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iPhone 4 to Galaxy Nexus, what am I getting myself into?

Doubleatheman

Doubleatheman

Member
New to these forums and new to Android. I already made an intro post with my story, and why I am dumping my iPhone, wont bore you here with that. But in simple terms, I have already dumped my iPhone in my mind, and moved on.

But I am completely new to Android, Iv'e been trying to read up, but I'm trying to catch up on 3 years of Android in a few weeks... And most Google searches for my Android questions give me results from years ago, I know how things are done in Android today are very different.

Why I have not considered any Android Phone before the Galaxy nexus:
*Screen Pixel density
*Horrible hodgepodge of UI overlays (I already know I'm an android purest, as I am an iOS purest)
* Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0 looks like the first "buttery smooth" experience throughout.
* Finally some kind of uniformity throughout the OS, something I loved about iOS.
* Android IMHO is just finally out of its "beta" phase, and its all polished and good to go now.

Things that I am unsure of:
(I am a total android noob here, so I am looking for feedback/suggestions to fill these gaps, yes I know some of this is not SGN related.)

* No iCloud (how hard/easy is it to fully backup an Android now?)
* No "Find my phone" (what third party app does something like this on an android)
* No convenience of taking it to a store and having it replaced on the spot. (apple stores, I will miss this)
* Battery Life (my iPhone 4 already dies on me mid day, and I have to use my car charger, my Boss's EVO 4G dies in 2 hours... If that's any sign of how Android is for battery life... I'm Scared!
* No "reminders" app, what Android app is like iOS5's reminder app?

The lack of SD card slot on the Galaxy nexus does not concern me, as I am used to not having a card slot on my iPhone.

More Questions I have:

Will there be a way to tether to the SGN without having to pay AT&T the extra $20 a month, I (unwillingly) pay that now for tethering on my iPhone, wondering if I can (rightfully) use my 2gb I already pay for without having to be raped by AT&T for tethering. (Will Android 4.0 close any current loopholes?)

How Good is Google's latest Turn by Turn directions (And voiced street names) now? (A few years ago I remember it being horrible)

Will the "Quick response" Text message on call decline feature work with google voice SMS? Because I currently do not pay for Texting (IMHO Texting is just data, shouldn't have to pay for it twice) (I got really spoiled with the original iPhone data plan, Unlimited data & 200 texts for just $20... Oh I miss those days.)

To add to the above question, in General how easy is it it use Google voice for SMS only, and never touch your carriers sms system? (As it is now on the iPhone, using the GV app is a bit tedious, and I cant use many "native" texting buttons throughout the OS.) (I have read that on android you can set a default SMS app? Is it really that simple?)

Thanks for your time folks, sorry to be a bit off topic for a SGN thread. I gotta start somewhere, and links to related posts are also appreciated.
 
Answers in red
Doubleatheman said:
* No iCloud (how hard/easy is it to fully backup an Android now?) Quite easy, you have apps that create backups of all your settings and apps that you can restore. Additionally many cloud services have apps (i.e. Dropbox, Box.net, etc). If you use a Mac you can go to your iTunes folder and drag and drop all your music onto the phone, stream it from the cloud, stream Netflix, etc.
* No "Find my phone" (what third party app does something like this on an android)Lookout Mobile Security, and Find My Phone, among many other alternatives in the Market :)
* No convenience of taking it to a store and having it replaced on the spot. (apple stores, I will miss this) True. I recommend insurance from a third party like Assurion(sp?) if you are accident prone. You have to mail it, but its a 4 business day turnaround and they give you a new device.
* Battery Life (my iPhone 4 already dies on me mid day, and I have to use my car charger, my Boss's EVO 4G dies in 2 hours... If that's any sign of how Android is for battery life... I'm Scared! Hard to answer in terms of the GNex as it isn't out, but on my Droid X with moderate to near heavy use I get 14 hours - just plug it overnight and I'm always golden
* No "reminders" app, what Android app is like iOS5's reminder app? You have nothing to worry about here, tons of choices in the Market. Honestly, using the Google Calandar app you can create "Events" and get reminders. This is usually enough for me and is ready out of the box.

The lack of SD card slot on the Galaxy nexus does not concern me, as I am used to not having a card slot on my iPhone.

