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Help From iOS to Android...

  • Thread starter Thread starter pussbucket
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pussbucket

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ive searched through the forums but can't really see the answer to my questions. Please forgive me because they have been asked before but I'm just after clarification...

I've been an iPhone owner since I dropped my N95 & never looked back, until I saw the Galaxy S6 edge & now I'm beginning to wonder if I've chosen the right side.. Ok I'm fibbing.. I did buy an Android phone but as I didn't have a debit card I couldn't purchase any apps off the store, so I ran to Apple (who accepted maestro)

So now I'm struggling.. A ton of apps from the App Store & a shed load of music purchased from iTunes, which I don't want to leave behind. To be fair I mostly use Spotify now, so that isn't a priority but if funds are lacking one month.. To fall back on my purchases would be handy.

I have an iPhone 5 on contract at £28 month, but that's due to end in June. I've checked my last few bills and I'm not using anything like that.. If I was on the 3 2 1 tariff each month I would've used £6-7 worth & 90% of that was on data. That's the beauty of Imessage I guess, using wifi to send messages (there's no mobile signal at home) so it's not costing me a penny on tariff. So I'm thinking of going PAYG, but that won't be cheap if going to android means paying for every message that used to go via iMessage.


So my questions.....If I'm on android,

is there an android equivalent to iMessage that uses data to send messages & not use tariff texts?
An android app that converts messages to iMessage (as 99% of my family use iMessage)
Can iTunes music be used on android without using the iTunes converter or any converter for that matter?(It reduces the bit rate)
Is android heavy on data? (Background refresh is off on my iPhone)
Do I need to dump my iCloud email for a gmail account?

Your help is appreciated
 
I don't know much about iStuff, but let me try again...

For iMessage:
http://mashable.com/2014/11/10/apple-imessage-android-fix/

For iTunes I don't know. Someone who does may chime in here.

For data usage: Not any more than an iPhone I suppose. Depends on the apps you use, what you set to sync, etc etc.

For iCloud email: You can use it. You don't *have* to have a Gmail account, but it's very useful, even if you never use it for email. Good for backup/restore of contacts, apps, etc, allows access to the Google Play store, 15GB free storage on Google Drive and much more.
 
iTunes purchased songs if they don't have Fairplay DRM, which was after 2009, you're OK. Anything with DRM, you'll have to convert them.
http://www.wired.com/2014/03/kill-itunes-drm/

iTunes purchased movies with DRM, we can't legally discuss options for stripping the DRM here..i.e. DMCA and forum rules. iTunes app purchases for iOS, those are staying on the iPhone. For the vast majority things there are Android equivalents, or the devs support both iOS and Android. You may have to purchase some apps again. Could be worth emailing the devs concerned, tell them you purchased their app for iOS, but now you've moved to Android from iOS, may let you have a discount.

Think the other questions have been answered. :)
 
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thanks for the answers so far

But.... There are no iMessages missing...

I want to know if there is an android alternative to iMessage.. Something that uses data and not texts...

And that also allows direct to iMessage from android..
 
pussbucket said:
thanks for the answers so far

But.... There are no iMessages missing...

I want to know if there is an android alternative to iMessage.. Something that uses data and not texts...

And that also allows direct to iMessage from android..
Click to expand...

I don't think anything can do that. iMessage and Facetime are proprietary patented (c) Apple, Inc. all rights reserved, and are not licensed to anyone else. So no third parties dare try, because of cease and desists from Apple's attorneys. That's the idea I've got.

This is something that often comes up, people are stuck on Apple only iMessage (vendor lock-in) and want to break free from it. There are plenty of other internet based messaging services, such as Google, but non can communicate with iMessage. I know plenty of people with iPhones, but in this country(China) almost nobody uses iMessage, we all use WeChat, Android and iOS, as well as standard SMS and MMS of course.
 
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This is what I was afraid of... I've only just persuaded my retired folks onto iMessage so they can keep in touch with the majority of the clan...

The S6 edge looks like a great phone but I'm not sure the olds would appreciate my moving away from something they've found so easy to use (wifi iPads)

thank you to all who contributed to this thread... Life is so much easier with helpful people & their posts
 
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