We’ve had a great relationship for more than 10 years but it feels like the love has been lost and I’d rather we both went our separate ways.

She’s been increasingly spendy and it feels like our relationship is very much one way now – every September she demands more and more of me yet I find myself wondering – am I really getting anything back in return?

So I’d like to explore the options for going our separate ways – I think I’d be happier with a more independent android type and having a bit more control over things.

The things holding me back from packing my bags and moving on are:

– using a Mac for my computer – so all our old sentimental photos are on Mac photos
– we share a calendar on iCloud – so we’ll need something similar to arrange access visits to our pet – Pixel
– my files back up to Mac iCloud but between you and me I’ve been having a poly amorous arrangement with Office365 for a while so could do a bit more of that without her getting too upset.

Has anyone else consciously uncoupled / can anyone offer any first hand advice on how to avoid a horribly painful
Break up?

You bastard.

So I’d like to explore the options for going our separate ways – I think I’d be happier with a more independent android type and having a bit more control over things.

What do you mean by control? What, exactly, do you imagine you can do on Android that you can’t do on iOS these days? Do you actually want to spend hours hacking apps and the OS to do what, exactly?
How independent do you imagine Android will be? There are so many forks and iterations of it, many have never had a factory update, so you have to update it yourself, some Android phones come, as new, with a version of Android that’s already two or more versions out of date.
I have an iPhone 6+, it’s now getting on for five years old, running the latest version of iOS, it functions as well as it did when new, and, while I was considering updating it when the XS Max came out, I’ll probably keep it until the next one comes out in September.
I wonder if you would find many Android phones still working perfectly after five years.
It might be worth getting a reasonably cheap Android phone with the latest version of the OS, and using it in parallel to the iPhone, that way you haven’t burned your bridges only to find all sorts of issues getting things to sync together.
My own experience with Android devices is limited to cheap phones made by LG, and Samsung tablets where I work now, and the experience has not been a happy one, I’ve only resisted the temptation to throw the bloody things as far as I could because I’d have to pay for the replacement.

So, are you bitextual or pantextual now?

Yup. I got fed up with Apple and their control freakery.

Went Android. Short learning curve but wouldn’t go back now.

Do it. You won’t regret it. So much freedom.

It’s not just a change that you’re making. Spend a bit of time trying out the alternatives first and get those you share and communicate with to move to them before you switch. iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, etc. No reason you can’t get things like files and shared calendars all sorted out beforehand at your leisure rather than hurriedly changing everything at once.

Also have a good think about how you feel about Google mining your data for all it’s worth. It’s very difficult to get by on Android without sending a lot of data their way.

I’ve used Macs since they came to the UK, I love Apple products -I even still have 2 iPods I carry everywhere and I really love my iPad Mini.
But if someone tries to persuade me to use the Jesus Phone I tell them to shit in their hands and clap.
Android for me on phones. ideally on a Google phone.

I lasted two weeks on Android before I went back to Apple….

Did similar last year. My Samsung talks better to my MacBook than my iPhone did! Bizarre!

Thanks all – what apps are you using to get photos off your android phones onto iPhone and vice versa?

what apps are you using to get photos off your android phones onto iPhone and vice versa?

Google Photo’s, backs up everything, they even do an app for the iphone 😉
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-photos/id962194608?mt=8

I’m not tied to apple stuff at all, but my flit over to Android again last May lasted until about October.

I enjoyed the hardware, the new android phones are phenomenal but it kids of felt like walking around with a mini pc, I was constantly having to tidy up, and clear running processes to keep the temp down and save battery. Plus some of my most well used apps just weren’t as well designed on Android.

I’m back on iPhone now, but I’m not forking out for the newest ones, there’s no point any more, I got back on the horse with a used iPhone 7 and I’ve just got a new 8 with a cheap contract. I looked at a X but the price is still too high and the Xr is too big for my child’s hands.