This week's post has been pretty late. I'm a bit troubled by yesterday's thread on Apple. So, a foreword: It's OK to prefer something over another, it's not OK to say people who like different phones than you are somehow more childish or less intelligent than you. Again, we are going for casual, yet intensely helpful here, so please don't call people names over petty reasons, we have rules here.
In this post, it's not about saying how bad iPhones are, but I'd just like to hear the perspective on iPhones from Android users. I, for one, had an old iPhone 4 for a long time (call it nostalgia, or laziness, or just being cheap), and it was my general frustration with the device that ultimately led to my preference for Androids, (It was quite a while back though).
It was absolutely painful to transfer files from the phone to my computer (Ugh, iTunes).
I got it pre-jailbroken and didn't realize you can't just update the system casually, so it was really fun trying to find ways to downgrade the system until I realized that I can't and have to pray for the next jailbreak to get half my things working again.
The 40-pin cable wears out so fast, and always in the same spot on the strain relief. I swear I've gone through 3 of these cables in one year just from normal use.
All the browsers are somehow flavors of Safari. To do anything, I will have the choice of ad-filled websites, or ad-filled apps.
It always just seemed like I'm fighting against the system. Never did I have that "it just works" moment, until I've got my first Android, and realize I have the freedom to do whatever I want with it, and I can install what I want, and if there's a problem, I can look things up and fix it myself.
(Having a back button is also a game changer.)
Of course, there is a lot that Android manufacturers can learn from Apple as well, one of the most obvious one is the time for software support: I think my old iPhone has gone through like 3 version updates over the years, whereas currently I'm lucky to get 2 out of any Android manufacturer.
But it seems that Android manufacturers are more content on copying things that works for iOS, but doesn't work for Android, like removing the headphone jack. Or big notches. (It makes no sense to do that because of Android's notification system uses the full length of the bar.) It's gotten to the point that I don't think people who makes Android phones actually uses Android but are content to copy superficial features from Apple without understanding why Apple do them.
Like a bunch of lemmings. (Heh)
Again, these are my personal preferences, I have nothing against people who prefers iPhones, nor do I think they are lesser for it, but it's just not for me.
I'd use a one as a work phone/for iMessages though.
I borrowed an old iphone 4 (or was it iphone 5? Can't tell the difference) about 7 years ago when i had to send my Sony Xperia Z3 Compact in for repair). Couldn't get it to work thw way i wanted it to. There was no way to properly configure the notifications. I think i could not have the vibration on for messages but not calls or something silly.
I also don't like being forced to install itunes just to copy music from my computer to phone. No idea if that is still the case nowadays.
There are people who like that convenience and that's ok.
I own an iPad and wanted to copy a gig worth of shit onto it, I think I ended having to resort to Google drive but I still have no clue how to get files onto that damn thing. I'm not sure why apple needs to lock down file transfers on iOS so hard.
Best guess is they wanted a very well defined and controlled file structure, where there's a place for each type of file, and the only way to do that is to lock it down and have their tool do all the work. Good for some people, but heck, I bloody well want to store my MP3s together with my photos, even if it means I can't find it later. :D
I agree that this is needlessly nuanced, but it is possible. If you have a Mac you can transfer files between Mac and an iPad wirelessly or with a cable. iPads can also connect to external storage devices or Windows PCs if they are sharing the files. But it isn't like Android where you can basically just plug it into a Windows or Linux machine and have direct instant access to its entire directory.