My first smartphone was a Palm Pilot Treo. It wasn’t good. It was slow, difficult to use and generally not worth the money. When I continued to spend time dissatisfied with the Treo, I decided it was in my best interest to find a better option.
At the time, the better option was the iPhone 3G. I quickly realized what a smartphone is. The iPhone was orders of magnitude better than the Treo. Even better, it simply worked. When I wanted to do something, my iPhone did it for me. Everything you couldn’t do with Treo, now you can do it easily. That’s wonderful.
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That marriage lasted about a year. From the moment I first touched that iPhone to the day I jumped on Apple’s ship, I was just as frustrated with the iPhone as I was with the Treo.
what? How is that possible? The Treo was a piece of garbage, but the iPhone actually worked. How did I end up in a similar situation? Let me explain.
1. Android is highly customizable
I didn’t always like doing things Apple’s way. In fact, this is the biggest problem I’ve always had with Apple products. The iPhone does things Apple’s way, so you don’t have a choice in this regard. It didn’t take me long to realize that Apple’s philosophy didn’t mesh well with mine. The problem was that with the iPhone, I had no choice but to follow Apple’s approach.
It made me uncomfortable in every sense of the word.
In 2009, I discovered a mobile platform called Android. This allows you to tweak the operating system to make it look and behave in a way that best suits your needs.
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I don’t agree with everything Google does, but I agree with how they handle the mobile platform. With Android, you don’t always have to stick to Google’s way. For example, if you don’t like the Pixel home screen app, you can install any number of third-party home screen apps from the Google Play Store. Don’t like Gmail? Install something else. Want to use a cloud service other than Google? Install something like next cloud and connect it to your server.
If there’s some customization you’d like to work on with your Android phone, you can probably do it.
2. Android is more intuitive
I know this is subjective, but every time I pick up my iPhone, the UI feels pretty confusing. Yes, I have been using Android for a long time and have become accustomed to its ecosystem. However, I also use MacOS, so I understand how Apple’s operating system works.
For example, on Android, the universal back gesture works across all apps on your phone. Swipe left to return to your previous location. However, on iOS, this doesn’t work for all apps and is inconsistent.
When comparing iOS and Android, I always feel that Android’s approach makes sense, but iOS often confuses me.
3. Android is more flexible
Not only do you not have to do things the Apple or Google way, but Android is more flexible. Consider the following: You can connect Android to almost any operating system with very little effort. For example, many Linux distributions include tools such as KDE Konnect and GSConnect that allow you to connect your Android device to your Linux desktop or laptop to share files, interact, and view notifications. Included.
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The same applies to Windows and MacOS. try that With iPhone, you don’t need to install any third-party software. Yes, iOS is great at interacting with MacOS because Apple designed it to work that way. But when it comes to integrating with other platforms, iOS isn’t as capable as Android.
4. Cost and variation
I purchased a Pixel 9 Pro. After I traded in my Pixel 8 Pro, the phone cost me about $400. Find such deals on the latest and greatest iPhones. cheapest iPhone 16 starts at $799. And the cheapest Apple phone you can get is iPhone SE is $429.
Compare this to some of the cheaper Android smartphones on the market. Many of them sell for less than half the price of the SE. This is the main reason why Android holds the global mobile market share. Hundreds of millions of people around the world can’t afford an iPhone.
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Whenever you need a new phone, you’re not limited to devices sold by Apple or any single vendor. I like it. Several manufacturers make Android smartphones, including Nothing, OnePlus, Doogee, Motorola, Samsung, and Asus. Each model comes with a variation of the Android theme and is available for far less than any phone sold by Apple. Most of these vendors have cheap cell phones in their lineup.
5. Custom ROM
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (left), Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (center), OnePlus Open (right).
Kelly Wang/ZDNET
OK, I confess it’s been a long time since I replaced stock Android with a custom ROM, but it’s still possible. What is a custom ROM? Basically, a custom ROM is a different version of Android with different features, faster updates, better performance, and more.
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Yes, installing a custom ROM is difficult, but the fact that it’s possible shows that Android smartphones are much more flexible than iPhones.
6. Google integration
I’ve used both Google and Apple’s cloud options and have always found Google to be much better. In addition to that, I use Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Keep, Google Maps, etc., and I find that Android’s seamless integration with the entire Google ecosystem exceeds iOS integration. Ta. Sure, we have iCloud, but I’ve always felt that iCloud doesn’t do much for productivity. You can also install Google apps on iOS, but the integration is less than on Android.
7. Notification
iOS’s notification system pales in comparison to Android’s approach. Android’s much more granular approach to notifications also allows for more control. iOS requires the simplest notification method, while Android provides a system that can be as simple or complex as you want. If you’re a detail-oriented person, Android’s notification system will come in handy.
