from Hacker News

iPhone Is Inferior to Android

by technojunkie on 12/6/20, 2:45 AM with 29 comments

  • by enonevets on 12/6/20, 11:40 AM

    As a two phone user for years now, where I actively carry and heavily use both phones (iPhone Max and Pixel XL), my personal opinion is that both have their strengths and their weaknesses.

    This article is heavily biased towards what the author is use to. I've done enough comparisons with both phones over the years (even as I upgrade iPhones and Pixels) and have repeatedly done them side by side (including how apps are built slightly differently across both phones) to tell that there are strengths and weaknesses on both side. Of course I have my own biases but I also recognize each has their own strength.

    This article unfortunately leans towards the author's prior Android experience and what they are use to and not approaching the iPhone and where it shines.

    Another way of looking at this... my own opinion is that Mac OS is superior to Windows (having used both OSes). But if you are coming from Windows expecting Mac OS to behave like Windows as your barometer for why Mac OS is great or not, you're obviously going to be disappointed. That analogy plays out here.

  • by Greg_hamel on 12/6/20, 3:33 AM

    I'm not sure we are comparing Apples to Apples here... Pun intended?

    Android is an OS and iPhone is the hardware. Is the Pixel 4 XL better than the iPhone 12 Pro Max? Quite possible. Is Android better than iOS? Quite possible.

    I get the fact that iOS and the iPhone are tightly coupled, but Android is the exact opposite where software and hardware are not coupled Android implementations from manufacturer to manufacturer differs quite significantly.

    It's definitely a weird headline for an article that compares more a Google implementation to an Apple Implementation.

  • by fennecfoxen on 12/6/20, 3:12 AM

    Input + rendering latency. https://danluu.com/input-lag/

    This is the reason I switched away from Android to begin with. (I've tried it again since then and it's not as bad as it used to be, but just navigating around on Android still feels to me like a slog through mud.)

  • by calyth2018 on 12/7/20, 2:33 PM

    Honestly, these kind of articles / attitudes are just getting old.

    I went from an android guy trying out different ROMs, different home screen to someone who's tried of the slowdowns over time on a stock Nexus OS.

    Are there problems with iOS? Abso-fucking-lutely. Has my normal usage of a phone changed over time? Sure.

    Use whatever that makes you happy. If trying different roms or different homescreen is your thing, enjoy Android. I'm sure it's way more customizable.

  • by forgotmypw17 on 12/6/20, 2:54 AM

    iMessage (is that what it's called) ate SMS messages sent to me by Apple users and routed them to my iPad only...

    After I discovered that, I left the Apple world for good.

  • by mikelward on 12/6/20, 3:20 AM

    If iPhone 12 mini had USB-C, I would have bought my first iPhone in years.

    I really wanted the iPhone mini size. But my phones, laptops, and headphones all use USB-C.

    I've tried an iPhone in the store every year for ages, and the software doesn't seem like a net win. But the size is a huge draw.

  • by mikelward on 12/6/20, 3:17 AM

    I agree with most points. But on Android I install Nova Launcher and change it to "List" view to get a Rolodex letter index very similar to the iOS App Library.

    Not that iOS was first, just the Pixel Launcher isn't to my liking, and isn't very customizable.

  • by Forge36 on 12/6/20, 3:15 AM

    99% of the time. Apple works. There are no choices! I don't have to think about it.

    - reasons why my wife loves her iPhone.

    It's about trade-offs. I love Android and making it mine. My wife cannot care less. The rest of my family cannot care less (7 people total), and blamed me when their SMS/MMS stopped working.

    Sure Android is superior, maybe long-term it will win. For now: Apple knows their audience and hope to keep them happy. At the end of the day: is good enough

  • by egotripper on 12/6/20, 3:21 AM

    As a card-carrying luddite, for the last few decades I let some calls fall through to voice mail. These days callers rarely leave a message, and my conscience is clear about not calling them back.

  • by AuthorizedCust on 12/6/20, 4:05 AM

    I am the author of the post that was shared. (I am not who shared it.) Thanks to everyone for the feedback. Please feel free to leave a comment on that site if you have thoughts.