5 ms·

A question I’ve never been able to find the answer to: which is more durable and lasts longer? Anecdotally, everyone I know who runs Android replaces their pho

A question I’ve never been able to find the answer to: which is more durable and lasts longer? Anecdotally, everyone I know who runs Android replaces their phone far more often than those who own iPhone. But there’s so many different variables, it’s hard to know if they are replacing it because the phone is less durable or because iPhone owners replace it less for other reasons.

ev1 4y ago
it depends heavily, I carry both on a daily basis (the iPhone is the oncall/work-pays) If you are not on the Pixel line, you're probably barely getting support measured in months. I absolutely despise most third party Android vendors. Samsung is one of the worst offenders for obnoxious unremovable bloatware, spam, etc. Rebadged AOSP browser vulnerable to everything. I don't think I've had LG phones supported for even one month after buying them. The Chinese phones are also wildly variable, like xiaomi not allowing bootloader unlocks without you signing up for their forum and begging them in a thread for months and it's entirely subjective. I've had iPhone SE (1st gen) used for years, still running currently latest stable iOS and supported up to now.
- heywoodlh 4y ago
  > I absolutely despise most third party Android vendors. Years ago I got a Samsung Galaxy 8 which came preloaded with CNN and Facebook. After uninstalling those apps, I poked around with adb and found services still running for CNN and Facebook. Made me also despise non-Pixel devices. For a long while my daily driver was a Pixel 4 (probably my favorite phone hardware of all time) running GrapheneOS and then eventually CalyxOS. If I were to ever switch back to Android I would 100% go back to Pixel running CalyxOS. I absolutely loved that setup. Things that keep me on iOS: - On-demand VPN. I use Wireguard and it is unnoticeable when it automatically turns on when I leave home. I was able to use Tasker on Android to unreliably replicate this functionality. - Apple Shortcuts. Android could really benefit from a first-party automation toolset, Tasker is still pretty mediocre compared to Shortcuts from my somewhat recent tinkering. - Apple is a decent steward of data and I'm encouraged by the continuing privacy features they release (Private Relay is awesome). Despite this, I try to avoid the walled garden as much as possible. Homekit is one area where I've totally invested into but could switch that out with HA if I ever switched back to Android. Things I miss from Android: - Sideloading. F-Droid is the best -- I miss sideloading so much and hope that Apple is eventually forced into allowing users to actually sideload (not the temporary 7-day renewal you are forced to do). Because of the ability to sideload you can embrace an open source ecosystem so much more than you can on iOS. - Custom, debloated roms. Aside from those drawbacks I am a big fan of both Android and iOS and find very little difference in how useful each OS is to me. EDIT: fixed formatting and minor typo
  - ev1 4y ago
    This is pretty accurately my feeling. I trust Apple honestly not much, but more than Google, and I pay Apple for iCloud and know what I'm getting. Paying Google is a huge pain in the ass while Apple just collects every month off my balance - which I can also spend for physical products, which is nice. I don't have many apps and I tend to curate those that I do have, so in general not much of a heavy user such as full screen mobile gaming. My most recent experience trying to use Google Play for a purchase was "INSERT US SIM CARD TO CONTINUE" after applying the code. While in US, on a US cell tower (on eSIM). This is after applying the code, so it's been consumed and is now useless and can't be used to buy anything either. Samsung is still probably my top hated OEM. Everything from a Bixby key you can't disable and marketing you can't opt out of (mandatory push notifications from an un-uninstallable system app that deliver fullscreen image push advertising their new products) to Samsung store taking over random shortcuts and containing nothing but shitware to put it nicely, inability to unlock phones, ludicrously bad security track record, all while trying to sell you a "premium" $1.5k device
    - heywoodlh 4y ago
      > Everything from a Bixby key you can't disable Bixby is probably one of the worst things about Samsung devices. I would take Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, Clippy from Windows XP, literally any virtual assistant over Bixby. I don't even have negative experiences using Bixby -- but Samsung's UX with Bixby is more irritating than any other virtual assistant I have ever come across -- and I hate all of them.
- fomine3 4y ago
  LG is abandoned. Samsung is one of the best vendor about long term major/security update that's beyond Google. https://9to5google.com/2022/02/09/pixel-6-three-android-updates-no-excuses-samsung/\ https://9to5google.com/2022/02/09/pixel-6-three-android-upda...
