiddle with my phone to see them. I have it on my desk and I want to quickly glance to see what came in, then move on. I've tried a few lock screen notification apps, but none seem to work perfectly.

3. Hardware mute. I really miss this on the S4. I like having a hardware toggle switch to mute my phone if it's going off in a meeting or something. I like being able to mute it in my pocket without having to touch the screen at all. IMO, this should be a REQUIRED feature on all phone hardware.

4. Endless tinkering. I've already spent many hours trying apps, reading about Android, messing with widgets, etc. My hope was that I could get it setup exactly how I want, then never have to tinker again, but that doesn't seem like how it will go. I'm still trying to make the user interface something that I think is usable! It just seems so clunky to me, compared to the smooth and efficient interface of the iPhone.

5. App count badges (minor). I loved the little red indicator on each app, telling me how many games I have to play in WWF or how many notifications I have in another app. I miss this easy indicator in Android.

Listen... I love the potential of Android. I get it. It seems like I should be in love with it, but when it comes down to it, I just want a phone that is really usable out of the box. I don't want to have to find 10 different apps to replace the default functionality. I don't want to spend hours messing with the layout of widgets, home screens, and lock screens.

When I REALLY want is either:
- An Android UI that is well designed and consistent across the whole system, removing all the little productivity annoyances
or
- An iPhone that is not so locked down and controlled by Apple.

I have not (yet) rooted my S4, but that sounds like just one more thing to consume my time in the quest for a usable phone.
I've also never jailbroken my iPhones in the past, but I'm wondering if a jailbroken iPhone5 really is nirvana.

Any thoughts? What am I missing that might make me want to stay with the S4+Android?

Thanks,

Matt

#1 felt the same way a year ago. But now it feels just right. Most touch functions usually happens on the lower half of the screen. No problem using it single handedly. Plus I like the way the power button is located at the sides making one hand usage easier as compared to the iphone.

#2 Sliding down the status bar works for me in a cleaner way than apple can come up but I do get your point of not touching your phone to get updated.

#3 I don't encounter this problem but pressing the volume button down does the job of silencing your phone pretty well.

#4 how do you want your screen to look like to be usable?

 

[ForTheHorde]

I'd day do what feels right for you. ignore the trolls and be happy with your device choice.
I switched to android about 3 weeks ago from having every iphone ever made.
Yes, there are plenty of things I love about iOS. and there are things I have a great love / hate relationship with on Both OS'
If Apple would release a 5" screen. I would switch back. The only thing I hated about Apple was 2 years of the Same phone, and that tiny 4" screen.
I am IN LOVE with the 5" screen on the S4. I won't be going back til Apple wakes up and gives me the phone I WANT not the phone they think I need.
and the swype keyboard on the S4. love it!

/highfive... you win the internetz today!!! this quote tells exactly how i feel... ive had iphones for years, ( iphone 3g, 3gs, 4, 4s and iphone 5). it took me awhile but i realized that the iphone is the same damn phone, just a new name! i now have an S4 and love it... To the OP... if you want to switch back to the iphone, then do it. its your phone, you should be happy with its functionality. i will always prefer the IOS UI, but i use the S4 as my phone because it fits my media lifestyle so much better than Apple!!!