I don't want to switch to something that costs more and that I like less?
inability to unlock bootloader and run custom rom
not having enough money to buy iPhone
why is this post getting downvoted?
I think it's being down voted because of the way it is phrased, it comes across as "You obviously should switch to iPhone so why don't you?"
I don't want to switch because I find iPhones and the UI to be bland and boring, the ecosystem is too locked down and there's little to no customisation. Plus there is a lot of snobbery around apple products and that doesn't sit well with me.
"You obviously should switch to iPhone so why don't you?"
Ahh now I see.
Also this is the second similar post I've seen recently. I think heblast one was, "iPhone users, why do you love your iPhone more than Android?" Or something. Made me suspicious of it being an ad. At the very least, I didn't think a second thread was needed.
It would be hilarious if the OP was the same person ๐คฃ.
Why should I downgrade?
Apple's stuff is:
Locked down hard, meaning you get completely vendor-locked-in, and you can't install alternative OS (there is none I think) or even apps from different sources without voiding warranty or using unsupported, unreliable hacks like jailbreaks for specific models.
Privacy-invading. Sure, not as bad as proprietary Android distros, but still far from privacy-respecting
Account-bound. Everything is tied to your Apple account. To even set up or use the product you need an account.
As proprietary and closed source as it gets
Ridiculously overpriced, so very low value for the money
The company is known for its anti-competitive and monopolistic, even mafia-style behavior (e.g. when insisting on their 30% cut for all apps, insisting that apps use the in-app-purchasing system and not allowing "subscriptions from outside of Apple's ecosystem", stuff like that. If app developers don't comply with ridiculous rules, they get their apps taken down, and since the AppStore is the only source for apps, this means they have 100% control and can kill any app which they don't like or which they perceive as competition for Apple's own apps.
Use GrapheneOS. It's a secure, fully privacy-respecting open source distro of Android (based on the open source Android) without any Google services/apps by default, but with full Android app compatibility.
All this, plus the UI is outdated. It looks like it's from the 1990s.
Apple controls what may be installed on iphones with an iron fist. Did you know there is only one option for a web browser? Chrome, Firefox, and other apparent alternatives are actually re-skinned Safari. They don't want to allow real competition to their own browser. This is certainly not the only case where they use app store approval powers to block competition.
Plus Apple takes 15-30% of every transaction on iphones. That includes payments in the app store, and also in-app purchases. Sure they have to fund the store, but given that Apple has an absolute monopoly over iphone app distribution this seems predatory to me.
Apple is anticompetitive, and seems to have little regard for their responsibility as a platform provider to allow application diversity to flourish.
So Google has a similar app store approval process, and takes basically the same percentage from transactions. But they are much more generous in what they allow in their store in terms of competing apps. And most importantly, Google does not have a monopoly on Android app distribution. You don't need to do any jailbreaking to set up F-Droid, or to install apps from the web.
It's true that the vast majority of Android users use Google's app store. And I think that Google taking a cut of in-app purchases is also predatory. Apps should be able to not use Google Pay, and to not pay Google a cut. But the fact that there are other options puts a limit on how much Google can block competition, and gives some option for publishers to avoid that 15-30% cut.
There's no reason for me to switch. It would be going to a worse product in my opinion. I only use phones that can run lineageOS or another custom rom on it now, and have been doing so for the past 6 or so years.
I like my phone, I have more control over it, I like that it's not made in ways to punish me for fixing it, I don't trust Apple, and it cost 300$ instead of costing more than my current car
I dislike being locked in to an ecosystem, no matter how pretty it is.
I don't like how restrictive the apple ecosystem is. I have an ipad because the android equivalents just weren't doing the job, but use android and linux for my daily drivers. I feel like the adblockers aren't effective, and I can't sideload apps.
Yeah me too. What I expect from my iPad is less demanding than what I expect of my phone. All I wanted from my iPad was draw, read comics, and watch videos. But, experience even just finding a calculator app that wasn't trying to sign me up for a subscription was terrible. Then the file system experience was bad to use with a device that wasn't a Mac. Then finding Foss apps was a pain. So as a pure media consumption device that will get long term updates I love the iPad, but as a phone it's a no. At least until side loading arrives, and if an f-droid quality Foss option is offered too.
