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> Viruses: doesn't really apply if you just download non shady things from the play store Easier said than done, especially when looking for more obscure apps.

by Cyph0n 8y ago

> Viruses: doesn't really apply if you just download non shady things from the play store Easier said than done, especially when looking for more obscure apps. Also, it's not easy for non-technical folks to tell the difference... > OS fragmentation: doesn't apply if you're not a developer, just pick a phone that will have a reasonable amount of updates over its lifetime How long is "reasonable" relative to iOS? I recently moved from Android to iOS mainly because of this. > Privacy protection: really depends how you feel about Google on this one I'm not sure feelings are relevant here. The truth is simply the truth. > Presence of a secure element: this one really depends on your threat profile Agreed, but it's good to have the extra security guarantees.

lazaroclapp 8y ago
> How long is "reasonable" relative to iOS? I recently moved from Android to iOS mainly because of this. 4 years, basically. Nexus 6 was supported for all security updates from launch in November 2014 to this month (November 2018). In terms of feature updates, it got up to Android 7.1.1, and I am not aware of any major app that wouldn't run on that today. Not exactly great, but certainly not a new phone per year. I believe Apple's policy is 5 years, rather than 4, with a reported risk of iOS updates purposefully making the original hardware performance worse (e.g. battery life). Strictly as a geeky side note, if you have the time to spend DIYing your primary mobile OS (which, admittedly, very few people would prefer doing), there are pretty cool third-party Android distros and other OSes that will keep a Nexus 4 (2012, 6 years old) alive and well. Possibly a Galaxy Nexus (2011, 7 years old) too, but I am less sure about that... Edit: To clarify, what I am saying is that, for most users, iOS' long term support is better than Android's. But, for Google phones and the like, it is only slightly better, not day-and-night better.

by Cyph0n 8y ago

lazaroclapp 8y ago

> How long is "reasonable" relative to iOS? I recently moved from Android to iOS mainly because of this. 4 years, basically. Nexus 6 was supported for all security updates from launch in November 2014 to this month (November 2018). In terms of feature updates, it got up to Android 7.1.1, and I am not aware of any major app that wouldn't run on that today. Not exactly great, but certainly not a new phone per year. I believe Apple's policy is 5 years, rather than 4, with a reported risk of iOS updates purposefully making the original hardware performance worse (e.g. battery life). Strictly as a geeky side note, if you have the time to spend DIYing your primary mobile OS (which, admittedly, very few people would prefer doing), there are pretty cool third-party Android distros and other OSes that will keep a Nexus 4 (2012, 6 years old) alive and well. Possibly a Galaxy Nexus (2011, 7 years old) too, but I am less sure about that... Edit: To clarify, what I am saying is that, for most users, iOS' long term support is better than Android's. But, for Google phones and the like, it is only slightly better, not day-and-night better.