View Full Version : iPhone/Apple vs Android/Google - friendly debate
A friend and I have been having a friendly debate on the usual iPhone vs Android debate with some twists. Put aside how much you might have invested in one system (apps, music bought,etc).
How much do you want to get away from made in China (Apple) and do privacy concerns play into your decision (Apple seems much better with this than Google, which developed the Android OS)
You can get Android phones made in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea (Samsung). iPhones are all made in China.
I love my Apple Watch, which needs to be paired with an iPhone.
Your take on this debate?
happystuff
3-14-22, 1:08pm
I prefer android, mainly because of the restrictiveness of many Apple products/systems/etc. For example, Apple's Facetime(that's the name of the app, right?) only works Apple-to-Apple, but Google's Duo will work Android-to-Android as well as Android-to-Apple.
Edited to add: The price differences also make my decision pretty easy. lol.:)
Then there are third party apps - such as WhatsApp - that can be used
iris lilies
3-14-22, 1:27pm
I have nothing to say about security, and don’t care where anything is made. I don’t care about price.
I’m a very low level of sophistication user when it comes to tech stuff. So my main criteria is how hard is it to use?
The iPads are crazy simple to set up I’ve been using them for several years now. So much intuitive stuff associated with them. I don’t especially like my Apple phone, but I have no illusion that any other kind of phone would be better.
I hated my last Hewlett-Packard computer, hate it with a passion and I’m trying to get rid of it this year. Much of that has to do with we were new Windows 7 users at the time. I don’t know that later versions of Windows are any better. I am going to use MS Office on a Mac because I don’t want to get used to another word processing program or spreadsheet program.
IL, the Apple Numbers spreadsheet program is dreadful. Horrid.
iris lilies
3-14-22, 1:37pm
IL, the Apple Numbers spreadsheet program is dreadful. Horrid.
I do use it at a kindergarten level because I move Excel files to my iPad just for reading purposes for the most part, so I don’t try to do real spreadsheet work on it. Not that I can do advanced or even medium level spreadsheet work anyway. My spreadsheet skills are very limited. It is possible that Apple’s Numbers program would work for me but I dont want to test it.
I've used both Android and IOS phones and currently own current versions of both, an iPhone SE 2020 and a Google Pixel 6. Some years ago when I switched from Blackberry I had iPhone models 4, 4S, 6 and 6 plus before moving over to the Pixel 2. I purchased the iPhone SE about 18 months ago and then got the Pixel 6 when it came out this past fall. Since then I've been changing back and forth between the SE and Pixel, mainly because I can't determine which one I like best, although I think if I had to be satisfied with just one, I'd probably go exclusively Android.
Facetime is the major reason I haven't given up the iPhone. My special needs grandson likes to Facetime with me several times a day and Apple simply refuses to release a Facetime app for use on Android phones. I've actually installed Android's Duo app on his iPhone but he refuses to use it. So, when I have my sim card in the Pixel, I keep the iPhone nearby so that he can continue to Facetime me at his leisure. Like all modern smartphones, the iPhone works just fine without a sim card as long as you're connected to WiFi and don't use it for its phone capabilities, although you can actually get away with that too if you have a Google Voice number and the Voice app on the iPhone.
If I were doing a review of Android vs Apple I'd give the iPhones bonus points for fit and finish while giving Android bonus points for software elegance and versatility.
Alan, what about going with WhatsApp? You can do video calls on it just fine. I use it all the time.
Alan, what about going with WhatsApp? You can do video calls on it just fine. I use it all the time.Oh I'm sure it works wonderfully, but getting my grandson to switch to something new would not only be difficult on its own, but the list of extended family members he Facetimes with would also require a buy in and I'm the only Android user in the group. He'd never be able to navigate using different apps for different contacts.
Oh I'm sure it works wonderfully, but getting my grandson to switch to something new would not only be difficult on its own, but the list of extended family members he Facetimes with would also require a buy in and I'm the only Android user in the group.
