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102 comments

  • Apple controls what may be installed on iphones with an iron fist. Did you know there is only one option for a web browser? Chrome, Firefox, and other apparent alternatives are actually re-skinned Safari. They don't want to allow real competition to their own browser. This is certainly not the only case where they use app store approval powers to block competition.

    Plus Apple takes 15-30% of every transaction on iphones. That includes payments in the app store, and also in-app purchases. Sure they have to fund the store, but given that Apple has an absolute monopoly over iphone app distribution this seems predatory to me.

    Apple is anticompetitive, and seems to have little regard for their responsibility as a platform provider to allow application diversity to flourish.

    So Google has a similar app store approval process, and takes basically the same percentage from transactions. But they are much more generous in what they allow in their store in terms of competing apps. And most importantly, Google does not have a monopoly on Android app distribution. You don't need to do any jailbreaking to set up F-Droid, or to install apps from the web.

    It's true that the vast majority of Android users use Google's app store. And I think that Google taking a cut of in-app purchases is also predatory. Apps should be able to not use Google Pay, and to not pay Google a cut. But the fact that there are other options puts a limit on how much Google can block competition, and gives some option for publishers to avoid that 15-30% cut.

  • Nothing except the fact that I have absolutely no desire to use an iPhone or, indeed, any Apple products at all.

  • Privacy and security through custom ROMs like CalyxOS and GrapheneOS, which are the number one reason why I use Android. However, the average person doesn't necessarily care about their digital privacy or security.

    As for reasons to use Android that the average person may care about, there is a greater variety of device options to choose from when it comes to Android. Many different companies produce Android devices, including eco-friendly options like the FairPhone!

    In addition, another advantage of using Android is the ability to side-load apps. I can easily install and use apps that are not available on the Google Play store, such as Thunder, my Lemmy client, which I use daily. Moreover, even if an app is not available in my region on the Play store, I can still use it by side-loading.

    Another feature I appreciate is the direct access to internal storage through a USB cable, eliminating the need for any additional software. For managing my apps, Shelter is a must-have for me. It allows me to separate my personal apps from my work apps without creating a completely separate device profile, and I can easily disable the work apps whenever needed so I don't receive notifications.

    You can even use iMessage on Android via apps like BlueBubbles or AirMessage. Even FaceTime works on Android, natively so long as an iPhone user sends you a link first.

  • Apple really doesn't offer me anything I want to do above and beyond what Android offers that makes the cost of transition worth it. I've been on Android for 13 years, I'm very used to it, know all the tricks. I like the level of control Android gives, I've loaded custom roms in the past and I side load apps now. I've also never had a (modern) Apple product and never had the need to set up any Apple accounts, so it'd be a pain starting completely fresh.

  • I won't buy Apple hardware as long as they keep being absolute dicks in the tech and app world. It's a shame really, because they build awesome devices, but I would feel bad everytime I use them.

    Also they are much more restricted in many aspects (e.g. sideloading!), so it would be a downgrade for me.

  • For me it's the price first, the interface second. I find anything Apple very counterintuitive to use.

    In saying that- I'm reading all these amazing answers here and realising how much I've taken for granted. I didn't know "side loading" was a thing though I've done it many times. If I'm understanding things right- you can't install whatever you want on an iPhone???? Crazy. I definitely wouldn't want a phone like that.

    Also, someone mentioned accessing the phone via a usb cable. Another thing I took for granted! Hey! I even have portable USBC storage drives I can plug and transfer files to/from my phone and to my computer if I wish.

  • I don't like iOS. I have one as my work phone and I dislike it.

    I dislike that I can't sideload apps (yes there's testflight but it sucks). A huge portion of apps I use are from F-Droid or GitHub. I dislike how iOS handles the home screen and app placements. I absolutely HATE iOS notifications, they're atrocious compared to how they're handled on Android.

    I like Android, I like my Galaxy Fold, a lot would have to change for me to ever consider an iPhone.

    • Could you elaborate a little bit why you like Android notifications more?

      • iOS notifications are trash. On android you can two finger pull to expand and see more, you can hold to go to settings to mute. Better interaction in apps straight from notifications.

        On iOS I'll clear my notifications, then later in the day they're somehow back if I scroll up, I hate that.

    1. My first smartphone and every one after has been android.
    2. I like being able to download APK files and installing them without having to jailbreak or root my device. I don't live in Europe, so I don't get the option for the iphone that allows you to side load apps whenever the feature comes there (if it hasn't already) and I don't trust them not to make it block that feature the second you are not connected to a European cell service/signal.
    3. I cannot say with certainty that I'd be able to find anything like F-Droid on ios, let alone my favorite apps from there (like OpenStreetMap or Aegis). Also, the whole jailbreak thing is off-putting when I could just root an android much more easily.
    4. I am already set up in the android ecosystem currently (until something a lot better like a decent Linux based mobile OS comes) and don't wanna switch and have to buy any apps just to get a similar experience on android.
    5. I also don't like how whenever the EU forces apple (and other companies) to switch to USB-C charging ports (if they already haven't yet), I couldn't make use of it because, again, I ain't in the EU. I also do not feel like ordering a phone from another continent and having it shipped over, especially if there's no guarantees the features I want even work on American telecommunications infrastructure.

  • First of all, the cost. An iPhone does nothing more than an Android but costs significantly more.

    Second, Android is a more open platform. I can rip apart the OS and look at its guts. I can alter it or replace it altogether. I can make my hardware do exactly what I need it to do, the way I want it done.

    Lastly, I can fix the hardware if it breaks and do not need to buy an entirely new phone.

  • I picked up a cheap ipad just to experiment with and find what all the fuss was about. My first thought was that this feels like a nerfed/kiddie version of a real device. Everything is walled off so you can't change anything that had a chance of borking it up.

    I mean, proper Nix systems you could theoretically run 'sudo rm -rf /' and at most it might ask if you're really sure, and then duitifully comply...

  • There's a lot of features on a pixel that I'd miss out on in an iphone.

    However, the biggest is the back gesture.

    I love the back gesture, I just swipe from the side to go back a page instead of reaching allll the way to the top left to go back.

    I can also actually develop on this without paying $2,000 for a Mac.

    I prefer the openness of android as well.

  • Right now I'm using a custom ROM, ~10 magisk modules, 2 Xposed modules and a handful of other things that require root.. My phone is almost 5 years old and I am on the latest Android version with no signs of community support stopping. Half my apps are open source, and the paid, proprietary ones are actually affordable hobby projects (and not VC backed startups) with one time payments and worth the price.

    I can load up a non-Android Linux distro on it and everything except the camera will work. Mainline kernel, too.

    And I didn't need to take out a loan to buy it.

102 comments