Iphone to Galaxy S4 - Calling all those who jumped the apple ship to android

[Owenski]

Its upgrade time for me and the wife, hers is due now and mine in a couple of weeks.
She has been using her old samsung slider phone for 4 years now and its about time she joined the smart phone revolution. I've had my iphones for the same 4 year period, I love my iphone and I'm one of the few who actually likes itunes. I use it regularly and the app-store is reassuringly monitored.
Basically I like that my iphone simply works, I don't care that with an android I could do x,y and z I seriously couldn't give 2 ****s. I dont mind paying the premium for the assurance that what I'm buying will work with my phone without compromising other functions nor do I mind that I cant personalize my phone too heavily, it does just enough to make me happy and IMO it looks smart as hell.

Previously I've been worried about switching as all my apple purchases and accessories would become useless, apple have helped me out here by changing the ports for the iphone 5 rendering them all useless without an adapter anyway and IMO that surely defeats the purpose of the new connectors.
With the accessories requiring replacement and Google music now been available in the UK, which allows 20000 songs to be imported I need not worry about my music purchases either. This then means I loose nothing by moving to the android... and I'm tempted and here is why.

So as I mentioned it is upgrade time.
If i were to replace my iphone with the iphone 5 with a contract which doesnt involve paying out upfront for the handset these are my options with vodafone and o2:
02 I would be paying £42 (https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/tariffs/apple/iphone-5-16gb-black/)
Vodaphone I would also be paying £42 (http://www.vodafone.co.uk/iphone/pay-monthly-iphone/index.htm#device_1)

If we go that route then Abi would get an iphone sim only deal and take my current iphone her payment options are:
£21/26 with o2 (https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/simplicity/) and £25 with vodafone (http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/sim-only-plans/index.htm)

That means that option will be costing us approx £68 (before taxes) each month, by contrast if we were to both walk into a high street store and ask for the galaxy S4 we could have them for £37 on o2 (https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/phones/samsung/galaxy-s4-black-mist/) or better yet £33 on Vodaphone (http://www.vodafone.co.uk/samsung/pay-monthly-galaxy/index.htm) plus I would be able to sell my iphone 4 for a £100 to £150 on ebay so the S4 definetly makes the smart money choice.

This is where you current android and former iphone users come in,
When you switched was it painless?
Were there certain things you missed regarding your iphone?
Are you pleased with your decision?
What would you do differently given the chance again?

[chrism156]

I had the galaxy and couldn't stand it compared to my I phone! One of the things I noticed on android is how slow it could be at times and that apps would crash all the time! Personally I wouldn't go to android ever again

[Fallout]

So I've been using android since the start, including tablets and smart phones of various performances. Then I was issued an iPad and iPhone for my job. I'd never used Apple devices until now due to Apple prejudice and the fact they're a rip off. I must say I still feel that prejudice, but I have to be honest, my user experience has been far better with iOS.

It simply is a far better user experience. Still a step ahead. I'm typing on the work iPad now, about to head out to work, happily tapping away. I wouldn't be replying if I was on my Asus Transformer. The typing experience is too cumbersome for me to bother and I have places to be! All this from an Android developer who has avoided Apple at all costs until now.

Android is just as capable, if not more so, and its hard to put my finger on all the points, but if you just want to pick up your phone and have the most smooth slick usable experience its still got to be iOS.

[bat-kam]

I has iPhone 3GS, then 4S and now 5. I did switch to Galaxy S3 for a short moment but i could not stand the complexity of it. There is so many setting and sub settings and sub-sub settings!!! iPhone is simple, everything is where you would expected it to be
Kam


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hindle8907]

99 little bugs in the code,
99 bugs in the code,
Fix one bug, compile it again,
101 little bugs in the code.
101 little bugs in the code,
101 bugs in the code,
Fix one bug, compile it again,
103 little bugs in the code.

[daveyrach]

Always had android phones and tablets, the newer OS like Jellybean are much more stable than say Gingerbread was. I have an S2, S3, S4 and Ace 2 in my house and I have never had an issue with any of them, my son also has a cheap £60 android tablet which works well, bit laggy but that's down to hardware rather than OS.

