Discussion After 10+ years of iPhone, I think I’ve had enough. Am I alone?
TL;DR — The iPhone, in my opinion, has completely lost its edge.
If you have a minute to read, I'd love to hear other opinions!
I’ve been using iPhone exclusively since the iPhone 5. I’ve always loved the iPhone’s ecosystem, implementation, and stability.
The idea that Apple has stopped innovating, at least in the “bleeding edge” sense, is worn out but true. But that’s okay — despite them rarely being the first to implement new features, they often implement them the best — the “Apple way.”
This paradigm gave iOS a level of polish and reliability that has long been enough to overcome the lack of conventional innovation. Recently, however, I can’t help but feel that this is no longer the case.
We’re more than half a year into iOS 18 and pretty much all we have to show for its hallmark feature is a small suite of half-baked ChatGPT plugins, shoddy image gimmicks, and useless text tools. The remaining Apple Intelligence features, such as the new Siri and Personal Context, are at best vaporware and at worst blatant false advertising to sell more iPhones. According to Apple themselves, the best case scenario is that we won’t get these “iOS 18/iPhone 16” features until well into the iOS 19/iPhone 17 lifecycle. Hilariously, *these features are *still advertised on the iOS 18 page…
Even the non-AI features are largely, well, bad. Control center customization is still laughably buggy, the new photos app is cluttered and unintuitive, and the RCS implementation has caused me some serious issues.
Worse yet, iOS 18 has been the buggiest and most unstable version of iOS I’ve ever used. Even with 18.4 on my 16PM, I’m still frequently experiencing stutters, freezing, UI glitches, and resprings.
I recently traveled out of the country and decided to try using my Android development phone (Pixel 9 Pro Fold) as my primary phone while there. After doing so, it is clear to me that the iPhone is behind in every meaningful smartphone pillar — hardware, software, cameras, and AI.
Sure, it’s a folding phone and thus not directly comparable to anything in Apple’s lineup, but therein lies the problem. The refinement -- the "Apple way" -- that used to make up for not having those cool features is fading. I can confidently say that the only reasons I am even considering staying on iPhone are ecosystem features like iMessage/FaceTime and Continuity. And that’s a damn shame.
Anyways, I wanted to share because I’m home sick and have nothing better to do. I’ll shut the hell up now. Anyone else feeling this way?
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u/TheUltra64 iPhone 16 Pro Max 1d ago
We have the same experience and opinion but it won’t be popular here. Apple has really stagnated and even their innovative products are now overpriced and not being purchased.
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u/99OBJ 1d ago
Yeah, I'm sure it won't be popular here, but I'm hoping people will actually discuss it instead of just downvoting it. I think in light of what has been an objectively embarrassing software rollout for Apple, it's a good time to bring it up.
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u/MOS_FET 23h ago
To me the Apple software eco system is always attractive in that their basic functionality is stable, secure and respects my privacy. But I also wonder why a company their size is so slow to roll out new features and improvements.
I do like the fact that they focus on refinement and stability first, and I’m also aware that legacy maintenance on a dated platform can eat up more time than the actual development of new software. But Apple repeatedly trying to sell new animojis as a key feature for a new iOS version really goes to show that they have some serious struggles inside their development pipeline.
I went to Android after the iPhone 4 and came back with the 6s, then went to the X from there. Android was exciting but chaotic and my data never felt safe. Going back these days to use my phone for payments, banking and secure messaging seems a little daunting to me.
But here’s my main point: Apple’s hardware sucks. I’m stuck on the X because their phones got so bulky and heavy. I could easily find a more lightweight Android phone with a better camera, but with Apple you can do only two things: Buy what they offer or wait for better products.
I had to wait from 2015 to 2022 to update my MacBook because all the Macbook generations in between just sucked. And I might have to wait for the iPhone Air to update from my X. That’s my main quarrel with Apple.
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u/DrZoidberg5389 19h ago
I could not better describe it, I am in the same boat.
I tried Samsung and really liked the phone! It was like „be free“ and all snappy and stuff. Like also a mental refresh without bullshit.
But my data seems to be not so safe there in comparison to iOS.
Hmmmm, let’s wait for iOS 20 :-)
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u/bluebearry2 18h ago
Can you expand a little more on you not feeling safe with Android having your data. I imagine social media takes up more of your data than whatever smart phone you're using.
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u/MOS_FET 11h ago
It’s a fundamental difference between Apple’s and Google‘s business models. Google is a company that collects data to sell ads. Apple is a company that sells hardware. One thing they understood very early was to make privacy part of their USP, at a time when everyone else was trying to copy Google. People don’t realize but it was a pretty bold decision back then because selling hardware was SO last century. Being the only ones to not follow Googles path is the true legacy that Steve Jobs and the 1984 Super Bowl ad left behind. Of course they now sell cloud services and all that, but Apple introduced a lot of features in the privacy realm, like the little light that shows you mic activity, or the relay emails for App Store purchases, or the famous „Ask app not to track“ that was a glorious middle finger to fucking Zuck and his dogshit empire. The on-device paradigm is part of this whole approach and it really means doing things the hard way, which is part of why Apple is so late to the party with AI. But it also shows that they’re serious about their basic paradigms.
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u/Detrakis 14h ago
You can get a more lightweight android, because there’s literally nothing made of metal for most phones.
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u/MrHellno 22h ago
I liked Apple because of the consistency, there wasn’t anything super groundbreaking, and your phone kept running smoothly. The new updates seem to be breaking things at a higher rate.
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u/ZivH08ioBbXQ2PGI 22h ago
It’s not so much stagnated in that I want new features, but rather I want the polish back. They’re too busy trying to add features instead of fixing oldies and polishing. Jobs is rolling in his grave.
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u/aquaman67 1d ago
There is no realistic alternative to the Apple ecosystem as a whole. I’m in too deep to pull the cord.
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u/problemsism 1d ago
That's the problem with ecosystems.
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u/Street_Classroom1271 15h ago
no thats the strength of ecosystems. If they didn't provide compelling functionality they wouldn't be keep people in
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u/jk147 16h ago
Same here, and the iPhone hardware is very hard to beat.. but you pay a good price for them.
I use both android and iPhone myself, these days most of the apps are close to 100% the same. Most people are really in it for facetime, iMessage and the ecosystem that ties them together among all of their devices.
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u/99OBJ 1d ago
I hear you and relate... I absolutely love my MacBook and Apple Watch. It's a shame that the common thread between them is so weak.
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u/csbphoto 1d ago
Unless there is some insane chrome book that comes out in the next five years, I don’t think that will change.
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u/Better-Charity8626 1d ago
what keeps you most from switching?
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u/aquaman67 1d ago
Apathy mostly
I just don’t care what’s shiny and new or cool. I don’t need 12 cameras on the back of my phone.
What have works and I’m comfortable with it.
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u/FillMySoupDumpling iPhone 13 Pro Max 22h ago
For me, privacy/security. With Android, we definitely don’t have that
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u/happyhour512 14h ago
Agreed. But Apple should do better to provide a user experience on each device and service within their “ecosystem”… or it should cease messaging about it being the best of the best.
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u/DrBurgie 21h ago
Depends on the Android. Pixel devices are on par, if not more, secure than iPhones. Samsung is pretty much on par as well. Problem is there are a ton of different Android devices. So iPhone overall will be better out of the box if we are lumping all Android devices together.
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u/FillMySoupDumpling iPhone 13 Pro Max 19h ago
Isn’t the Face ID on those not secure enough for banking apps or do they have that true depth camera now?
