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Why did you buy an Android phone?

Went Android back when I got my S5 (from an iPhone 3GS) because:

 

Being able to manage files.

No iTunes.

Not being trapped in the App Store.

More customization.

BEING ABLE TO FUCKING PUT MY ICONS WHERE I WANT THEM INSTEAD OF THE STUPID GRID I MEAN COME ON.

Being able to change my desktop (like Linux distros).

Widgets.

Expandable storage.

Easily swapable batteries (this one doesn't exist anymore, which pisses me off.)

Moving files to and from my computers/storage servers over the network.

Being able to use a wide variety of USB devices.

OLEEEEEEED

Streaming games from my main rig.

More choices in apps.

Retro console emulation w/ bluetooth clip on controllers. (AMAZING)

 

I could go on for hours. I just couldn't exist with an iPhone anymore, for me, there's no going back once you've had the taste of freedom.

Yes, iPhone's are usually more stable, secure and snappier, but that's the trade off I'm willing to make. iPhone's simplicity makes it great for people who don't really care, but for me it's the fatal flaw.

 

Not to mention Android has other pros, like having a WAAAAY wider choice of hardware, price, size, etc.

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That's my secret captain, I never bought one and never will.

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I bought nexus 4 in 2013 as my first android phone after using Nokia 6120c for many years. I like android but it never fealt like real linux, freedom and everything. You are not free in android and android is not real linux. Then Nokia saved everything for me. Turns out old nokia employees continued development of meego/maemo and they had created Sailfish OS. Which is real linux. I use it on my nexus 4 & nexus 5. I like nexus line. So many OS run on these 2 nexus that one hand will not be enough to count :) I have used all of them and i like Sailfish OS very much. I can do so many things with it. It's much more light and fast then android and has TRUE multitasking. It's what ios and android should be.

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2 hours ago, GoldenLag said:

well, Iphone in general then have lower operating temperature ranges. as the only phones ive seen shutdown are Iphones. and during condiditons where they have shutdown everything else has worked. 

 

i know of the voltage drop that occurs. its a issue that hits electric cars a lot here. still doesnt change the fact Iphones have regurarly failed in conditions where every other phone ive seen has been fine. something which is not good in cold weather conditions if something were to happen

And as with cars some are better than others in the cold :) Same kind of battery different built cars. We have the same problems with Iphones in Sweden.

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3 hours ago, James said:

A few months ago we posted a thread asking iPhone owners to tell us why they chose to be iPhone owners:

 

The result of that was this video:

 

Now we're doing it for ANDROID!!!1

Please post your favorite Android things / Ways Android is just better than iOS/iPhone!

 

*** We don't really want to hear from the iPhone owners here. We want to hear from current Android users

 

Reason:

1. Expandable storage

2. Better Battery life

3.Prefer Android over IOS

4.Multi-tasking (Some days I don't even bother taking my laptop to college)

5. Custom ROMs

6. Small(er) Notch

7. Easier USB connection for music transfer

8.Smoothness and speed.

9. Easy repairs.

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So, I used "dumb" cell phones for many years.  My first smartphone was the Samsung BlackJack II in 2008 - basically Samsung's answer to the BlackBerry - which ran Windows Mobile 6.0.  Yes, I can hear you groaning through the internet, but it really wasn't that bad.  In fact, that phone still runs to this day (even though I only use it as an alarm clock).  When I decided it was finally time to replace it, I wasn't happy with the Windows Mobile UI at the time (they were using the Metro UI), so I went with Android, because there was no way I was going Apple.

 

Essentially, I went with Android because it wasn't Apple and Windows Phone sucked at the time.  I could go into all the reasons I refuse to go Apple, but they've basically been iterated in this thread already.

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Your question is kind of wrong and irrelevant. Android phones range from 100$ to 1000+, they fit all market segements there is a large variety. Your question imply's "why did you buy and android phone and not iphone iOS", because if there were no iphone your question would be meaningless since there would be only one option, android.