I would nevwer but an apple product my sister had her iphone replaced 3 times in 2 years and has now jumped to a Galaxy S4 and says she wouldn't go back, I had an Ipod which just died after 2 years and 2 days and Apple refused to help in anyway whatsoever just told me to buy a new one and to top it all my son got a 5th Gen Ipod touch for Xmas 2012 which has become faulty after only 6 months and has been sent off for repair only to be told they could not replicate the fault which they managed to do in the store so have sent it back again still faulty!! Added to which all Apple products are stupidly overpriced!

[Jackie_Black]

I had a 3gs for 3 years. Currently have a google nexus 4. The nexus is obviously faster, with a better screen etc. However I think i'll probably be getting the Iphone 6 (when it comes out) if its not terrible. I'll buy the phone though as sim only on vodafone I pay £18 a month for as much of everything as i can use.

IOS is probably better than android, it just works and as you say itunes is good if you like using it. Android does everything ios can and more. But is more of a faff on. If you're lazy you simply dont bother half the time!

Android however is about a third of the price to get into and i got an android phone because i was skint.

[85jas]

I use both android and iOS all the time and while I prefer android (cos I'm a geek) I agree that iOS feels far more refined. But there's no assurance with iOS that it'll work - far from it as Apple business model requires that they beta test their software on the general public, and this goes for iOS and Mac OS X. Frankly Apple's decisions wrt. the iphone have been in the past ridiculous, hilarious and highly embarrasing for them (what company makes a phone which doesn't work as a phone if you HOLD IT THE WRONG WAY?! seriously??) and that behaviour will continue long into the future. Long queues outside apple stores as the new iphone users find their new kit doesn't work? Sound familiar?

Regarding android's usability / stability; Samsing / HTC reskin android so it works like they want it and introduce bugs - Samsung Touchwiz is hilariously rubbish IMO, HTC sense is better though still pants. Vanilla android is absolutely slick and works extremely well - and you'll save a fortune (like £300!) if you get a £10/month sim only contract and buy a £279 google nexus 4 instead if an iPhone. Of course the nexus isn't as feature rich as an iPhone and if those features are what you want then by all means get the iPhone.

With regards to switching from iOS to android I think the back / home buttons will bug the hell out of you - but you'll grow to love them! Apart from that it's all very similar.

(I'm not one of these mac haters by the way, I use OS X all the time and love it. Just important to see their overexpensive products for what they really are, that's all!)

[punkyp]

sell my iphone 4 for a £100 to £150
They are going for £150-£220.

Bought the other half an iPhone 4 32GB last week for £200, 16GB versions that I was watching also went for around that price.

Me, I'm Android all the way.

[punkyp]

(I'm not one of these mac haters by the way, I use OS X all the time and love it. Just important to see their overexpensive products for what they really are, that's all!)

I disagree when it comes to the Macbook Pro. It may be expensive to buy, but not over-expensive. It has out lasted any other laptop I've owned. Had it 3 years and still as good as new. I can work on it for hours on end without having to plug in and they still go for a good price used.

Like they say, only your first iphone/mac is expensive, the sale of your old one offsets the new one.

[chrism156]

I agree with what others have said that apple just works and you have no issues with bugs etc!

[a_monkey_hint]

My contact expires in July, so I'm definitely getting the S4. Before I got my current phone I had a 3gs and iPad 2 - I was well and truly an apple 'fanboy'.

I jumped ship a couple of years ago to my desire hd to test the waters, keeping my 3gs incase I decided I hated it. I sold my 3gs 3 weeks later! I've now got a Nexus 10 which has replaced my iPad 2.


When you switched was it painless?
Absolutely! No problem at all!
Were there certain things you missed regarding your iphone?
Nothing.
Are you pleased with your decision?
Yes - I wouldn't go back to Apple.
What would you do differently given the chance again?
At the time I was new to the droid world, and bought a phone that was already 12 months old. I should have bought a 'newer' phone at the time as the DHD was superseded shortly after upgrading.

[Owenski]

You're the first one Monkey who's been converted and feels they've made the right call.
I don't know if that's anything to do with how long ago you did it or if you're just an open minded individual not held back by product attachment. Either way its good to hear of someone who made the switch without issue.

