Everyone has their preferences, I would love to hear why you guys prefer using Android!
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In no particular order
- File management works like a charm
- USB-C and fast charging
- Customizations
- Custom ROMs
- Privacy (getting a Pixel soon for GrapheneOS)
- Easier to repair
- More efficient (takes less steps to do stuff)
- Looks better
- Sideloading
- More choices for phones
Sideloading is the big one. I was considering an iPad before getting Xiaomi tablet (even though it costs roughly the same), but sideloading is game changer.
- YouTube Vanced
- Emulators
- Stremio and torrents
Along the lines of sideloading: proper adblock
I was reminded ads exist after I bought an iPad for school (sadly the notetaking experience is truly unrivaled). Adblock only works on Safari and whether it’ll work properly is another roll of the dice.
I want a customizable phone that is not stuck in a walled-garden. Plus I do not use Apple products.
- File management is noice, the ability to plug in a USB C usb is very clutch.
- I swear a lot more apps on iOS are subscription based than on Android.
- A lot more open source apps.
- Modded apps.
- I can easily connect my phone to my laptop and copy actual files.
- Sideloading.
- Choice.
#2 I am a developer, the reason for this is that publishing an app in App Store is not free unlike in Android where it’s a one time payment.
In regards to point 2, this is very true. Apps that are free or freemium on Android are often subscription on iOS. I wonder if a part of it is the higher costs of requiring a Mac to develop the app (and iPhone to test it), and any app store differences that may account for this. Big companies can handle this, but for little guys it’s a barrier to entry
I think it’s also a chicken-or-egg question:
Apple users are more willing to pay for apps. So if you’re a dev and you want to release a paid app, iOS is the platform of choice. So more devs release paid apps on iOS, so iOS becomes the platform with more paid apps. So users are more used to pay for apps. So paying for apps is normalized, so Apple users are more willing to pay for apps.
Etc. etc. etc.
I swear a lot more apps on iOS are subscription based than on Android.
I used an iPhone for a week for the first time in my life earlier this year and I realized that if I were to switch to IOS, I’d end up spending literally hundreds of dollar per year on stuff I can get for free on Android via piracy.
- Headphone jack
- SD slot
Yes I’m using a Sony phone (Xperia 1V)
How do you like it?
Been deciding between an Xperia 1V and s23 ultra.
It’s a great phone. Good camera and it has a dedicated shutter button too. I’m not going to pay flagship money for a phone that doesn’t even have a headphone jack…
I see!
I understand for me the big point is the update policy. Just 2 years of OS updates is dissapointing, same as the 30Watt max charger.
But indeed the Headphone jack and SD card functionality are such a big plus.
Thanks for the input!
Is 30W low? I just charge a bit everyday morning before I go out and it got to 100%
I am spoiled haha. I had an realme x2 pro since 2018 or 19 and that was already 50watts.
Also got the Realme Gt 5G as an replacement 2 years ago which is 65 watts.
Anything below 50watts seems slow in comparison haha ;).
i ended up getting the S22U, just because the Xperia wasnt availble locally. If i had had a choice, i would have gone for the Xperia every day.
No SD card on that S23 = not good
I used it initially, because I hated Apple and their proprietary stuff and have stayed ever since. I liked androids more universal approach. SD cards, usb, etc.
Having the ability to add an SD card is great
Was great
Exactly. Also, custom kernels, rooting, optimizing battery life by underclocking, disabling wakeups, and a helalalot more
- iOS is very restricted compared to Android.
- iPhones overpriced like crazy for what you get.
- GrapheneOS
If you use any app other than what Apple provides, you become a second class citizen on your own phone.
Third party apps simply don’t integrate with iOS nicely unless Apple allows it. Even though you can choose a web browser, it has to use Safari’s underlying code base.
I’m on a Pixel 7. A lot of people say it’s like Google’s iPhone, but I can use Firefox as my browser natively. Adblocking actually works, too. I can choose any app as a default for whatever. Lots of FOSS! Google doesn’t own my Pixel the same way Apple owns the iPhone.
On a pixel phone you can even install a google free OS like graphene (that’s what I did)
Hi. I’ve heard quite a few people do this but never managed to ask why. So, taking the opportunity to ask.
What I mean is, if the large part of the phone is about the software experience and software optimisation (and the hardware in itself is nowhere near cutting edge) what’s the upside of installing a non-google OS on it?
