flyinghaggis Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) I've stuck with IOS since I bought an iPhone 3G in 2008 and my moved onto my current iPhone 4S when it was released. The 4s is starting to get a bit long in the tooth and is running slowly plus the battery has seen better days. Also, I'm increasingly finding recent apps run slowly on it or don't support it's non standard screen aspect and the smaller 3.5" display . I've been fairly happy with the last 2 iphones I've owned in terms of the hardware and overall experience. However, I tend to use Google services for most stuff in general (email/calendar/photos/file storage/etc) so moving away from it wouldn't really be a big deal for me. Windows is my main PC/desktop/laptop OS and I have no intention of buying a Mac anytime soon. The Google browser based apps work really well alongside Windows so I'd wondered if perhaps moving to an Android based device might be a better fit for me? I have a 2012 Google Nexus 7 tablet so I'm not unfamiliar with the OS. Size wise I'd ideally want a smaller phone around 5" as I'm not a fan of phablets that cant be wielded with one hand. Probably something around the same dimensions as an iPhone 6 (or the 4.7" 6S which I'd likely buy in a couple of months if I don't see a suitable android handset). I thought about buying something like a cheap secondhand Google Nexus 5 so I can try out android for several months without excessive cost but would running it on a 2 year phone just put me off and give me a poor experience? I like the idea of a native Google device so android phone wise I'm favouring the upcoming 2015 revised Google Nexus 5 when it's out in a couple of months time. One of the main things that's put me off android in the past is the OS bloatware/customisations that manufacturers insist on bundling plus the general fragmentation and lack of timely updates as a result. LG Nexus 5 2015 features: Android Pay or why is Google making 2 phones | BGR Anyone made the switch from IOS/iPhone to Android? Did you stick with Android or go back to IOS? Would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Also, any thoughts on possible alternatives to an iPhone 6S or 2015 LG Nexus 5? Edited August 8, 2015 by flyinghaggis
rich_tech Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 Personally I wouldn't move back, I often joked with a college that you would just feel instant regret when they were contemplating it, I had a HTC Desire before my original iPhone 4S and it was miles better (admittedly android was in its infancy back then) I recently got an iPhone 6+ after my 4S and it has been revolutionary (takes a bit of getting used too because of the size change), though I can see how iOS/App Makers seem to make the older models slower with every upgrade, my iPad mini is struggling big time now on iOS 8.4 with noticeable slowness using it and my iPhone 4S struggled with it as well before I upgraded when I went to iOS 8. 1
flyinghaggis Posted August 8, 2015 Author Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) Personally I wouldn't move back, I often joked with a college that you would just feel instant regret when they were contemplating it, I had a HTC Desire before my original iPhone 4S and it was miles better (admittedly android was in its infancy back then) I recently got an iPhone 6+ after my 4S and it has been revolutionary (takes a bit of getting used too because of the size change), though I can see how iOS/App Makers seem to make the older models slower with every upgrade, my iPad mini is struggling big time now on iOS 8.4 with noticeable slowness using it and my iPhone 4S struggled with it as well before I upgraded when I went to iOS 8. Seems to be the same with any OS really a few years down the line. Android certainly isn't immune from it as since upgrading to lollipop 5 the general performance on my tegra 3 based Nexus 7 (2012) tablet is shockingly slow. I think with any mobile device you have to be realistic and assume that it'll only really last 3-4 years before you need to think about replacing it if you want to keep the software up to date and run the latest apps. I guess there's always Windows 10 mobile which is out shortly but I don't really see it garnering enough market share to convince app developers to start adopting it whereas Android/IOS are a pretty safe bet for third part support given their popularity. I actually had a Windows mobile 5.0 device about a decade ago before going IOS but I can't see me ever going back to Windows Mobile/Phone despite Windows being my preferred desktop OS. In fact most anecdotes Ive heard have been from people moving from android to iPhone saying that they'd never switch back again! Anyone moved from an iPhone back to Android and stayed there? Edited August 8, 2015 by flyinghaggis
difinity Posted August 9, 2015 Posted August 9, 2015 I bought a second hand Note 2 and run CyanogenMod on it. Best £100 I've spend in a while. I have a larger format printer that i use to print onto canvas for people. Never any problems getting photos off Android phones (memory card, bluetooth etc.), but those with iPhones always struggle. Not me personally but my friend who spent a year telling me how amazing his iPhone was is now a converted Android user and hates his work iPhone. 1
rad Posted August 9, 2015 Posted August 9, 2015 It's a marmite, you either love or hate IOS/Android (delete which one applies) I didn't like Android, moved to IOS and loved it. It could be the fact I had a slower phone and things have improved but I'm happy with my iPhone/pad/Mbp
Sagima Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 If you use android either get a newish sony (they seem to have gone for a very light customisation recently ) or nexus one or put cyanogenmod on it. the other android overlays just make the phone seem less good. I wouldn't recommend anyone get a samsung with touchwiz on it. Nexus 5s should still be good enough for you to get a feel as to if you would like android - my nexus4 on lollipop is still alright.
