So, I’m an Apple person but with MDM appearing on my work phone and some lack of respect for my personal time I stuck a plusnet chip into a spare 5s to have a second personal phone.

Bit its too small after years of 6/6s.

I’m thinking of going Android. My needs are t’internet, mail, WhatsApp and calls so quite simple but I’d like to take a few good pictures. I was thinking Samsung?

Will I Apples iCloud / interaction across devices? What if any are disadvantages of Android?

Disadvantages are security, malware etc.

If you’re savvy with where you install applications from and follow sensible anti malware guidelines you’ll be fine.

I’d go with a oneplus before a samsung.

Apple ecosystem on Android might be a problem, similar the other way round.

Whereas Microsoft ecosystem is served well on both platforms (as well as virtually defunct Win Phone).

Disadvantage of Android is fragmentation, meaning there are loads of variants of Android, versions of the OS (not always upgraded to the latest depending on manufacturer), companies like Samsung mess with the OS a lot and customise it beyond recognition and add a lot of annoying bloat. Many apps that will work on some devices, not on others or work differently. Bugs galore. Differences depending on hardware and firmware, often affecting battery life etc.

I got frustrated with it and went Win Phone which really liked, but that’s dead now and looking to go back to Android.

Currently got my eye on the HMD Nokia stuff. The Nokia 6 is just out and seems a good deal with budget price, though is a fairly budget spec. It is a clean version of Android though. There is the Nokia 8 due out shortly which is high end and looking pretty attractive with really nice camera.

Samsung is the most popular. I didn’t get on with them, but that was a while back. They messed with the OS so much and I struggled with poor battery life probably due to the bloat they stick on it which couldn’t be removed.

Best to go with a phone that has the stock Android OS without any manufacturer software overlaid.
Nicer UI experience and you get updates faster…

Have a look at the Motorola G5. Good price/performance balance.

Androids…..everybody needs good Androids…..Androids have feelings too!

somouk – Member
Disadvantages are security, malware etc.

If you’re savvy with where you install applications from and follow sensible anti malware guidelines you’ll be fine.
Where are you roaming… Apple is vulnerable too if your an idiot. Install stuff from the play store and nothing stupid (no idea why you would)

Go for stock android, Motorola or nexus /new one avoid the custom builds etc. No idea about I cloud but drive, Dropbox and Ms are all fine and easy.

Google Pixel is the purest flavour of Android. And you get unlimited cloud photo storage.

CaptainFlashheart – Member 
Androids…..everybody needs good Androids…..Androids have feelings too!

😀 This came up today:

Everybody needs good androids… #RedDwarfXII

https://twitter.com/RedDwarfHQ/status/893418806235856896

Surely @Kryton57 knows all about Androids anyway? 😀

To small or too slow? iPhone SE is pretty cheap and blazing fast. Else get a secondhand 6S.

From my dabbles with Android, I could live with it if forced to but it’s pain if you’re in the habit of imessage & facetime. If you have paid apps you’ll be re-buying them too.

secondhand 6S

This is my plan A. That G5 at £165 new on Amazon looks a good bet also.

Where are you roaming… Apple is vulnerable too if your an idiot. Install stuff from the play store and nothing stupid (no idea why you would)

If you had typed that on an Apple device, it would have been coherent. 8)

Moto G5plus, slightly better alround than the G5, £200 from curries when I bought it. It works very well for me. There is a G5plus S out soon that has a better camera (I think).

£200 curries! Mmmmmm 😀

I got frustrated with it and went Win Phone which really liked, but that’s dead now and looking to go back to Android.

My parents were both on Win Phone and rated it.

They’re now both (as of last week) on iPhone SEs after my mum was given an iPhone by work.

Windows Phone had a lot of potential.
That was squandered.

Total dead end now.

Sony worth a look as well. Good battery life, great camera and waterproof.

My parents were both on Win Phone and rated it.

Damn you, autocorrect.

No, they actually liked it.

As I understand it, the issue with Sony/Samsung/Pixel etc. is that you’re near iPhone money, and if you’re already bought into the Apple ‘ecosystem’…

One plus 3 or 5? Impressed with my 3 and unlike other phones I’ve had is still fast and holds its battery after 14 months

ratherbeintobago – Member 
No, they actually liked it.

