[Rajiv0909]

iOS - What i like about it? It's easy to use, functional , intuitive, secure and most importantly reliable.

[msnarain]

The Apple ecosystem could be an expensive (initially) affair. Switch to iOS if you have a Macbook. Our (wife and I) last few workplaces have been providing us our Macbooks. We just had to buy the iPhones. We recently bought an iPad and an Apple TV to complete the ecosystem.

As raksrules mentioned, iPhones last years. My iPhone X had a nasty fall early this year and it shattered. I have dropped the phone multiple times, but this one was spectacularly nasty. I didn't feel like spending a ton of money to buy a new iPhone. I just had to dig out my 5 year old iPhone 6 and plug it in the charger - it worked like a charm without any drama. I have been using it for the last few months now and don't intend to upgrade anytime soon. Macbooks are also work horses. They work for years without any signs of slowing down.

The Apple ecosystem also has a number of niche apps if you are an artist. I am a music producer (hobby) and there are a bunch of apps and professional software and hardware that are iOS only/friendly.

So if you have such a niche hobby and get your Macbooks for free, make the switch blindfolded. You will not regret it and you will never want to go back to Android or Windows.

[vmathews]

iOS. I have been using the Apple products starting with iPhone 3GS to my current XR. My family is deep into the Apple Ecosystem and we all have Macbooks, iPads and iPhones. I am still using my 2014 MacBook Air without any issues.

[Turbo_anup]

IOS - i have a Iphone 7 that is approx 4.5 years old now and will still be good till next year i suppose. no Android phone / OEM or Google for that matter can give this kind of software support with minimal bugs and high quality. However, there are few caveats or price of admission in IOS (more to do with their hardware)
- still using low res. screen with fancy names like Retina (which is basically a 720p display)
- poor battery life after approx 2 years of use
- horrible and atrocious 5W charger
- servicing and IOS capabilities / features are not at par with global standards in India

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by raksrules

But then I am using iphone 6S bought in 2015 so this year it will complete 5 years and I still don't plan to change my phone as my usage wont really change even if I got latest iPhone. I am not someone who changes phones frequently.

This echoes my thoughts, I bought my IP7+ in 2017 and it's still working great with all the latest updates to the OS. However, I had to replace the battery last year which at 3500 including taxes was pretty reasonable.

Plus TBH spending 1 lakh+ on the latest and greatest doesn't offer me any value as my usage patterns are very set. Considering my usage I believe there's nothing an IP11 Pro Max will offer me over the current handset. I will upgrade to an IP12 just before IP13 or whatever it will be called is to be released. Staying behind the curve brings some savings.

About high end Androids - I have used different generations of Pixels, Nexuses, Samsung Notes and even the Samsung S series and of course the ubiquitous OnePlus. While Samsung has your back if something goes wrong, getting Google to service or repair a phone is difficult. The spares are really expensive too. No more Google Hardware for me and that includes the smart speaker or Chromecast "dongles". OnePlus has been good so far but their prices are increasing generation to generation though one might argue they still represent some VFM.

[neeraj0272]

Some people are going on about longevity of smartphones. While longevity is one of the most desired characteristic of an appliance, I think it should rank lower in the case of smartphones. That is until smartphones have been developed to such an extent that only very minor upgrades are possible.
So I don't think it's sensible to use a phone older than 3 years even though it may be working fine. Especially for iphone users where they pay a certain premium for its claim of best and most advanced smartphone. It would be like riding the best horse carriage in the age of automobiles. Now that wouldn't make sense. Would it?

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by neeraj0272

Some people are going on about longevity of smartphones. While longevity is one of the most desired characteristic of an appliance, I think it should rank lower in the case of smartphones. That is until smartphones have been developed to such an extent that only very minor upgrades are possible.

So I don't think it's sensible to use a phone older than 3 years even though it may be working fine. Especially for iphone users where they pay a certain premium for its claim of best and most advanced smartphone. It would be like riding the best horse carriage in the age of automobiles. Now that wouldn't make sense. Would it?