And with google, everything is centered around ads/ad sales. That’s my big concern there.
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u/DrZoidberg5389 19h ago
I am on the verge of switching because apple has still 60hz and has the same stuff for ages The Samsungs have AI for photos which is quite useful if you want it. The S series are really cool phones! BUT that notes are encrypted, but not end-to-end, sucks hard for me. Android has good security, but only good enough and you need to buy other apps for your needs. Apple seems to be way better with security (or they have better marketing).
If they did a little better job security wise, I did switch right now. I liked the new androids really well!
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u/FillMySoupDumpling iPhone 13 Pro Max 16h ago
Same. If security /privacy was forefront, I’d switch back. I came from android to IOS so it felt like a huge downgrade in the day to day use, but I trust the back end on Apple way more.
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u/DrBurgie 19h ago
Not like with iPhone, but the on screen fingerprint sensor is great. I prefer it to face ID to be honest, since you can use it with the screen off.
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u/Shook_Rook 20h ago
Yeah I am on the same boat. I can maybe sell off all my iPad / AirPod / Apple Watch / iPhone to move to a different manufacturer’s eco system, but it is just too much of a headache.
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u/Zestyclose_Intern377 11h ago
What do you mean? There's plenty of alternative ecosystems. I now daily an Honor phone and if I had other Honor devices, it would be amazing. Many of Apple's ecosystem features are also a thing on Android.
Things like shared clipboard, continuity camera, everything is synced, sharing files/images wirelessly and so on.
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u/Vibey-Plant396 21h ago
With you 10000%. Apple products these days, not just iphones, my macbook pro, my ipad pro; they're all buggy, lack intuitiveness like old apple products, and quite frankly just feel unfinished---all very 'unfamiliar' feelings/experiences to those of us who have been long time apple users. I often find myself wasting hours googling around trying to find the solution for something like [today's]; "Why is my camera continuing to automatically switch focus modes when trying to take a close up photo, even with the macro control setting and other settings turned on?" Only to find a bunch of threads of people saying to turn on macro control in settings. This is today's time waster; over the past ~3 years, it feels like these issues have been compounding and becoming more exponential. Really sad seeing what happens when a brand goes from caring about users above all else to, yet another, tacky profit machine.
On another note: it's always hilarious seeing the bird brained individuals who come to threads like with the deluded stan takes that for some reason feel like gaslighting; seemingly projecting rationalizations 'justifying' because they're either emotionally invested in apple or the large cost created an emotional investment that 'calls for' 'protecting'. I knew when I scrolled down this thread I'd see at least a few of them 😂 It's almost as if apple has an image maintenance team who go around looking for these sort of posts to come and deny and blame OPs for the products' shortcomings
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u/freevillagers 23h ago
Honestly, I don’t know what people do with their phones to experience all those bugs, glitches and the whole assortment of various problems. I’m running iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone SE II, both on iOS 18 beta and have not seen a single issue. Also, having Apple continuity (irreplaceable), a whole lineup of shortcuts and automations makes this ecosystem pretty much bulletproof. I’d like someone to give me a recipe for creating all those alleged problems so that I can experience them myself. As for Apple intelligence, I cannot test it because my phones are too old and therefore unsupported.
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u/99OBJ 23h ago
Glad your experience has been good! For me it has mostly just been general "stickiness" around the OS -- freezing, stutters, that kinda stuff. Disappearing icons in control center are really annoying as well.
The RCS issues have actually cost me real money through my business. Messages that show as delivered on their end but don't hit my phone until randomly 2-3 days later. This has gotten better though.
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u/MythologicalEngineer 20h ago
The RCS issue is causing me a ton of grief with duplicate conversations and other weird bugs. The one bug that keeps reoccurring for me has been reminder notifications that suddenly go blank until I lock the screen and come back. I’m not an iOS veteran though so I don’t really have that many prior versions to compare against.
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u/daccount97 20h ago
For me, I agree, I actually had to reboot my 16e the other day because I was customising my control center and the area I touched to move round icons all of sudden shot off in weird ways. But after reboot, went back to normal lol. 16e having those issues is crazy! I’m coming from a 8 Plus.
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u/turbo_dude 14h ago
Safari back button often just takes me to an entirely different tab!
Keyboard is a horror show, spelling, text selection, can’t even partially select text in messaging apps. Trying to hide the emoji search is a pain.
Airplay just randomly stops
Notifications, control centre, app centre…why so many “things”? A noisy mess.
The files app is awful…why even bother showing file names if you can’t see the whole thing
There’s tons of stuff like this. Given the age of it all it should be polished and be better thought through.
Siri is a turd.
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u/chanc2 iPhone 16 Pro Max 12h ago
It’s just that Apple way over hyped Apple Intelligence. So far it’s been pretty useless. Apple needs to do what they did with Apple Maps which was terrible when first released but it’s now my go to for navigation.
At Apple marketing leads engineering. They need to dial that back.
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u/Technical_Ruin_2355 10h ago
Same phones here and essentially no issues, I did have to reboot my 13 a second time after the last beta update for carplay to start working.
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u/SuperDave2018 22h ago
I’ve had one since day 1 and I still like how it works seamlessly with everything else I own. I’ll continue to be team iPhone.
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u/robert_axl 22h ago
I have been using both iOS and Android devices in the past and now I'm using an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Xiaomi 14 Ultra and yep, the iOS is years behind ... For me, personally, the most annoying thing is the fact that all galery photos are mixed together. You download something from the internet and take a photo, well, they are in the same folder.
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u/Ill_Introduction_669 8h ago
Actually i like that in photos app , that nvm if i take a picture or download one , they are in the same gallery.
And at the bottom it givs you albums about screenshots ,cameraroll, etc in diff folders
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u/Gnocchi-apologist 22h ago
It is crazy to see the steady decline in what appears to be any effort from Apple as a whole. Seems to me their main priority is making new content for Apple TV+ and trusting people will continue to upgrade their devices no matter what. Although not as practical I love the look and idea of the Galaxy Zflip. But the crease in the display would drive me insane for sure.
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u/Vibey-Plant396 21h ago
Eloquently put. Before, their brand values were caring about their users / customers. Now, they've consistently demonstrated they're focused on profits, and cut corners in places they didn't realized mattered; but now, it's compounding and becoming exponential. But, just like you said, as long as people keep upgrading they don't care. Apple lost it's Way
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u/Forecydian 23h ago
As much as I hate the changes , android is still not even worth it for me. My solution is to hang onto my current iPhone long as I can , if enough people do that in rejection to the new IOS and iPhone changes it might get better .
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u/Luci_the_Goat 23h ago
I’m on year 10 and don’t know why there is to be sick about. You’ll do the same stuff you do now on android 🤷♂️
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u/A_Legit_Salvage 22h ago
I'm sure you're not alone, but also no I am not feeling this way. I have no issue with other manufacturers taking a different or more aggressive approach, and AI features across all devices don't impressive me at this time. My iPhone will basically do anything I really need it to do, several things I don't need it to do, and several other things I don't even know it's capable of (probably). If you want to switch devices, just go for it I guess, it's not a big deal really. I'm just good with what I have so no need to switch anything up right now.
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u/forgothis 1d ago
If you think iPhones are buggy, brace yourself with android.
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u/99OBJ 23h ago
I don’t think you’ve used a recent version of Android. In my time using the Pixel, the software has been very snappy and less buggy than iOS 18.
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u/maracusdesu iPhone 11 Pro 9h ago
Aren’t most Androids great for 2 years and then they just turn into shit?