Mine do also, and still use them, and they’re “dead” Win Phone 8.1 (too old to be upgraded). For them, they do the job. Makes calls, sends texts, can read emails, bit of browsing, calendar & reminders that sync with PC/OneDrive and they quite like OneNote as can keep lists of things which syncs too, take photos and syncs back.

And were v.cheap, robust phones, bucket loads of battery.

I recommended them at the time as really didn’t want to be on constant support with Android issues and they just wanted something cheap & robust that just works. They’re also into the MS ecosystem on PCs and laptops.

The Windows mail app is much better than the iOS one too, and while you can get much of the same UI with Outlook on iOS it’s not as well integrated as the native app.

By coincidence tonights lad nights out include a chap who just changed his iphone to a “swift” handset.

It has untouched Android and was a chinese drone, but other than a not so good camera did all the necessary through the OS.

With a bit more understanding on board these handsets appear to be the Now TV of the phone world.

Get a Moto G5+, job done.

Yep, did some research and the Levano Moto G5+ it is.

This is a minefield. I reverted to the G5 as its £80 cheaper and i probably wont miss the extra performance of the plus. Then is started reading the user reviews, the G4 is faster, the Swift plus more premium etc. Then I started reading the press reviews of the suggested alternatives, then the user reviews of those. Help. A gazillion handsets.

😐

^^^

This is why I keep buying iPhones.

This is why I keep buying iPhones.

+1

Would a modern android phone be much better than my galaxy s4? It is quick, has 128 gb of memory and battery I can change on the hoof.
All I would really like extra is a dedicated camera button like my old windows phone.
As per bikes without a bottle mount a swappable battery is a 100% must with me.

This is a minefield. I reverted to the G5 as its £80 cheaper and i probably wont miss the extra performance of the plus. Then is started reading the user reviews, the G4 is faster, the Swift plus more premium etc. Then I started reading the press reviews of the suggested alternatives, then the user reviews of those. Help. A gazillion handsets.

G5S and G5SPlus have just been released. Just saying…

More than £200 though. And bearing in ming my use – phone, text, whatsapp, browsing and stw, i dont need to pay lots of cash for lots of performance.

Just more than the i5 im getting by with in a frustrating fashion due to its size.

OP – for what you are describing just get a Moto E4 plus £150 at John Lewis with 2yr guarantee
Cheap, basic phone, reliable, big screen and large battery capacity

This is why I keep buying iPhones.

If your spending IPhone money just get the best moto/Samsung/Google pixel and have all the iPhone features 6 months early…
It’s not really a minefield it’s just choice

What about a used honor9?

Well the Moto G5 arrived today and i must say that so the phone / android / google has be a pleasure to use. Mail easily connecred, calendar setup photos auto uploaded, and various apps installed.

Some thing like notifications, do not disturb, battery and data savers have far more configurable rules than iphones, although Google Now has prompted me with so many suggestions and options i cant quite remember what im sharing with them, but the voice activation is cool.

Interestingly the UI is much more “play” than professional with Android IMO, which i think is a good thing – it feels pess tardy. The phone doesmt seem any slower than my work i6 tbh, except for one moment where skysports web page paused for about a second to load up, but than could have been wifi who knows.

Good sonfar then.

Pleased it’s going well so far for you. I’m sure if you have any issues/questions you’ll find answers on here.

Did you type that last post on the phone…looks like the keyboard need some practice if you did…? 😀

Congratulations! Welcome to the family 🙂

I find the only time my phone stutters or slows is big webpages, occasionally an app like maps will take a few seconds to open.

davidtaylforth – Member
Congratulations! Welcome to the family community

Ftfy 😀

So I stuck my new 64GB card in the slot.

Without making it internal storage, it appears to removable media no more no less. Seeing as my pics are being moved when on wifi to Google photos, and I’d have to remove the phone case to physical insert the card anywhere else which is not desirable, what do I need it for?

Otherwise, should I just format it as internal storage and let the phone use it as necessary (I have 16GB by default, 8GB free otherwise)?

Wondering if I’ve missed something?

‘s what I’d do.