Why would I?
I don't like the walled garden that constutes the Apple way of doing things. I like to side load apps.
to preface what might sound like slander, I really would love to get my hands on apple hardware. It is engineered rather well and the geek in me can appreciate that. However, getting access to your own hardware is an issue.
While I have some concerns about their objective features, to my shame, the greatest problem is with the brand and their practices.
I think the root cause of all my issues stems from their morals and aggressive/elitist business practice - specifically their quest to squeeze money out of users and hide behind the lie of "we are doing this for the user's benefit".
I have no issue paying money for features I want or entities I'd like to support. In fact, I'm more inclined to financially support those who I believe in.
And apple loves to gatekeep features and keep them exclusive to apple. They effectively benefit from hard work of others who contribute to open standards and services, but at the same time do not share their own. Greedy.
custom roms, launchers, sideloading, rooting
Agreed. Too much there to give up!
Fuck Apple
Being forced into the apple ecosystem. If I could use iphones with other products not specifically designed to work with apple (i.e. android auto instead of apple carplay) then I would maybe consider it.
Not saying that apple car play or android auto is better or worse, just that it would be nice to have the option to choose which one especially if other family members have androids.
Ton of paid apps + no reason to switch + sideloading + don't like or trust apple
Expensive and impossible to customise effectively, making it much poorer value than Android. Not that Android is perfect. The instant some form of non-proprietary Linux (like Debian w/phosh, PostmarketOS, etc.) becomes viable as a daily driver, Android is out as well.
Privacy and security through custom ROMs like CalyxOS and GrapheneOS, which are the number one reason why I use Android. However, the average person doesn't necessarily care about their digital privacy or security.
As for reasons to use Android that the average person may care about, there is a greater variety of device options to choose from when it comes to Android. Many different companies produce Android devices, including eco-friendly options like the FairPhone!
In addition, another advantage of using Android is the ability to side-load apps. I can easily install and use apps that are not available on the Google Play store, such as Thunder, my Lemmy client, which I use daily. Moreover, even if an app is not available in my region on the Play store, I can still use it by side-loading.
Another feature I appreciate is the direct access to internal storage through a USB cable, eliminating the need for any additional software. For managing my apps, Shelter is a must-have for me. It allows me to separate my personal apps from my work apps without creating a completely separate device profile, and I can easily disable the work apps whenever needed so I don't receive notifications.
You can even use iMessage on Android via apps like BlueBubbles or AirMessage. Even FaceTime works on Android, natively so long as an iPhone user sends you a link first.
Apple really doesn't offer me anything I want to do above and beyond what Android offers that makes the cost of transition worth it. I've been on Android for 13 years, I'm very used to it, know all the tricks. I like the level of control Android gives, I've loaded custom roms in the past and I side load apps now. I've also never had a (modern) Apple product and never had the need to set up any Apple accounts, so it'd be a pain starting completely fresh.
When I purchase somethung, I prefer to own it instead of just renting it. Lol.
I want the ability to sideload, Apple is very much a walled garden.
I enjoy having the ability to use custom roms.
I've been generally happy with all the android phones I've used in the past and see no reason to change that.
I won't buy Apple hardware as long as they keep being absolute dicks in the tech and app world. It's a shame really, because they build awesome devices, but I would feel bad everytime I use them.
Also they are much more restricted in many aspects (e.g. sideloading!), so it would be a downgrade for me.
I am so goddamn bad at using the apple UX
I feel like an old man using an iPhone when a family member hands me once and asks me to fix something
Nothing except the fact that I have absolutely no desire to use an iPhone or, indeed, any Apple products at all.
I don't like iOS. I have one as my work phone and I dislike it.
I dislike that I can't sideload apps (yes there's testflight but it sucks). A huge portion of apps I use are from F-Droid or GitHub. I dislike how iOS handles the home screen and app placements. I absolutely HATE iOS notifications, they're atrocious compared to how they're handled on Android.
I like Android, I like my Galaxy Fold, a lot would have to change for me to ever consider an iPhone.