fiendishlyclever Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 The wifi died on my 4s about 18 months ago and I bought a Nexus 5. Whilst there are things about it I love (the Android keyboard runs rings around anything on Apple) I still find myself looking longingly at Apple hardware. About six weeks ago in a flash of weakness I bought a Nexus 6 from Google play at a bargain £300. Again there are things that seem rough around the edges - for example while on holiday the DHCP cache on the phone for corrupted so I had to assign a static ip address while it cleared (fortunately the park wifi system wasn't very sophisticated and didn't throw me off) The closest experience to iOS is stock Android in that it is updated regularly and you are less at the behest of carriers (no bloatware either). I can't guarantee you won't be tempted back to the dark side though (I'm currently being tempted by a shiny new Macbook)
Zourous Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 I have a Apple 4S at the moment. Here are the things I dislike: The stupid mute button I keep pressing by accident Battery not lasting and unable to swap easily Unable to add a card to increase storage space Unable to set chrome as default browser without a jailbreak The casing is too slippery and often slides off surfaces like sofas Turns itself on when charging so I can't get a fast good charge when I have limited time Using stupid iTunes, especially jumping through hoops to get my ringtone on it. Cuts off about 3 or 4 calls out of 10 before I can answer it. No super easy way to turn "Location services" off and on Hard to get the sim card out without pinging it across the room and bending the metal on it Stupid default icons I can't get rid of Will be returning back to android for my next phone
GeekyPete Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 I just bought a cheap £70 Android phone from Aldi to replace my iPhone 4s that I need to give back to work. I love Android now more than ever. I just feel free. I can play my music from my NAS box, copy files as I like, put in extra SD memory, Chrome cast from Kodi to my TV. All with out an extra penny spent! I don't even have my SIM yet, that's on order from Giff Gaff but for now Skype works just fine! I will never ever ever ever go back to Apple. But it's mainly because I feel Apple want to tell me what I can and can't do with MY phone and manipulate me to maximise their profits. 3
mthomas08 Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 the older models slower with every upgrade, my iPad mini is struggling big time now on iOS 8.4 with noticeable slowness using it and my iPhone 4S struggled with it as well before I upgraded when I went to iOS 8. Likewise on my iPhone. Every App that used to run smoothly AKA Twitter/Sky Sports App and a few others now it seems to seriously struggle. Always got worse with every single upgrade... and they say Apple isn't the new M$...
