I had an iPhone 3G, then 4, then switched to a Nexus 4, LG G4, LG G5, Pixel 2 and then Pixel 5. Just in case anyone else is thinking of moving from a Pixel, I moved (back) to using an iPhone because:

Pixel 5 reaching end-of-support for OS/security updates. Battery life starting to show its age. Pixel 8 is (still) too big. Really, really not a fan of the camera bar on the later Pixels. Apple’s physical presence in my country makes repairs etc. quicker and easier. Switch to USB-C meant cables and chargers could be kept. Although not limited to Google, OS features are often US specific. Started getting adverts in Google Feed. Fed up with Google deprecating things (bitten by stadia). I realised I didn’t actually customise my phone much.

The Good: Pretty much identical in size to the Pixel 5. OS is fast and polished. Apps are generally very good quality. Anecdotally, there seem to be more apps with (albeit expensive) lifetime purchase options. Nice touches like reminding me that I’ve left my iPad behind. 80% charging limit is nice to have. Video quality good. Photos seem fine but maybe blurrier than Pixel? Seems to be easier to have apps from two different country’s stores installed on the phone. Notification system not as bad as expected.

The Bad: The glass back is a constant source of worry. Muscle memory for the volume buttons and fingerprint reader will take some time to forget. Volume opposite power button means I keep accidentally taking screenshots. Slightly jealous about Pixel 8’s new camera abilities. Can’t use credit cards from two different countries with Apple Pay (I think). Anecdotally, more apps seem to require subscriptions.

The Ugly: Losing Threema and Signal chat histories. Have to keep the Pixel to keep my late mum’s original chats. Just let me put app icons where I want, please. App settings are all over the place. Notification volume much louder than ring volume but (often) can’t be individually changed? Notification system not as good as it could be. Ancient and irritating limitation on using own ringtones. Let me remove, not just blank, sources in the News app. Needs to learn that I swear continuously much more quickly. I miss Öffi.

Despite the bad/ugly points, the good, in combination with my original reasons for switching, mean I’ve no real regrets.

If I find any other points I’ll update this. Please let me know if I’ve got any of the iOS limitations wrong, and apologies in advance if my formatting is crappy, or anyone considers this sort of post pointless - just trying to add some content to Lemmy - being the change I want to see… :-)

  • @[email protected]English
    3•1 year ago

    I’m a pixel to iPhone convert but when I did when the 12 pro came out and just got the 15 pro.

    Maybe I misread but a couple confusing points:

    • Isn’t the 15 pro titanium back not glass?
    • you can customize the Home Screen easily. Moving apps or even removing apps from the Home Screen and only accessible via launcher. Something iPhone didn’t have back in the day.
    • the pixel 8 camera might be better than 15 pro but I don’t believe the pixel 5 is better.
    • app settings are all alphabetically organized in the settings app. Very easy to find and change app settings.
    • my phone always on silent so I haven’t used custom ringtones in years (even when I was on android) but this guide seems to be good https://www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/set-song-as-ringtone-iphone-free-4324630
    • never realized the different country cards on Apple wallet. Seems like a niche case issue but i understand if you did it before it being a problem. Thankfully American cards on Apple wallet work when in other countries (at least in Canada)

    If I can help at all let me know. I’m the person that everyone was in absolute shock to see me move from android to iPhone lol so I’ve heard it all.

    • @[email protected]OP
      2•1 year ago

      Nope, sides are Ti, back is (textured) glass.

      I can’t have a gap between icons though, can I? Single icon in the middle of the screen? Be great if I’ve missed something.

      The pictures seem slightly more processed/compressed with a lack of fine detail, but I’ll admit I haven’t tried saving as raw/unprocessed images. I’m also very used to how the pixel photos look though.

      Edit: sorry, didn’t see all of your points in my inbox (Memmy).

      Sometimes/some settings for apps are in the respective app, other times they are in the iPhone settings. This is weird.

      Thanks for your other points and offer! Yep, the cards thing is a slightly niche case, but both Google and Apple are shockingly bad at realising people are mobile or might have e.g. family members using different country’s app stores. No family sharing for me, and no Apple Pay with cards simultaneously linked from more than one country - seems to be linked to iCloud account country rather than App Store country. Google Pay was more forgiving.

      • @[email protected]English
        2•1 year ago

        Good to know about the back. I do see that now. Damn it feels good for what it is lol. Thankfully I use the Apple MagSafe case.

        Having a gap between icons didn’t occur to me as something lol. I didn’t do it on my pixels.

        I’ve taken some crazy good pics with this phone. Much better vs my 12 pro. Macro camera is cool too.

        Edit about settings: If app developers are doing it right, iOS specific settings (like notifications, permissions, etc) should be in the settings app where app specific settings should be in their own app.

        • @[email protected]OP
          2•1 year ago

          Thanks - I’ve not tried macro mode yet, or much more than a few snaps and some (better!) video - will edit post when I’ve more experience!

      • @hansl
        2•1 year ago

        Technically you can have transparent nameless shortcuts that do nothing and add them to make gaps. There’s a blog somewhere with hacks like that.

        If you like customizations you should look into shortcuts.

      • meseek #2982
        1•1 year ago

        No you cannot set icons anywhere on the screen. They all start and arrange left to right, top to bottom.

        App Settings should be located in the Settings app. But developers don’t always follow Apple’s guidelines.

        The App Store, region locks, restrictions, border policies, and other regional locks or hurdles are mostly set by governments, not Apple. Borders still very much exist even digitally.