Oh. Didn’t catch that part.
rosarugosa
3-14-22, 2:16pm
I was a reluctant smartphone buyer, to say the least, but I've since had to conclude that it's a very useful tool. I love my Samsung A10e, which I bought from Tracfone at a very reasonable price. It does everything I need it to do quite effectively, and I only pay $16 per month for my service. I am a very satisfied customer.
The phone before this was an LG Rebel (also from Tracfone), and that one kind of sucked. It would turn on inside my pocketbook and take lots of photos and videos of the inside of my pocketbook (awfully dark in there) and then be out of battery power if I actually needed to use it.
Teacher Terry
3-14-22, 3:47pm
I used android for years and then a few people that switched to Apple said it was easier and more intuitive. I love it and would never go back.
I'm an Apple user (iPhone, MacBook, iPad mini, Apple Watch). I have no reason to switch at this point. I love the integration. I struggled with getting an Apple Watch for health tracking because I loved my Fitbit, and I still feel Fitbit analytics are better than Apple Watch when it comes to a couple of metrics, but Apple Watch had too many other features I liked. For a while I wore both an Apple Watch and a Fitbit, which my family told me was ridiculous.
But the larger question Tradd poses is, is do you switch or choose a Phone based on where it's manufactured? I do take things like that into consideration with some things, but I don't feel strongly enough about Chinese labor to not buy Apple products. Not yet, anyway.
I'm just a light cell phone user. In the big scheme of things so much of what we buy comes from China that I don't think cell phones are that big of an issue. I don't do any financial transactions from my cell phone, so privacy is not a big deal either. I have a Samsung and use Trafone service. Most of my digital use is either from my Dell laptop or iPad.
I'm just a light cell phone user. In the big scheme of things so much of what we buy comes from China that I don't think cell phones are that big of an issue. I don't do any financial transactions from my cell phone, so privacy is not a big deal either. I have a Samsung and use Trafone service. Most of my digital use is either from my Dell laptop or iPad.
But there you go - you’re doing stuff on your iPad. Pretty much the same thing. Apple seems to be more privacy minded than Google.
But there you go - you’re doing stuff on your iPad. Pretty much the same thing. Apple seems to be more privacy minded than Google.
Personally, I'm probably more concerned about where all of the old cell phones everyone consumes ends up when they updated every year or two and everyone upgrades. I'd go volume of purchases vs. country of origin.
Personally, I'm probably more concerned about where all of the old cell phones everyone consumes ends up when they updated every year or two and everyone upgrades.
My unused ones are kept in a drawer.
https://scontent.fluk1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/275340850_631449791282764_3798320081520640496_n.jp g?stp=dst-jpg_s2048x2048&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=ZJ2he1GH7VQAX9KmfvS&_nc_ht=scontent.fluk1-1.fna&oh=03_AVJxCbu1jtBBlzJydebQmwzZMU4FQV2djmI82uTJ-g8HhA&oe=6256EB4A
My first smartphone was an iPhone 4. I got it when sprint finally started offering them. I was one of the last people in my immediate friend group to get a smartphone and they all had iPhones so I was familiar with them and liked the product fine. Since then I bought a 6 and eventually an 11 about 2 1/2 years ago. It works great and I hope to get another 1 1/2 years out of it. Since I like it fine and have no interest in putting in the effort to leave the apple ecosystem my next phone will likely be an IPhone 15 or 16. Price and country of manufacture do not entire into that decision process for me.
My unused ones are kept in a drawer.
Hang on to them. They could be valuable collector's items someday.
I like Apple because whatever happens in my iPhone is linked to my Macbook and iPad so fully accessible. My Macbook is 14 years old this is significant to me. I love Apple support which I used today but maybe every cellphone manufacturer does the same nowadays. It was not that readily available when I switched. to Apple which did provide the support. Very few problems and they have been minor with Apple. That said, I am a low tech user but very active on my devices. The price is a consideration if you want the latest model but phone plan arrangers have many options to reduce the cost if you go with the most recent instead of the latest. For most people that could be adequate.