  - ev1 4y ago
    Nice to see that they are actually trying now, looks like only the last two flagship models covered (more or less? Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S21 FE). My unpatched experience is around the S10 line. It appears they just skipped to 20s for model #'s right after.
    - fomine3 4y ago
      S10 received latest Android 12 (very early) and receiving security updates. So it looks like your career was criminal to block updates. https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s10-plus-update-969909/ https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s10-plus-upd...
      - ev1 4y ago
        This might actually be part of the reason, interesting. Is this common in the states? The Samsung line are the only carrier (full purchased, unlocked, not leased though) provided phones I've used. Pixel and iPhone bought from source directly.
- blackoil 4y ago
  Samsung phones get 3+1 updates. Regarding bloatware, there are few un-installable apps, but I am able to change launcher/SMS/assistant app to something much better of my choice. I don't think same can be done in iPhone.
hiby007 4y ago
Well the iOS is so efficient in memory management that every new version of OS they release will run reasonably well on the older phone that Apple supports. Generally iPhone gives 4-5 years of support. So you need to replace iPhone's less often.
- winternett 4y ago
  After they were caught for slowing down older devices for years [full disclosure of course]. Android has it's issues, but phone prices should be going downward over time, not up. The core components of most competing phones are mostly made in the same factories now.
organsnyder 4y ago
Adding my anecdote: I bought an iPhone X used in 2019, after being an Android user for a decade. It replaced a Pixel XL that I had for a couple of years (received new as a warranty exchange for a faulty Nexus 6P), but which was already going out of security updates. I had the battery of my iPhone X replaced at an Apple store a couple of months ago, restoring it to essentially as-new condition. And given Apple's track record of OS updates, I expect it to be supported for some time to come. That combination of first-party repair options and long OS update support gives iOS the edge over just about every Android manufacturer, IME.
gnopgnip 4y ago
The cheapest iphones are solid. The cheapest android phones are crap. On the higher end they are more comparable.
- the_only_law 4y ago
  The cheapest android options are borderline a scam. They cant even run the OS. I switched from Android (Galaxy) to iPhone and now just recently my iPhone. Unfortunately thanks to god awful 2fa systems, I decided to get a burner phone immediately, and decide on a new daily driver later that week. Oh my God, this thing is bad. It was a $149 Nokia and the cheapest unlocked phone at the target next door. I booted up this phone, and the first thing I see, after the splash screen before any interface is presented is a bunch of dialogs about system services ceasing. Then I tried to get a few apps I typically need for the day. Google play is telling me I don't have any space on this brand new phone. Turns out it's a known bug with a solution of "reboot". Ok whatever, but now apps are telling me I don't have a SIM which is pretty odd because the OS says otherwise and the web browser could access the network just fine. This was a reported issue, but with no states causes or fixed, I ended up using a different SIM and it worked. Now, I have most things installed and working, but for a very minimal definition of working. Constant lag when trying to do things as simple as switch between apps and media streams playing long after the app playing it was closed. Also, this may just be me, but does anyone feel like Android UX has degraded. I never had isues navigating and using old Android. It took me a while to get used to iOS, and I definitely have my qualms, but the new gesture system is killing me. OS gestures and App specific gestures collide, leading to inconsistenties and annoyances. I also find myself fat fingering buttons and other UI controls more, but that may be because a bigger screen.
- lostmsu 4y ago
  That depends on a manufacturer. The dreaded Huawei made a lot of durable cheap phones. There are a few rivals with similar quality, who allow 3rd party OS.
MBCook 4y ago
I have no first hand experience to offer. But remember all the iPhones are relatively premium phones (starting about $430). People argue about the Pixel and the Galaxy and such. That hardware is probably relatively reliable. But there are also things like the BLU J9L and CellAlure Fashion C. Both are $100 new from BestBuy unlocked. Or the free-on-contract handout phones various carriers have that may be complete crap. So the Android average may be relatively bad because it’s dragged down by bargain basement junk.