I've been reading this and other things online and a lot of the statements echo my concerns. I'm going to have a good think about it over the coming weeks, maybe try out the S4 try out google music/play and gmail etc see how I get on with all that.

[ahmedf]

Just got my S4 on tuesday and was a previous iphone 4 user.

Main reason for moving away from apple was that:


the Iphone 4 was getting VERY sluggish,
Gopro app wouldnt work unless in flight mode,
no expandable storage and therefore memory was at a premium,
I hate the inability to personalise the phones display and layout.
turning bluetooth, wifi etc and small things on and off took an age- had to delve deep within the settings to fish out little toggle switches
Just feel apple have stood still in the iphone department and you pay alot for a decent but not great phone



Hows its been with the new S4:


Tough at first, like learning to ride a bicycle. Was regulaarly texting my friend asking how do you do XYZ
Transfer of contacts was a Breeze thanks to an app called "Bump" (download on both phones and your done)
Apps, most apps are available or decent alternatives. Due to the open nature of Android, i tend to find more apps then on the iphone
The screen is AMAZING on the new S4
A few "gimicky" features on the S4 that need tweaking but are good party tricks.
The phone is very quick compared with an iphone 4
Getting used to the new size is a bit strange, its considerably bigger which is good in one way but bad when trying to do one handed use etc
Transfering music was also a doddle (i'm on a mac and geetting it to recognise the S4 involved a bit of googling). Went into Itunes music library, opened up my phone in the laptop, drag and drop! Simple!
Transferring on the whole was just a drag and drop case apart from apps
There was a sync programme (official samsung one i think) for windows that transfers apps from the iphone to samsung and suggests alternatives if they're not available which i did NOT try but seemed good at the time. I cant remember the name sorry but will update if i do



I'm very happy with the phone and i only got it on Tuesday and have played with it a bit (even though i've got an exam on monday!)


Dont regret the move at all and would consider a move back to Iphone, but they do need to drastically update their phones and allow alot more freedom with the phones

[ahmedf]

Here's the programme for the apps amongst others:

http://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch/

[Owenski]

Just got my S4 on tuesday and was a previous iphone 4 user.

Main reason for moving away from apple was that:


the Iphone 4 was getting VERY sluggish,
Gopro app wouldnt work unless in flight mode,
no expandable storage and therefore memory was at a premium,
I hate the inability to personalise the phones display and layout.
turning bluetooth, wifi etc and small things on and off took an age- had to delve deep within the settings to fish out little toggle switches
Just feel apple have stood still in the iphone department and you pay alot for a decent but not great phone



Hows its been with the new S4:


Tough at first, like learning to ride a bicycle. Was regulaarly texting my friend asking how do you do XYZ
Transfer of contacts was a Breeze thanks to an app called "Bump" (download on both phones and your done)
Apps, most apps are available or decent alternatives. Due to the open nature of Android, i tend to find more apps then on the iphone
The screen is AMAZING on the new S4
A few "gimicky" features on the S4 that need tweaking but are good party tricks.
The phone is very quick compared with an iphone 4
Getting used to the new size is a bit strange, its considerably bigger which is good in one way but bad when trying to do one handed use etc
Transfering music was also a doddle (i'm on a mac and geetting it to recognise the S4 involved a bit of googling). Went into Itunes music library, opened up my phone in the laptop, drag and drop! Simple!
Transferring on the whole was just a drag and drop case apart from apps
There was a sync programme (official samsung one i think) for windows that transfers apps from the iphone to samsung and suggests alternatives if they're not available which i did NOT try but seemed good at the time. I cant remember the name sorry but will update if i do



I'm very happy with the phone and i only got it on Tuesday and have played with it a bit (even though i've got an exam on monday!)


Dont regret the move at all and would consider a move back to Iphone, but they do need to drastically update their phones and allow alot more freedom with the phones

Thank you!
You sound to have made the leap for the same reasons Im thinking of it, your experiances post switch have answered some of my own concerns too so again thank you for taking the time to post.