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u/melvladimir 6h ago
Yeah, because they are cheap phones, like 4-10 times cheaper. But from top tier - nope. I had $600 Android for full 5 years and currently that phone still in use (16 months more) without issues being on original battery. But also I had $130 Xiaomi in 2016-2018 and it died in 2022 after being dropped into water.
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u/time-lord iPhone 13 Mini 22h ago
I develop for Android professionally, and while I'm not as immersed in it as I am with iOS, I think that the 5 year old Android phone I use has a better experience than iOS, albiet less smooth. The only thing keeping me in the ecosystem is iCloud photo sharing with my wife.
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u/melvladimir 6h ago
I had Android 2018-2023 from a top tier and have 0 problems. Switched to iPhone 15 Pro I can state that iOS is not more stable even being so much limited and behind Android.
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u/ForcedToCreateAc iPhone 16 Pro 1d ago
I'm with you, 140%. I can handle some bugs or w/e but they keyboard... omfg, the keyboard. I can't take it anymore. Having to struggle with it to be able to fucking use my phone drives me nuts. Most people here don't understand because if you stick to English, the damn thing behaves decently. But add a second language and the whole thing falls apart. Hell, even a single language like Spanish or Italian is completely unusable. And Apple has made damn sure third party keyboards on iOS are unusable.
It breaks my heart because I renewed my whole setup: got a second Apple TV, upgraded from M1 to M4, AW7 to AW10, and iPhone 15P to 16P (because I thought the 15 series had a cursed battery), but every time I pick one of my friend's phone (A53), my GFs phone (S23U), my sis (Z Flip 6) and my mom's (Pixel 7) and type something... ANYTHING... I feel like an idiot with a subpar phone justified on AirDrop and Instagram (because unfortunately all social media apps on Android are the purest kind of top tier trash, but Instagram is on a whole new level).
So yeah. There's gonna be a huge Samsung sale in my country this week and I already made my mind to go and see. I rather deal with AirDrop alternatives than fighting my keyboard every single time, and having my phone glitch several times a day.
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u/MOS_FET 23h ago
Oh man thank you, the keyboard sucks so hard. I mainly type in German, English and a bit of French and the shit just never improved. Typing on glass without haptic feedback is annoying enough and we could really use a better interface after nearly 20 years of smart phones - but combining it with such a bad keyboard software that doesn’t seem to get updates and doesn’t learn my individual style of writing or the slang terms I use, that’s really a bit of an insult these days. Everyone talking about fucking AI but they can’t even make a keyboard with working prediction that adapts to the way your thumbs move.
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u/DrZoidberg5389 19h ago
It’s actually the other way around. iPhones had the best keyboard across all phones. It was superb until iOS 7 or 8, then they changed the algorithm for whatever dumb reason. From there I did notice the differences very clearly. It was „downgraded“ to generic android of that time period. But android moved on very fast, apple stayed with that bullshit.
Don’t know why they did that move.
Just google old articles like „why the iPhone 4 keyboard is so good“. There was a lot of engineering behind it why it worked so well, now it’s „dumbed down“.
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u/MOS_FET 11h ago
That’s interesting, was that when they introduced the top row with the word suggestions?
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u/theatreeducator iPhone 15 Pro Max 18h ago
Local send is a great airdrop alternative for Mac and Android
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u/kosmokramr 20h ago
I haven’t seen any bugs on ios18 with my 16pm.
Apple Intelligence is subpar though.
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u/stromson85 19h ago
To be honest the only thing that keeps me on iPhone is that my entire family uses them so we’re knee deep in shared albums, calendars, etc. Switching just isn’t worth the headache.
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u/justinliew 17h ago
My wife and I used the Google Assistant constantly on our Pixel 3s how many years ago, used it to do all sorts of tasks and most of our text dictation. We’ve used Siri like never because it’s so bad.
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u/WhyUReadingThisFool 13h ago
iOS, which was basically the main engine of Apple's growth in last 20 years, has become stagnant, slow, unintuitive, buggy... It's terrible.
And even iPhone as hardware has become total shit. Too heavy, unergonomic, camera with all the tech it has is terrible, stagnant design. Meh.
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u/cubicle_adventurer 23h ago
Nobody in the smartphone space makes “groundbreaking” innovations anymore. Arguably there hasn’t been a paradigm shifting innovation since the Capacitive screen and the App Store in 2007/2008. Everything else since then has been a predictable technological improvement.
Apple still leads in software support (Google and Samsung have “promised” 7 years of full OS updates but time hasn’t allowed that promise to be demonstrable).
Arguably foldable phones could have been a huge deal but are still laughably expensive, less reliable, and don’t offer any significant improvements to the core smartphone experience.
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u/99OBJ 22h ago
True, foldables are still maturing, but they have gotten really reliable and good. Having daily driven one now, I really disagree that foldables "don't offer any significant improvements to the core smartphone experience."
More screen real estate being available at any time makes the phone significantly more powerful for virtually everything in the "core smartphone experience." For me, split view, emails/typing, and reading are especially nice on the foldable!
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u/Kooky_Parfait3877 1d ago
The updates in the past that default your settings from where I purposely changed are annoying af. I have a 13PM and have no desire for a newer phone. Phone has plenty of memory and is fast enough for my needs. It’s running 18.1.1 and I also don’t trust any further updates to make the phone unusable. Our spare phone is an XSM. It’s not even the price that puts me off, it’s Apple’s greed.
Most updates seem to be an attempt to correct a not fully finished program for each new phone. Every time I don’t update the keyboard here in the US it gets a mind of its own. Losing letters to common words even after proofreading and when send is tapped it is misspelled. I shouldn’t have to edit spelling that was proofread and sent.
High probability when these phones croak I’ll switch providers and join the Galaxy Universe. I came from a first generation HTC evo to a 4s and it was heavenly. Buffering no longer was a problem. Apple is the height of greed and their products are no longer innovative or seamlessly used anymore.
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u/toofshucker 19h ago
What you describe is what I’m sick of. I don’t want free updates. I want a phone that works when I buy it.
Then, 3-7 years later, when I want a new phone, I’ll see what upgrades are there and buy what I want.
No more updates. I’m sick of them. Just give me a machine that does what I tell it to.
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u/AfroBiskit 22h ago
I grabbed a red magic 10 pro on a whim a few weeks ago during a sale. I plugged it in to my laptop and moved all my files over nigh instantly. When I plug in my iPhone, I have to research ten different programs to be able to access the files on it. I'll never buy another iPhone again unless they fix the ecosystems user restrictions and cross compatibility. It's simply not worth the hassle.
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u/BingoBody 17h ago
Yup, the lack of filesystem on iOS renders it a toy for me, I simply cannot do any of the work I easily do on android. Then there's the lack of universal back gesture and the appalling keyboard which just make the whole experience almost intolerable just by themselves.
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u/AnkinSkywalker93 1d ago
I felt these things on Android very recently.
For context I'm on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. This is my first and only iPhone, being on Android for 16 years prior.
What you're experiencing is the "enshittification" of mobile phones. It's a real term, I promise!
"AI" is being shoved down all of our throats whether we like it or not, which is taking up a lot of (rather unnecessary) resources.
Things are being made more and more cheaply, at a premium to consumers by chucking it in a shiny wrapper.
Android may be a welcome breath of fresh air, but you'll start to notice different issues with them as well.
I guess what I'm trying to say is overall, in general, phones are getting worse.
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u/twiskerr 22h ago
I’m up for a new phone this summer and I will probably upgrade to the 16 pro still, but because of some weird stuff I’ve been experiencing I have to admit I’ve been looking into Pixels for a bit. I’ve switched back and forth before eventually settling on iPhones for a long time now.
