So in this post, I wanted to tell you all of the things that I've learned thus far, whilst on my journey of switching from iPhone to Android.
Hopefully, it helps those of you looking to make the same move sometime soon, and hopefully, I don't upset the fanboys on either side of the fence too much. Because I know how passionate both of you are!
Right now I have now switched back and forth between iPhone and Android about 9 times.
But this 9th time I switched to the Pixel 6 Pro, and I'm kind of now switching between devices depending on what I want to do, using them for their strengths.
Otherwise, let's get into it.
INTRO
Hi my name is Pete, and we're coming to the end of 2021 in this incredible year of tech reviews on this website, so I thought I'd summarise a few things that I've learnt along the way.
Feel free to head over to my YouTube channel to subscribe if you dig this kinda content, otherwise let's crack on.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED
The first thing I've learned about switching to Android is that there is just SO much you can do with Android phones, that it's quite overwhelming for those of us who have been in the iPhone and Apple ecosystem for some time because we don't have those options.
Which phone would you like? The big one, the small one, or the even smaller one?
That's it!
With Android, even putting aside the huge number of handsets, of which a survey from back in 2015 identified almost 25,000 different handsets, the sheer amount of options within the software and the apps on Android is insane.
It's genuinely made me hesitant of saying the worst 'oh it can't do that' in ANY video or post I've made because if you search long and hard enough, there's probably an app, or a setting or something somewhere that WILL make it do what you want it to do.
It's at a level that is almost too much because even scrolling through the comments on each of my videos as I still go through my own journey of learning how Android works - I see conflicting comments from long-time Android users.
Use a launcher, don't use a launcher, use Goodlock you idiot, no don't use Goodlock, just go into developer settings and change these settings here, skinning your phone slows it down, skinning your phone doesn't affect the performance at all, well that feature works on my Android phone that's completely different to the one you are reviewing, so it MUST work on your phone, you must just be an idiot. Idiot. And it just never ends.
So the important thing to know here is that what works for you, might not work for someone else.
All you need to care about is making something that works for you. Forget all of the other noise of telling you how you should set your phone up, and just find what works for you.
I made a video recently about how to make your Android phone a little more, iPhone like - just to mirror the way we are all used to using our iPhones - and hopefully that helped some of you with your switch.
So don't let anybody else tell you that you are wrong or that you're not using your phone properly - because there is no wrong or right way to use these phones.
THINGS DON'T ALWAYS WORK PROPERLY...
The biggest issue I have with Android right now, specifically the newest, latest, and greatest Android 12, is bugs. Sometimes, things just don't work properly. Apps will crash, repeatedly and Google, if you are listening, it has now been a whole month since you released the Pixel 6, and your own YouTube Studio still doesn't work properly. Seriously!
I hear arguments on both sides of the fence of this in terms of the iPhone being just as buggy. But I have never seen the level of bugs and crashes on iPhone that I do on the various Android phones I've seen this year. Other than the apps themselves crashing, I've seen dark mode not applying correctly, brightness changing sporadically, fingerprint readers being unresponsive at times, and just odd bugs which are hard to recreate for the camera, where the screen just gets all messed up when changing orientation and nothing is in the right place.
So if you are switching to Android, just be reassured that this is normal - it's not actually a HUGE issue in itself, you normally just re-open the app and carry on, with the exception of the YouTube Studio App. But don't be surprised if it's just not as smooth an experience as an iPhone. Because what you lack in stability, you gain in customisability... is that a word?
ACCESSORIES
Your Apple Watch, won't work with Android. Not unless you just want to be able to tell the time and that's it. But, Bluetooth accessories like Airpods, Pro's, and Max - actually work really well. The connection is arguably more reliable than Apple, and MOST of the features still work. So if you do switch, don't feel like you need to go out and instantly buy a new pair of headphones to match. This isn't Apple, we're not changing the port on the phones just to get a tonne of people to re-buy all of the same accessories again. Just use the ones you have and replace them when they naturally need to be replaced.
BATTERY LIFE
In my experience, the battery life on Android phones is about on-par with Apple, but it's of course massively dependent on which phone you have. Nothing is as good (so far) as the iPhone 13 Pro Max, that thing is an absolute beast when it comes to battery life. But other phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro, S21, and the Pixel 6 definitely are. My only tip here is to give it a couple of weeks for the phone to learn how you use your phone, and it can optimise the battery to get you through each day.
NEXT LEVEL TECH
Next up is next-level tech. On Android you get much earlier access to next-level technology, whereas on Apple you do get it, it's possibly 2-3 years after Android comes up with it, but it's also a more refined version on Apple, because - well, they've had 2-3 years to refine it.
OnePlus has extremely fast 65w wired and 50w wireless charging and clever design which means giving you 2 smaller batteries instead of one large one, so it can charge both batteries at the same time.