flyinghaggis Posted August 10, 2015 Author Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) I'm still kind of in two minds about whether to go for another iPhone or not. On the one hand I really like IOS in terms of it's ease of use, stability and clean/clear interface design plus the build quality of the hardware itself is fantastic. However in a lot of ways I dislike the way Apple try to push you towards buying more Apple hardware/software in their own eco-system plus their online/web platforms are really second rate compared to what Google are offering. Given the Nexus 5 has been out for a couple of years I'd thought they'd be cheap to buy now but even second had they still seem to be going for around £150. I'm probably as well waiting to see what the 2015 one is like based on that but recent Nexus devices haven't been the bargains they used to be so I suspect It'll be around £300-400 at launch? I'm not a fan of phablets which is a shame as there are some fantastic deals to be had on the Nexus 6 at the moment. Seems like a bargain at £315 for anyone who's interested. http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/nexus-6-sim-free-32gb-314-99-expansys-2260517 Edited August 10, 2015 by flyinghaggis
Arthur Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 recent Nexus devices haven't been the bargains they used to be so I suspect It'll be around £300-400 at launch? I don't think the next Nexus 5 will be as expensive as the Nexus 6 was since sales of the Nexus 6 were much lower than expected (probably due to price and size).
flyinghaggis Posted August 16, 2015 Author Posted August 16, 2015 (edited) The Moto X Play which is out next month looks like another potential alternative to the Nexus 5. Moto X Play Screen size is a little on the large side at 5.5" but they've done a decent job at getting rid of the bezel so its dimensions aren't too crazy. I like the fact Motorola seem to be sticking with mostly stock Android on their phones these days as well. The 3600Mah battery should, in theory, give it class leading run-time as well. Has anyone had any experience with recent Motorola phones? Edited August 16, 2015 by flyinghaggis
Arthur Posted August 16, 2015 Posted August 16, 2015 The Moto X Play which is out next month looks like another potential alternative to the Nexus 5. The higher-specced Moto X Style looks good too, although it does have a smaller capacity battery compared to the Moto X Play. I like the fact Motorola seem to be sticking with mostly stock Android on their phones these days as well. Funnily enough, a few of Motorola's smartphones received Lollipop before Google's own Nexus devices did. I wonder if that will happen with Android 'M' too? The first smartphone to get Lollipop isn't even a Nexus
flyinghaggis Posted August 17, 2015 Author Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) The Moto X Style looks decent as well but I didn't like the fact it was even larger than the already pretty big Moto X Play. Plus it comes with a 1440p screen which to me is an unnecessary addition that will simply drain the battery quicker and tax the CPU more heavily for very little benefit. 1080p looks fine on a 5" device IMO. It's also £100 cheaper than the style and, as you mentioned, the battery is smaller despite it presumably being a more power hungry device. The only thing I'm slightly less keen on is that the X play comes with a Snapdragon 610 CPU, an Adreno 405 GPU and 2Gb RAM versus the more powerful Snapdragon 808 / Adreno 418 / 3Gb RAM on the Style. The camera's also slightly better and capable of 4k video IIRC. I'm not really au fait with mobile CPU's and GPU's having only used iPhones for the past 8 years. Would the lesser specs of the Play make for a noticeable difference to anything in practical terms right now? There's still the 2015 LG Nexus, which is the other phone I'm keen on, as well though I don't think we've had confirmation or any really solid leaks on its' final spec yet. A few photos are starting to leak though. http://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2015/08/convincing-lg-nexus-image-shows-fingerprint-scanner-laser-autofocus/ Edited August 17, 2015 by flyinghaggis
Arthur Posted August 30, 2015 Posted August 30, 2015 There's still the 2015 LG Nexus, which is the other phone I'm keen on, as well though I don't think we've had confirmation or any really solid leaks on its' final spec yet. A few photos are starting to leak though. Apparently the new Nexus 5 is going to be released on 29th September (along with Android Marshmallow) so not long to wait. www.cultofandroid.com/75794/lgs-new-nexus-5-is-expected-to-arrive-on-september-29/ http://i.imgur.com/InP7jFF.jpg