That's where the longevity of the Apple iOS support system comes in. Even 5 year old iPhones are getting the same (latest) iOS support as that of the latest iPhone 11 Pro. The hardware is also quite capable of handling the upgrades.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by Pancham

That's where the longevity of the Apple iOS support system comes in. Even 5 year old iPhones are getting the same (latest) iOS support as that of the latest iPhone 11 Pro. The hardware is also quite capable of handling the upgrades.

I beg to disagree.

While the older iPhones may match in terms of software experience due to regular updates, it can never be a match in terms of the latest hardware experience.

Heck, even the latest iPhones are not a match to the top tier Android phones from Samsung, Huwaei, etc., but that is a different debate altogether and I will not go into that.

Just for comparison, let's take a 3 year old iPhone (even though you mentioned 5 year old iPhones are comparable) with a 2020 flagship Android phone and compare it.

How about iPhone X (launched in 2017) v/s a Samsung S20 Ultra (2020 launch) -

• iPhone has 1125 x 2436 pixels (~458 ppi density) whereas S20 has 1440 x 3200 pixels (~511 ppi density)
• iPhone has screen refresh rate of 60Hz whereas S20 has 120Hz @ FHD
• iPhone has 256GB & 3GB RAM whereas S20 has 512GB 16GB RAM (I know iPhone users claim that their phones don't need more RAM due to software optimization, but then why is Apple regularly increasing the RAM on their new phones? iPhone 11 has 4GB RAM!)
• I hope I don't need to compare the cameras of the iPhone X and S20 Ultra
• iPhone has 2,716 mAh battery with 25W fast charging, whereas S20 Ultra has 5,000 mAh battery with 50W fast charging & 9W reverse wireless charging!

Smartphone technology, unlike some other tech products, progresses substantially over the years. While I agree that in newer smartphones, the upgrade maybe small increments over their last year's models, we can surely not compare a 3~5 year old phone with the latest phones. Hence, any ardent or heavy user may probably replace their phones every 2~3 years.

However, if one does not need the above so called upgrades and just needs a phone for basic calling and social media connectivity, the iPhone will be a fair option. But was Apple not fined recently for slowing down their old iPhones to push users to buy new ones?

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-...0the%20devices.

Apple obviously claimed that it is slowing down their phones due to the batteries. So will iPhone users still use their old and slow iPhones?

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by Pancham

That's where the longevity of the Apple iOS support system comes in. Even 5 year old iPhones are getting the same (latest) iOS support as that of the latest iPhone 11 Pro. The hardware is also quite capable of handling the upgrades.

My friend an iphone is much more than its software or hardware. It's a sum of it all where is sum is much more than the total of parts. As apple fans would claim!
But today in 2020 any phone with thick bezels or notch or lcd display is certainly outdated. This one aspect is also a part of premium smartphone experience. There are many such aspects. Bluetooth standards or radio capabilities another. 5g will make older phones outdated. Just like 3g/edge/2g phones are outdated now.

Regarding your point of hardware able to support successive software updates, I have a point to make and in this maybe a query. If android phones get laggy after software updates then it means 2 things. Either new update intentionally slows down the hardware or newer software is more advanced for the capabilities of existing hardware. If latter is true then I think it's a good thing. It means that android is still developing at break-neck speed whereas ios is stagnating. After all you would not expect a 20 year old spec pc to support current gen software. You would expect both software and hardware to be in harmony with each other drawing the maximum out of each other.

One point that slightly irritates me is when tech reviewers go on about premium build of the phones(both iphone and android phone) and equate that premium build to use of metal(aluminium or stainless steel) in place of plastic and somehow justify a premium of 10k or 20k or 30k for this supposedly premium build. Now in a phone weighing 200g, it's casing would weigh about 10g to 20g. Now even if we calculate the cost of machined metal casing @ ₹10k per kg (though it should be in the range of ₹1k per kg) it comes to about ₹100 to ₹200.
So maybe plastic has some benefit over metal and that's why we see it in phones costing about 25k?