Could you elaborate a little bit why you like Android notifications more?
iOS notifications are trash. On android you can two finger pull to expand and see more, you can hold to go to settings to mute. Better interaction in apps straight from notifications.
On iOS I'll clear my notifications, then later in the day they're somehow back if I scroll up, I hate that.
Lmao why the fuck would I do that? You say it like it's the thing to do
Apple, iOS, and the iPhone.
control.
Custom ROMs, Sideloading, File Structure, F-droid and open source apps, customization, privacy/security features.
iPhones being iphones
Freedom.
I did swap for a couple of years and then switched back. Some aspects were great but iOS is just too restrictive.
No sidelong, easier rooting (sometimes), price, etc
I picked up a cheap ipad just to experiment with and find what all the fuss was about. My first thought was that this feels like a nerfed/kiddie version of a real device. Everything is walled off so you can't change anything that had a chance of borking it up.
I mean, proper Nix systems you could theoretically run 'sudo rm -rf /' and at most it might ask if you're really sure, and then duitifully comply...
All the reasons I switched to Android.
Customization, file structure, sideloading apps, etc.
The lack of consistently in how Apple devices work, as hey truly feel like a black box where anything beyond basic functionality is held back from the user.
Not having any restricts placed on me as to what software I can install on my devices. Seriously, not allowing sideloading is ridiculous in 2023.
Price and closed ecosystem. (closed for users and devs)
Moronically overpriced hyped product which misguides humanity into capitalism and surveillance
Why would I want an inferior device?
I don't think an iPhone is objectively inferior. I think it is a good choice for some people.
It definitely is a good choice for some people, I wouldn't give my mother in law an Android device.
But the iphone as a platform is inferior because it can do less (although Android is definitely headed in a similar direction)
The lack of LDAC bluetooth and native FLAC playback support is a deal breaker for me.
For me it's the price first, the interface second. I find anything Apple very counterintuitive to use.
In saying that- I'm reading all these amazing answers here and realising how much I've taken for granted. I didn't know "side loading" was a thing though I've done it many times. If I'm understanding things right- you can't install whatever you want on an iPhone???? Crazy. I definitely wouldn't want a phone like that.
Also, someone mentioned accessing the phone via a usb cable. Another thing I took for granted! Hey! I even have portable USBC storage drives I can plug and transfer files to/from my phone and to my computer if I wish.
Lack of customization, lack of options, lack of compatibility.
With iPhones you choose from iPhone 1, 2, 3, or 4. They're all the same, and frankly they all suck. They're overpriced and the charger always breaks.
It's Fisher Price, it does not let me do poweruser things.
My first smartphone and every one after has been android.
I like being able to download APK files and installing them without having to jailbreak or root my device. I don't live in Europe, so I don't get the option for the iphone that allows you to side load apps whenever the feature comes there (if it hasn't already) and I don't trust them not to make it block that feature the second you are not connected to a European cell service/signal.
I cannot say with certainty that I'd be able to find anything like F-Droid on ios, let alone my favorite apps from there (like OpenStreetMap or Aegis). Also, the whole jailbreak thing is off-putting when I could just root an android much more easily.
I am already set up in the android ecosystem currently (until something a lot better like a decent Linux based mobile OS comes) and don't wanna switch and have to buy any apps just to get a similar experience on android.
I also don't like how whenever the EU forces apple (and other companies) to switch to USB-C charging ports (if they already haven't yet), I couldn't make use of it because, again, I ain't in the EU. I also do not feel like ordering a phone from another continent and having it shipped over, especially if there's no guarantees the features I want even work on American telecommunications infrastructure.
Nothing. I just do not want to and don't see any positives in me switching.
$1000 monitor stand is enough reason to be against all Apple products
I have an iPhone for work. The UI is unintuitive, unresponsive and restrictive. It's like a child's toy version of my s23. The fingerprint reader is useless, the screens color range is dull and the build quality is plastic trash. Plus my phones camera array beats the iPhone array to hell and back.
The iPhone is the phone for old people, children or the infirm. Why would I limit myself?
My elderly mother has an iPhone. I call it her "jitterbug" phone (jitterbug is a phone with huge buttons for the elderly).