More Questions I have:

Will there be a way to tether to the SGN without having to pay AT&T the extra $20 a month, I (unwillingly) pay that now for tethering on my iPhone, wondering if I can (rightfully) use my 2gb I already pay for without having to be raped by AT&T for tethering. (Will Android 4.0 close any current loopholes?) Previous Nexus devices have had free tethering, however nobody knows about the GNex. If not...and you have no moral issues with it...someone will have a very noob friendly step-by-step on how to root on these boards with a day of release probably :). Once rooted (Android's version of jailbroken) there are free apps that let you tether for free!

How Good is Google's latest Turn by Turn directions (And voiced street names) now? (A few years ago I remember it being horrible) Now it is fantastic!! Honestly one of my favorite features. I use it all the time - I think its better than TomToms you buy separately, and its FREE!

Will the "Quick response" Text message on call decline feature work with google voice SMS? Because I currently do not pay for Texting (IMHO Texting is just data, shouldn't have to pay for it twice) (I got really spoiled with the original iPhone data plan, Unlimited data & 200 texts for just $20... Oh I miss those days.) Yep :)

To add to the above question, in General how easy is it it use Google voice for SMS only, and never touch your carriers sms system? (As it is now on the iPhone, using the GV app is a bit tedious, and I cant use many "native" texting buttons throughout the OS.) (I have read that on android you can set a default SMS app? Is it really that simple?) Yep :) - in fact if you root, or maybe even without with the new built in freeze feature of ICS - you can delete the stock SMS so their will be no confusion!

Thanks for your time folks, sorry to be a bit off topic for a SGN thread. I gotta start somewhere, and links to related posts are also appreciated.

I came from a iPhone3g to a Droid X. Knew nothing about Android. Three weeks later, thanks to this and many other great forums, I felt like a pro. You can enjoy it out of the box, or if you want to learn the ins-and-outs Android offers WAY more options than iOS. And as you've correctly noted, the UI smoothness has at last equalled the iPhone, IMO.

I think you'll regret your decision... to not switch sooner :D
Click to expand...
 
WyntersEnd said:
Answers in red
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answers!

So a much more generic question, how hard is the swap to Android? What am I overlooking that I may miss or leave behind?

I'm Thinking for myself it will be easy,

I use Gmail
I use Google for calenders, notes & contacts
I don't use iTunes (Spotify ROCKS)
I don't use any apple email accounts
I already use google voice for voicemail & sms
Already use Google+ (Err trying to, not enough people on it yet)
I have searched the Android market, almost all apps I use are also on Android.
(Spotify, Facebook, G+, Google Authentication, TapaTalk, Slingbox, Teamspeak, Mint, Square, Beejive ect.) I will need to repurchase a few apps though :(.



I will have a very hard time letting iMessage go, as I've been using it HEAVILY ever since iOS5 Beta came out, and all of my friends got on it. This is about the only thing that I like about iOS right now, but stepping outside, I hate it. Facebook Messenger, Google+ Messenger, ect ect is device independent, iMessage is not, this is why my friends are most mad at me for leaving Apple.
 
Warm welcome to Android forums! The iPhone is a great phone, no doubt. You know that...

but with Android, you have innovation and FREEEEDOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

braveheart.jpg
 
WyntersEnd said:
Previous Nexus devices have had free tethering, however nobody knows about the GNex. If not...and you have no moral issues with it...someone will have a very noob friendly step-by-step on how to root on these boards with a day of release probably . Once rooted (Android's version of jailbroken) there are free apps that let you tether for free!
Click to expand...

To elaborate on this, I guess I will end up rooting my device. Does AT&T "find out" like they do when you tether on an iPhone without a plan?

Hacking/Rooting to Tether on an unlimited plan is more of a moral issue. But with data caps now, I pay for what I use, so I feel I should be able to use the 2GB I get however I want. I pay $45 for 4gb now, so If I end up tethering on my SGN 4gb of data, I end up paying the same price.

Most months I use about 1.7GB, (most of that is tethering when I am at work or on campus) (wi-fi sucks at both places) One of my wishful thinking moments for swapping to Andoird, is I can tether for "free" err use my 2gb I feel entitled to.
 
I miss itunes integration and itunes on my phone. There are alternatives, but I just find myself too lazy to sync my phone and music library anymore using third party software. Really not as nice.

I also miss the universal inbox on iphone. Haven't seen any android subs that do it as well, although again, there are alternatives.

And besides a few glitches here and there, Android is pretty much as good as iphone. Not as polished, but there is a lot more to play with.
 
novemberwhiskey said:
I miss itunes integration and itunes on my phone. There are alternatives, but I just find myself too lazy to sync my phone and music library anymore using third party software. Really not as nice.
Click to expand...