I think the answer you are looking for is not what you think you are looking for. 

I bought android because there is only android on the market, iphones dont exist for me, i currently own an Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro 64GB/4GB RAM, bought for 180euro, do you know whats the cheapest iphone that comes close to my Xiaomi specs? iphone 7 plus it costs 600 euro and still is worse in every way at every spec and looks hideous. Its a non-discussion here.

All X series iphones are 1000euro +where i live there is nothing to talk about, iphones will die if people will stop buying apple for brand and buy for need/specs instead, iphones is just an accessory just like those expensive 5k$ purses, it serves no purpose or utility for the extra money other than show off and fake social status.

 

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- Price
- I can choose the hardware, I'm not limited from just a few choices, and there are dual-sims supports, expandable storage, etc

            - Headphone jack, 
- I can do what I want with it and the OS doesn't limit me

- With root access I can control my device, and run "low-level apps" like DriveDroid and have a portable live linux distro on the PC I attach on, and run linux ARM binaries like small servers
- Making programs for it is easier and don't require a specific OS 
- More advanced file managers

- I can simply put music on it without a PC and play it
- The apps integrate better with the OS thanks to the free access to the storage, like SFTP clients

- Can add multiple software stores with free software which doesn't have advertisements like F-Droid

What I don't like about are the updates and the questionable OEM support of it which isn't simple, direct google updates without the OEM support are not a thing yet, and the overall storage space that the apps are taking is too much

Edited by Guest
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honestly i don't mind iOS i'll probably be able to use it for a while if i wanted. i used to be a big Android nut, mostly because i flash all sorts of stuff on my nexus 6P and even on my samsung S8. but nowadays i don't touch that stuff anymore it's just a lot of work. it's certainly a good point, especially if you wanted to follow Linus' video about Dark mode and have a truly dark interface/UI. but it requires some tech savvy not everyone can do it

 

a lot of people already raised great points, like file management, headphone jack (tho the latest Android devices are moving away from having one), customization (love Nova launcher), expandable storage, bunch more apps, a lot more devices (really cheap)

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I'm just gonna link the discussion we had about this around the time of Linus' Why did you buy an iPhone video.

 

A bunch of people provided their perspectives.

 

The blog was a summary of the discussion in the thread I made in General Discussions in late October 2018.

 

 

Judge a product on its own merits AND the company that made it.

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Customizability, battery life, file management, headphone jack, sd cards, nova launcher.
I can make the UI much cleaner, and it just works for me. However, I am bothered by the short software support lifespan, and I am currently using a rather cheap android phone, so the slowdowns bother me. I will probably end up back on IOS just for the software support. I will miss file management!

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Not forced to use iTunes is my main reason. 

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One thing that I don't see mentioned very often, is that you can use your android device to load an ISO image on it, and then boot from it to install windows, for instance. https://www.maketecheasier.com/install-windows10-from-android/ (requires root)

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For me  specifically,

 

I live in Australia and spend a lot of time bush walking, mountain biking, camping and 4wding. So for me there's 5 things I want 'natively' in a phone (i know some cases can help these) 

 

1. Waterproof (somewhat anyway)

2. Drop/Shock resistant

3. Ingress protection

4. Long battery life

5. Decent signal acquisition 

 

Secondary it needs 

 

6. Decent gps 

7. Run topographic mapping software (oziexplorer particularly)

8. 5" screen or around. comfortably usable in one hand. 

9. External aerial port (been a while since I've had one with this)

 

Last phone I had was a Samsung s5 mini, which was great until the charge circuit died.

 

Currently using a moto4x and am pretty happy with it besides the glass back and camera piece. Should be a more durable plastic. 

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Movie / shows streaming apps

Emulators

Basically APKs for nearly everything

 

Possible on jailbroken iOS but it started taking ages for updates.

 

Also removable storage.

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It's far more customizable without having to jailbreak it and if I want even more customization I can always root it.

