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The biggest reason for me using Android is simply because of how much competition there is in the space. If I use Apple products and don't like something they d

by xmprt 1y ago

The biggest reason for me using Android is simply because of how much competition there is in the space. If I use Apple products and don't like something they do then I'm stuck on an older version at best and need to migrate everything from their walled garden (at great cost) at worst. With Android, I can use Samsung one generation, switch to Pixel the next, and give Motorola/some other smaller company a chance later. I can choose a phone that has the exact features I want - better battery life? great camera? best performance? great display? cheap price? smaller display? larger display? There's a phone for each of those.

snowwrestler 1y ago
What would be the “great cost” of moving from an iPhone to an Android phone? I’m struggling to think of what would cost money at all, aside from the phone itself.
- viraptor 1y ago
  Time and existing apps I already paid for. Even upgrading to a new Android phone costs me a few hours of setup. Moving to iPhone (or the other way) would be seriously painful.
- xmprt 1y ago
  There's no straightforward way to migrate between an iPhone and Android so you'd spend a lot of time. Also I'm not sure if it's even possible to fully move over - for example would you be able to export your iMessages? Also, if you're fully bought into the ecosystem with Airpods and a Watch, you'd be better off replacing those (at least the watch which turns into a paperweight without an iPhone).
  - killingtime74 1y ago
    I've migrated back and forth. Most things are backup to cloud now. Only thing missing was Signal messages last time and I think they now fixed that. Do people still use plain SMS now?
    - acoustics 1y ago
      iMessage is extraordinarily popular in the US. Its userbase dwarfs Signal by over an order of magnitude
      - killingtime74 1y ago
        Ah fair enough. Not as many use it here in Australia
        yzydserd 1y ago
        Is there data behind that or is it just anecdata? A year ago someone on HN said “I can confirm that iMessage is extremely common in Australia. WhatsApp is very uncommon, outside of people with European (and maybe South American?) friends or family to keep in touch with.” https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39365562 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39365562 My guess is you’re both expressing truths of your individual social circles but making unjustified extrapolations to an entire nation.
        dboreham 1y ago
        iMessage is very popular in the US but 90% of users just think they are "texting". There's no other way to send an SMS for them.
        realusername 1y ago
        I can also confirmed that iMessage is basically unused in France. (And that was a core argument in the EU of Apple against the DMA for iMessage, so even Apple admits its low usage in the EU) The issue with iMessage outside the US is the branding, it's branded as an SMS app and SMS being dead (outside of ads and delivery drivers) doesn't help for adoption.
        immibis 1y ago
        iMessage is popular in the US because everyone has an iPhone because everyone has iMessage and everyone connects it to social status - network effects. The same reason (besides the social status) everyone uses WhatsApp in Europe. This has more to do with the way the iPhone was launched, and the American desire to own the most expensive product, than any technical merits.
  - freehorse 1y ago
    That’s only if you are deep into one ecosystem or the other, or you don’t want to start with a clean state. Taking the time to move some basic apps and install the rest in time as you need them does not take much.
  - Melatonic 1y ago
    Personally I don't care if old messages migrate from one phone to the other (can always boot up the old phone if necessary). I sync all my contacts to my Google account which can easily be added on Android or iPhone. So far works great !
- whyenot 1y ago
  > need to migrate everything from their walled garden (at great cost) It's not just about migrating the phone, if you own an Apple Watch, AirPods, one of their laptops, their online services, etc. all that stuff works best within the Apple ecosystem. If you move they don't work as well (if at all) and you may need to replace them. If you are deeply bought in to Apple products, it really isn't that easy to move.
- FireBeyond 1y ago
  The lost cost of the apps and purchases you've invested in that you will likely now need to re-purchase?

by xmprt 1y ago

snowwrestler 1y ago

What would be the “great cost” of moving from an iPhone to an Android phone? I’m struggling to think of what would cost money at all, aside from the phone itself.

viraptor 1y ago
Time and existing apps I already paid for. Even upgrading to a new Android phone costs me a few hours of setup. Moving to iPhone (or the other way) would be seriously painful.
xmprt 1y ago
There's no straightforward way to migrate between an iPhone and Android so you'd spend a lot of time. Also I'm not sure if it's even possible to fully move over - for example would you be able to export your iMessages? Also, if you're fully bought into the ecosystem with Airpods and a Watch, you'd be better off replacing those (at least the watch which turns into a paperweight without an iPhone).
- killingtime74 1y ago
  I've migrated back and forth. Most things are backup to cloud now. Only thing missing was Signal messages last time and I think they now fixed that. Do people still use plain SMS now?
  - acoustics 1y ago
    iMessage is extraordinarily popular in the US. Its userbase dwarfs Signal by over an order of magnitude
    - killingtime74 1y ago
      Ah fair enough. Not as many use it here in Australia
      - yzydserd 1y ago
        Is there data behind that or is it just anecdata? A year ago someone on HN said “I can confirm that iMessage is extremely common in Australia. WhatsApp is very uncommon, outside of people with European (and maybe South American?) friends or family to keep in touch with.” https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39365562 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39365562 My guess is you’re both expressing truths of your individual social circles but making unjustified extrapolations to an entire nation.
        dboreham 1y ago
        iMessage is very popular in the US but 90% of users just think they are "texting". There's no other way to send an SMS for them.
        realusername 1y ago
        I can also confirmed that iMessage is basically unused in France. (And that was a core argument in the EU of Apple against the DMA for iMessage, so even Apple admits its low usage in the EU) The issue with iMessage outside the US is the branding, it's branded as an SMS app and SMS being dead (outside of ads and delivery drivers) doesn't help for adoption.
        immibis 1y ago
        iMessage is popular in the US because everyone has an iPhone because everyone has iMessage and everyone connects it to social status - network effects. The same reason (besides the social status) everyone uses WhatsApp in Europe. This has more to do with the way the iPhone was launched, and the American desire to own the most expensive product, than any technical merits.
- freehorse 1y ago
  That’s only if you are deep into one ecosystem or the other, or you don’t want to start with a clean state. Taking the time to move some basic apps and install the rest in time as you need them does not take much.
- Melatonic 1y ago
  Personally I don't care if old messages migrate from one phone to the other (can always boot up the old phone if necessary). I sync all my contacts to my Google account which can easily be added on Android or iPhone. So far works great !
whyenot 1y ago
> need to migrate everything from their walled garden (at great cost) It's not just about migrating the phone, if you own an Apple Watch, AirPods, one of their laptops, their online services, etc. all that stuff works best within the Apple ecosystem. If you move they don't work as well (if at all) and you may need to replace them. If you are deeply bought in to Apple products, it really isn't that easy to move.
FireBeyond 1y ago
The lost cost of the apps and purchases you've invested in that you will likely now need to re-purchase?