ev1 4y ago

it depends heavily, I carry both on a daily basis (the iPhone is the oncall/work-pays) If you are not on the Pixel line, you're probably barely getting support measured in months. I absolutely despise most third party Android vendors. Samsung is one of the worst offenders for obnoxious unremovable bloatware, spam, etc. Rebadged AOSP browser vulnerable to everything. I don't think I've had LG phones supported for even one month after buying them. The Chinese phones are also wildly variable, like xiaomi not allowing bootloader unlocks without you signing up for their forum and begging them in a thread for months and it's entirely subjective. I've had iPhone SE (1st gen) used for years, still running currently latest stable iOS and supported up to now.

heywoodlh 4y ago
> I absolutely despise most third party Android vendors. Years ago I got a Samsung Galaxy 8 which came preloaded with CNN and Facebook. After uninstalling those apps, I poked around with adb and found services still running for CNN and Facebook. Made me also despise non-Pixel devices. For a long while my daily driver was a Pixel 4 (probably my favorite phone hardware of all time) running GrapheneOS and then eventually CalyxOS. If I were to ever switch back to Android I would 100% go back to Pixel running CalyxOS. I absolutely loved that setup. Things that keep me on iOS: - On-demand VPN. I use Wireguard and it is unnoticeable when it automatically turns on when I leave home. I was able to use Tasker on Android to unreliably replicate this functionality. - Apple Shortcuts. Android could really benefit from a first-party automation toolset, Tasker is still pretty mediocre compared to Shortcuts from my somewhat recent tinkering. - Apple is a decent steward of data and I'm encouraged by the continuing privacy features they release (Private Relay is awesome). Despite this, I try to avoid the walled garden as much as possible. Homekit is one area where I've totally invested into but could switch that out with HA if I ever switched back to Android. Things I miss from Android: - Sideloading. F-Droid is the best -- I miss sideloading so much and hope that Apple is eventually forced into allowing users to actually sideload (not the temporary 7-day renewal you are forced to do). Because of the ability to sideload you can embrace an open source ecosystem so much more than you can on iOS. - Custom, debloated roms. Aside from those drawbacks I am a big fan of both Android and iOS and find very little difference in how useful each OS is to me. EDIT: fixed formatting and minor typo
- ev1 4y ago
  This is pretty accurately my feeling. I trust Apple honestly not much, but more than Google, and I pay Apple for iCloud and know what I'm getting. Paying Google is a huge pain in the ass while Apple just collects every month off my balance - which I can also spend for physical products, which is nice. I don't have many apps and I tend to curate those that I do have, so in general not much of a heavy user such as full screen mobile gaming. My most recent experience trying to use Google Play for a purchase was "INSERT US SIM CARD TO CONTINUE" after applying the code. While in US, on a US cell tower (on eSIM). This is after applying the code, so it's been consumed and is now useless and can't be used to buy anything either. Samsung is still probably my top hated OEM. Everything from a Bixby key you can't disable and marketing you can't opt out of (mandatory push notifications from an un-uninstallable system app that deliver fullscreen image push advertising their new products) to Samsung store taking over random shortcuts and containing nothing but shitware to put it nicely, inability to unlock phones, ludicrously bad security track record, all while trying to sell you a "premium" $1.5k device
  - heywoodlh 4y ago
    > Everything from a Bixby key you can't disable Bixby is probably one of the worst things about Samsung devices. I would take Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, Clippy from Windows XP, literally any virtual assistant over Bixby. I don't even have negative experiences using Bixby -- but Samsung's UX with Bixby is more irritating than any other virtual assistant I have ever come across -- and I hate all of them.
fomine3 4y ago
LG is abandoned. Samsung is one of the best vendor about long term major/security update that's beyond Google. https://9to5google.com/2022/02/09/pixel-6-three-android-updates-no-excuses-samsung/\ https://9to5google.com/2022/02/09/pixel-6-three-android-upda...
- ev1 4y ago
  Nice to see that they are actually trying now, looks like only the last two flagship models covered (more or less? Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S21 FE). My unpatched experience is around the S10 line. It appears they just skipped to 20s for model #'s right after.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    S10 received latest Android 12 (very early) and receiving security updates. So it looks like your career was criminal to block updates. https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s10-plus-update-969909/ https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s10-plus-upd...
    - ev1 4y ago
      This might actually be part of the reason, interesting. Is this common in the states? The Samsung line are the only carrier (full purchased, unlocked, not leased though) provided phones I've used. Pixel and iPhone bought from source directly.
blackoil 4y ago
Samsung phones get 3+1 updates. Regarding bloatware, there are few un-installable apps, but I am able to change launcher/SMS/assistant app to something much better of my choice. I don't think same can be done in iPhone.