 

Also the phones themselves tend to have more features.

As this image from a few years ago so succinctly explains:

iphone-vs-nexus-4.jpg?w=600&e=06d82d8272

 

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The only Android I had was a Samsung Galaxy S , and had the Slider Keyboard.  Best darn phone and had so many advanced features when Rooted.  This was almost 8 years ago and not sure how clamped down companies become - Restricted Tethering and some functions blocked if Rooted ?

 

Last 6 years or so, been using a Nokia Windows phone.  I hate using a touch screen to type but that phone has the most advanced picture quality, and professional video, even at loud concerts.  Recent news saying no more Windows phone.  I'll look and see what Nokia doing next year or next summer for new phone.

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For work and play. I use a Note 8. 

 

It's hard/impossible to rename pictures on iPhone. I can perform this operation in batches on Samsung's UI. I like to customize my wallpaper and interface. My phone interface only makes sense to me, it's completely created for me, by me. I swipe through docks, not screens. Double tap anywhere on home screen for the app drawer, which i manually categorize. 

 

Also for AMOLED but now apple is using them so whatever. 

 

I need a headphone jack... And I miss my IR blaster (former note 4 user).

 

I used an iPhone as a poweruser for daily work for over 3 months during the whole Note 7 return, receive, return, recall debacle. I was utterly stuck not able to perform basic tasks at work, on the field. things I used everyday, like text selection and other menus and editing, was much harder without an S-pen. 

 

Try editing spreadsheets as you go without an S-pen on a tiny iPhone 6S+ screen. 

 

I had to use snapchat to write text and draw over pictures, a feature native to samsung phones since my note 4 for sure.. No option from iPhone to do it from the gallery. 

 

Also, transferring pictures and organizing folders is impossible/extremely tedious on iPhone. Plug my android in is the same as plugging in USB storage.

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My predictions post-fact: 

1st post: I didn't. iOS 4 LYFE!~

2nd post: They may take our data plans, but they will never TAKE OUR FREEDOM!

3rd-20th posts: Corrects 1st post.

21st post: "Don't start flame wars, guis." [cue SJWs]

This post: Something about masochism. 

 

On topic: 'Cuz I'm a masochist and I like not receiving OS-breaking updates and also prefer app-breaking updates and a false sense of data security.

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The price essentially, i had the 4s, 5s and 6s but new iphones were overpriced and i didnt have the hassle hurdle of learning a new os since i had been troubleshooting my mums phone for her for a few years and had learnt how to use android before i had bought one myself

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48 minutes ago, ElfFriend said:

It's far more customizable without having to jailbreak it and if I want even more customization I can always root it.

 

Also the phones themselves tend to have more features.

As this image from a few years ago so succinctly explains:

iphone-vs-nexus-4.jpg?w=600&e=06d82d8272

 

As I recall, Ron later had misgivings about posting that, because it didn't really tell the whole story (for instance, the iPhone kicked the ever-loving ass out of the Nexus 4 and most 2014 Android phones in performance, and Apple Pay is far better than Google Wallet).  That and it was purely antagonistic.

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cheap, a mid end smartphone now is actually a high end smartphone last year

 

i only use facebook because family and friends, reddit, whatsapp, gps and a couple of youtube from time to time. i don't need super powerful hyper expensive phone to do just that

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Currently using Mate 10, upgraded from Mi 4.

  • 3.5 audio jack (fuck dongles).
  • Superior battery life.
  • Dual sim.
  • App drawer.
  • I can install apps outside Playstore with ease.
  • Custom ROMs. 
  • Price.

I bought a used iP6s at one point, the last iPhone with 3.5mm jack iinm. Used it for like 2 months and sold it because i can't stand the launcher cluttering my home screen. I need app drawer. Battery life is garbage too, <20% left after i got back from work. Compare to my Mi 4 with >40% and Mate 10 with >60%, slightly heavier usage on Mate 10 too. 

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