Have you looked at Google Music? No wires required. You can actually list your music collection and upload it to the cloud and have it automagically show up on your phone from the cloud. Absolutely brilliant feature and it is stock on ICS.
 
novemberwhiskey said:
I miss itunes integration and itunes on my phone. There are alternatives, but I just find myself too lazy to sync my phone and music library anymore using third party software. Really not as nice.

I also miss the universal inbox on iphone. Haven't seen any android subs that do it as well, although again, there are alternatives.

And besides a few glitches here and there, Android is pretty much as good as iphone. Not as polished, but there is a lot more to play with.
Click to expand...

Sign up for the google music beta (still invite only) then just upload your music to the cloud. Whenever you download new music on your computer it will automatically upload to google music and be available on your phone through your default music app.
 
novemberwhiskey said:
I miss itunes integration and itunes on my phone. There are alternatives, but I just find myself too lazy to sync my phone and music library anymore using third party software. Really not as nice.

I also miss the universal inbox on iphone. Haven't seen any android subs that do it as well, although again, there are alternatives.

And besides a few glitches here and there, Android is pretty much as good as iphone. Not as polished, but there is a lot more to play with.
Click to expand...

I am sans iTunes, it does nothing for me, I use Spotify (worth every penny), and other programs to keep things in sync. (Google Sync mostly)

And for universal inbox, I already (spent countless hours getting it to work with all 9 of my email accounts years ago) set it up to work this way, my single Google inbox is my unified inbox already. If I had not yet done this I can see it being a big issue.
 
There are 2 things to consider and this is from someone that hates Apple.

Apple is stupid easy to use. I think they use people like Leno uses for Jay Walking to test their OS and hardware. They get it down to the absolute stupidest possible user so they can use it.

Android requires more technical skills and it is not as user friendly. If you are doing basic things, then you should be fine. However, if you root and rom, you need some technical skills and be willing to brick your phone.


The way I explain it to friends is like this... If you cannot build your own PC from the ground up, do not go Android. Most people I know have an iPhone because they simply cannot be bothered to learn something about technology and it is worth ~$10 a month in the app of the month club.
 
novemberwhiskey said:
I miss itunes integration and itunes on my phone. There are alternatives, but I just find myself too lazy to sync my phone and music library anymore using third party software. Really not as nice.

I also miss the universal inbox on iphone. Haven't seen any android subs that do it as well, although again, there are alternatives.

And besides a few glitches here and there, Android is pretty much as good as iphone. Not as polished, but there is a lot more to play with.
Click to expand...

Actually, we have something even better than Apple's inbox integration. The Pure Messenger widget that not only integrates up to four accounts (including GMail though you'll need the un-updated version) but also Facebook and Twitter if you want. All in a scrollable widget (assuming you are using ADW, Go, et. al.) I love it and can check all my email very quickly. If you don't want the widget you can simply add a shortcut to the universal inbox.

I use iSync to sync to my iTunes library wirelessly.

As someone who owns an iPad, iTouch, DroidX and Xoom there is just one thing about the Apple side I wish android did better.....and that's the killer apps. Apple simple has more quality apps. Android is no slouch....just in comparison it's lacking. That's why I prefer the iPad over Xoom because I'm not so much looking for the efficiency of widgets and quick access to info. When I got a tablet in hand, I've got time in my hand at home and it's usually with apps I enjoy using. With respect to phones, I'll never consider the iPhone seriously because the OS just can't keep up with Android and I can't imagine not having my Twitter, email, stock, sports scores, and calendar widgets. Launching apps for each on iOS is a non starter given how often I look to that information.
 
Just make sure you're not falling into "the grass is greener" group.

-You will lose your small form factor (worth it for the larger screen for many)

-You will likely see more glitches, bugs, freezes, and reboots (but more customizing and Flash support)

-Apps, Apple apps or often more refined or they don't make the cut (but Android has some apps that work better as well) compare the reviews of the apps you use for issues.

-While there are many options, nothing is as simple as iTunes for full, thoughtless backups... and if you have a Mac, Time Machine thoughtlessly double backs it up.

-Android is a step back in camera quality. Android cameras don't all suck, but the iPhone camera is still better than all Android cameras at this point it seems.

-Support add ons. Android offers the lapdock for some models which my friend loves, but there are a LOT of items made for the iPhone from stereos with built in iPhone docs to the ridiculous amounts of cases. Since so many people have iPhones and iPods and they haven't changed form factor really, many items are available out there.