flyinghaggis Posted August 31, 2015 Author Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Yeah, the Nexus 5 is shaping up to be pretty good from what I've seen. Still a lot of debate even at this late stage on exactly what the final specs will be.... Source: New "Nexus 5" By LG Will Feature Snapdragon 808, 5.2" 1080p Display, 3GB RAM, 2700mAh Battery, USB-C, And More Hopefully Google doesn't run into the same kind of supply issues that plagued the launch of the previous Nexus 5 phones and you can actually buy the thing when it goes on sale! It also requires me to resist jumping aboard the hype train of the iPhone 6S launch next month There's nothing much else out there other than the Nexus 5 that 's tempting me in terms of Android phones. The galaxy s6 looks fairly decent but I'm wary of Samsungs TouchWiz UI and it's very pricey. The Moto X (2014) caught my eye as it's on sale just now for £240 but I think I'd be better off holding out for a Nexus 5 given it's only another month away. Edited August 31, 2015 by flyinghaggis
Arthur Posted September 23, 2015 Posted September 23, 2015 (edited) Not long now! www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/23/exclusive-behold-the-leaked-press-renders-of-lgs-nexus-5x-in-white-black-and-greenish-blue/ www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/22/exclusive-here-is-the-nexus-6p-in-all-its-glory-front-and-back/ www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/23/exclusive-the-nexus-6p-colors-white-black-aluminum-and-gold/ Edited September 23, 2015 by Arthur
Arthur Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 The new Nexuses will start at £299.99 (5X) and £399.99 (6P). www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/28/nexus-5x-will-start-at-379-99-available-for-pre-order-on-september-29th-in-the-u-s-uk-korea-japan-and-ireland www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/28/exclusive-nexus-6p-will-be-available-for-pre-order-on-september-29th-starting-499-99-in-the-u-s-uk-ireland-canada-and-japan
Arthur Posted September 30, 2015 Posted September 30, 2015 Yeah, the Nexus 5 is shaping up to be pretty good from what I've seen. I was planning on buying the Nexus 5X last night to replace my Nexus 5, but ended up ordering a frost white Nexus 6P instead. www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/29/nexus-5x-vs-nexus-6p-differences-help-decide-one-pick/ http://vgy.me/a5K2YN.png
rickjames Posted September 30, 2015 Posted September 30, 2015 I bought a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 for £135 then a few quid to unlock it, they're now down to £99. Amazing phone for the pricepoint and quite the upgrade on my battered and bruised Nexus 4... Tempted to get one of those new Chromecasts even though I don't need one...
flyinghaggis Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 (edited) I was planning on buying the Nexus 5X last night to replace my Nexus 5, but ended up ordering a frost white Nexus 6P instead. I couldn't blame you for opting for the 6P, if you're happy with the larger form factor, as the specs are better than the 5X in pretty much every way and it's only £80 more than the equivalent 32Gb Nexus5X. Keen on the Nexus 5X but want to see some reviews and feedback before ordering. Edited September 30, 2015 by flyinghaggis
flyinghaggis Posted October 1, 2015 Author Posted October 1, 2015 (edited) I actually decided to order both of the new Chromecast devices as I have an old TV without smart functionality and an old hi-fi which would be handy being able to stream to via wireless! I never used the previous one but seeing as the new model is only £30 it seems like a bargain for the functionality it offers and should breathe life back into some old kit I haven't been able to use for a while. They finally have support for Spotify now as well though I'm actually surprised it wasn't already available since it seems a no brainer for something like the Chromecast? Not sure why its taken them so long to offer an app? Edit: Sounds like they were working on developing their own steaming tech called Spotify Connect and presumably saw Chromecast as a direct competitor. Understandably now Google have actually released a Chromecast Audio streaming device! I guess they were probably worried about people moving to Apple Music so decided they need to offer the functionality. Edited October 1, 2015 by flyinghaggis
CHR1S Posted October 6, 2015 Posted October 6, 2015 Looking at the 6P myself, I have the Oppo Find 7a which is fine for me BUT im bored with it and said I would never buy another phone without fast charging. Hmmmm
hardtailstar Posted October 6, 2015 Posted October 6, 2015 I still can't decide on the 5x or 6P. I did want the 5x but may just get the 6P as the specs are better
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