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As a recent convert from 3GS (yes iOS6) to Sony Xperia Z3 Compact I strongly disagree. There is so much weirdness in Android that I don't even know where to beg
by sleepyhead 12y ago
As a recent convert from 3GS (yes iOS6) to Sony Xperia Z3 Compact I strongly disagree. There is so much weirdness in Android that I don't even know where to begin. A big chunk of it is the ecosystem though but Google is to blame here as well. Mainly for the lack of privacy (seems like 70% of apps I try to install wants access to my contacts at install-time. And the design. Oh god how many ugly things in the Play Store). The openness is Android isn't an openness in practice. You would assume CalDAV and CardDAV would be a native feature like in iOS. Nope. You would assume you could uninstall non-critical apps. Nope. You would think 1Password could integrate itself to Chrome like on iOS? Nope. The back button is a story in itself. Go back? Exit app? Go to another app? The russian roulette back button got you covered. The way of selecting text in various places is also implemented in a similar mysterious way. And then you have whoever made the phone (Sony in my case) adding shit. Not only apps but core behaviours. When I long press on the home button Sony decided that Google Now could be easily available. Which is useful. But also they have Sony Whats New which is some weird little app that showcases some various content for sale from Sony. On the main button on the screen.
I can totally understand why people for various reasons would like not be in Apple's walled garden or don't like how Apple things work. But Android is a very poor alternative. It doesn't give us the truly open system that we as users deserve. It has a horrible broken ecosystem in regards to privacy, design and annoyance (ads, ads everywhere). Google enforces their own products beyond just "hey look at this cool youtube thing" in a way that is much beyond what Apple does.
Yes I do really like stuff Apple produces but was really looking forward to use an open mobile OS. But the whole experience with Android and Google has left me very negative to use anything from Google again.
- Brakenshire 12y ago> seems like 70% of apps I try to install wants access to my contacts at install-time How does iOS handle this?
- ErikHuisman 12y agoIssues a permission confirmation the moment the app tries to access contacts (once).
- m_mueller 12y agoNot parent, but: it asks for every permission separately at runtime (on first time usage). That might seem a hassle, but IMO it's much better this way. Apps tend to be much more conservative in order to not disturb their users too much with permission questions, and they also have fallback modes for every permission that's not critical - a Maps app will still work without location data for example.
- wlesieutre 12y agoTo give an example, consider a document scanning app that has a feature where you can sign up for a DocuScans account and use it to share scanned documents with other people who use the same app. A useless feature, as far as I'm concerned. But on Android, the app will demand access to all of my contacts at install time, just in case I ever wanted to use it. And then I have no idea what else they might be doing with it. On iOS, the app doesn't have permission to get my contacts until it asks for it. Using Dropbox for your scanned documents instead of the DocuScans sharing system? Then the app will never request permission to access your contacts.
- hokkos 12y agoJust in time pop-up to authorize when the app ask for it.
- m_mueller 12y agoThanks for your feedback. The thing about permissions being an install time decision is also what makes me weary about Android - I imagine it would happen quite often that I have to make a decision between using an App that would be really useful or even required right now and giving it my addresses, which I really don't want. That's something iOS does much better and I wonder how much of a downside it would be in real life usage.