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I've had an android phone for years now and it's time to upgrade (to a sim-free phone). As I have a macbook air, it probably makes sense to get an iphone, and looking around I think the best one I can get in terms of value and performance is the iphone 11. But that's £439 or thereabouts, whereas I can get an apparently high-performing long battery life android for under a £100 (like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B0C27KQRJN).
What do the good people on here think, I'd be grateful for your opinions.
My personal mobiles have always been Android ones. At my last company, for the first five years of my tenure, we were allowed to choose between the two operating systems and I always chose Android, then the policy changed and it had to be an iPhone. So, I ended up with two 'phones with different operating systems.
I loved the ergonomics and design of the iPhone but disliked the way it kept trying to foist storage options on me, plus it wasn't as user friendly as Android when I was on WhatsApp. With the Android device, it felt like I could more quickly and simply do the thing I was trying to do at the time.
Whichever you choose, these modern mobiles are truly astonishing tools.
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 08:20 - Sep 10 with 2655 views
Is paying separately for a Sim still financially worthwhile these days?
Tend to go for a new iPhone that’s a couple of years behind the market. This year got an iPhone SE2022 including SIM on a 24 month contract for £18 a month via O2 (unlimited everything and 5mb of data, accumulates any unused).
Did look at the SIM route only but they were between £10-15 a month, so buying a similar phone separately would have been at least £10 a month more expensive overall.
Just my experience but the phone companies seem to have cottoned on to the SIM only route.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 08:21 - Sep 10 with 2655 views
Thanks Arfar, I think simplicity and ease of use is a key factor. I've never owned an iphone as I said, but when I've tried to use friends ones I've always found them a bit baffling to navigate. But that could just be me being unfamiliar with them and/or a techno dolt.
Thanks Steve, to be honest I've always thought contract deals were way more expensive than £18 a month, so I've avoided them - plus I don't like being tied into a long contract. But if I get an android sim-free for under £200 and I have it for 5 years, like the one I have, then I'm still making a big saving over a contract. My sim-free deal with EE costs me a tenner a month for unlimited phone/texts and more than enough data for me. Obviously a £440 + iphone changes that equation. But I thought for the other reasons I've stated, it might be worth switching to iphone (plus good camera and so on).
iphone or android - thoughts? on 08:21 - Sep 10 by hubble
Thanks Arfar, I think simplicity and ease of use is a key factor. I've never owned an iphone as I said, but when I've tried to use friends ones I've always found them a bit baffling to navigate. But that could just be me being unfamiliar with them and/or a techno dolt.
One other consideration which may be relevant for some people is the way in which the operating system is managed by its creator.
Google is quite hands off in the way it manages Android, which I think makes it easier for Android 'phones to keep functioning years down the line. My 10 year old Android 'phone still works just fine.
Apple is far more rigorous in the way controls its operating system.
Someone more technical than me can probably explain the significance more eloquently, if they agree with me.
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 09:33 - Sep 10 with 2494 views
iphone or android - thoughts? on 08:20 - Sep 10 by stevec
Is paying separately for a Sim still financially worthwhile these days?
Tend to go for a new iPhone that’s a couple of years behind the market. This year got an iPhone SE2022 including SIM on a 24 month contract for £18 a month via O2 (unlimited everything and 5mb of data, accumulates any unused).
Did look at the SIM route only but they were between £10-15 a month, so buying a similar phone separately would have been at least £10 a month more expensive overall.
Just my experience but the phone companies seem to have cottoned on to the SIM only route.
SIM only with Lebara £5 a month, no contract. Good customer service, too, as in you call them, they answer, and fix whatever the problem is.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 12:54 - Sep 10 with 2315 views
Firstly ignore any Amazon reviews. They are totally unreliable. Secondly if you settle on an i phone wait a few weeks, there is a new model due out soon and the price of the one you want will drop quite dramatically.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 22:36 - Sep 10 with 2122 views
iPhone every day of the week for me and a cheap iPhone like the SE (its the insides of a 12 in the case of an 8 no Face ID though) is better than the cheap androids in the price bracket. A lot of the Androids these days have been forked and have a load of bloatware on them especially Samsungs, and dont by Chinese phones as Huawei and others have been kicked off the play store so only have their own with limited apps on them. When we build apps at my company its iPhone 1st then Android. If buying on a contract don't buy direct from the networks you'll get best price on a shorter contract through a 3rd party with a 2 year deal then trade it.
I've always used Android apart from one iPhone I had about ten or so years ago. Currently have Google pixel 7 pro which I got new for the equivalent of around 450 pounds. Love it and so much better value than any iPhone.
Rest of my family use iPhones. They are decent but just not worth the money the sell for IMHO.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 23:34 - Sep 10 with 2061 views
I generally go for whatever Motorola are offering in their mid range. MOTO G or whatever it is that week £100 - £250ish. Last time I spent a bit more (£300-350) and went for a Google Pixel 4 which I'm really happy with 2-3 years in, although it's started to develop an annoying "NO SIM NO SERVICE" message every now and then and you have to turn it off and on again to re-connect. I think I might go cheaper Motorola again next time I have to buy one as it basically does the same things and Google seem to have upped their prices a lot.
I use Apple computers but have never had an iPhone. I try to use my phone as little as possible as I think they're incredibly unhealthy. Although incredibly useful and I do use it an awful lot still. I actually quite like the disconnect between phone and computer. You learn a lot about Apple that way.
[Post edited 10 Sep 2023 23:36]
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 23:59 - Sep 10 with 2022 views
The other thing with android is that there is a much wider range of prices to choose from. The last phone I had was Chinese brand Xiaomi and cost me about 170 quid. Two and a half years later when I bought my current phone I sold it for about 130. Absolutely terrific phone for what I paid, good build quality, screen, speed, camera and features. Have owned a few Xiaomi phones and they've all been superb value for money. They also take two SIM cards which is really handy on overseas holidays when you can add a local SIM and not have to worry about losing your usual one.