Whereas the iPhone can charge up to 20w wired and 15w wireless. Seemingly decades behind the OnePlus range.
120hz displays, became a thing years ago, but Apple has only just launched it on their iPhone this year.
We're now seeing things like foldable phones, under-screen cameras, and under-screen fingerprint readers all come through the Android range of phones, but with iPhone, we're unlikely to see those features until a few generations later.
THE EXPERIENCE
One thing I have noticed after changing phones so often, is that my Android phone is starting to just feel JUST like a phone again. Whether that's good or bad is up to you, but even though there are ways to get out of the whole Apple ecosystem, it's difficult to just move your mobile away without moving everything else as well.
With Apple, you get the whole seamless experience that goes everywhere with you. iMessages and photos across Laptops, Desktops, Phones, Tablets, and Watches, continuity features that let you pick up a call from one device and continue it on another device, features that let you be on a phone call, or listen to music on your phone and then walk into a room, hold your phone near an Apple speaker and it knows to just start playing on that speaker.
I know that you can get similar experiences with Windows and Android, but I'm really not quite there yet for switching back to Windows. I've used it for the last like, 20 years for work. I ran a company that spent all of our time fixing issues with Windows. I know how it works. And I know that we barely heard from Mac users because stuff just works better on there.
I still do miss some of the ecosystems, and it's still a reason why I carry around my iPhone with me to this day, and so for those of you who haven't tried iPhone recently, but also have money to invest in the whole ecosystem - the watch, the ipad, the mac - just see for yourself how the integrations all work, pretty flawlessly across all of their devices. It's quite something.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE TO SWITCH?
The biggest thing that you have to know about switching to Android, is that it is possible to do so. It is entirely possible to switch, providing you commit yourself to do so.
I could probably switch a lot quicker if I'd have just cut the times with my Apple world and gone cold turkey with Android and been forced to figure everything out.
But because I've always had the sort of Apple cushion to fall back into, I've had that layer of protection of - well that doesn't work on Android, I can probably just pick up my iPhone again now and get back to it. I know we don't all have the luxury of having 2 phones, and I don't really want to carry around 2 phones because I don't like having too much stuff in my pockets.
So if you are willing to switch, be sure to give it time.
Honestly speaking, it's taken me a lot more than 2 weeks to switch and feel comfortable with using an Android phone.
But, most companies will give you just 2 weeks' time to return your phone if you change your mind.
That is why most YouTube videos about most phones ever made are, 'The Pixel 6, 2 weeks later!', because that's literally the latest they can make a video before being able to send it back and get a full refund.
It's what I did on my first few reviews because I just couldn't get on with the phones and went straight back to my iPhone. Because 2 weeks just isn't enough.
It's now been a month since I've owned this Pixel 6 Pro, and I can tell you that it's getting easier. I'm finding my way around and things are becoming second nature, just like they are on iPhone.
Make sure to take what you hear or watch online with a pinch of salt.
The majority of YouTube channels, at least the smaller channels - will buy the phone and send it back within 2 weeks. 2 weeks doesn't always give you long enough to actually get a good look and feel for a phone.
In fact, there is one big channel that I follow who basically reviews a phone every day, and they literally say "I've been using this phone for the last few hours, and here are my thoughts".
But, with that said, and on the other end of the spectrum, are the bigger YouTube channels, with impressive subscriber numbers, and something we all admire to reach one day as a YouTube creator.
But those big channels have some pretty big restrictions.
Yes, they'll now be given the products for free to review, but they'll sometimes be under something called an embargo. Which is basically a date set in stone, that they cannot post a video about before. They also have some quite restrictive requirements sometimes. Perhaps they can show you the physical phone but can't actually switch it on. Or won't be allowed to mention some specific features - because they are trying to control the narrative.
There is something I'm becoming more and more aware of as my YouTube channel grows, and that is that I'm being warned away from being negative about any products. Because if I'm negative, then other brands might not want to work with me.
Some creators are even getting blacklisted by these brands if they break these rules, and It's why creators like Snazzy Labs no longer receive free products.
But, if a product isn't all it's meant to be, I want to bring those issues up and hold those brands accountable so that these problems actually get fixed. So right now, I'm concentrating not on keeping brands happy, but on making honest videos - otherwise, why would anybody choose to watch me? It's definitely not for my boyish good looks!
So with that said, I'd love to know what your thoughts and experiences are around switching to Android. Leave them in the comments down below.
Subscribe to the channel if you found this useful or entertaining as that really does help me out with this whole YouTube thing, next up - go watch this video around switching to the Google Pixel 6 Pro, or this one for how you can work around some of the issues when switching from iPhone to Android, and I'll see you in the next one.
Cheers!
