5 ms·

Would love to hear your thoughts on what makes Android "one of the most amazing platforms out there"?

by higgins 4y ago

cercatrova 4y ago
I can run apps I download from anywhere I want, for one, like I can on laptop.
- dan-robertson 4y ago
  That’s always been true of android but the parent implies that something has been changing.
  - GekkePrutser 4y ago
    The support duration has taken a leap with most vendors, also I think the UI has really matured. I'm not the OP though so not sure what they were referring to.
- YinLuck- 4y ago
  [dead]
rejectfinite 4y ago
I can run actual Firefox with ublock origin. or Bromite. or Brave. or anything really.
- SergeAx 4y ago
  Wait, they can't run uBlock Origin on iOS? But the web without it is just unusable.
  - amethyst 4y ago
    Firefox with the built-in "Enhanced Tracking Protection" gets you about 70-80% of the blocking that a dedicated adblock system can, depending on the site, and at least saves you from some of the worst behaviors. Between that and network-level ad blocking (Eero+), I really only see first-party ads like FB/IG. When I'm not at home, the chances are pretty low that I'm just casually browsing the web rather than using a dedicated app (where I probably bought or subscribed to avoid ads). Edit: and if you're willing to use Safari on iOS, there are dozens of Safari plugins on the app store that provide good-enough adblocking.
  - rejectfinite 4y ago
    Nope. Firefox does not have extensions on IOS. There is some stuff like adguard that works but eh
eternityforest 4y ago
It's in practice mostly open, anyone can make apps for it, they give you enough APIs for things like Tile to actually work, and it's pretty much hassle free. Stuff just works. It uses tiny amounts of power on cheap hardware and still is always reasonably performant. It's very discoverable and convenience oriented, there's no gestural control stuff(Aside from the hideous pull to refresh feature that I hate, which I'd imagine apple has too). Anecdotally, Bluetooth never seems to give any trouble(Aside from a rare bug where it was turning bluetooth off occasionally, which i think was specific to my phone model), wheras Apple users seem to always have complaints whenever they try to use it with random gadgets. And subjectivly the intent seems different. iOS is an appliance. A multipurpose appliance but still an appliance. It has a set of things it does and some it doesn't, and it trusts you'll be able to get by without the stuff it doesn't do. Android is a generic multitool made into a consumer friendly format. It can replace a sizable fraction of ones's material possessions. It seems to be meant to be the catch all point for everything that integrates with everything else no matter who made it. Also, hardware wise, the phones are relatively free of luxury fashion, which is a really specific aesthetic that only appeals to certain groups. All Apple's stuff has a theme, it feels like it's meant to be at home next to a whole foods bag, some Nike sneakers, or even some Supreme underwear. They're much more willing to use plastic instead of metal and things like that, instead of spending money on stuff that can't even be seen when it's in a case.
- hacym 4y ago
  I’ve been an iOS user for about 5 years now. I switched from Android because after 6 months of owning an Android-based phone it was practically unusable form a performance standpoint. The hardware companies used was low quality. The experience with Samsung, Motorola, etc. bloatware and half-baked features basically forced you to root and flash the device if you wanted a decent experience. iOS may be a walled garden, but it works. Well. My partner switched from Android a little over a year ago. These problems, on her current gen, top of the line Samsung phone, still persisted. While the quality of the hardware had definitely improved, she was essentially stuck with a phone that was seemingly trying to become obsolete. IMO, Android has a longggggg way to go before it really shakes that perception. I realize a lot of the problems aren’t Android’s fault. I’m sure they want companies to provide updates to their devices for years. I’m sure they don’t want some Bixby crap taking over. But, in the end, that’s really what you can expect from their approach.

Would love to hear your thoughts on what makes Android "one of the most amazing platforms out there"?

cercatrova 4y ago

I can run apps I download from anywhere I want, for one, like I can on laptop.

dan-robertson 4y ago
That’s always been true of android but the parent implies that something has been changing.
- GekkePrutser 4y ago
  The support duration has taken a leap with most vendors, also I think the UI has really matured. I'm not the OP though so not sure what they were referring to.
YinLuck- 4y ago
[dead]

rejectfinite 4y ago

I can run actual Firefox with ublock origin. or Bromite. or Brave. or anything really.

SergeAx 4y ago
Wait, they can't run uBlock Origin on iOS? But the web without it is just unusable.
- amethyst 4y ago
  Firefox with the built-in "Enhanced Tracking Protection" gets you about 70-80% of the blocking that a dedicated adblock system can, depending on the site, and at least saves you from some of the worst behaviors. Between that and network-level ad blocking (Eero+), I really only see first-party ads like FB/IG. When I'm not at home, the chances are pretty low that I'm just casually browsing the web rather than using a dedicated app (where I probably bought or subscribed to avoid ads). Edit: and if you're willing to use Safari on iOS, there are dozens of Safari plugins on the app store that provide good-enough adblocking.
- rejectfinite 4y ago
  Nope. Firefox does not have extensions on IOS. There is some stuff like adguard that works but eh

eternityforest 4y ago

It's in practice mostly open, anyone can make apps for it, they give you enough APIs for things like Tile to actually work, and it's pretty much hassle free. Stuff just works. It uses tiny amounts of power on cheap hardware and still is always reasonably performant. It's very discoverable and convenience oriented, there's no gestural control stuff(Aside from the hideous pull to refresh feature that I hate, which I'd imagine apple has too). Anecdotally, Bluetooth never seems to give any trouble(Aside from a rare bug where it was turning bluetooth off occasionally, which i think was specific to my phone model), wheras Apple users seem to always have complaints whenever they try to use it with random gadgets. And subjectivly the intent seems different. iOS is an appliance. A multipurpose appliance but still an appliance. It has a set of things it does and some it doesn't, and it trusts you'll be able to get by without the stuff it doesn't do. Android is a generic multitool made into a consumer friendly format. It can replace a sizable fraction of ones's material possessions. It seems to be meant to be the catch all point for everything that integrates with everything else no matter who made it. Also, hardware wise, the phones are relatively free of luxury fashion, which is a really specific aesthetic that only appeals to certain groups. All Apple's stuff has a theme, it feels like it's meant to be at home next to a whole foods bag, some Nike sneakers, or even some Supreme underwear. They're much more willing to use plastic instead of metal and things like that, instead of spending money on stuff that can't even be seen when it's in a case.

hacym 4y ago
I’ve been an iOS user for about 5 years now. I switched from Android because after 6 months of owning an Android-based phone it was practically unusable form a performance standpoint. The hardware companies used was low quality. The experience with Samsung, Motorola, etc. bloatware and half-baked features basically forced you to root and flash the device if you wanted a decent experience. iOS may be a walled garden, but it works. Well. My partner switched from Android a little over a year ago. These problems, on her current gen, top of the line Samsung phone, still persisted. While the quality of the hardware had definitely improved, she was essentially stuck with a phone that was seemingly trying to become obsolete. IMO, Android has a longggggg way to go before it really shakes that perception. I realize a lot of the problems aren’t Android’s fault. I’m sure they want companies to provide updates to their devices for years. I’m sure they don’t want some Bixby crap taking over. But, in the end, that’s really what you can expect from their approach.