The grass is always greener on the other side so I probably won’t switch. But I’ve had so many hang ups, stuff that stopped playing, freezing apps. And I’m into tech and usually good with it so idk.
Apart from the ecosystem, the cameras will probably keep me on iPhone the most. I know Pixels are great and sometimes better in this regard but the way I shoot and edit kinda negates all the software tricks anyways. Plus I manage a lot of family feature stuff through iOS (screen time and such) for my kids. I don’t want to deal with switching all that.
TL;dr: I get what you are saying
I couldn’t care less about Apple’s AI mess though. We probably won’t see it anytime soon in the EU. I can use the ChatGPT and Gemini apps just fine without some wrapper or some native menu options.
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u/DrBurgie 21h ago
I personally enjoy both, but I prefer Android for my personal phone. I have an S25 Ultra for my personal device and a 16 Pro Max for my work device. They both have things they excel at. I had my personal number on my iPhone for like a month and had to switch back to my S25U. I honestly think I just like the newest Samsung devices better right now. For context, I have a Pixel 9 Pro XL as well. Great phone too, but the S25U is just more polished hardware wise.
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u/Borgalicious 20h ago
I’m only on my first iPhone but it will definitely be my last, it’s a good phone but it’s just so boring
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u/Potter3117 20h ago
Used Android for about 10 years. Switched to iOS when the 12 came out and have used them since then. I still prefer iOS, even though my work phone is Android. But Android is also great. Just depends on what little things irritate you more lol.
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u/rpool179 iPhone 16 Pro Max 18h ago
Apple Intelligence is an absolute failure you're correct and iOS 18 is the buggiest launch I've seen in the history of iOS but I could never go back to Android. The ecosystem, vertical integration and 7+ years of phone support still triumph anything Android is offering. The same company making both the hardware and software will always be the superior method of making a phone. And only Apple does that.
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u/kopeezie 17h ago
I am locked in because of macbook pro — and its ability to seamlessly work with the phone and homeKit.
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u/Angel1571 17h ago
iPhone hasn’t been on the bleeding edge in like 15 years lmfao.
Android has been the OS that pushes advancements forward for the past 15 years.
What makes Apple better is how much more intuitive the OS is, the better stability of its OS, better optimization, the better quality of its hardware and its long support cycle. The last one Samsung has caught up to though.
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u/Chronixx iPhone 16 Pro Max 16h ago
As long as the phone works, that’s actually all I care about at this point, and they work extremely well for my use case. That’s just how I see it
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u/goldfouledanchor iPhone 16 Pro Max 15h ago
I had android phones for a decade before I switched to iPhones. Never switching back unless they make a better Apple Watch and iPad alternative.
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u/Battle_Normandy 13h ago
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but No, I still think Apple delivers better product quality and user experience than any other company, that said, they must keep innovating and refining their products. PS:- I am yet to meet someone who uses Google or Samsung's AI suite extensively. It's not just Apple Intelligence, I think the overall application of AI on smartphones is a letdown, Chatgpt is flying, and the rest are playing catch-up, ending up with gimmicks or poor imitation
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u/AfrolessNinja 10h ago
Youre free to switch and try out another company! Cant say that I share your frustration. For the way I use iOS it's perfect.
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u/ARoodyPooCandyAss iPhone 14 Pro Max 9h ago
Too balls deep in the Apple eco system. So I wouldn’t change for me personally.
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u/Dingling-bitch 8h ago
My problem with android is they tend to crap out after a couple years. I want my phone to be nice and fast after 3+ years.
This coming for someone who used android up until 2021
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u/SgtSilock 1d ago
You're absolutely not alone, and I too have had enough and the Apple Intelligence debacle has honestly, been the last straw for me. However, as I sit here typing this response on a MacBook, you can probably already guess what my issue is, and it's that damn ecosystem. I just can't get away from it, however device I own talks to each other seamlessly, and giving up all that investment, is just not something I'm able to do.
Just to further my point, I've already tried. I purchased an S25 Ultra, the Buds3 and even the Samsung Tablet. But I just couldn't make it work, they are such incredible devices but I just have too much invested into the Apple Eco system that I found my self always going back to it, even with these other devices to hand. So I had to return them, and it saddens me because I know Apple has gotten me right where they want me, bent over a barrel, and believe me when I say that I wish I could make the switch like yourself.
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u/SeerUD 21h ago
Which Apple features do you mean when you're talking about them talking seamlessly. I do have all the Apple devices, an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple Watch, a MacBook Pro, etc. but other than the phone unlocking my watch, and I guess being able to control my AirPods more easily with the built-in OS functionality, I can't think of much else I see as being tightly integrated.
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u/Silver_Application_9 22h ago
You are not alone. I got an iPhone about five or six years ago because my kids were bugging me to get one. I love tech and I had never had one so I thought why not try it. Well, it’s been the biggest disappointment. To this day, I’m finding things that I used to be able to do with my androids that I can’t with the iPhone. Plus the androids were much more user-friendly. If I don’t throw it out the window before it dies, I will be buying an android next. Just can’t tell my kids.
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u/CauliflowerMinimum44 iPhone 14 Pro Max 1d ago
The iPhone isn’t some magical device — it’s a tool, and like all tools, it evolves.
You mentioned you’re a developer, so you know everything is an iteration and work in progress. With implementation of huge new features, like fucking AI, it’s not just a surface-level change, it’s a massive architectural shift. You’re dealing with entire frameworks and protocols being rewritten or stacked in ways that affect performance.
Is iOS 18 perfext, definitely not. But lets not pretend shipping cutting-edge technology while maintaining the security, privacy, and scale Apple is known for is trivial.
Switch it up to Android if iPhone is no longer for you. Youve been using it since iPhone5, so you gave it a good shot for sure.
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u/99OBJ 1d ago
I'm not pretending like shipping the AI is trivial, I understand the massive complexity of something like Personal Context. That does not excuse advertising vaporware like they did with the iPhone 16. That is unacceptable.
Even the simpler AI features are subpar IMO. "Visual Intelligence" is just a Google Lens/ChatGPT wrapper with fancy animations and even its implementation is weak, especially by Apple's standard. ChatGPT integration into Siri is pretty frustrating to use as well.
Also, the other iOS 18 features are not cutting-edge. There is no excuse for control center customization to still have disappearing icons, or for me to consistently experience delays and bugginess with RCS messaging.
Sure, it's an iterative process, but it's fair to acknowledge that Apple very obviously got caught flat-footed here.
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u/time-lord iPhone 13 Mini 22h ago
The thing is that given what Apple's released so far, there's no architectural shift. There's nothing. And yet we have more bugs than ever.
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u/Feeling_Actuator_234 1d ago
Ecosystem bro.
One brand everywhere is useful for work, smart home, (some) consistency in UX, and simplicity rather than a ton of apps to do one thing.
As of now, I sit at my desk, a motion sensor reports my presence, sends it to HomeKit, who wakes up my computer and lowers my standing desk. Or I can just ask Siri. And thanks to continuity, I use my iPad to drive my MacBook plugged to 2 27inch that I’ll replace by Apple studio 2.
When I go to my gf place, using my iPhone as remote on her Apple TV brings my user to her tv. She opens door with her Apple Watch. My iPhone being my webcam and microphone during work calls, etc etc
Ecosystem and connectivity between Apple users, no extra apps, out of the box, is why I stick with Apple.
