My first smartphone was a Palm Pilot Treo. It was not good. It was slow, hard to use, and generally not worth the money. When I reached the point of spending all my time feeling frustrated with the Treo, I decided it was in my best interest to find a better option.
At the time, that better option was an iPhone 3G. I realized immediately what a smartphone could be. The iPhone was several magnitudes superior to the Treo. Even better: It simply worked. When I wanted to do something, the iPhone did it. I could do all the things I couldn’t do with the Treo and do them with ease. Sounds great, right?
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That marriage lasted roughly a year. From the first moment I touched that iPhone to the day I jumped the Apple ship, I found myself as frustrated with the iPhone as I’d been with the Treo.
What? How’s that possible? The Treo was a hunk of trash, but the iPhone actually worked. How did I find myself in a similar situation? Let me explain.
1. Android is more customizable
I didn’t like always doing things Apple’s way. In fact, this is the biggest issue I’ve had with Apple’s products all along. With iPhones, you do things the Apple way and there’s no choice in the matter. It didn’t take long to realize that Apple’s philosophy did not jibe well with my own. The problem was that as long as I used an iPhone, I didn’t have any choice but to conform to the Apple way.
That rubbed me wrong — in all kinds of ways.
In 2009, I discovered Android, a mobile platform that allowed me to tweak the operating system to look and behave in ways that best suited my needs.
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Although I don’t agree with everything Google does, I do agree with the way it’s handled the mobile platform. With Android, you’re not always stuck with the Google way. For example, if you don’t like the Pixel home screen app, you can install any number of third-party home screen apps found in the Google Play Store. Don’t like Gmail? Install something else. Prefer using a cloud service other than Google’s? Install something like Nextcloud<!–> and connect it to your own server.
If there’s a customization you want to tackle with your Android phone, most likely you can do it.
2. Android is more intuitive
I realize this is subjective, but every time I pick up an iPhone, I find the UI is rather confusing. Yes, I’ve been using Android for a long time and I’ve grown accustomed to that ecosystem. However, I also use MacOS, so I understand how Apple’s operating systems work.
With Android, for example, the universal back gesture works with every app on the phone. Swipe left to return to your previous location. With iOS, however, that doesn’t work with every app and is not consistent.
Comparing iOS and Android, I’ve always found the Android approach to just make sense, whereas iOS often confounds me.
3. Android is more flexible
Beyond not having to do things the Apple — or Google — way, Android is more flexible. Consider this: With very little effort, you can connect Android to almost any operating system. For example, many Linux distributions include tools like KDE Konnect or GSConnect that enable you to plug your Android device into the Linux desktop or laptop and share files, interact, and even view notifications.
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The same holds true with Windows and MacOS. Try that with an iPhone — without having to install third-party software. Yes, iOS does a great job of interacting with MacOS because Apple designed it to work that way. But when it comes to working with other platforms, iOS isn’t as up to the task as Android.
4. Cost and variation
I just purchased a Pixel 9 Pro. After trading in my Pixel 8 Pro, the cost of the phone was roughly $400. Try finding a deal like that on the latest, greatest iPhone. The cheapest iPhone 16 starts at $799<!–>. And the cheapest Apple phone you can get is the iPhone SE for $429–>.
Let’s compare that to the cheaper Android phones on the market, many of which sell for less than half the cost of the SE. This is the main reason Android has a grip on the global mobile market share — hundreds of millions of people around the world cannot afford an iPhone.
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Anytime I need a new phone, I’m not limited to the devices sold by Apple — or any single vendor. I like that. Several manufacturers — Nothing, OnePlus, Doogee, Motorola, Samsung, Asus, and more — produce Android phones. Each model offers a variation on the Android theme, and each can be had for far less than any phone sold by Apple. Most of these vendors have budget phones in their lineups.
5. Custom ROMs
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (left), Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (center), and OnePlus Open (right).
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
OK, I confess it’s been a long time since I’ve replaced stock Android with a custom ROM – but it’s still possible! What is a custom ROM? Essentially, a custom ROM is a different version of Android, with different features, faster updates, performance gains, etc.
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Yes, installing a custom ROM is challenging, but the fact that it’s possible demonstrates just how much more flexible Android phones are than iPhones.
6. Google integration
I’ve used both Google’s and Apple’s cloud options, and I’ve always found Google’s to be far superior. On top of that, I use Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Keep, Google Maps, etc., and find that Android’s seamless integration with the entire Google ecosystem surpasses that of iOS. Sure, there’s iCloud – but I’ve always found iCloud to be less than helpful for productivity. Although you can install Google apps on iOS, the integration is inferior to that of Android.
7. Notifications
The iOS notification system pales in comparison to Android’s approach. Android’s far more detailed approach to notifications also offers more control. Where iOS goes for the simplest method of notification, Android offers a system that can be as simple or as complex as you need. For anyone who appreciates details, the Android notification system delivers.
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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