What is the objection to manufactured goods from China? I am concerned that North American jobs have gone offshore since the early 90's.. Japan made junk for years before building up quality as have other offshore locations. Am I going to take on the responsibility of correcting the NA job loss? Do I fully understand how integrated the world economy really is and how NA workers have been affected? Security issues are arising in the MidEast with cyber security.
Wanted to add: Apple will pay the postage on used Apple cellphone that are no longer needed
I use both ecosystems. My decisions aren't based on the country-of-manufacture. They each have pros/cons, I try not to get religious about it.
Hang on to them. They could be valuable collector's items someday.They already make excellent paper weights!
rosarugosa
3-14-22, 7:30pm
Our local Lion's club collects old cell phones, hearing aids and eyeglasses, and there's a donation box within shouting distance of my house. That's where our old phones go.
I suspect most of the people here dispose of their cell phones responsibly. My recycle center claims to give working cell phones to the Women's Crisis Center. Pretty much all of our electronics end up in the landfill eventually if they don't go into some sort of recycling system. Somedays it just seems like we are a cell phone obsessed society, but I'm sort of a cell phone luddite since I have my home digital devices. Probably a personal problem.
The last several Apple phones/tablets I have upgraded, Apple offered recycling services for the old units, and generally gave me reasonable value for the old device as a credit to the new purchase.
I'm not sure about phones but in California bigger stuff has a deposit charged at the time of purchase, similar in concept to the deposit for soda cans/bottles, but a larger dollar amount. When you turn in an item you get the money back. I think I got a $15 refund for the old battery when my car needed a new one. Our tv had the same amount added to the cost when we bought it.
Hang on to them. They could be valuable collector's items someday.
I've still got one of the iPods from the pre-touch era as well as a second generation iPod touch (the last version before they added cameras). Both are useless today. The battery in the pre-touch iPod won't hold any charge and the iPod touch won't run later than iOS 3.something so pretty much nothing works on it except safari, but almost no website will run on such an old version of safari. I assume someone someday will be as excited by them as by an IBM XT!
edited to add: just looked up the touch and it's from 2007-2008. It's amazing to think how obsolete something that's just 15 years old is. Even things like the native Weather app don't work since that was connected to yahoo weather but now can't pull the relevant data. And I doubt I could even connect it to my computer to upload new music to it since iTunes has gone through so many changes since then.
4271
I'm not sure about phones but in California bigger stuff has a deposit charged at the time of purchase, similar in concept to the deposit for soda cans/bottles, but a larger dollar amount. When you turn in an item you get the money back. I think I got a $15 refund for the old battery when my car needed a new one. Our tv had the same amount added to the cost when we bought it.
I would like to see more companies adopt the Ray Anderson/Interface cradle-to-grave industrial model, where the produce assumes responsibility for their products even post-consumer.
I would like to see more companies adopt the Ray Anderson/Interface cradle-to-grave industrial model, where the produce assumes responsibility for their products even post-consumer.
I would too. I also wish lawmakers would look at the unintended consequences of various laws. For example, from another thread, in San Francisco takeout food containers either have to be compostable or reusable. Because of covid, when takeout was the only option, I've got a stack of probably 30 of those black rectangular plastic containers with the clear lids that are ubiquitous here. They seem way too nice to just toss in the recycle bin. So we use them but don't need them. We have plenty of other containers for leftovers. And since this is the bay area, where restaurants hand them out as freely as pedophiles hand out candy, I'm sure they are completely valueless to places like Goodwill who would likely just toss any that were donated into the recycle bin.
Personally, I'm probably more concerned about where all of the old cell phones everyone consumes ends up when they updated every year or two and everyone upgrades. I'd go volume of purchases vs. country of origin.
The couple of Android ones I had were traded in. The last couple of old iPhones have gone to my goddaughter’s family. Either used as an upgrade to what they already had or as a device for the kids. I’ve never thrown a cell phone out.
