Ok, Apple haters, convince me

My trusty iPhone 11 is slowly dying. Almost four years old and I have zero complaints. Battery still lasts all day under heavy use. The only issues I ever have are fixed by simply power down and restarting once a month or so. But battery degradation is starting to accelerate and last week I noticed a couple spots of pixelation that have since grown nearly to the edge of the screen. 
 

So, I don't have the budget for the new hotness iPhone (which is what this was when I got it) and my first choice (iPhone SE) isn't exactly cutting edge. 
 
Im on Visible and that won't be changing  

What I refuse to do without: Apple Music. Fairly sure the app is available for android. Correct me if I'm wrong. 
 

So, convince me why I should change platforms. New SE is $429 retail, but I'm sure I can find it cheaper. Figure that's the upper limit. 

The only compelling reason for me to ever switch back to android is you can send and receive texts from the web browser on any computer.  I don't know why Apple does not have this feature, but it's a huge oversight.

thankfully the rest of the experience on Apple "just works" (unlike my android phones) and therefore outweighs the above issue.

I am usually the first one to rag on iPhones, but they're really just a preference.  I have been on Android since the Blackberry went out of style, so when I tried an iPhone 4, I didn't make it three months before I sold it to go back to Android.

iPhones are great, but the one thing you mentioned... I refuse to do without [insert app or feature] is exactly why I don't do iPhones.  Apple has made everything proprietary, a la carte, expensive, and then made them incompatible with everything else so you are hooked like the screen is laced with heroin.  If you can break the habit and rehab the addiction, I think you'll find that Android is primarily a big wide open world of freedom.  

The downside to some Android phones is that they can have a ton of bloatware.  Looking at you, Samsung, LG, and Motorola.  They pack so much of their own stuff on it to differentiate themselves and try to capitalize on the heroin like Apple.  Since Google owns Android, buying a Google phone is a pretty wonderful thing (if you're down with google stuff).  My latest Samsung Galaxy S21 instead has a whole Samsung suite of default apps for texting, web, etc.  I can choose a new default app to handle whatever I want (a big bonus to android... user configurability), but it's adding bloat to bloat.  On my S21, Samsung has sequestered google functions to a separate folder.  Compare that to my previous Google Pixel, there was zero corporate crossover.  It's a google phone.  It used the google apps.  Totally seamless.

Also (strong suggestion), buy the phone independently as opposed to from your carrier.  If you buy it from Verizon, it will be loaded with Verizon apps and bloat.  Buy it outright, and it's a blank slate.  Brands like Google, OnePlus, and Huawei are the top choices for un-bloated phones... at least as of when I bought a couple years ago.

Android is ultimately configurable compared to Apple with all kinds of hacks that are available, but not necessary.  I'm not a hacker at all.  I can hardly connect to wifi, but to me, Android is the Hypercar that lets you configure your ABS, traction control, and launch control so that you can drive it like YOU want.  iPhone is like the Cadillac that's like "here's your car.  Drive it on our terms."

I should add... I had a Google Pixel 2 and a 4. Both were amazing, although the 4 didn't have enough battery.  At the time, I really wanted a OnePlus, but they were so hot that they were sold out before I could get my hands on one.  Regardless, I totally fell in love with the Pixel platform, and once I ditch this S21, I'll be hoping Google has a Pixel that fits my needs.

I should also add... Don't drink the kool-aid that says Apple is more private.  They all sell the same data, and you agree to it when you click the box on the Terms of Use and Privacy Notices at setup.  They all track your poops and where you pooped.

If you don't want to switch, don't. I've had good luck buying used on swappa.

Pixel user here for 7+ years. Been using GoogleFi since they called it Project Fi.

Buy my phones outright and my cell bill has been over $30 once in maybe 5 years?

Cheap option:

replace the battery in your 11. 

budget option:

get a refurbished 11 pro  

Stretch value option:

get a refurbished 13 pro and have 90% of the lates greatest. 

E36 M3, I thought this thread might be about me.

There used to be a few really good arguments. As an android user since the fall of Palm OS, other than cheaper better phone hardware options, all the good stuff has gone away. 

Since I'm not planning to change carriers anytime soon, I'm a sucker and just re-upped with Verizon for 3 more years and added <$10 to my bill for the 15pro with 256gb after trading in my 12 mini ($700 trade in ).

I was having similar issues with battery and performance. I could have replaced the battery, but figured the phone is my camera, pc, nav, and phone, so the improvements were worth the small monthly fee. 

In reply to No Time :

I did the same. Except I jumped from an 8 to a 14 last year. Much like my 2011 MacBook Pro- Apple hardware just lasts....

Yeah I don't do a lot of tech stuff, and my apple experience has always been top notch. I've heard not so good stuff about the newer models, but my main source for Apple "news and gossip" is a cantankerous coworker who isn't getting younger. 
monthly payments are right out. Black Friday is coming up, but I don't think I want to afford anything quite that soon. Hmmm. 