Of course there are many things Adroid is great for. For me, 4g with tethering and the larger screen are what gives it an edge over iPhone.
 
BigRedNole said:
Android requires more technical skills and it is not as user friendly. If you are doing basic things, then you should be fine. However, if you root and rom, you need some technical skills and be willing to brick your phone.


The way I explain it to friends is like this... If you cannot build your own PC from the ground up, do not go Android. Most people I know have an iPhone because they simply cannot be bothered to learn something about technology and it is worth ~$10 a month in the app of the month club.
Click to expand...

I really hate when people say things like this. I know plenty of people that are not very bright that have no problem using their android phone. It is no harder to use than an iPhone at all! If you don't want to customize it very much that is, but without knowing anything about technology at all you can still customize it more than iPhone.

The only time android is a little more complicated is when you want to start using the full power and customization options of android. But to the average everyday user that isn't going to theme, replace built in apps (SMS, launcher, lock screen, etc), use custom ROMs, etc then android is every bit as easy to use as iOS!!!!

By explaining it like you do, all you do is scare people away from even trying android by thinking it is only for computer geeks. Android is for everyone, both the tech savvy and non tech savvy whereas the iPhone is only for the non tech savvy.
 
OfTheDamned said:
Have you looked at Google Music? No wires required. You can actually list your music collection and upload it to the cloud and have it automagically show up on your phone from the cloud. Absolutely brilliant feature and it is stock on ICS.
Click to expand...

You don't have to wait for ICS, you can get the updated Music app from the market. If you don't yet have Google Music the app is exactly the same, if you do have google music the only difference is the updated app with sync.

It is the same as when they started putting the gmail app and maps in the market with updates instead of having to wait for an OS update to get the new features in those apps
 
I wouldn't worry about it. Every single person I've ever known who has taken the time to use both the iPhone and an Android device for at least a month each has always, always stuck with the Android.
 
BigRedNole said:
There are 2 things to consider and this is from someone that hates Apple.

Apple is stupid easy to use. I think they use people like Leno uses for Jay Walking to test their OS and hardware. They get it down to the absolute stupidest possible user so they can use it.

Android requires more technical skills and it is not as user friendly. If you are doing basic things, then you should be fine. However, if you root and rom, you need some technical skills and be willing to brick your phone.


The way I explain it to friends is like this... If you cannot build your own PC from the ground up, do not go Android. Most people I know have an iPhone because they simply cannot be bothered to learn something about technology and it is worth ~$10 a month in the app of the month club.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with chrlswltrs. I know a bunch of Android users that can hardly do anything on a computer and they all love their phones. My mother and father are in their 70s and both have Galaxy S phones. They love them, have no problem at all and have had zero help from me. The idea that Android is only for tech geeks is a myth started by Apple fanboys.


chrlswltrs said:
You don't have to wait for ICS, you can get the updated Music app from the market. If you don't yet have Google Music the app is exactly the same, if you do have google music the only difference is the updated app with sync.

It is the same as when they started putting the gmail app and maps in the market with updates instead of having to wait for an OS update to get the new features in those apps
Click to expand...

Oh, I know it is available and I love it. I was just pointing out that it is the stock player with ICS.
 
The iPhone is the best all around phone hardware and software wise for most people IMO. iTunes digital content, 3rd party accessory support, more polished apps, now iCloud, and the fact that no carrier or OEM can jack with the phone are reasons why I believe this.

I have always enjoyed Android but have only ever owned vanilla phones like the G1, Droid 1, Nexus One, etc. I can't stand the OEM GUI's and refuse to buy phones with it. The Galaxy Nexus seems to be a nice phone and I like what I see with ICS and little things like copy and paste being universal and not 3 different methods depending on where you are in the OS. I always wanted an iCloud out of Android since 1.0, but for some reason they have never really fully developed this when they were ahead of everyone.

Anyways, I think you will enjoy Android just don't get sucked into X sucks because you use or used Y. People spewing iOS sucks or Android sucks are generally idiots, they both have their plus and minus's.
 
csreborn said:
The iPhone is the best all around phone hardware and software wise for most people IMO. iTunes digital content, 3rd party accessory support, more polished apps, now iCloud, and the fact that no carrier or OEM can jack with the phone are reasons why I believe this.