As much as we might try to get a little extra life out of them, cell phones will eventually stop working or become obsolete. Then, they'll go to the land fill or be disassembled for a few salvageable parts. As fast as technology is going with them, it just seems to add up.
iris lilies
3-14-22, 10:34pm
Alan reported that our cell phones, those of DH and me, are due to become unsupported soon.
ugh, I am not ready to tackle a new one.
I have an 8 Plus that is at least 4 years old. Maybe 5. Hope to get through this year. I have service through Boom Mobile which is a Verizon and TMobi reseller. I get unlimited everything for $45 a month. Half of what it was with Verizon. I probably won’t buy the newest iPhone buy probably one down. I like the larger screen as I surf and read on my phone a ton.
ToomuchStuff
3-15-22, 2:03am
Privacy, from whom?
Both companies harvest your info for marketing. My personal belief, based on my limited smart phone experience (they seem slower on wireless, then they do over the phone/data service), is wifi keeps some stuff from them and they slow down wifi intentionally.
Both have MITM issues, with all the governments, as well as flaws that both governments and people can exploit.
Then what about all the third party apps? When did you last read ALL of the TOS of them before accepting?
Not sure what the deal about China is, as the phones may be produced in other countries, but what about the base components?
Several of you here, think the Iphone is more intuitive. Maybe it is how someone is wired, as I never found Apple products intuitive. I still am not a big fan/user of Icons and prefer things to be in text (compare Word Perfect 1.0 to this modern gui and I prefer the former). I was just asked to do something for the co-owner on his Iphone and Ipad and had no idea how to get out of the screen he was on. I thought the center dot was a fingerprint reader and mouse type of thing, not a pressable button (because my Android is set up with three gui buttons). I have no idea about these "gesture" things, nor where to find/learn them.
I bought a basic book on Android 10.0 when I bought my phone and have learned more without it, that should be in a book for those of us who are first time users. (cut,paste, forward, etc) It SUCKS that both ecosystems change things.
But then again, they were working towards standards, and the EU sounds like is suing Apple for not going with them, even though they helped design them (USB C charging). Heck, my father complains that the batteries should all be standard and replaceable.
If I were doing a review of Android vs Apple I'd give the iPhones bonus points for fit and finish while giving Android bonus points for software elegance and versatility.
LOL, I guess it depends on what you want. Allen, do you know the name Louis Rossman?
Fit and finish, please define?
Glass that goes to the edges (where my fingers do funky things when trying to hold and not drop a phone)?
Ports (or lack there off, causing one to use Bluetooth and use up more battery life/power)?
Now granted, I came from being very happy, with a $45 phone bill for one years service, with no texting and a basic candy bar style phone. I was ready to "upgrade" (downgrade) to a KAI OS based, Alcatel phone, because of the dropping of 3G, when my boss passed and I needed a Smart phone. My wants were still a week between charges, durable, inexpensive, and hopefully not $50+ a month.
Two weeks ago, I was at Sam's club for work and one of the sales people asked what type of smart phone do I have, and when I told her, said "why do you have a military grade smart phone?".
My options were limited. Can't get the Blackphone in this country. The Sailfish OS phone never came to this country. The Pinephone isn't there yet, and the Purism phone, well I don't know its current status but was cost prohibitive and unfortunately, I needed to be able to communicate with coworkers and businesses I deal with.
Met my goals at the $120 level and $18 a month and still miss my old phone.
After I bought it, the other owner wanted one as well (broken several phones) and I am "upgrading" to a different version for two reasons:
1. So he stops grabbing mine on accident.
2. Headphone port, more memory so will put my music on a SDHC and mow with my headphones on.
I was the last adult that I knew to get a smartphone of any kind. I waited so long that I became a local legend. People said "I know a guy who doesn't have a mobile at all" and people would literally ask me if it was true. Most of them didn't believe me at first. Some people were actually disappointed when I finally did get one. Legend no more. Anyway, I have had an iPhone SE ever since. Once my latest one goes to digital heaven, I may switch to Android just to have the experience, because I don't think I could really compare them without using both types on a daily basis. I don't like that the Apple models seem to continually grow in size and I'm not crazy about Apple's new proprietary headphone jacks. Ultimately, I'm guessing that old cliché "half of one and six dozen of the other" probably applies to comparing the two in the long run, similar to Apple and PC. Both have pluses. Both have minuses. Which ones prevail remain mostly a matter of personal preference.