Mod Note: Please use the EDIT or QUOTE+ (multi-quote) button instead of typing one post after another on the SAME THREAD!

To know how to multi-quote, click here.

[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Heck, even the latest iPhones are not a match to the top tier Android phones from Samsung, Huwaei, etc., but that is a different debate altogether and I will not go into that.

You say this

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Just for comparison, let's take a 3 year old iPhone (even though you mentioned 5 year old iPhones are comparable) with a 2020 flagship Android phone and compare it.

And then you actually do it

I guess after a certain age and the way your personality progresses/regresses, you just need a phone that 'works'. This is Apple's target audience. Not the spec hungry monsters.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Apple obviously claimed that it is slowing down their phones due to the batteries. So will iPhone users still use their old and slow iPhones?

They fixed it didn't they? So surely people will use their old phones because they are no longer slow and public memory is short lived just as technology.
If you consider that inspite of getting a lot of flak for being expensive, outdated, boring, monopolistic + a few other adjectives, they are the most desired phone/brand throughout the world ( along with being a multi trillion dollar company) which means they must be doing something right, which others are trying to emulate.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

You say this


And then you actually do it

I think I was not clear there.

What I say I won't do is - compare a 2020 iPhone with a 2020 flagship Android because I feel the top tier Android phones are actually better.

What I did was - compare a 2017 iPhone with a 2020 flagship Android, as the OP mentioned the experience would be the same!

I guess after a certain age and the way your personality progresses/regresses, you just need a phone that 'works'. This is Apple's target audience. Not the spec hungry monsters.

Hence, I mentioned this in my post -

"However, if one does not need the above so called upgrades and just needs a phone for basic calling and social media connectivity, the iPhone will be a fair option."

Regarding a phone that just "works", I use a Samsung S7 Edge which I got in 2016 and I still use it as my secondary phone. No issues or the so called lag or freeze at all. Then I have my Huawei Mate 20 Pro which I got in 2018 and is my primary phone. Again, no issues.

Don't get me wrong again, I am not trying to persuade anyone to buy an Android and even claiming that Android phones will absolutely never have any issues. All I am saying is - there is still an old misconception embedded in the minds of iPhone users that Android phones are not fluid or they freeze or the battery life is not good. In my opinion, these myths originate due to their experience with cheap or mid range Android phones or older Android versions.

If you consider that inspite of getting a lot of flak for being expensive, outdated, boring, monopolistic + a few other adjectives, they are the most desired phone/brand throughout the world ( along with being a multi trillion dollar company) which means they must be doing something right, which others are trying to emulate.

You are right, Apple is the best case study on how to build a brand image.

But we should also not forget the fact that Apple was once a leader in the smartphone market. And now Samsung and Huawei has pushed it down to a 3rd spot. Apple is a very good brand - but I guess that now consumers will stop buying a brand and look for an updated product that offers more bang for the buck. Both these firms have beaten iPhones hands down in terms of hardware - be it the fit/finish and quality of their phones or just the specs. Apple cannot survive on the same old ideologies of fluid software anymore. Most people buying an iPhone now are users locked in the Apple ecosystem. It is high time that Apple does something radical.

[tchsvy]

I have voted for Android. Android has come a long way and the notion that you need to root your android device or install a custom ROMs to suit your needs is wrong. I haven't rooted my androids in the last 5 years, and the last custom ROM I have installed was on my HTC Desire. The Vanilla android itself has many features baked into it now and the OEM skins on top of it are way more refreshing and way more productive.

I, personally can't imagine using an iOS device in the near future, file sharing, music downloads, OTG, etc will be dearly missed on iOS.

[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

What I say I won't do is - compare a 2020 iPhone with a 2020 flagship Android because I feel the top tier Android phones are actually better.

This is my pet peeve with comparisons, be it Cars or Technology or choice of clothing. I could prefer MoonMoon Sen to Disha Patani , which makes neither better or worse.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Most people buying an iPhone now are users locked in the Apple ecosystem. It is high time that Apple does something radical.