The difference in performance between the good mid range phones and the "flagships" isn't that great or noticeable, so unless you really need the best camera you can do just fine without the top of the range stuff.
[Post edited 11 Sep 2023 3:56]
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 07:50 - Sep 11 with 1863 views
I've ended up with both a Samsung Android - which I use here - and iPhone when not here. Thus, I use both systems concurrently.
The only reason I got an Android was because a deal our provider was offering. Two years in...I won't be renewing the effing, f.....g, c.....g thing if I have a choice!!
Compared to iPhone's userbility (for someone who's not IT savvy) Androids aren't in the same post code! Twice Mrs. PH has had to calm me in the early days from smashing the thing.
I also find the keyboard on android jumpy, far more typos/misspellings compared to iPhone
Now with iPhone they do come with a lot of stuff I'll never use and can't uninstall. As mentioned above, don't buy the latest model, the bargain is in slightly older and more than capable models. Oh, and as with all these things: planned obsolescence is your ultimately infuriating nemesis.
'Always In Motion' by John Honney available on amazon.co.uk
Nous sommes L’occitane Rs!
Cant give much technical help, but I will say some years ago I switched from iPhone to Android. I last 7 weeks before I took it back and went back to my beloved iPhone. Have never swapped since.
Will probably upgrade my iPhone this month once I see the new one. I love them
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 09:22 - Sep 11 with 1744 views
Thank you all very much for your ideas and opinions. And although they are incredibly varied - pretty much the entire spectrum of opinions have been expressed on both sides, it has helped me to make up my mind. I don't want to spend a fortune on a new phone, but I do want to have the latest OS, a decent amount of memory and a fairly good (or better) camera. I've looked online at about 30 different phones, from the very cheap Chinese ones to the very expensive iphones and androids. Taking all of that into account, I like the look of the Nokia G42 5G 128GB. It's £160 and I think it has everything I need. Plus I have fond memories of the Nokias I had back in the 90s and early 2000s. So unless anyone thinks that's a terrible idea, I'll probably go for that. Thank you all again.
Probably the most well respected tech YouTuber there is put out a video last week comparing iPhone vs Android which is well worth a watch. His video gave it slightly to iPhone but he himself uses Android, as he says in his video it all depends what you want from the phone.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 10:50 - Sep 11 with 1652 views
As you've got a Macbook, you may as well go with iPhone as you say.
I prefer Android as it's a lot easier to change things on it. On my phone (S23 Ultra), if I don't like the keyboard, there's an app that lets me adjust the size of individual keys on there which is good if you keep missing the space bar like a bell. That's been useful. The battery life is great also but you can beat it by getting some mid-range Motorola with a stupidly good battery.
Android seems to be better for media too in terms of just being able to put your files on and play them with whatever media player you want. I had an iPad years ago and all that was locked down and a big faff.
On Android you can connect it to a PC and just drag and drop stuff where as iOS didn't seem to let you do that a few years ago.
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH MARTI THE REDEEMER WHO STRENGTHENS ME.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 10:52 - Sep 11 with 1645 views
iphone or android - thoughts? on 09:22 - Sep 11 by Landshark
Probably the most well respected tech YouTuber there is put out a video last week comparing iPhone vs Android which is well worth a watch. His video gave it slightly to iPhone but he himself uses Android, as he says in his video it all depends what you want from the phone.
General consensus is more tech minded people like android because it's more customisable and Apple users like that system because it just works and is familiar.
That said the android experience varies with the brand and how they adapt it. Xiaomi for example uses a version it has developed that's almost exactly the same as apple in both look and feel. In some ways you'd never guess it was android.
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 12:14 - Sep 11 with 1597 views
iphone or android - thoughts? on 09:15 - Sep 10 by R_from_afar
One other consideration which may be relevant for some people is the way in which the operating system is managed by its creator.
Google is quite hands off in the way it manages Android, which I think makes it easier for Android 'phones to keep functioning years down the line. My 10 year old Android 'phone still works just fine.
Apple is far more rigorous in the way controls its operating system.
Someone more technical than me can probably explain the significance more eloquently, if they agree with me.
" My 10 year old Android 'phone still works just fine".
It's almost certain not to have had any security updates in years so be VERY CAREFUL which apps you use.
A great way to get an iPhone is when eBay has their 15% off promotions - which they tend to have every 4 to 6 weeks.
Then go to cheapest electrical eBay store as they are usually part of the 15% promotion. They sell lots of opened never used phones
2 years ago about 1 week after the launch of the iPhone 13 I got an opened never used iPhone 12 for £454 after the discount. The phone was pristine and had 50 weeks warranty remaining.
Just a few weeks back I used the same MO to get an opened never used iPad Air (cellular) for £470
If you are happy to have a slightly older model then I’d recommend this route. The new iPhone 15 launches tomorrow so there will be some great bargains on 14s and 13s over the next month or so. Keep an eye out for the eBay 15% promotions. A good way to do that is to check the web site hotukdeals on a daily basis
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iphone or android - thoughts? on 13:54 - Sep 11 with 1472 views
For me it's not so much about the device (they are all so good these days) but about the apps. Android is open source and I understand is much more susceptible to malware, hackers etc obtaining your details.
For example, why does a simple torch/flashlight app need to have access to your contacts, photo's, texts, location and so on. It doesn't, but people happily click 'allow' and voila!... your phone and personal details (and those in your contacts) are now compromised.
I believe Apple apps are much tighter and hackers will focus on android users.
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