iris lilies
3-20-22, 8:57pm
Today I was stuck for far too long at Best Buy while they tried to wipe my MacBook Pro clean so I could trade it in to buy another stupid Mac product, which I will probably regret, but anyway – I finally got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy. That’s the only piece of phone technology that I thought is really cool. But of course I’m not going get it because I don’t use a phone much. I want phone to be compact and that why I’m attracted to this folding product.
I’m sorry to say that all the phones that I buy new will be too big. There was an Apple13 they called “mini” which I suppose I may spring for and it was $599. I just don’t want to carry around a big dumb thing, and the phones keep getting bigger.
Teacher Terry
3-20-22, 9:51pm
They keep getting bigger because many people use them for everything. I rarely use either of my computers anymore.
They keep getting bigger because many people use them for everything. I rarely use either of my computers anymore.
I love my iPhone 13 in the larger size rather than a mini. Companies offering services are sharing tutorials on using a smart phone rather than a computer. Not only easy to use but if I can get away with paying for just one device to do everything, it simply is thrifty and efficient.
I'm one of the people who uses their phone for everything. The iphone 4S was just slightly too small. The 6 was perfect. The 11 that I have now is just a bit too large but not enough that I'm annoyed daily.
happystuff
3-21-22, 9:45am
Which is easier to be hacked - a phone or a computer?
Just wondering. I don't do any banking on my phone, but will do some bill pay on the computer. I know how to clear history, etc. from the computer, but not so much from the phone.
I also am uncomfortable doing anything on the phone...just doesn't seem safe and more easily hacked. But I really don't know. I'm not even a lap top user. I love sitting at the desk and using my hp pc. Biggest problem is Windows who stops supporting things before the computer dies...I have windows 10 and the computer isn't compatible with windows 11--only 4 years old. Of course I bought it from Staples, so maybe it was old before I got it. I use Libre office for word processing thanks to Steve's advice years ago.
I'm one of the people who uses their phone for everything. The iphone 4S was just slightly too small. The 6 was perfect. The 11 that I have now is just a bit too large but not enough that I'm annoyed daily.
I use my phone for everything too. I read Kindle books on it. Surf the net much more on phone than MacBook. I have an 8 Plus. The larger screen size is preferred. I carry my phone in a purse not a pocket so that’s not an issue.
I also am uncomfortable doing anything on the phone...just doesn't seem safe and more easily hacked. But I really don't know. I'm not even a lap top user. I love sitting at the desk and using my hp pc. Biggest problem is Windows who stops supporting things before the computer dies...I have windows 10 and the computer isn't compatible with windows 11--only 4 years old. Of course I bought it from Staples, so maybe it was old before I got it. I use Libre office for word processing thanks to Steve's advice years ago.
I think you’re going to need to get over this. I’ve been banking on a smartphone since 2008 when I got my first iPhone. No issues ever. Don’t use public wifi. Either use your internet at home or mobile data. Not clicking on weird emails or texts goes a long way. Just like on your computer.
I've never understood the Apple mystique--fewer viruses or something? Especially as viruses become less common. Doesn't seem worth paying Two or three times the price of their competitors. I have a smart phone, tablet, Kindle, and a couple of laptops. I prefer a laptop for 95% of what I do.
I've never understood the Apple mystique--fewer viruses, or something? Especially as viruses become less common. Doesn't seem worth paying Two or three times the price of their competitors. I have a smart phone, tablet, Kindle, and a couple of laptops. I prefer a laptop for 95% of what I do.
Apple controls the hardware as well as the operating system for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. I like that everything interfaces well. I bought my MacBook in 2015 or 2016 and it’s still chugging along fine. That’s often not the case with Windows machines.