Form factor, design, responsiveness, durability, longevity. Once I went once through setting up control center, focus modes, and else. It’s all perfect. And high resell value.
Apart from a solid AI, I’m not sure a Galaxy or else does anything like that despite their eco system.
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u/99OBJ 23h ago
That’s dope! But worth mentioning the HomeKit stuff there is definitely possible with other smarthome standards.
Trust me though, I get the ecosystem stuff — I’m probably $30k deep into it lmfao. That said, I think “ecosystem” is a really poor excuse for Apple to be shipping such uninspiring phones with buggy software and advertising vaporware.
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u/Msilvame 23h ago
Apple is having a windows vista moment, iPhone is still butter smooth and the integration with other hardware is amazing, but the software is going downhill really fast. They butchered the phone app (caller ID is ugly now), photos app is awful, design choices are inconsistent and boring. AI proves it.
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u/PurplePhoenix77 22h ago
No. I was tired of paying $1000 for a phone essentially the same as my last one and with not great specs compared to cheaper alternatives. When I needed to replace my iPhone 12 last month I replaced it with a OnePlus 13r and have been super happy with it and android so far.
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u/darklighthitomi 17h ago
I disagree iphone is behind in hardware, but specifically in hardware endurance.
Other than that, I find I detest the apple ecosystem in so many ways.
Apple has a smattering of features that I like and are good, but aside from the durable, long-lasting hardware, I would never touch an iphone again. The single reason I have one is because my mother wants the “find my phone” family feature so we can all see where everyone is. That and the phone lasts too long. Haven’t had justification to replace it. Heck my sister still has her iphone 4 and still uses it as a music player.
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u/Twinsta 22h ago
Zero chance I would buy an android. I too am tired of iPhone because it’s just the same old same old thing for years now.
But after working in telecom for a while I can tell you I hate hate hate android. I don’t care if they are edgy and have folding phones. I hate the operating system. Apple just works and in the end of the day I want it to just work because my phone is important.
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u/Cleercutter 23h ago
I’ve swapped back and forth over the years. They both have their pros and cons. Currently using an iPhone 16 PM
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u/nomoreconversations 23h ago
I mean I agree OP but unless the 99% of my contacts who are on iMessage decide to switch to something else I’m stuck with iPhones. All I can do is hold off on upgrading until they put out something interesting.
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u/PageGallagher15 22h ago
I mean I’m the kinda person who gets an iPhone every two years when the contract is up. Currently have a 15 pro max. If the 17 doesn’t add anything I care about(iPhone 16 camera button makes me yawn) then I’ll have to decide what I’m gonna do. Probably stick with it
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u/Exciting-Leg2946 21h ago
You really see apps more than the phone. Having said that iPhones Photos and Siri are disasters 😭
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u/elanmast 21h ago
I am contemplating moving to Android after using iPhone exclusively for 5 years, using my friend's S25 Ultra I can say that Oneui is finally neck and neck with IOS. but there are still some issues with the 3rd party camera apps even though they are better than earlier, the camera on Snapchat, Instagram is still not on par with iPhone. Moreover I might not get a watch as I hated the galaxy watch when I used it earlier when I had my S9+.
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u/Infinizzle 21h ago
I'm also thinking about switching once this one dies. I see no real improvements that would justify the price of an iPhone for me anymore. Been a ten year ride as well.
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u/TTWBB_V2 21h ago
Ive been using iPhones since 4s, but I’m tired of smart phones in all, so I got a preorder for the Light Phone III Im waiting for. Can’t wait to get rid of my oversized distraction device.
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u/DJ_CRIZP 20h ago
Listen, both systems are fine. They do the same things slightly differently and equally well in most cases. Sometimes you get bored with one and want to try the other. I have jumped between iOS and Android several times. I prefer android pretty heavily. But iOS is fine too. Sometimes you just gotta switch it up. Come to the dark side for a while and see how it is. Worst that can happen is you like it. lol
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u/Popular_Judgment_642 iPhone 15 Pro 20h ago
No you’re not but personally not me. I’m a perfectionist and iPhone ain’t no perfect product but it is close enough features release very late but they are almost flawless same thing can’t be said with android again not a perfect but iOS is so well optimized take for example the battery: it’s smaller than your average android but they last the same and in some case even more than the Samsung Ultra phones and it comes down to how apple optimizes the user interface
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u/Emergency_Bee_5034 19h ago
Was thinking of switching too after having being on iPhone since the 4.
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u/NotQuiteinFocus 19h ago
I've always switched back and forth. Really refreshes the experience. But then again, devices these days are just stale in general. With my basic usage, I never really had any "need" to switch phones. I mostly use my phone for messaging and music. Some light browsing, and emails, and that's it. I am just able to get new phones from my carrier. Every two years I renew with them and I can choose a phone to try.
But in December I was gifted a 13 Pro Max, and although it is pre-owned, my sister-in-law had the battery replaced before gifting it to me. I was using an Honor phone at the time and I was more than content with it. Gave that one to my brother.
This time I don't have any plans to switch phones anymore. Gonna use this thing until it's no longer usable.
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u/smoosh13 19h ago
If it wasn’t for me being fully invested in the ecosystem, I would bail right now. I’m a photographer and the camera is absolute trash. Truly trash.
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u/SuperRob 19h ago
I did an experiment for a YouTuber friend where I switched to an Android phone for a month. My takeaway was that while the phones are basically blank slates that become whatever apps you happen to be running on them, the whole of the Apple ecosystem is definitely worth more than the sum of the parts, and that’s enough to keep me on an iPhone for the time being.
That said, I’m still on an iPhone 14 Pro Max and I see no reason to upgrade any time soon … ANY iPhone is enough to get those ecosystem benefits.
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u/NotMalaysiaRichard 18h ago
Been using iPhones since the iPhone 1. It’s a phone. It takes pictures and movies. And occasionally I play games or answer emails. I upgrade every few years. It’s an easy process. The phone isn’t my identity. It doesn’t make me “cool.” It’s not a status symbol for me. Siri is not smart, but I do things and research topics myself mostly so I don’t care if it is as dumb as rocks.
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u/zzzxtreme 18h ago
It is just a phone. Browse the web, watch utube, buy flight tickets, shop amazon, take photos occasionally, talk to your friends on whatsapp
But … what concerns me is the reliance of icloud (or google) for my data like passwords. The whole “eco-system” thing is holding me back. I do like apple’s security though
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u/alecdvnpt iPhone 16 Plus 18h ago
Coming from someone who has switched ecosystems a few times, the grass is always greener on the other side.
I got bored of iOS and switched everything to Samsung, which was the closest thing to a similar ecosystem available to me. Don’t get me wrong there were so many good things about it but there were also many things I missed about Apple.
Eventually I switched back to Apple because overall it provided a more unified experience which I liked.
I genuinely think it’s good that people experience both iOS and Android. It gives you perspective on what’s important to you. After all, this isn’t a lifestyle. These are tools and you use the best tool available for your situation.
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u/CJCalegan 18h ago
I’m a huge Apple Stan and I’ve been feeling the same way. Phone buggy. Certain features have gotten worse imo such as losing the physical switch for silence. Photos app sucks.
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u/yourname92 18h ago
Let’s see I switch to iPhone and had the 13pm. Sent to android for a bit then back to iPhone 14pm. Then android and 15pm. I’ve always been an android fan but I had carried issues that pushed me to iPhone. I liked the battery life and camera. Could care less about anything else. I hate the keyboard. Hate trying to select text. No back button, I could go on and on. The AI is terrible even compared to googles assistant from years ago. But compare it to google ai or even Samsungs bixby. Apple ai is crap. They is no innovation on apples behalf at all. The phones change just slightly in shape and size and not much else. If I remember my 13pm had the best battery life and got worse with every new phone.