hiby007 4y ago

Well the iOS is so efficient in memory management that every new version of OS they release will run reasonably well on the older phone that Apple supports. Generally iPhone gives 4-5 years of support. So you need to replace iPhone's less often.

winternett 4y ago
After they were caught for slowing down older devices for years [full disclosure of course]. Android has it's issues, but phone prices should be going downward over time, not up. The core components of most competing phones are mostly made in the same factories now.

organsnyder 4y ago

Adding my anecdote: I bought an iPhone X used in 2019, after being an Android user for a decade. It replaced a Pixel XL that I had for a couple of years (received new as a warranty exchange for a faulty Nexus 6P), but which was already going out of security updates. I had the battery of my iPhone X replaced at an Apple store a couple of months ago, restoring it to essentially as-new condition. And given Apple's track record of OS updates, I expect it to be supported for some time to come. That combination of first-party repair options and long OS update support gives iOS the edge over just about every Android manufacturer, IME.

gnopgnip 4y ago

The cheapest iphones are solid. The cheapest android phones are crap. On the higher end they are more comparable.

the_only_law 4y ago
The cheapest android options are borderline a scam. They cant even run the OS. I switched from Android (Galaxy) to iPhone and now just recently my iPhone. Unfortunately thanks to god awful 2fa systems, I decided to get a burner phone immediately, and decide on a new daily driver later that week. Oh my God, this thing is bad. It was a $149 Nokia and the cheapest unlocked phone at the target next door. I booted up this phone, and the first thing I see, after the splash screen before any interface is presented is a bunch of dialogs about system services ceasing. Then I tried to get a few apps I typically need for the day. Google play is telling me I don't have any space on this brand new phone. Turns out it's a known bug with a solution of "reboot". Ok whatever, but now apps are telling me I don't have a SIM which is pretty odd because the OS says otherwise and the web browser could access the network just fine. This was a reported issue, but with no states causes or fixed, I ended up using a different SIM and it worked. Now, I have most things installed and working, but for a very minimal definition of working. Constant lag when trying to do things as simple as switch between apps and media streams playing long after the app playing it was closed. Also, this may just be me, but does anyone feel like Android UX has degraded. I never had isues navigating and using old Android. It took me a while to get used to iOS, and I definitely have my qualms, but the new gesture system is killing me. OS gestures and App specific gestures collide, leading to inconsistenties and annoyances. I also find myself fat fingering buttons and other UI controls more, but that may be because a bigger screen.
lostmsu 4y ago
That depends on a manufacturer. The dreaded Huawei made a lot of durable cheap phones. There are a few rivals with similar quality, who allow 3rd party OS.

MBCook 4y ago

I have no first hand experience to offer. But remember all the iPhones are relatively premium phones (starting about $430). People argue about the Pixel and the Galaxy and such. That hardware is probably relatively reliable. But there are also things like the BLU J9L and CellAlure Fashion C. Both are $100 new from BestBuy unlocked. Or the free-on-contract handout phones various carriers have that may be complete crap. So the Android average may be relatively bad because it’s dragged down by bargain basement junk.