Why I don't use an iPhone: iOS from an Android user's point of view

As an Android user, I often get asked whether a current iPhone or an Android device like the Google Pixel or the Samsung Galaxy is better. Many people are thinking about switching away from the iPhone. I haven’t used an iPhone as my daily driver for over a year and a half. Here are my very personal reasons.

I had an iPhone ever since the iPhone 4S and invested in the newest one every year. My laptop for work and the channel is a MacBook, too. What replaced my iPhone for the first time was the Galaxy Z Fold 4 a year and a half ago, then came the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Since then, I only have an iPhone to test it for the channel and to make comparisons.

1. The camera

For most people, the iPhone camera is really awesome. For me as a content creator, it doesn’t do a good job. I film a lot on the go with my smartphone, because I don’t always want to lug the compact camera around.

• On the iPhone 15 Pro, the camera automatically jumps to macro mode for close-ups in video mode. Its image quality is too poor for my YouTube videos.
• If I turn macro mode off, the image gets super blurry even at a distance that isn’t very close.
• A video recording can’t be paused. If I want to straighten something out, I have to end the video and start over.

2. Gesture control

On Android, I go back everywhere with a swipe gesture from the left or right screen edge. That works one-handed, no matter how big the device is. On the iPhone, that only works from the left edge. Even with a normal-sized iPhone, my thumb barely reaches and I need the second hand. I don’t understand why it doesn’t work from the other edge, too.

3. Notifications

• Categories: On the iPhone, I can only switch an app’s notifications fully on or off. On Android, I switch individual categories, for example likes, comments or messages on Instagram.
• Status bar: This is what I miss most on the iPhone. On Android, an icon stays visible at the top until I open or delete the notification. I use that as a to-do list, for example for a birthday message or a reply to a message.
• iPhone: After unlocking, the notifications disappear from view and only remain as a dot on the app. I find the notification center confusing.

4. App settings and volume

On the iPhone, there is no way to change settings directly in an app. For the camera, I have to leave the app, go to Settings, look for the camera and change it there. For display brightness, too, Control Center isn’t enough for everything, for example for adaptive brightness.

On Android, a swipe on the three dots is enough.

On the iPhone, volume is limited to the system volume. If it’s set high, a YouTube video starts correspondingly loud, and the alarm rings at that volume, too. On Android, I set ringtone, alarm and media separately.

5. The keyboard

The Apple keyboard has no number row, and the period and comma aren’t on the first page. I have to switch to the second page while typing. On Android, I customize the keyboard, including its size, color and shape, and can have alternative characters displayed that I reach by long-pressing the letter.

6. Small smart features

• Reverse wireless charging: With a Pixel or Samsung, I charge other devices wirelessly, so for example the charging cable for my watch doesn’t have to come along.
• Remaining charging time: Android shows how much longer charging will take. The iPhone doesn’t have that information.

None of this is a deal-breaker, but for me it contributes to a better user experience.

7. The missing AI

In recent months, Google and Samsung have brought AI features that we could hardly have imagined before:

• automatic translation of emails
• smart text suggestions while writing
• an assistant that answers the phone and asks the caller for the reason
• photo and video editing on the next level
• with the S24 Ultra, live translation of phone calls

I can’t find any of that on an iPhone, not even in the beginnings. Compared to current Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones, the iPhone feels like a relic from 2018. In my view, it hasn’t developed any further in the last five years.

Where the iPhone is strong

The iPhone’s strengths lie almost exclusively in the Apple ecosystem, and even there, there are more and more good Android alternatives. Instead of FaceTime, we use WhatsApp video calls anyway, even for conferences. Instead of AirDrop, there is Quick Share or Nearby Share.

There is one thing I really miss painfully on Android: MagSafe. Simply putting chargers, wallets and pop sockets on the back is the best feature of the iPhone for me. Luckily, there are manufacturers with a solution, for example a magnet that you attach to the smartphone or case. With it, I can use everything that belongs to MagSafe.

Verdict

I was always a big fan of Apple, but also of progress. In my view, that’s where Apple missed the boat with the iPhone five years ago. This is my personal opinion, so please don’t take the topic personally.

Ad: The video was sponsored by NordVPN.