[DarrenSV650S]

I went iphone 3gs - galaxy s2 - iphone 4s

Android sucks. The touchscreen wasn't as good as the apple's either

[Tomor]

I know you are looking at the S4, but have you considered the HTC One? Techradar (http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-one-1131862/review)

[Owenski]

Yeah I took a glance, the s4 just seemed to get more approval. I've no loyalty to either though so I can keep my mind open.

[Milky Bar Kid]

I've done it all. Blackberry, Android and iPhone. I loved my Desire but my iPhone 4 blew it out of the water. I looked into getting an S4 or HTC One before I got the iPhone5 and although the change in port has annoyed me, I just decided, after a go of all three, the iPhone is much more suited to my needs.

Android OS is a faff. Sure it does more than iOS but its complicated and not as user friendly.

Have a go of the S4 before you make your mind up.

[sumimasen]

I've followed the iPhone curve for many years, with a brief excursion into the first "iPhone killer"; HTC Hero. That phone was a piece of ****e.

I moved on to the Nexus 4 about 4months ago and couldn't be happier. The only thing I missed with my iPhone was some of the apps that I had paid for I had to pay again for the apps that I actually use.

I don't think the old argument that iOS is simpler and everything is easier to set up works anymore, nothing I have done with my android was more complicated to set up than on my iPhone.

Are there any concrete examples of what is a pain? Can you come up with an example without googling for it? Could it be that since you're used to the iOS way, you automatically think that is the correct one?

Only advise I'll give on switching is: do not go for a windows phone. A colleague of mine got one and was satisfied when it only crashed 2 times in a week.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[Nostrils]

I was always a Nokia fan but changed to Apple after my nephew raved about it. I equally raved about it. I have had the 4 and now the 5 and will not be changing to Android - I much prefer to have apps that have been checked and verified by Apple rather than from a 3rd party seller which may or may not contain Malware or other such drool. I have used a Galaxy S3 and find it over complicated with pretty transformations, but the level of settings is over the top. With Apple it appears to be simple, structured and it just works. I have seen the new Lumia from Nokia on Windows and I have to say, I do like the OS as it, like Apple looks simple and structured. A friend who is a technophobe got the Lumia 720 and complained about it from the off. A couple of weeks later, he thinks its great and wouldn't change it - He is now a windows fan as the phone and his laptop speak very well to each other - in the same way my 5 talks to my MacPro

[chris8886]

Basically I like that my iphone simply works, I don't care that with an android I could do x,y and z I seriously couldn't give 2 ****s. I dont mind paying the premium for the assurance that what I'm buying will work with my phone without compromising other functions nor do I mind that I cant personalize my phone too heavily, it does just enough to make me happy and IMO it looks smart as hell.

Previously I've been worried about switching as all my apple purchases and accessories would become useless, apple have helped me out here by changing the ports for the iphone 5 rendering them all useless without an adapter anyway and IMO that surely defeats the purpose of the new connectors.
With the accessories requiring replacement and Google music now been available in the UK, which allows 20000 songs to be imported I need not worry about my music purchases either. This then means I loose nothing by moving to the android... and I'm tempted and here is why.


This is where you current android and former iphone users come in,
When you switched was it painless? no, it's been abolute complete and utter hell!!!
Were there certain things you missed regarding your iphone? yes, where should i start?! the way it works, the battery life, getting it to connect to my laptop (new galaxy s3 mini).............
Are you pleased with your decision? no, but had no choice due to the costs! :(
What would you do differently given the chance again? yes, i would get an iphone again!

I had the galaxy and couldn't stand it compared to my I phone! One of the things I noticed on android is how slow it could be at times and that apps would crash all the time! Personally I wouldn't go to android ever again

have had my galaxy s3 mini for about 3 months or so now i think and have only just manged to start using it as my phone! the transfer from my iphone 4 has been horrific, despite some great help from friends etc. transfering contacts, pictures and music etc has all been a nightmare and now i actually have to use the f****** thing it's even worse! and worst of all i'm now tied down for 2 years with the damned thing!

So I've been using android since the start, including tablets and smart phones of various performances. Then I was issued an iPad and iPhone for my job. I'd never used Apple devices until now due to Apple prejudice and the fact they're a rip off. I must say I still feel that prejudice, but I have to be honest, my user experience has been far better with iOS.