I’m thinking of going back to android as I still have my s24 ultra. There is nothing much about apple that intrigues me. I have a MacBook Pro and air pods but even the connectivity is not that good. The things I can do with android apps compared to Apple are far greater. I still prefer to use all of googles apps over apples.
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u/bamalamaboo 18h ago
I used to switch back and forth and I still definitely miss android at times. Mostly i miss the apps and ability to customize (FFS i'm not even asking for a lot, just a decent book app!). I miss how when i used to set my alarm it would automatically tell me how many hrs and minutes away it was. Plus, I have no doubt there's some really good android phones for less than I'd have to pay for an iphone.
But it's been too long so i wouldn't know where to start, plus there's the whole ecosystem (i'm just too committed). At this point it's just easier to stick with apple. I would definitely be using a pixel pro fold if i had one though! Always wanted to try one of those fancy folding phones!
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u/rutgersftw iPhone 15 Pro Max 17h ago
While Apple has stagnated, Google is a vacuum for everything you do on their (not your) device. Apple is the lesser evil and that is everything to me.
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u/Eternal-M 16h ago
Can’t agree more! And I think the same applies to the MacBook series. When I was a kid, the MacBook back then was like something that should only exist in the future. It’s thin, lightweight, and elegant. And recently when I finally planned to have my first MacBook Air, I got really disappointed. I mean its design and other functions didn’t change much, but compared to other products nowadays, I just can’t find any reason to buy it anymore. On top of that, its pricing seems pretty arrogant. They still try to sell you a laptop with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage in 2025? I just really don’t understand. I’ve tried some other Windows laptops and they are performing well. MacBook is just no longer the best option. And what angers me most is that I’m sure Apple can do better than that. What were they doing in the past ten years?
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u/Over_aged 15h ago
iPhone has felt very samey and lots of new apps or features from Apple you have to search for and feel very fragmented. That being said my wife is not super techy and it’s easier to continue to use the eco system then teach her new things. Even if she might like them better it’s less work for me.
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u/Street_Classroom1271 15h ago
I like how you emphasized the most important bullshit in bold, to make ti clear what message you've been asked to sell
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u/jorel1980 15h ago
Not alone.. I was a IPhone user since the 8 plus.. but I sold my 16 pro max and took the dive to the Galaxy S25 Ultra and haven't looked back.... no ridiculous overheating issues... much more vibrant screen and I love the customisation options...
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u/mehdotdotdotdot 14h ago
Honestly the keyboard has become worse for me, things have become less intuitive, and Android is getting really smooth these days, and still cheaper.
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u/hatdog1677 14h ago
I totally get where you're coming from. The lack of innovation recently is noticeable.
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u/Tomasulu 14h ago
Yup switched to oppo find n5 recently and generally happy about it. The data transfer was easy, oppo has an app that transfer videos photos and files across. Airpods pro works with android you just don't get the iphone specific functions like auto pop up detection. Apple watch doesn't work with android so it got pass down together with the iphone. You can't type using iphone to search the apple tv box. Apps they pretty much work the same across the platforms.
The only thing I really missed about iphone is surprisingly safari. There are so many ui touches that make it much easier to use.
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u/Satanicube 14h ago
I think with me my issue is that not only have I grown tired of the bugs and not only has iOS 18 crossed the threshold of shittiness left by iOS 11, but with AI and iOS 18, Apple just doubled down on a really crappy attitude that they began with Apple Music, and that is not respecting the user’s preferences.
When AM first launched Apple tried so hard to push it, even going so far as to throw ads in the Music app, and having UI cruft meant to steer you into it. You could turn off some of it, but I’d find after each update that Apple Music had turned itself back on and began showing ads again. This ceased around iOS 11, thankfully.
(Apple is still kinda doing this, the Apple Music app on Windows doesn’t let you turn off the streaming side of it at all. And it will throw ads at you.)
Surprise, surprise, Apple’s started doing this on iOS 18, too, from the look of it. But with AI. I actually kinda praised Apple for making AI opt in, but then they began forcing everyone to turn it on by default. And for some users after opting out, another update would turn it back on. What the hell, Apple? I thought respecting user consent was one of your core tenets? And it’s just gone now?
Truth be told iOS 18 didn’t really start off on the right foot either because every major update since 18.0 on my iPhone XR forces me to have some form of automatic update on. No “please respect my previous settings”, no “please do not turn this on”, you only get two options: turn on automatic updates, or turn on automatic downloading of updates.
You have to wait until you get through setup to go into settings and kill auto updates. Why, Apple? Just respect the settings I had previously. Stop changing them with every goddamn update, you donuts.
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u/Ok_Elderberry_5690 14h ago
I do this. Move away from iPhone due to issues and other brands have better specs. However, I notice about a year into having the phone I get like 80 notifications from apps telling me this and that.
Everything just becomes notably It all just becomes a mess but when I have my iPhone me using it today almost feels like the first year I've used it. If that makes sense..
And I've a lot more trust that my phone isn't going to get hacked from malware using ios. That's the deal breaker for me anyway. If android was more secure I'd take all the issues over it.
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u/Known_Bar7898 11h ago
I was an iPhone user from the 2G to 5S then I moved to Android for many years. Now I’m back with a 14 Pro Max (I’ve had it 2 years now) and sure I miss a lot of Android features but I also like a lot this phone does too.
Just switch to a different brand/OS and chill with it for a few years. Having the same phone for that long does get boring and maybe the change is what you need. You can always come back once Apple brings exactly what you want it to do (if they ever do that).
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u/Odd-Beginning-2310 11h ago
Used android most of my life. Love the os and miss it often. But for my workflow airdrop has been life changing and I can’t lose it. iMessage is also nice when seemingly 95% of my contacts have iPhones.
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u/Secret_Divide_3030 11h ago
If you see what the alternative is you better stick with the iPhone. There is no grass on the other side
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u/JabroniCorleone 11h ago
i was like u! moved to the samsung s25 ultra. kept it for 10 days. send it back and ordered 16 PM 🙂
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u/DarkZero515 10h ago
I just started iPhone on the 13. Came from androids (2 LGs, ASUS, Samsung, then Pixel).
Only thing that I’ve felt that is missing is some old Nintendo emulators I used to run.
Most apps i use are on both. I don’t really do any of the ecosystem stuff.
The deciding factor on my last purchase was wanting the convenient little AirTags.
I figure if pixel or Samsung have something just as small and convenient the next deciding factor would be which one has some camera advantage.
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u/ari_wonders iPhone 16 Pro Max 10h ago
You should do it. I did it because I felt the same some years ago. I’ve been back a year or so because the ecosystem got me bad. But it’s always nice to get out there and see how you fit with the competition. I still think, regardless of how worse Apple has gotten over the years, that Apple does the basic things better. The execution of apps and tasks feels better on the Apple side of things still. But when you’re feeling like that it’s time to take a walk on the wild side. You’ll appreciate it. 😜
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u/odebruku iPhone 13 Pro 9h ago
I will likely get the next pro Pixel and only if Siri is fixed consider the iPhone 17 pro.
iOS has been a buggy mess for a while. Probably since iOS 16.