Right now I'm using a custom ROM, ~10 magisk modules, 2 Xposed modules and a handful of other things that require root.. My phone is almost 5 years old and I am on the latest Android version with no signs of community support stopping. Half my apps are open source, and the paid, proprietary ones are actually affordable hobby projects (and not VC backed startups) with one time payments and worth the price.
I can load up a non-Android Linux distro on it and everything except the camera will work. Mainline kernel, too.
And I didn't need to take out a loan to buy it.
Using my iPad and then seeing how difficult it was to find apps that didn't have ads, apps I could buy outright, and so many subscription only options was what turned me away. And then how incompatible it is requiring work arounds to access the file system if you aren't using air drop compared to Android where just plugging it into any system and giving permission lets you see files beyond just files and videos you took, and move files back and forth with ease.
And how difficult it was to find Foss apps without something like F-droid. And because of that I noticed apps I took for granted on Android creates a system where you are having to spend more money and then being up sold subscriptions because of lack of options. It felt like a very gacha like environment. It felt so much like dealing with some scummy sales person.
I came from iOS about 6 years ago. Initially it was annoying to escape from the ecosystem but I am glad that I did. Unfortunately I use a MacBook and an iPad for work though. In saying that, their integration with each other is really good, and can see why/how an iPhone would fit in to that.
I recognize that they currently have basically the most refined hardware on the market. However: No other device I own is in the Apple ecosystem. Not one. So the benefits are just not there.
quite frankly the benefits of owning an iPhone are kinda garbage unless you fully buy into the Apple ecosystem for full intercompatibilty. Trying to interact with other Androids, Windows, Linux machines is just pain. Otherwise, it's just a slightly better built, slightly better specced, very much more locked down phone like every other phone. It does phone things. Not worth the premium.
This is why I've not bought apple products ever. Once you're in their ecosystem you're locked into their control. Honestly OPs question is 100% ass backwards. Tell me why I SHOULD buy apple.
All my stuff is here.
I have absolutely desire to lock myself into a flowered prison and pay extremely high price for it in both freedom and money. Apple just is too totalitarian and limited for me to consider anything from them.
First of all, the cost. An iPhone does nothing more than an Android but costs significantly more.
Second, Android is a more open platform. I can rip apart the OS and look at its guts. I can alter it or replace it altogether. I can make my hardware do exactly what I need it to do, the way I want it done.
Lastly, I can fix the hardware if it breaks and do not need to buy an entirely new phone.
There's a lot of features on a pixel that I'd miss out on in an iphone.
However, the biggest is the back gesture.
I love the back gesture, I just swipe from the side to go back a page instead of reaching allll the way to the top left to go back.
I can also actually develop on this without paying $2,000 for a Mac.
I prefer the openness of android as well.
Walled garden
Back gesture / design
Whatsapp portability. Last time I checked Whatsapp data couldn't be moved to Android. I have a decade of chat history id like to preserve.
Integration with Google Photos. I am not switching to icloud or any other. Google Photos is just way too good. I can even search photos with text!
Notification system. I'm not entirely happy with how android does it, but apple does it worse.
Charging port. All my cables are USB C that charge both my phone and iPad. I'm not thrilled about getting 3 more chargers and cables.
App prices. Android has great KeePass clients for cheap / free. I use strongbox on my iPad which is like $30 a year
I bought a flip phone (Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3) a year ago, and it's so much more comfortable to have in my pants pockets that I feel like I will never buy a non-flip phone again...
But also what everyone else says: customizability, etc. I'm using Tasker to run automated tasks, and KLWP to essentially program my own live wallpaper.
I have two phones as daily drivers, one Android and one iPhone. Compared to Android, the iPhone is very restrictive and locked down. Adblockers don't work and you're forced to use whatever iOS interface it throws at you. Buttons and gestures move around with every update. There's no way to view and manage internal files, no sideloading, lots of options that are just not accessible to normal users.
The positive side is that iPhones are very optimized and I can get similar performance to my Android phone despite the iPhone being older and having worse specs. The closed ecosystem also has its benefits, because it makes data very hard to get out, so I use the iPhone as a device to sandbox all the Meta crap that I'm forced to use.