It simply is a far better user experience. Still a step ahead. I'm typing on the work iPad now, about to head out to work, happily tapping away. I wouldn't be replying if I was on my Asus Transformer. The typing experience is too cumbersome for me to bother and I have places to be! All this from an Android developer who has avoided Apple at all costs until now.

Android is just as capable, if not more so, and its hard to put my finger on all the points, but if you just want to pick up your phone and have the most smooth slick usable experience its still got to be iOS.

i agree with this just about completly, i just so wish i could've afforded the utterly ridculous price that i was going to have to pay to get the new iphone :(

I has iPhone 3GS, then 4S and now 5. I did switch to Galaxy S3 for a short moment but i could not stand the complexity of it. There is so many setting and sub settings and sub-sub settings!!! iPhone is simple, everything is where you would expected it to be
Kam

this somes it all up very well for me.

I would nevwer but an apple product my sister had her iphone replaced 3 times in 2 years and has now jumped to a Galaxy S4 and says she wouldn't go back, I had an Ipod which just died after 2 years and 2 days and Apple refused to help in anyway whatsoever just told me to buy a new one and to top it all my son got a 5th Gen Ipod touch for Xmas 2012 which has become faulty after only 6 months and has been sent off for repair only to be told they could not replicate the fault which they managed to do in the store so have sent it back again still faulty!! Added to which all Apple products are stupidly overpriced!

this is because apple are a holes i think and they know that they have the best and easiest to use phone out there on the market and are prepared to try and make you pay through the nose for it :(

I had a 3gs for 3 years. Currently have a google nexus 4. The nexus is obviously faster, with a better screen etc. However I think i'll probably be getting the Iphone 6 (when it comes out) if its not terrible. I'll buy the phone though as sim only on vodafone I pay £18 a month for as much of everything as i can use.

IOS is probably better than android, it just works and as you say itunes is good if you like using it. Android does everything ios can and more. But is more of a faff on. If you're lazy you simply dont bother half the time!

Android however is about a third of the price to get into and i got an android phone because i was skint. i couldn't agree with this more, unfortunately it's just crud and i'm in the same boat as you with being able to afford it :(

With regards to switching from iOS to android I think the back / home buttons will bug the hell out of you - but you'll grow to love them! Apart from that it's all very similar.

and this does still bug the hell out of me and i don't think it ever won't either :(

I agree with what others have said that apple just works and you have no issues with bugs etc!

yep!

Just got my S4 on tuesday and was a previous iphone 4 user.

Main reason for moving away from apple was that:


the Iphone 4 was getting VERY sluggish, mine wasn't/isn't (still have it).
Gopro app wouldnt work unless in flight mode,
no expandable storage and therefore memory was at a premium, i agree this is irritating!
I hate the inability to personalise the phones display and layout.
turning bluetooth, wifi etc and small things on and off took an age- had to delve deep within the settings to fish out little toggle switches my samsung does do this well, but it's not something that bothers me in the slightest.
Just feel apple have stood still in the iphone department and you pay alot for a decent but not great phone don't know enough about this point to comment properly.


Hows its been with the new S4:


Tough at first, like learning to ride a bicycle. Was regulaarly texting my friend asking how do you do XYZ i was and still am doing this!
Transfer of contacts was a Breeze thanks to an app called "Bump" (download on both phones and your done) has been a nightmare for me, however this may not be the case for you.
Apps, most apps are available or decent alternatives. Due to the open nature of Android, i tend to find more apps then on the iphone
The screen is AMAZING on the new S4
A few "gimicky" features on the S4 that need tweaking but are good party tricks.
The phone is very quick compared with an iphone 4 not the case in my situation!
Getting used to the new size is a bit strange, its considerably bigger which is good in one way but bad when trying to do one handed use etc i hate the way phones are getting bigger and bigger again, i think the iphone screen was fine and they didn't need to change it!
Transfering music was also a doddle (i'm on a mac and geetting it to recognise the S4 involved a bit of googling). Went into Itunes music library, opened up my phone in the laptop, drag and drop! Simple!as already said was a complete nightmare for myself.
Transferring on the whole was just a drag and drop case apart from apps
There was a sync programme (official samsung one i think) for windows that transfers apps from the iphone to samsung and suggests alternatives if they're not available which i did NOT try but seemed good at the time. I cant remember the name sorry but will update if i do
I'm very happy with the phone and i only got it on Tuesday and have played with it a bit (even though i've got an exam on monday!)

i'm the complete opposite to this!