True, but you need to consider the default adopters like my daughters, who grew up with Apple devices because of their parents. They don't want to touch anything else, because all their friends are also on iDevices. Much like a cult following, which is obviously only seen in metros and within people of means. And when you start using the watch along with pods and the pencil, there is nothing comparable on the other side for a seamless connectivity. When the choice to add a computer for home usage came, we chose the MacBook, only because of the Screentime controls we could have across iDevices.
The moment Apple devices are priced at the same range as their competitors in India, there will be a huge sway from the 'wannabe' crowd.

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

I guess after a certain age and the way your personality progresses/regresses, you just need a phone that 'works'. This is Apple's target audience. Not the spec hungry monsters.

I have a feeling that Apple under-utilizes it's hardware in phones so that user gets the satisfaction of 'It works'. This will also explain that why 5 year old iphone can handle software updates. Also keep in mind that Apple keep strict restrictions re it's software like no expandable storage etc, no file explorer etc.. as well as no live widgets etc. to maintain good user experience. All in all a 'Keep it Simple' policy.
I think that it's a sensible approach.

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

If you consider that inspite of getting a lot of flak for being expensive, outdated, boring, monopolistic + a few other adjectives, they are the most desired phone/brand throughout the world ( along with being a multi trillion dollar company) which means they must be doing something right, which others are trying to emulate.

I think that smartphones are not Ferraris/Lamborghinis to be 'desired' but to be bought, used and then discarded. Disposable to be exact.
Also you are mistaken that other companies are trying to emulate Apple to create iphones or ios. They are just trying to emulate Apple to create profits for themselves and to become money making machine like Apple. It's purely business.

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

The moment Apple devices are priced at the same range as their competitors in India, there will be a huge sway from the 'wannabe' crowd.

Do I sense classism here?

When we are discussing disposable products like phones and pc then obviously value for money and practicality is an important criteria.

Many people can afford high end cars but still they will commute in cheaper cars in bumper to bumper city traffic. Driving a Ferrari is not sensible in Chandni Chowk. Or is it?
I have seen many iphone users with broken screens or broken back panels because they don't have the heart to to spend 20k to 30k to repair these phones knowing fully well that after the repair they might break again the very next day!

That's why I stress the word disposable. I bought Galaxy S at 30k. Max I spent was 42k on Nexus 6. Now I use a Samsung A70. I can very well afford to buy the most expensive smartphone but I don't because to me smartphones are disposable. To be used for 2 to 3 years and then move on to the next one.

If I decide to splurge money on smartphone it will be on something exclusive like some Lamborghini edition or Caviar phones.

[acestormtrooper]

Originally Posted by R2D2

This echoes my thoughts, I bought my IP7+ in 2017 and it's still working great with all the latest updates to the OS. However, I had to replace the battery last year which at 3500 including taxes was pretty reasonable.

Plus TBH spending 1 lakh+ on the latest and greatest doesn't offer me any value as my usage patterns are very set. Considering my usage I believe there's nothing an IP11 Pro Max will offer me over the current handset. I will upgrade to an IP12 just before IP13 or whatever it will be called is to be released. Staying behind the curve brings some savings.

About high end Androids - I have used different generations of Pixels, Nexuses, Samsung Notes and even the Samsung S series and of course the ubiquitous OnePlus. While Samsung has your back if something goes wrong, getting Google to service or repair a phone is difficult. The spares are really expensive too. No more Google Hardware for me and that includes the smart speaker or Chromecast "dongles". OnePlus has been good so far but their prices are increasing generation to generation though one might argue they still represent some VFM.

Thanks for the info.

I have an IP7. I have upgraded to iOS 14 Public Beta 5. However, the battery is kinda now willing to leave the charger behind. Wanted to know where did you get your battery replaced from in Pune? A genuine apple service center or an regular mobile repair fellow. If so, what battery was used? Please do let me know. Thanks so much.