I have always enjoyed Android but have only ever owned vanilla phones like the G1, Droid 1, Nexus One, etc. I can't stand the OEM GUI's and refuse to buy phones with it. The Galaxy Nexus seems to be a nice phone and I like what I see with ICS and little things like copy and paste being universal and not 3 different methods depending on where you are in the OS. I always wanted an iCloud out of Android since 1.0, but for some reason they have never really fully developed this when they were ahead of everyone.

Anyways, I think you will enjoy Android just don't get sucked into X sucks because you use or used Y. People spewing iOS sucks or Android sucks are generally idiots, they both have their plus and minus's.
Click to expand...

I find it amusing that you take a dig "overlay" UI's. You realize when the Org. Dinc. Came out "Sense" was very polished and did MANY things that ICS and iOS are just now starting to catch up to? Most of my iPhone friends used to get PISSED when I showed them the Dinc. against the iPhone (2 at that time) for how the UI worked.
 
I have to offer a suggestion on this. I felt the same way until I used iSyncr. It really does "just work" for me. I have not had a single hiccup that wasn't my own doing. And it has a WiFi add-on that will allow you to sync over wifi, on a schedule, so you don't even have to remember anything. You should check it out.

I don't love iTunes, but I have an iPod and there are features I use on my iPod that only iTunes offers. Specifically live playlist updating on the iPod itself. Some of those live playlists have playcount and lastplayed as operands, which brings me to why iSyncr is especially nice for me: it syncs the playcounts, last played, and rating.

Some people use the term sync meaning just keeping the music files in a playlist in sync, but I was looking for syncing of play history more than actually something to physically move the file. iSyncr does this, and it does it well.

novemberwhiskey said:
I miss itunes integration and itunes on my phone. There are alternatives, but I just find myself too lazy to sync my phone and music library anymore using third party software. Really not as nice.
Click to expand...
 
Doubleatheman said:
* No iCloud (how hard/easy is it to fully backup an Android now?)

* No "reminders" app, what Android app is like iOS5's reminder app?

How Good is Google's latest Turn by Turn directions (And voiced street names) now? (A few years ago I remember it being horrible)
Click to expand...
If you allow it, basic settings like bluetooth pairings and wifi keys will be saved to the cloud just like your contacts and calendar. What programs you have installed on the device will also be saved to the cloud, so on a factory refresh, your apps will download to the device again.

As for actual backups, there is more effort to backing up your individual settings than with iPhone. If you root, there is an app TitaniumBackup that for me, makes back ups a breeze once you do the initial setup. It allows you to batch back up and restore basically everything on your phone. You can also "label" things and backup restore that way.

For myself, I've set up a schedule to backup any applications that have changed every morning at 2am. I can't remember my exact setup now, as it was so long ago that I configured it, but basically I backup to my sdcard certain device settings and all installed apps meeting particular criteria every morning. It knows when a new app is installed so it will include the new apps as well, so it really is set it and forget it.

Once a week I do another automatic backup, which is either a backup of my device settings and/or a redo of any backups that are older than a certain number of days. Again, I don't remember because I just haven't had to edit it since I first rooted and configured my backup plan over a year ago.

Whenever I flash a new ROM or just wipe and reinstall, I can just easily do the batch reinstall of the apps and/or data and I'm back to where I was. It takes literally maybe 10 minutes. I can either let google push all of my last installed apps to my phone and then restore the data only using TiBackup, or just use TiBackup for the full restore. The only thing to watch is restoring system settings across different ROMS.

As for the navigation, I use the voice navigated directions 1-3 times a week since I got my Droid 2 years ago. Needless to say, it has long since replaced my Garmin Nuvi.

For reminders, there are many options. I use Astrid and am happy, but there are so many you would be hard pressed not to find at least 3 you like and can't choose between.
 
Crashumbc said:
I find it amusing that you take a dig "overlay" UI's. You realize when the Org. Dinc. Came out "Sense" was very polished and did MANY things that ICS and iOS are just now starting to catch up to? Most of my iPhone friends used to get PISSED when I showed them the Dinc. against the iPhone (2 at that time) for how the UI worked.
Click to expand...

Not sure why it is amusing when I say I do not like custom UI's. If you do, buy them and enjoy them. I preferred my Nexus One over one with no noise cancelling, smaller battery and slower updates because it has Sense. I always liked Sense widgets, and back before 2.0 had Exchange support that could be very handy to many with a Hero and Sense.

I used to think Sense was the best of the custom if you had to have one.
 
Everyone has huge comments on what you are getting yourself into when it is really simple.

Pure Awesomeness!
 
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