Dont regret the move at all and would consider a move back to Iphone, but they do need to drastically update their phones and allow alot more freedom with the phones as above.

I've done it all. Blackberry, Android and iPhone. I loved my Desire but my iPhone 4 blew it out of the water. I looked into getting an S4 or HTC One before I got the iPhone5 and although the change in port has annoyed me, I just decided, after a go of all three, the iPhone is much more suited to my needs.

Android OS is a faff. Sure it does more than iOS but its complicated and not as user friendly. YEP!

Have a go of the S4 before you make your mind up. i agree completely

I don't think the old argument that iOS is simpler and everything is easier to set up works anymore, nothing I have done with my android was more complicated to set up than on my iPhone.

but it just is!


I was always a Nokia fan but changed to Apple after my nephew raved about it. I equally raved about it. I have had the 4 and now the 5 and will not be changing to Android - I much prefer to have apps that have been checked and verified by Apple rather than from a 3rd party seller which may or may not contain Malware or other such drool. I have used a Galaxy S3 and find it over complicated with pretty transformations, but the level of settings is over the top. With Apple it appears to be simple, structured and it just works. I have seen the new Lumia from Nokia on Windows and I have to say, I do like the OS as it, like Apple looks simple and structured. A friend who is a technophobe got the Lumia 720 and complained about it from the off. A couple of weeks later, he thinks its great and wouldn't change it - He is now a windows fan as the phone and his laptop speak very well to each other - in the same way my 5 talks to my MacPro

i agree with this stuff, i really don't like how the free apps that i've downloaded onto my s3 mini almost all have adverts that keep popping up at annoying times. yet another moan i have about this phone, ok yes i know i shouldn't be such a tight ar5e and just pay for the apps, but i don't have a great deal of spare cash floating about :(

in summary i absolutely hate my android phone (as you've probably figured if you've even bothered to read all of this rubbish that i've posted! :rolleyes:lol) and would so love to have another iphone, but it's just the ridiculous cost that has meant that i can't/haven't been able to :(.

[Owenski]

So I did it.
The wife and I popped into the vodafone shop a week or so ago and walked out with a couple of S4's
I did my homework and tested a few android units out but it was with educated hesitation that I went forth with the idea.
A couple of things which seriously swung in the androids favor;
One of the wifes work mates just bought the S3 so she has someone to hold her hand show her the way when I'm not around.
Vodafone had an offer on even cheaper contracts on the S4 then first thought and coupled with their family contract meant even further discounts, (We've got both S4 hand sets on a contract for £56, a single iphone5 was going to cost £50 with the same useage limits). shocking!

So as I said I'm a week or so into ownership and here's my thoughts on the apple to andriod switch.

Pro's:
* Widgets are great,
* Screen is million times clearer than the iphone (4)
* Camera functionality is fantastic
* I didn't like the keyboard style... so downloaded another, that impressed me.
* Management of the contacts is far more fluid
* Loads more scope to be able to make each page do what I want in the manor I want it. (although I'm still very much learning this).
* Comes with a lot more "useful" applications than what apple provide (see cons for other side)


Con's:
* Battery Life is shocking,
* WTF is the point of having a menu screen with apps, then a button which takes you to another screen full of apps I mean seriously that's got to use memory and power but serves no real purpose.
* Also WTF is the point in all these settings menu's, I want one button, one place that I go to make changes to every aspect of the phone. It makes no sense to have a settings/menu button on the handset, then 3 different ways to get to the same settings by navigating through the screen features and thats before you consider the individual menus/settings available within the applications.
* Never really sure if I've adjusted/set something correctly, the iphone required everything to be saved/stored and a button was pressed to reassure you that this had been executed. On the android you tick a box then press "back" which always leaves me wondering if my alteration has actually worked.
* On this handset IMO the screen is too large and there are few ways of holding the phone that don't involve accidentally touching the screen.
* The opposing point to the final "pro" is that it comes with loads of apps which are no use to me/additional clutter.