I can't tell you which one to buy but I can tell you to avoid TCL.  Wife and I both have the TCL 30 through TMobile and they pretty much suck.  Randomly I can't send texts without doing a reset, sometimes I can send to one person but not another.  Also when I connect to the Ford Ranger the music will skip until I hit pause for a few seconds and then hit play.

There is an Apple Music app for Android.

If you just want to do basic stuff on your phone and you were happy with how things work on iOS, then Android may not offer you any practical advantages. It won't necessarily be better or worse, just different. The only advantages I'd point out to average Joe users are the ability to gain access to a great selection of free & libre quality apps by sideloading the F-Droid store, and the greater compatibility with non-Apple hardware and services.

If you've ever felt restricted by what you can do on iOS or wanted to break loose from Apple's ecosystem, then Android offers you a way out of the matrix. You can even rein in the privacy issues on Android via reflashing/rooting (which can also deal with the bloatware on factory Android installs). I used Android for the interoperability, root access and other nerdy hacker reasons, but I've actually decided my next phone will run a more obscure GNU/Linux-based OS rather than Android because recent Android versions are making the hardcore hacker stuff too difficult and impractical - but it's still vastly more open and capable than iOS.

I have insurance for my phones. It covered everything including batteries and broken screens. 
 

I am on a 10X and it just keep going with out issue. I want a new one as the cameras have got much better. But at the moment that is not enough to get me to replace my current phone. 

I've only ever bought one new iPhail (second gen SE for the wife). All my others have been used or refurbs. My current 12Pro was used with good battery life for $300 last year off marketplace. Met at the T-Mobile store for them to verify it was clean and paid the man. I don't think I've paid more than that for any iPhail since I a tea tree using them many years ago. 

In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :

My Galaxy S9 is about 5 years old. It's on its second Otter Box case. It lives a very hard life with me working in the brewery. The battery is still going strong. It does not have issues requiring any sort of regular restarting.

Only problems I've had are overheating... if it's on the dashboard of my convertible with the top down in direct sunlight in the summer while running navigation.

Having poked around with someone's iPhone, I do prefer the ability with the Android to customize widgets on different screen pages. So my home screen has clock, weather, music player, Google search bar, and calendar on it. Actually full-width displays taking up 1x5 or 2x5 slots.

Still, I think it's a preference thing. If you're used to Apple ecosystem, there isn't a need to leave. Rather than buy the latest hotness, I'd maybe look into buying the previous generation brand new.

Appleseed said:

E36 M3, I thought this thread might be about me.

I haven't fought a dude on his lawn in a while, how's next weekend for you? 

In reply to Beer Baron :

My folks have androids and have asked me to help them with them occasionally. Do not like. I'm sure if you're younger and the brain is still able to learn it would be fine. But I've had over a decade with apple's iOS and androids make my brain hurt. I just like buying lightly used from people that constantly upgrade for less than half price. 

bobzilla said:

In reply to Beer Baron :

My folks have androids and have asked me to help them with them occasionally. Do not like. I'm sure if you're younger and the brain is still able to learn it would be fine. But I've had over a decade with apple's iOS and androids make my brain hurt. I just like buying lightly used from people that constantly upgrade for less than half price. 

It's the opposite for me. I'm an Android guy, but the company has issued me iPhones since Blackberries went out of style. They are... fine, but I don't find them intuitive at all. I'm constantly having to hunt around for what I want, and the inability to customize my screens is maddening. In other words, it all comes down to what you are used to.

For OP, if you like iOS, stick with it. Buy a used phone or maybe wait for the new version of the iPhone SE.

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

What kind of screen customization do you want to do that the iPhone won't permit?

Duke said:

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

What kind of screen customization do you want to do that the iPhone won't permit?

 

Custom icon packages, not having to have every single app on my phone on my screens, resizable widgets, etc.

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Duke said:

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

What kind of screen customization do you want to do that the iPhone won't permit?

Custom icon packages, not having to have every single app on my phone on my screens, resizable widgets, etc.

OK, custom icons are probably off the table.  You can easily put all your unwanted app icons into a single folder on the last screen, which gets them consolidated out of view.  I don't have too many widgets, so that's not an issue for me, but I get it.

Also going to suggest used iPhone refurbished.  I use a crappy Moto phone, but all the other high-rollers in this house use Apple products, and to my knowledge, not one of them has ever properly died before it became more or less obsolete, unless it went swimming.  Refurbs get you near current levels of performance for cheap, and they work perfectly.

I'm not a phone geek, my wife seems to have become one - we were original users of Windows phones and when they decided not to support them any further, we bought One Pros (she says I have a 10 and she has a 9) and have been very happy with both battery life and complete lack of issues. That said we're not hackers and just go to the pay store for any new apps we want, but what I was really impressed with is the camera (she says they partnered with Hassleblad on the camera and lenses?). We have a Canon high end camera and never even take it out of the box any more......I like being able to text on the computer thru the phone, it's also really easy to upload pics and vids from the phone to the computer too.....and send them thru text message.....

My buddy OTOH can't live without his Apples......even tho he fusses about the cost and some of the features that they have or don't have. Don't ask me what......I turn a deaf ear.