Going back to Android from iOS

I spent the last year on iOS. I had a Samsung Note 2 and switched to the iPhone 5S when it came out last year. Here are my reasons of the switch. Text wrapped like this In orange is my solution when switching back to Android.

• I hate how slow (if it existed) the Android updates we rolled out on devices. With iOS, assuming you have the last 2 generations, you will have access to iOS updates as they are released. Yes, I can root the device, but I don’t have to do that with iOS to benefit from it. (I tend to upgrade phones almost every year. I guess it isn't a big deal gaining access to the latest Android version. I could always root it but I'm lazy. If there is a feature I'm after, I will consider it.)
• iOS apps, to me, are of higher “quality”. (After a year, more developers are creating higher quality apps… hopefully. I could also stop installing free, ad supported apps that drain my battery and pay. Apps aren't that expensive and if useful, I should support the developer by purchasing it.)
• iOS messages integrate across devices (Apple devices). This is great because I can send/reply/receive to SMS messages on the phone, my Macbook Pro, my iMac, or my iPad. (It looks like devices running Android 4.4 or higher have integrated Hangouts with messaging. I just can't bring over my messages from iOS.)
• iOS has less bloatware (Stocks, Passbook, Newsstand – I guess to some these are useful). Compared to Samsung (TouchWiz), HTC (Sense), and the other manufacturers who add their own useless, resource taking extras on top of Android. I am aware of Google Play Edition phones but unfortunately they do not work for my provider, Verizon. (I considered switching providers to AT&T and T-Mobile so that I can use Google Play Edition phones but their coverage (data) isn't great compared to what I get with Verizon. Data coverage is more important to me.)
• Many of my relatives overseas are using iOS. Instead of creating/showing them how to use Google Hangouts (which is cross platform), it was easier to communicate using FaceTime. (Initially, I thought I would use it frequently. I rarely used it on my iPhone. I ended using my iPad on wifi.)

Here are my reasons why I’m going back to Android.

• To conserve on bandwidth usage and hitting my monthly cap fast, I ended up downloading Youtube videos locally to decrease my Youtube usage when away from a wifi signal. Unfortunately, with iOS, you have to go through iTunes and 1 computer. I use several computers daily from my laptop, my desktop at work, and my desktop at home. It’s such a chore to get the videos over to my phone since I always have to use my laptop because that’s where my phone is sync to. In short, you are a slave to iTunes and one computer. Android devices mount as an external device on your computer, doesn’t matter which one. I can easily drag files over. I’ve heard of people using BTsync as well.
• 16GB capacity is becoming unusable nowadays – at least for me. Apps are getting larger, taking more pics and videos. You can get an Android device of double the size and sometimes more, for a lower cost. Even if you get a 16GB Android device, the money you save, you can purchase a Micro SD card to increase your storage. You can’t do that on an iPhone.
• Google Now has improved and I feel it’s better than Siri.
• The data part of the iPhone gets disabled when you’re on a phone call. Emails don’t come in, MMS, you can’t browse the internet. Android allows you to do that. It is not limited to the network, it’s iOS.
• Android handles multitasking better. These are very expensive smart devices. Let them make your lives easier not just play Candy Crush or taking selfies.
• In iOS, you are limited to transferring photos and other iOS devices. You can’t even use bluetooth to transfer files to and from iOS and Mac OSX. This simple task becomes trivial. It may be allowed when iOS8 is released but it’s still limited to Apple products.

That somewhat summarizes why I’ll be going back to Android. This is not to steer you in any direction. I’m merely sharing my experiences. Keep in mind that the way I use my devices may differ from you, so our expectations will not be the same. I was waiting for the IFA 2014 event in Berlin to see what Samsung will announce (Note 4). Unfortunately, the new features on the Note 4 didn’t really impress me. So I plan to get a LG G3.

I guess one last great thing about iPhones is the high resell value.