Apple controls the hardware as well as the operating system for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. I like that everything interfaces well. I bought my MacBook in 2015 or 2016 and it’s still chugging along fine. That’s often not the case with Windows machines.
I have a Gateway/AMD laptop that i bought in 2010. So far, so good, but it could use a hard drive purge. As far as the universal interface, I notice a move toward integrating non-Apple phones with computers, etc. I can see how dealing with one OS for multiple devices would be convenient.
I have a Gateway/AMD laptop that i bought in 2010. So far, so good, but it could use a hard drive purge. As far as the universal interface, I notice a move toward integrating non-Apple phones with computers, etc. I can see how dealing with one OS for multiple devices would be convenient.
I’ve connected my iPhone and MacBook, and it’s handy to be able to text from MacBook with the larger keyboard. Nice when I’m in the midst of a long text chat.
I’ve connected my iPhone and MacBook, and it’s handy to be able to text from MacBook with the larger keyboard. Nice when I’m in the midst of a long text chat.
I've connected my Android phone to my Windows laptop and can make/receive calls and texts with it, haven't found a way to connect the iPhone.
Apple controls the hardware as well as the operating system for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. I like that everything interfaces well. I bought my MacBook in 2015 or 2016 and it’s still chugging along fine. That’s often not the case with Windows machines.
Some of the things I need to do require a lot of computing power, memory, and storage. And high-resolution color-accurate displays.
I've usually gone with high-end Windows machines, because they were cheaper than the Mac products and could often be configured with more memory and faster CPUs.
I have switched however to the new MacBook Pro with Apple's proprietary and quite insane new processor, the M1 Max. (They just recently announced an even *faster* CPU in their new Mac Studio model, but to configure that how I'd like would cost a small fortune, and I'd have to devote a workspace to it.)
The M1 processor, which is a system-on-a-chip, has a lot of integrated memory and solid graphics capability and neural net processors. It is a great leap forward past the Intel CPUs. It is also remarkably power efficient, which means a) longer battery life and b) the cooling fans almost never run, which makes things so nice and quiet.
Anyways, with the M1 Mac, I can use the Parallels virtualization software to allow me to also run Windows, Linux, and several other operating systems without much issue, while at the same time also running MacOS.
For doing some of my image processing tasks, this "laptop" is terrifyingly faster than my "fast" Alienware maxed-out laptop, or my one-year-old Intel i9-based MacBook pro. Some of the filtering/stacking tasks that I'd go make a cup of coffee while doing now happen basically in real-time, which has changed my workflow and productivity amazingly. Some of the AI-based image-enhancement tools now allow me to adjust/fiddle with the image immediately, so I can explore more options as I don't have to wait 30 seconds in-between operations.
I might have held out for the new faster Mac Studio, and if I were a professional image processor/photographer I'd snap one up like a trout to a fly, but for now the latest MacBook Pro is knocking things out of the park. Now that I've switched to using it full-time, I am also enjoying the integration with all my other evil Apple products.
I never do anything more demanding than running several programs at once; if I were doing film or audio editing, I would probably consider all options.
ToomuchStuff
3-21-22, 5:14pm
I think you’re going to need to get over this. I’ve been banking on a smartphone since 2008 when I got my first iPhone. No issues ever. Don’t use public wifi. Either use your internet at home or mobile data. Not clicking on weird emails or texts goes a long way. Just like on your computer.
Probably the biggest concern is losing ones cell phone. That is less likely with a computer at home.
Now I don't think they still make/sell Windows phones, and Android (linux kernel) and Mac (bsd kernel) are sister OS's. You pretty much can compile from one for the other.
The phone isn’t wide open. There are fingerprint or facial recognition to unlock it. PIN, too.
With iPhones and the Find My IPhone function, you can remotely disable it if you sign into iCloud online and the phone can be pinged b
I believe you can also wipe the iphone remotely if it is stolen. And if you really want to be cautious you can set it to erase itself after ten failed passcode attempts. (But make sure you have it backing up to iCloud so that you don’t lose data if that happens. )
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