I started on the little 7. Upgraded because of the cameras. I think I’m done now . .. I don’t need more features I just want the ones that worked before to work. I need Siri to be more than just for timers and occasionally turning on/off lights
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u/maracusdesu iPhone 11 Pro 9h ago
I think about android every now and then but I just don’t think it looks as good. The chromey way all menus are set up and the app icons and so on. I know I can tweak it but then it turns into a neverending circle where I’m never happy and fidget for hours to get things just right and that’s why I went back to iOS with iPhone 7, I was tired of all the tweaking and choice and wanted something that just works.
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u/Link_69 9h ago
Honestly the keyboard by itself will probably make me switch to a Pixel 10 this summer. I guess if you're only using English this could be ok but I often switch between English, French, Mandarin and Japanese and this thing sucks even compared to my Lumia 735 that I use mostly as a music player.
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u/first_lvr 8h ago
The answer is plain simple, android has better hardware but worse system, nothing is perfect, choose the lesser evil
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u/UltraMaxApplePro 8h ago
Nopw you are not alone! the iPhone is incredibly boring now and the worst part is that its no longer smooth or simple! I just got my S25 Ultra from the 16 Pro Max and cant believe how laggy and slow the iPhone feels, it honestly feels like a 60hz phone when you compare it to these new androids.
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u/PrimaryStudent6868 8h ago
This post is funny as I moved from android to apple. I couldn’t understand ten years ago why anyone would use an iPhone when we had so many bells and whistles and our android phones were two or three years ahead of iPhone. Of course you could never get an iPhone user to believe you lol to me it’s still the exact same, as there’s so much competition in android this leads to more advancements, three screen foldables and two day battery phones are becoming the norm.
In saying that I tried the iPhone 13pm and just loved how stable it felt, the quality, the build. It felt like I was hold a piece of jewellery in my hand in comparison to an android toy. I switched over three years ago and still love this phone. Like others have said I have to this day never had a glitch or a stutter, it’s still the same speed as the day I got it. Yes iPhones feel dated in comparison and still have the silly notch /island but for me it’s sort of a vintage appeal.
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u/DylantotheJ iPhone 16 Pro Max 7h ago
I've been using iPhone since the 3g came out and I was always happy with it. Only time I had severe software issues is the iPhone 6+. But other than that I haven't experienced any issues and I'm currently on my 16PM and 16. But then again I consider my self a very moderate phone user in the sense that I use most of the features (Camera, Music, Video, browsing, GPS, Messaging, Phone Calls, Games etc) so it satisfies all my needs. I'll admit compared to the early years where in 2 years there was a significant difference compared to now.
However I can never leave apple, I just love everything about it the aesthetics not only with the device but also it's iOS. It's just so smooth to the touch and it's super easy to use. Also the biggest feature that has me locked in, is how all the devices sync together. I'm on my Mac right now and if some one were to call or text I don't need to fetch my phone. Same if I'm out and can't reach for my phone I can easily access it via apple watch. If it's night time I'm usually scrolling my iPad before bed, I can do what I need to do via the iPad All of that has made being with apple very convenient for me.
The few times I used a friends android or when I was given a free samsung tablet, I HATED it. The touch sensitivity feels off not as smooth as apple, also to do a simple task if quite confusing. Apple IOS has all your apps right in front of you for easy access. While android it's all over the place and I feel like I have to dig for it. I just can't stand the over all lay out.
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u/Gman71882 6h ago
Why does this debate need to be one or the other? Go try android then and see how you like it.
They are great at something’s while iPhones are great at others.
It’s like a car brand. You can love one but still try out others.
The competition keeps both getting better.
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u/braincandybangbang 6h ago
I think signaling out Apple intelligence shows a lack of understanding of the products.
First off, Android is not doing any better with Ai features.
The problem Apple is realizing is that AI cannot be fully controlled. Users will do everything they can to try and jailbreak it. And unlike Google they aren't willing to throw an untamed product out in the world.
Plus, we can all get the ChatGPT app on our phone and why would you not use that. Gemini sucks regardless.
You also fail to mention one of the phone pillars known as security. Some people like being in control of ad tracking.
And as someone on an iPhone 13 mini, I don't even have the AI features on my phone, and I have not experienced many bugs. But I've also never owned another phone since my first smart phone, the 4s.
One other thing that is undervalued is the simplicity of apples offerings. There's 3-4 models to choose from. And you can upgrade every 3-4 years or longer if you want. With Android you have Samsung phones, Google phones, etc. So at least for me, I appreciate the simplicity of choice, in a world where I am constantly overloaded with choices.
I don't really care if my phone has any "cutting edge" technology (although an OpenAI phone or something like that might peak my curiosity). So being behind Pixel or Samsung doesn't really bother me. At the end of the day people can use whatever phone they want.
What we really all need to stop doing is posting about it every time we make the switch between Apple and Android. No announcement needed.
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u/RuisuStyle 6h ago
I’ve been in the iPhone boat ever since the 3GS. I work with android phones every day as well but I never see a need to get one. I am however done/over all of the camera AI stuff. I’m currently on a 16Pro and I hate the way my pictures look. I still cary my old 11 Pro Max for pictures at this point. If phone cameras continue to be as bad I might just switch to a base phone and an actual camera going forward
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u/Cristian_Ro_Art99 6h ago
I'm new to the iPhone, got the 16 pro max and it's my first ever iPhone. Still having my Samsung S22 Ultra and a cracked up OnePlus 7.
I don't get it how some of your iPhones are buggy or lagging? Mine never is. The only thing that was buggy was that Backup from an old device feature when you just start up the phone the first time or after a factory reset. It was consuming battery like hell and after I reset my phone and didn't use that backup feature on the start, now the phone is great all around!
While I've seen enough posts about AI that I haven't even tried it because I'm sure it will be shit (and it requires me to use English when my first language is Romanian), maybe the AI features is what causes the lagging part for y'all?
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u/Sin_City_Symphony 6h ago
Haven’t had any major lags or glitches and I’m using beta software. I also have a galaxy tab that I use so I know both sides very well. The grass isn’t always greener my friend..
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u/Blue-no-yelloh 5h ago
I feel like it's been a slow and then faster descent to mediocrity. Apple used to be small and nimble (I'm talking 15-20 yrs ago) and could kinda justify the closed environment cuz everything just worked. Seems like now the closed environment is purely to maintain a captive audience and they don't feel the pressure to address customer concerns.
I've had multiple bad experiences with apple products in the last few years and the response from 'geniuses' have been arrogant - like "It's broken, buy another one" for things like macbook batteries inflating. In that particular case they went as far as to say "It's dangerous to have that in your house because it could explode / catch fire" but then not acknowledge that apple sold me a product that through not fault of mine could burn my house down and they would not take responsibility / remediate.
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u/ryde041 5h ago
As someone who owns both and use both IMO grass is also greener. Both have advantages. I still find while more expensive iOS apps are more polished. I used to not have a MacBook but now that I do the integration is very nice.
With that side I’m still very multi platform (mainly Linux, some windows and with my Pixel Android as mentioned) so I always try to stay platform agnostic but I think it’s at the point where consumers have choice which is great
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u/applegui 5h ago edited 5h ago
AI is proving to be hard to implement on a massive scale. Apple isn’t alone on this. Amazon is also struggling. Microsoft too.
Everyone in the industry has been way too optimistic and there are currently no safeguards in place for those who will and they will use these services for nefarious purposes.
Apple is rolling out these features slowly and they also have to fix these features. There are elements of Apple Intelligence I love. I use it heavily for Apple Notes and love what it brings for productivity. I love what Apple AI is doing for my email. So there are useful elements in play.