I don't know anything about this- are you saying meta/google mines more data from Android than iPhone?
If you're comparing stock Android against stock iOS, Apple has more privacy protections against tracking because of App Tracking Transparency.
He asks, in a FOSS community.
Sideloading apps, tons more choices (price range, design, manufacturer, specs), 'more' control, used to Android environment
This is the biggest reason for me. Though I rarely look further than F-Droid for anything.
I don't really pay attention to apple news but didn't the EU force them to allow sideloading a little bit after the whole usbc thing
Until that happened, I'll hold on my doubts
My lack of desire to switch to iPhone.
I don't like paying more for less, and I am devoutly opposed to the Apple design aesthetic.
How do you do that with your display name?
On topic, I agree. My wife has an iphone and I really don't enjoy the ux at all.
๐จ๐๐๐ฅ, ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค?
Yeah
I don't want to switch to something that costs more and that I like less?
inability to unlock bootloader and run custom rom
not having enough money to buy iPhone
why is this post getting downvoted?
I think it's being down voted because of the way it is phrased, it comes across as "You obviously should switch to iPhone so why don't you?"
I don't want to switch because I find iPhones and the UI to be bland and boring, the ecosystem is too locked down and there's little to no customisation. Plus there is a lot of snobbery around apple products and that doesn't sit well with me.
Ahh now I see.
Also this is the second similar post I've seen recently. I think heblast one was, "iPhone users, why do you love your iPhone more than Android?" Or something. Made me suspicious of it being an ad. At the very least, I didn't think a second thread was needed.
It would be hilarious if the OP was the same person ๐คฃ.
Why should I downgrade?
Apple's stuff is:
Use GrapheneOS. It's a secure, fully privacy-respecting open source distro of Android (based on the open source Android) without any Google services/apps by default, but with full Android app compatibility.
All this, plus the UI is outdated. It looks like it's from the 1990s.
Apple controls what may be installed on iphones with an iron fist. Did you know there is only one option for a web browser? Chrome, Firefox, and other apparent alternatives are actually re-skinned Safari. They don't want to allow real competition to their own browser. This is certainly not the only case where they use app store approval powers to block competition.
Plus Apple takes 15-30% of every transaction on iphones. That includes payments in the app store, and also in-app purchases. Sure they have to fund the store, but given that Apple has an absolute monopoly over iphone app distribution this seems predatory to me.
Apple is anticompetitive, and seems to have little regard for their responsibility as a platform provider to allow application diversity to flourish.
So Google has a similar app store approval process, and takes basically the same percentage from transactions. But they are much more generous in what they allow in their store in terms of competing apps. And most importantly, Google does not have a monopoly on Android app distribution. You don't need to do any jailbreaking to set up F-Droid, or to install apps from the web.
It's true that the vast majority of Android users use Google's app store. And I think that Google taking a cut of in-app purchases is also predatory. Apps should be able to not use Google Pay, and to not pay Google a cut. But the fact that there are other options puts a limit on how much Google can block competition, and gives some option for publishers to avoid that 15-30% cut.
There's no reason for me to switch. It would be going to a worse product in my opinion. I only use phones that can run lineageOS or another custom rom on it now, and have been doing so for the past 6 or so years.
I like my phone, I have more control over it, I like that it's not made in ways to punish me for fixing it, I don't trust Apple, and it cost 300$ instead of costing more than my current car
I dislike being locked in to an ecosystem, no matter how pretty it is.
I don't like how restrictive the apple ecosystem is. I have an ipad because the android equivalents just weren't doing the job, but use android and linux for my daily drivers. I feel like the adblockers aren't effective, and I can't sideload apps.
Yeah me too. What I expect from my iPad is less demanding than what I expect of my phone. All I wanted from my iPad was draw, read comics, and watch videos. But, experience even just finding a calculator app that wasn't trying to sign me up for a subscription was terrible. Then the file system experience was bad to use with a device that wasn't a Mac. Then finding Foss apps was a pain. So as a pure media consumption device that will get long term updates I love the iPad, but as a phone it's a no. At least until side loading arrives, and if an f-droid quality Foss option is offered too.
Why would I?