Sooooooo all in all I'm indifferent, its not blown me away with its amazing magical ability but nor has it disappointed me.
The things it does it does fantastically, although sometimes frustratingly. I've yet to be plagued by it crashing etc but I'm sure those days will come, I've been very selective about the programs I've added as I've been advised that installing unofficial content is the no1 cause of faults with android units, stick to the official stuff and you'll be fine.

So at 2 weeks ownership I thought it would be good to provide a summary to respond to my own original questions:
When you switched was it painless? Yes, I did it the hard way as well, but still found it very painless. I manually transferred everything including my itunes library but yeah still painless.
Were there certain things you missed regarding your iphone? Not as yet. I do still feel the iphone was more intuitive the functions were where you'd expect as opposed to requiring routing out.
Are you pleased with your decision? Undecided, The flaws with the idea of staying with apple are still balanced by the decision to switch. One does not yet out weigh the other.
What would you do differently given the chance again? As above, I've always been that little bit pro-apple I just liked it. The thing is I'm not yet pro-android so its to wait-&-see.

[EssexDave]

The reason for the app button (as my understanding goes) is that you can only have 8 pages of home screens, fill those with widgets and there's no space for apps!

[Owenski]

A further example of where the thought process seems to have failed.

Im going to try having a few "key" apps on the lock screen (messages, email & camera) see if that makes it any more user friendly.
Another bugbare with it would be that no key is a camera shortcut, I often used the iphone camera and having the short cut button there was really handy.

[daveyrach]

There is an option to automatically open the camera if you press the lock screen and turn the phone 90 degrees while unlocking. :-)

[Owenski]

There is an option to automatically open the camera if you press the lock screen and turn the phone 90 degrees while unlocking. :-)

Just spent 10mins of my life I'll never get back trying to swipe and rotate my phone... it didnt work - thanks.

[daveyrach]

Do the following:

Settings=>Personal-Lock Screen=>Lock Screen Options=>The last option under features is Camera Quick Access, turn this on.

[LBarnard1994]

I've been apple for years, I swore by them then I got a Samsung Galaxy S3 in January... Worst move ever! I did not like it at all and swapped it back for an iPhone 5 in April. I could not get along with it at all.

A recommendation from me would be the Sony Xperia Z! :-) I got one in May and I am absolutely loving it! It is the only serious contender for the iPhone in my books, I can't decide which of my phones I like better.... Hence why I kept both! :-D

[daveyrach]

Interesting and at the same time quite funny: http://news.sky.com/story/1107814/iphone-5-slowest-in-smartphone-speed-test

[nikon70]

Apple users who move to android circa 90% statistically move back

[NTECUK]

I ride a motorcycle in the rain.
I phone isn't waterproof.
Therefore I am droid. (z1).
It emails, texts, makes calls, guides me to my destination, can look at odd people who post on Internet forums and plays my songs.
That's all I need

[nikon70]

Heard of a waterproof cover?

[Jabba]

I believe that a herd of waterproof covers is called a "resistance" ;)

Me? iPhone5S at home, Samsung Android thing at work. One is ace, being simple to use, reliable, etc. The other is a Samsung.

[nikon70]

i believe that a herd of waterproof covers is called a "resistance" ;)



me? Iphone5s at home, samsung android thing at work. One is ace, being simple to use, reliable, etc. The other is a samsung.


rofl

[NTECUK]

Heard of a waterproof cover?

Why would I want to muck about with one. Don't have to fiddle with access points to plug in the charger or headphones

[The Basket]

My Motorola defy is waterproof and I have bounced it down concrete and still works after 4 years. If they had an updated one then I would buy that in an instant.

I think for average joe any modern smartphone is perfectly acceptable. I could buy the Moto G at a fraction of any of the 'better' phones and I could still do all the stuff I do.

But I want stuff that I really dont need so I am going to pay more.

Daft.