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Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

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Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#21

Post by stranded22 »

don-code wrote: post #8

I can point to my phone as being one of those devices that's _lost_ functionality over the past ten years. Losing functionality is not bad in and of itself, if I stand to gain something in excess of what I lost, but that hasn't happened. Consider when I made the switch from a Treo 650 to an HTC Sensation (yes, I had that Treo a _long_ time): I sacrificed the hard keyboard and exceptionally easy-to-use operating syste…

Re cassette adapter- get a aux to Bluetooth adapter, power by cigarette lighter. I did this with my old 2009 Honda and the cd/aux - worked well either pairing. The adapters don’t cost very much.

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#22

Post by nolist_policy »

dbl000 wrote: post #9

This is why I'm looking at an iPhone as my next device when my current phone gives up the ghost. If you're going to force me into a walled garden then I might get one that offers the most "social interoperability" where I live, and has a nicer (imo) ecosystem built around it. The section on copy pasted designs really hit home for me. Android phones used to be the wild west of experimentation and phones that were cool…

Wait what?

Android phones are more open than ever with the recent EU laws and Google anti-trust rulings. Android and iOS are not at all comparable in that aspect.

Android phones receive longer updates than ever.

Android phones are more innovative than ever with all these foldables.

Android phones consistently have better specs than iPhones at the same price point.

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#24

Post by jemmyw »

I don't think I agree with this article at all. Yes, it's true that the modding scene has largely gone away, and that's a shame. But Android is still the platform that things are tried out on. There are cheap phones like the Nothing phone doing stuff with customization and LED lighting. There are flip phones and foldables. Android gets the more interesting camera stuff before Apple does. Some things have gone away or gone the same path as the iPhone, especially if you look at Samsung who are Apple's main competitor. My most recent Android phone is from Oppo and has the best camera I've had on a phone, a really fantastic battery life, and it was cheaper than the last 3. And I can still install the browser I like with full ad-blocking, I can still replace the launcher, and I can still use alternate app stores.

Companies make what they think people will buy. Not enough people cared about certain features so things moved on.

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#25

Post by aceazzameen »

nolist_policy wrote: post #22
dbl000 wrote: post #9

This is why I'm looking at an iPhone as my next device when my current phone gives up the ghost. If you're going to force me into a walled garden then I might get one that offers the most "social interoperability" where I live, and has a nicer (imo) ecosystem built around it. The section on copy pasted designs really hit home for me. Android phones used to be the wild west of experimentation and phones that were cool…

Wait what? Android phones are more open than ever with the recent EU laws and Google anti-trust rulings. Android and iOS are not at all comparable in that aspect. Android phones receive longer updates than ever. Android phones are more innovative than ever with all these foldables. Android phones consistently have better specs than iPhones at the same price point.

Specs peaked years ago. I don't want anything new phones have to offer, other than maybe a screen that isn't cracked, or a newer battery, etc. New Androids are a downgrade in functional hardware features and software customization compared to older flagships. I don't need a screen that folds, built-in AI, or a marginally better camera with heavier post processing.

When the day comes that I'm forced into buying a new phone again, I'm with the others above. I'm not getting an overpriced Google branded iPhone clone sold by an ad company. I'd rather finally make the move to get an actual iPhone or go back to dumb phones.

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#27

Post by darthrupert »

JohnFen wrote: post #19
dbl000 wrote: post #9

This is why I'm looking at an iPhone as my next device when my current phone gives up the ghost. If you're going to force me into a walled garden then I might get one that offers the most "social interoperability" where I live, and has a nicer (imo) ecosystem built around it. The section on copy pasted designs really hit home for me. Android phones used to be the wild west of experimentation and phones that were cool…

I won't be replacing my android phone either. But I'm also not going to the iPhone. I don't find anything in that ecosystem any more attractive than android. Instead, I'll be forgoing a smartphone entirely. I've been keeping close track on my smartphone usage, and there is literally nothing I use it for that is actually necessary, so giving it up seems like an easy win.

How are you doing MFA, or don't you need it?

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#28

Post by darthrupert »

MaxPock wrote: post #7

Android lost its edge when Huawei was denied access to the Play Store. Huawei was the driving force behind true innovation in the Android ecosystem and one of its biggest contributors. Even today, my 2019 P30 Pro holds its own against the latest flagships—a testament to the kind of progress we lost.

Your last paragraph is evidence how nobody in the smartphone sector, including Huawei, has innovated in the last 6 years.

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#29

Post by JohnFen »

darthrupert wrote: post #27
JohnFen wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't be replacing my android phone either. But I'm also not going to the iPhone. I don't find anything in that ecosystem any more attractive than android. Instead, I'll be forgoing a smartphone entirely. I've been keeping close track on my smartphone usage, and there is literally nothing I use it for that is actually necessary, so giving it up seems like an easy win.

How are you doing MFA, or don't you need it?

I only use one-time code stuff, and I don't need a smartphone to do that. Even if I expand to other MFA types, I can't think of one that actually requires a smartphone to perform. A smartphone is a convenience, yes, but not a necessity for me as near as I can tell.

Re: Android Isn't the Anti-iPhone Anymore

#30

Post by eighthourblink »

specproc wrote: post #14
eadmund wrote: post #2

100%. I miss the days when my phone was my phone, not Google’s. And of course nowadays a Windows computer really belongs to Microsoft, and an Apple computer belongs to Apple. At least my Linux box is mine. Well, mine and Lennart’s.

Linux is going super strong in 2025, I'd say we're in the best health we've ever been. Totally usable on desktop, so many vibrant distros that all bring something different. The phone situation is so tragic, they're so central to our lives but so utterly awful.

I was sooooo interested in Linux phones over the last couple years. Following the Pinephone and various other Distro that were tailored for mobile and it just didnt go anywhere.

Even with things like Waydroid that allows to run Android Apps on top of the distro. Im very hoping that in years, this will change. I love my OnePlus 9 + Murena OS with its built-in tracker blocker.

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