I don't like the walled garden that constutes the Apple way of doing things. I like to side load apps.
to preface what might sound like slander, I really would love to get my hands on apple hardware. It is engineered rather well and the geek in me can appreciate that. However, getting access to your own hardware is an issue.
While I have some concerns about their objective features, to my shame, the greatest problem is with the brand and their practices.
I think the root cause of all my issues stems from their morals and aggressive/elitist business practice - specifically their quest to squeeze money out of users and hide behind the lie of "we are doing this for the user's benefit".
I have no issue paying money for features I want or entities I'd like to support. In fact, I'm more inclined to financially support those who I believe in.
And apple loves to gatekeep features and keep them exclusive to apple. They effectively benefit from hard work of others who contribute to open standards and services, but at the same time do not share their own. Greedy.
custom roms, launchers, sideloading, rooting
Agreed. Too much there to give up!
Fuck Apple
Being forced into the apple ecosystem. If I could use iphones with other products not specifically designed to work with apple (i.e. android auto instead of apple carplay) then I would maybe consider it.
Not saying that apple car play or android auto is better or worse, just that it would be nice to have the option to choose which one especially if other family members have androids.
Ton of paid apps + no reason to switch + sideloading + don't like or trust apple
Expensive and impossible to customise effectively, making it much poorer value than Android. Not that Android is perfect. The instant some form of non-proprietary Linux (like Debian w/phosh, PostmarketOS, etc.) becomes viable as a daily driver, Android is out as well.
Privacy and security through custom ROMs like CalyxOS and GrapheneOS, which are the number one reason why I use Android. However, the average person doesn't necessarily care about their digital privacy or security.
As for reasons to use Android that the average person may care about, there is a greater variety of device options to choose from when it comes to Android. Many different companies produce Android devices, including eco-friendly options like the FairPhone!
In addition, another advantage of using Android is the ability to side-load apps. I can easily install and use apps that are not available on the Google Play store, such as Thunder, my Lemmy client, which I use daily. Moreover, even if an app is not available in my region on the Play store, I can still use it by side-loading.
Another feature I appreciate is the direct access to internal storage through a USB cable, eliminating the need for any additional software. For managing my apps, Shelter is a must-have for me. It allows me to separate my personal apps from my work apps without creating a completely separate device profile, and I can easily disable the work apps whenever needed so I don't receive notifications.
You can even use iMessage on Android via apps like BlueBubbles or AirMessage. Even FaceTime works on Android, natively so long as an iPhone user sends you a link first.
Apple really doesn't offer me anything I want to do above and beyond what Android offers that makes the cost of transition worth it. I've been on Android for 13 years, I'm very used to it, know all the tricks. I like the level of control Android gives, I've loaded custom roms in the past and I side load apps now. I've also never had a (modern) Apple product and never had the need to set up any Apple accounts, so it'd be a pain starting completely fresh.
When I purchase somethung, I prefer to own it instead of just renting it. Lol.
I want the ability to sideload, Apple is very much a walled garden.
I enjoy having the ability to use custom roms.
I've been generally happy with all the android phones I've used in the past and see no reason to change that.
I won't buy Apple hardware as long as they keep being absolute dicks in the tech and app world. It's a shame really, because they build awesome devices, but I would feel bad everytime I use them.
Also they are much more restricted in many aspects (e.g. sideloading!), so it would be a downgrade for me.
I am so goddamn bad at using the apple UX
I feel like an old man using an iPhone when a family member hands me once and asks me to fix something
Nothing except the fact that I have absolutely no desire to use an iPhone or, indeed, any Apple products at all.
I don't like iOS. I have one as my work phone and I dislike it.
I dislike that I can't sideload apps (yes there's testflight but it sucks). A huge portion of apps I use are from F-Droid or GitHub. I dislike how iOS handles the home screen and app placements. I absolutely HATE iOS notifications, they're atrocious compared to how they're handled on Android.
I like Android, I like my Galaxy Fold, a lot would have to change for me to ever consider an iPhone.
Could you elaborate a little bit why you like Android notifications more?
iOS notifications are trash. On android you can two finger pull to expand and see more, you can hold to go to settings to mute. Better interaction in apps straight from notifications.
