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.
First one is a bit of a cliche. Privacy. It is better on the iPhone in my opinion. I trust Apple more than I trust Google. It repeatedly asks and reminds you if you want to continue to grant permissions at times. I don’t recall Android asking me this once I set permissions. There are also nuances in app settings panels related to this where if I disable location and an app requires that I re-enable, it directs you to the settings page but often it’s the wrong place and digging for where to re-enable this can be different for each app on Android. For iOS, the settings preferences, though more limited, is much more polish and user friendly.
Most of the time if there is an app that exists on both phones, I find 9 out of 10 times the UX or experience is better on the iPhone version (personal preference). The exception being Google specific apps most of the time. Though rare, I also tend to find that there are weird bugs that occur where some apps crashes on the Android side but works on the iPhone side. It’s rare the reverse is true. Both these factors could be related to the way app development is done on each phone as I assume most app developers are not trying to create minor UX differences on purpose.
There are way more iOS exclusive apps I use than Android exclusive apps and it’s not that this is intentional but that simply Android sometimes just don’t offer an app.
I don’t view iMessage as a con you need to undo per your message in another thread, though I acknowledge it going to limbo if you try to move off is a pain. I like handover where calls and text are across devices (especially since I use a Mac and iPad, and have an Apple Watch too). This also means my watch notifications only triggers because of iOS, not with Android even though I believe Android still have a superior notification system overall. I recognize that’s a nuance because I don’t use Android Wear but Android Wear isn’t a valid contender.
Like you, I choose Pixels because I prefer the raw Google experience and most up to date updates (so I don’t buy 3rd party branded Androids with their alternative versions of Android) but that also means I’m not looking to heavily modify my phone out of the book either (downloading stuff to change the UX, launcher, etc).
I also don’t use Firefox as I prefer Chrome on all my devices but there are nuances in the way Safari loads some things that just works better (videos in my opinion and the built in controls on iOS, even when using Chrome on iOS, is better in this regard).
You mentioned the permanent back button as a preference. This is one thing that annoys me to no end on Android. It would be less of an annoyance if there was a permanent forward button as there are times that I accidentally trigger it with no way back but there isn’t. And again, I’m not looking to download something to tweak the UI to include that. On iOS, you might be right that the position of the controls may differ for each app (though I can’t think of that ever been something I noticed) but it’s nice that it includes both forward and backward options whenever I am trying to navigate or accidentally back out of something.
Like I said, you can highlight lots of pros and cons on both sides, way beyond your list or mine, and it’ll come down to personal preference, but there are benefits to the iPhone experience that I value as much as there are in the Pixel experience.
Please forgive any typos, I’m typing on a phone.
EDIT: FWIW, because I use both phones, I have modified my workflow such that I see less and less of these nuances and try to optimize as best as I can the optimal experience of using both. In most cases these days, I have some apps installed on Android only and some on iPhone only because of the difference in experience.
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.)
After I discovered that, I left the Apple world for good.
I forgot I'd done this already (already had a message from them in my history), but it will probably be helpful for anyone else.
I've added it to my KB.
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.
The iPhone 12 is compatible with USB PD, which is nice. My Lightning cable plugged into my USB C brick means fast charging. But why be USB PD compatible and not just go all the way?
Not that iOS was first, just the Pixel Launcher isn't to my liking, and isn't very customizable.
I last tried the Nova Launcher when I last had a Samsung phone, more than two years ago. At the time, it seemed inelegant. Sounds like it's improved?
- 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
There are many posts on Hacker News about how it's been getting worse for years.
The M1 may signal a change. We'll see.
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.
I was loose with terminology, preferring to reflect what people commonly say, rather than strict precision. I have added an explanation near the top.
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.
Now my phone is a tool that I use for work and my side projects. Not to mention that I have a family that depends on me and I on them. We need to be able to get in touch.
It's like your college football rivalry, or GOP / Dem, or whatever us v. them you're into these days. I suppose we're wired emotionally for such things. And there's nothing like emotion to get clicks!