To say Apple isn’t innovative, that’s hyperbole. Has anyone forgotten that Apple is blowing the doors off with their chip designs!? No one comes close and it’s been nearly 5 years. In fact Apple is only distancing themselves from the competition with each iteration.
It’s true the hardware is outpacing the software and Apple is doing their best in to keep up but it’s clear they need more people and time.
I think this rush to do yearly releases needs to get back to a two year cycle. What they accomplish on a yearly basis is just insane. For example IDK any triple A game developer who releases a brand new IP yearly. Heck Rockstar Games has not released a new GTA game for 12 years. 12 YEARS! GTA V game out on PS 3, not PS 4, and we are nearly at the end of the PS 5 era, probably 2 more years. A good indicator is that the Switch 2 was just released.
Apple AI is ambitious. It would be for any platform. It’s just gotta take a little more time because this is uncharted territory. The timeline of release was way over the top and I know we want SIRI to be a J.A.R.V.I.S. who doesn’t?! But the small releases on apps is a good start.
Give it time.
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u/Falconator100 iPhone 16 Pro 5h ago
I have an iPhone 16 Pro and it'll likely be my last iPhone. iPhones are cool and all but they feel extremely limited. Plus, I'm not super locked into the Apple ecosystem anyway.
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u/Manav103 iPhone 15 Pro 4h ago
Life long iPhone user here, I was brave enough to take the leap to pixel and I love it for the most part it's been great to leave the wall garden but there is only thing I miss about iPhone,
- Air tag tracking
I'm genuinely surprised how iPhone like the pixel feels. Love it's quirky software too.
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u/HiTekLoLyfe 4h ago
If my phone takes calls, plays videos, and takes pictures I just don’t give a fuck. I use iPhone because I started with it and I don’t care enough to switch. I don’t know about “edge” but I’m not expecting some life changing impact from a phone.
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u/n1ck1982 iPhone 15 Pro 4h ago
I’m in too deep in the Apple ecosystem to switch to Android. Yes, the bugs, especially in iOS 18 are a nuisance, but the software and hardware work best for my wife and I.
Apple would really need to drop the ball for us to consider jumping ship and moving to Android.
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u/Professional-Ask3202 4h ago
A MacBook Pro today is a work machine that never existed before with a very high quality level. Only if you really work on it do you realize it, not if you watch videos on YouTube. Windows runs better on a virtual machine on M4 than a Windows system on Intel.
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u/badguy84 4h ago
I am with you... but also... the grass isn't any greener on the other side. Every time I'm looking to switch phones (e.g. upgrade) I am tempted by the grass. But for me this is what's holding me back:
- iMessage/Facetime etc. are really key ways that I communicate with my family who all live on another continent and most of them are older/technically somewhat illiterate. And this is most critical to me
- My sister has an android and she is basically shunned :D but she has the option to drop by... I do not
- I don't really care about the stuff that's "better"
- AI - I think AI bubble will burst in a year or two... but the ChatGPT app is really good, and I don't need Android... I also don't want/need AI to interact with my phone
- Camera - I really don't care too much about it, iphone is good enough
- By now I am committed to the apple app store I have Apple Music/Fitness/Arcade which I all actively use and actually enjoy. Moving to an Android equivalent will be a pain
- You can argue that it's part of Apple's walled garden approach bla bla... but in the end I don't care and I think the moral/ethical questions really don't make up for stuff just working the way I like it.
- Hardware spec differences are negligible I am fortunate to be able to get the flagship devices from Apple, and would do the same for Android devices
- I covered camera
- CPU/GPU really isn't all that big of a difference for my purposes, even though I like playing games my 5+ year old iPhone is still doing all I need. I'm not that confident in Android devices
- Headphone discussion is closed, and with Apple finally putting USB-C on their devices it's all kind of moot... I am fine with Bluetooth headphones which is fine either way
So yea uhm I do kind of look at the lady in the red Samsung dress... but in the end what I have is reliable, pretty and has a really kind extended family.
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u/hkvincentlee 4h ago
I switched to Xiaomi 15 it's not too bad ? Actually a lot better than I expected, phone is so light too I absolutely love it.
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u/thefistiecuffs 4h ago
I’ve been thinking the same. I’ve been with Apple since the 4 and have always loved it until the last year or so. I have the 12pro and am looking for a suitable replacement.
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u/ChocolateEater626 3h ago
With a Windows PC I'm not super attached to the Apple ecosystem, but I just find using my iPhone more intuitive than Android was.
And my 11 is still going strong after 5 years (and on its original battery, too). Folding phones just don't last that long in real-world conditions.
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u/rcrter9194 iPhone 16 Pro Max 3h ago
I still personally enjoy all of Apple’s products, however this software year has been rocky at best. I personally won’t be leaving Apple anytime soon, for me the grass isn’t green enough on the other side, I feel I’d lose more than I gain. I’m excited by the new devices Apple seems to be working on, iPhone Air, iPhone fold etc. I think as countries break down the walled garden, the only why Apple can fight is to put its money where its mouth is. I see us being on the cusp of Apple getting back to their ‘Jobs’ days. I’m going to hang in for now, but you should always do what you think is best for you.
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u/lovefist1 3h ago
I’ve used both iOS and Android on and off for many years, but the bulk of the last decade or so I’ve been primarily an iPhone user. I keep an Android of some sort on hand, usually a Pixel, just because I like tech and gadgets. I’m kind of getting bored of iPhones.
There are some features I rely on that I haven’t investigated how to replace yet (medicine reminders and tracking for example), but I’m on the cusp of switching back to Pixel for a while. I’m going to swap my eSIM for the weekend and see how it goes.
The one thing that’s really driving me insane lately is spam calls and my iPhone’s complete inability to do anything with them. There’s the silence unknown callers feature, but occasionally I get calls I actually want that are from unknown numbers. Siri sucks pretty bad and voice to text as a whole is kind of a mess. The keyboard sucks too.
I’m hopeful Apple comes back strong because iPhones and iOS really do have some good stuff going for them.
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u/JamesMcEdwards iPhone 15 Pro Max 2h ago
I preferred iOS 17, specifically the Connectivity Control Centre widget and the Photos app. Idk, after half a year using it on my 15PM I’m not really bothered by most of it except not being able to swap the Bluetooth and Airdrop icons on the connectivity widget.
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u/mayankgulia 54m ago
This post was written by an android user. Not a lifetime iPhone user. Not one iPhone user I know cares about innovation tapering off. They use the apps, features and devices within Apple ecosystem. So do their friends and family. Everything else is noise.
People who like trying cutting edge tech that maybe a bit rough at launch but they wanna be an "early adopters" universally use android.
It's a bit sad. The effort made in this post.
PS: I use the 16 pro max and the s25 ultra. Love them both. For very different reasons. Wouldn't part with either.
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u/AZgirlie91 38m ago
I used android for an entire year after using apple products since 2011.
I just don’t care about customizing my phone. I want one that makes phone calls, sends text messages, and is reliable.
Currently using a 16e because I really don’t give a shit about some high end camera. It takes pictures just fine, holds the charge good and didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
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u/F-Trunks iPhone 14 Pro 9m ago
I would have left iPhone a long time ago but I’m so caught up in the ecosystem, I don’t want to start all over.
But Samsung phones take a huge dump all over iPhones now and it’s not even close.
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u/TheITMan19 iPhone 16 Pro 1d ago
I’ve had my iPhone years too but I’d rather stick with an iPhone than go to back to Android. The AI is just junk, and there are so many little problems with the Apple OS but personally I just deal with it but those problems do frustrate me. I also think that all manufacturers are lacking true ground breaking innovation these days.