On iOS I'll clear my notifications, then later in the day they're somehow back if I scroll up, I hate that.
Lmao why the fuck would I do that? You say it like it's the thing to do
Apple, iOS, and the iPhone.
control.
Custom ROMs, Sideloading, File Structure, F-droid and open source apps, customization, privacy/security features.
iPhones being iphones
Freedom.
I did swap for a couple of years and then switched back. Some aspects were great but iOS is just too restrictive.
No sidelong, easier rooting (sometimes), price, etc
I picked up a cheap ipad just to experiment with and find what all the fuss was about. My first thought was that this feels like a nerfed/kiddie version of a real device. Everything is walled off so you can't change anything that had a chance of borking it up.
I mean, proper Nix systems you could theoretically run 'sudo rm -rf /' and at most it might ask if you're really sure, and then duitifully comply...
All the reasons I switched to Android.
Customization, file structure, sideloading apps, etc.
The lack of consistently in how Apple devices work, as hey truly feel like a black box where anything beyond basic functionality is held back from the user.
Not having any restricts placed on me as to what software I can install on my devices. Seriously, not allowing sideloading is ridiculous in 2023.
Price and closed ecosystem. (closed for users and devs)
Moronically overpriced hyped product which misguides humanity into capitalism and surveillance
Why would I want an inferior device?
I don't think an iPhone is objectively inferior. I think it is a good choice for some people.
It definitely is a good choice for some people, I wouldn't give my mother in law an Android device.
But the iphone as a platform is inferior because it can do less (although Android is definitely headed in a similar direction)
The lack of LDAC bluetooth and native FLAC playback support is a deal breaker for me.
For me it's the price first, the interface second. I find anything Apple very counterintuitive to use.
In saying that- I'm reading all these amazing answers here and realising how much I've taken for granted. I didn't know "side loading" was a thing though I've done it many times. If I'm understanding things right- you can't install whatever you want on an iPhone???? Crazy. I definitely wouldn't want a phone like that.
Also, someone mentioned accessing the phone via a usb cable. Another thing I took for granted! Hey! I even have portable USBC storage drives I can plug and transfer files to/from my phone and to my computer if I wish.
Lack of customization, lack of options, lack of compatibility.
With iPhones you choose from iPhone 1, 2, 3, or 4. They're all the same, and frankly they all suck. They're overpriced and the charger always breaks.
It's Fisher Price, it does not let me do poweruser things.
My first smartphone and every one after has been android.
I like being able to download APK files and installing them without having to jailbreak or root my device. I don't live in Europe, so I don't get the option for the iphone that allows you to side load apps whenever the feature comes there (if it hasn't already) and I don't trust them not to make it block that feature the second you are not connected to a European cell service/signal.
I cannot say with certainty that I'd be able to find anything like F-Droid on ios, let alone my favorite apps from there (like OpenStreetMap or Aegis). Also, the whole jailbreak thing is off-putting when I could just root an android much more easily.
I am already set up in the android ecosystem currently (until something a lot better like a decent Linux based mobile OS comes) and don't wanna switch and have to buy any apps just to get a similar experience on android.
I also don't like how whenever the EU forces apple (and other companies) to switch to USB-C charging ports (if they already haven't yet), I couldn't make use of it because, again, I ain't in the EU. I also do not feel like ordering a phone from another continent and having it shipped over, especially if there's no guarantees the features I want even work on American telecommunications infrastructure.
Nothing. I just do not want to and don't see any positives in me switching.
$1000 monitor stand is enough reason to be against all Apple products
I have an iPhone for work. The UI is unintuitive, unresponsive and restrictive. It's like a child's toy version of my s23. The fingerprint reader is useless, the screens color range is dull and the build quality is plastic trash. Plus my phones camera array beats the iPhone array to hell and back.
The iPhone is the phone for old people, children or the infirm. Why would I limit myself?
My elderly mother has an iPhone. I call it her "jitterbug" phone (jitterbug is a phone with huge buttons for the elderly).
Right now I'm using a custom ROM, ~10 magisk modules, 2 Xposed modules and a handful of other things that require root.. My phone is almost 5 years old and I am on the latest Android version with no signs of community support stopping. Half my apps are open source, and the paid, proprietary ones are actually affordable hobby projects (and not VC backed startups) with one time payments and worth the price.