Perhaps I’ll try it someday. For today, just curious. If you could shed some light on it. Thank you!
Sorry for the late reply, still getting used to lemmy and missed the notification.
I’m probably in the minority but I didn’t actually do it to completely de-google. I still have some Google services installed, they are sandboxed and limited to what I actively want though.
My main reason was removing the insane bloat that comes with modern phones. Think Facebook/Google and vendor specific apps being preinstalled without the ability to remove, forced google search bar on the home screen etc… Now I have a pretty clean, fairly safe, OS which behaves almost exactly like a normal phone.
Some people want to get away from Google services and tracking; having a non-Google OS can allow for that. 🙂
I may be one of the last hangers-on for this issue, but: my Android phone has a headphone port! That was non-negotiable for me last time I got a new phone. Earbuds do not stay in my ears, are super uncomfortable, and I don’t want to charge a wireless headset or mess with an adapter all the time. I have cheap wired headphones for going out and about that I don’t lose when they fall out because the wire catches them, and really nice wired headphones at home that are much better quality than wireless ones. My car also has a 3.5 mm hookup that sounds a lot better than Bluetooth audio.
Besides that: Having more customization and control. Firefox + adblockers and other extensions. ReVanced for YouTube. Easier access to the phone’s storage and files. Being able to block ads adds so much quality of life.
I absolutely agree with the 3.5mm headphone port. I use mine all the time as every wireless set of earbuds that I’ve tried has hurt my ears in minutes. I also can’t forget to charge my wired ones. It’s getting harder to find a decent phone that has both a headphone port and a micro SD card slot.
I literally can’t keep the wireless earbuds in! I don’t know if my ears are too small or weirdly shaped on the inside or what. Sometimes I can kind of wedge them in for a minute, but only by having them actively digging into the sides of my ear. That hurts and it still falls out as soon as I move my head.
My current phone doesn’t have a micro SD card slot, but that’s another improvement I would really like to have. I like to keep a lot of pictures and files on my phone and it would be great to be able to upgrade the storage as it fills up.
Sideloading apps is the main reason. I couldn’t use a phone without Adblock.
iPhones are also just way more expensive and the few times i’ve tried them the UX just sucked so much, form over function.
Revanced and Fdroid. Plus, I can use real third party browsers. And sideloading. And getting access to the file system. And having tons of vendors to choose from.
It’s more open and you’re not confined to how Apple thinks your phone should look like.
GrapheneOS, other custom OSes, ability to hack/mod/repair.
Apple is one of the most scummy and anti-consumer companies in the world, they won’t ever get a dollar from me or any endorsement.
Likewise. I’ve been on graphene for about 2 years now.
Miss iMessage and Facetime though.
I prefer the freedom to choose between multiple phone manufacturers, and am not tethered to a closed environment.
- Firefox with addons
- NewPipe with SponsorBlock
- USB type C
- Custom ROMs
- APK Sideloading
- USB Debugging for testing my Godot projects directly on the phone
- No apple tax
- Maybe more…
Mainly that there are really solid midrange android phones nowadays. I just can’t justify the iPhone pricetag.
That has to be the biggest factor by far. I got my pixel 6a for around 300€ total with a mobile plan (free calls, sms and a small amount of data)
Does everything I and realistically the vast majority of people need it for. And you can get perfectly usable phones for even less.
There is no way apple can beat that value, even if their update policy and thus longevity is one of the few things I envy.
Also many benefits of the iphone imo rely on being invested in their ecosystem.
The thing that can make up for lower Android longevity is the custom ROMs that might be out there (especially for common models like your pixel!) I do love the smoothness of the Apple ecosystem but alas I cannot afford it. I quite like Linux anyway.
You are right that the tech-savy can extend their longevity through custom ROMs, but that isn’t for the average user. And you shouldn’t have to resort to that to begin with.
The update policy just makes otherwise great phones become obsolete (in some ways) way too fast.
Sony smartphones for example are imo great in many ways (e.g. still retain the headphone jack and sd card slot) outside of being pricey. Yet they only get 2 years of updates (and maybe slightly longer security updates). That’s just not acceptable in any world. Especially when you might not want to buy them at lauch price, since unlike iphones you can get decent discounts on androids for older models.