I can load up a non-Android Linux distro on it and everything except the camera will work. Mainline kernel, too.
And I didn't need to take out a loan to buy it.
Using my iPad and then seeing how difficult it was to find apps that didn't have ads, apps I could buy outright, and so many subscription only options was what turned me away. And then how incompatible it is requiring work arounds to access the file system if you aren't using air drop compared to Android where just plugging it into any system and giving permission lets you see files beyond just files and videos you took, and move files back and forth with ease.
And how difficult it was to find Foss apps without something like F-droid. And because of that I noticed apps I took for granted on Android creates a system where you are having to spend more money and then being up sold subscriptions because of lack of options. It felt like a very gacha like environment. It felt so much like dealing with some scummy sales person.
I came from iOS about 6 years ago. Initially it was annoying to escape from the ecosystem but I am glad that I did. Unfortunately I use a MacBook and an iPad for work though. In saying that, their integration with each other is really good, and can see why/how an iPhone would fit in to that.
I recognize that they currently have basically the most refined hardware on the market. However: No other device I own is in the Apple ecosystem. Not one. So the benefits are just not there.
quite frankly the benefits of owning an iPhone are kinda garbage unless you fully buy into the Apple ecosystem for full intercompatibilty. Trying to interact with other Androids, Windows, Linux machines is just pain. Otherwise, it's just a slightly better built, slightly better specced, very much more locked down phone like every other phone. It does phone things. Not worth the premium.
This is why I've not bought apple products ever. Once you're in their ecosystem you're locked into their control. Honestly OPs question is 100% ass backwards. Tell me why I SHOULD buy apple.
All my stuff is here.
I have absolutely desire to lock myself into a flowered prison and pay extremely high price for it in both freedom and money. Apple just is too totalitarian and limited for me to consider anything from them.
First of all, the cost. An iPhone does nothing more than an Android but costs significantly more.
Second, Android is a more open platform. I can rip apart the OS and look at its guts. I can alter it or replace it altogether. I can make my hardware do exactly what I need it to do, the way I want it done.
Lastly, I can fix the hardware if it breaks and do not need to buy an entirely new phone.
There's a lot of features on a pixel that I'd miss out on in an iphone.
However, the biggest is the back gesture.
I love the back gesture, I just swipe from the side to go back a page instead of reaching allll the way to the top left to go back.
I can also actually develop on this without paying $2,000 for a Mac.
I prefer the openness of android as well.
Walled garden
Back gesture / design
Whatsapp portability. Last time I checked Whatsapp data couldn't be moved to Android. I have a decade of chat history id like to preserve.
Integration with Google Photos. I am not switching to icloud or any other. Google Photos is just way too good. I can even search photos with text!
Notification system. I'm not entirely happy with how android does it, but apple does it worse.
Charging port. All my cables are USB C that charge both my phone and iPad. I'm not thrilled about getting 3 more chargers and cables.
App prices. Android has great KeePass clients for cheap / free. I use strongbox on my iPad which is like $30 a year
I bought a flip phone (Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3) a year ago, and it's so much more comfortable to have in my pants pockets that I feel like I will never buy a non-flip phone again...
But also what everyone else says: customizability, etc. I'm using Tasker to run automated tasks, and KLWP to essentially program my own live wallpaper.
I have two phones as daily drivers, one Android and one iPhone. Compared to Android, the iPhone is very restrictive and locked down. Adblockers don't work and you're forced to use whatever iOS interface it throws at you. Buttons and gestures move around with every update. There's no way to view and manage internal files, no sideloading, lots of options that are just not accessible to normal users.
The positive side is that iPhones are very optimized and I can get similar performance to my Android phone despite the iPhone being older and having worse specs. The closed ecosystem also has its benefits, because it makes data very hard to get out, so I use the iPhone as a device to sandbox all the Meta crap that I'm forced to use.
I don't know anything about this- are you saying meta/google mines more data from Android than iPhone?
If you're comparing stock Android against stock iOS, Apple has more privacy protections against tracking because of App Tracking Transparency.