An iPhone lover’s confession: I switched to the Nexus 4

I agree with what the article says about sharing data between applications, this really is one of the biggest pain points of iOS right now. Fortunately, it looks like Apple will finally address this in the future, iOS 6 already has infrastructure in place to allow for remote view controllers that (in theory) should allow any application to register itself to handle certain data and events. Right now seems to be only used privately, for example to launch the mail application from other applications, but my guess is that iOS 7 will add public API's for other applications to do the same. Whether this means you can change default applications like Maps etc. I don't know, but the way Apple handled the (lack of) public-transit directions in Apple Maps suggests they are starting to be more flexible about default application handlers.<p>That said, I wasn't really impressed by any of the other points the article makes. It starts out by saying 'Android on the Nexus 4 is better in almost every aspect', but besides the sharing thing it doesn't make a case for anything else. Some half-hearted observation that 'sometimes it even appears like rendering is smoother on the Nexus 4' and 'not all Android applications look like crap anymore' and that's about it. Oh and of course you can 'customize everything' and here you have 4 examples of the most ugly homescreens I have ever seen on a mobile phone.<p>Hardly a clear-cut case of 'better in almost every aspect'. Looks like it's more a matter of preference than an objective evaluation on which of the 2 platforms is 'better'.

Interesting. I too am an iPhone lover who recently picked up a Nexus 4 to get into Android development. This is my first experience with Android, so I didn't realize that the Nexus 4 Android experience might be different than your typical Android smartphone.<p>I was very impressed with the overall experience. If I wasn't so used to iOS, I could easily see myself using Android on a Nexus 4. But in the end, I walked away with the opposite impression; I saw no compelling reason to switch to Android and have decided iOS is still the mobile OS for me. Unlike the author, I do not really consider myself a power user. The customizability of Android is really enticing, but at the end of the day I find myself preferring the design/philosophy of iOS. But it really just comes down to personal preference.<p>After using an iPhone for so long, I became annoyed at the small design/interface differences present in the Nexus 4 (e.g. no physical home button). At times I found it difficult to use the Nexus 4 because of it's greater width. The iPhone width is optimal for my hand size and pocket size. Also, in my opinion as an app developer, the iOS app ecosystem still seems a lot stronger than Android. Browsing the Play Store was a little boring to me. Yes, most popular apps have both iOS and Android versions, but many developers still target iOS first and Android second. Until there's a reason for that to change I think iOS still has the edge in "killer" apps.<p>That being said, I agree that there are a lot of nice things in Android that I would love to see implemented in iOS.

Interesting - I switched from android to the iPhone 5 recently (after having the N1, NS and Galaxy Nexus). I thought this was the first iPhone that finally had the necessary hardware (LTE being required after the galaxy).<p>The main things I miss are better google voice integration on the nexus phones (the ability to use the web interface for texting is something I can't give up). I also used to not pay for texting this way and could actually afford to have a smart phone because of it since Tmobile has a $30 no contract 100min/unlimited data plan for unsubsidized phones.<p>I also needed some sort of google talk app which I finally found with the $5 version of the verbs app. A bunch of people I communicate with are on android and use google chat instead of facebook chat or imessage.<p>The current iPhone does some things much better. The biggest thing is battery life which is at least twice as good as any nexus phone I've used (probably even more). The difference in battery is really incredible. The new native Facebook iOS app is also great to use. The iPhone hardware is also subjectively much nicer, it both looks and feels a lot better to me - makes me wish Google had partnered with Nokia.<p>Really though they're both pretty equivalent at the point.<p>Edit: Almost forgot, the critical feature of android was turn by turn navigation which apple finally came out with in iOS6. Now that google's released their maps app as well the core differences that mattered are gone.

&#38; I switched from an iPhone 4S to a Galaxy Nexus &#38; back to an iPhone 5 , couldn't be happier. These posts are pointless. Whatever device works for you. All of these platforms have strengths &#38; weaknesses. You can make equally cogent cases for the upcoming Blackberry 10 or Windows Phone 8. The First iPhone was a significant leap in mobile computing, since then, the way I see it, it's been mostly polish. Google &#38; MSFT caught up to the competition, RIMM retooled. The more competition the merrier.<p>Google Now is amazing. iOS fluidity still has no equal. Google play automatic app updates are convenient. iOS apps polish is extraordinary. Windows Phone tiles are fantastic. BB contact integration is a thing of beauty...etc.

Unlike most people commenting here, I got a sub-200$ Android (Huawei G300). I got it a few days ago through Amazon just to try something new, and it's way better than I expected it to be.<p>I first had an iPhone when it came out, then moved to a BlackBerry (weird, I know), and now I'm considering staying with Android, at least for daily use. I still have to stick to the BlackBerry as it's the only phone on the market that provides international roaming at affordable prices, very good battery life (+replaceable, I have my own arsenal and can go for weeks travelling without charging the phone) and a very good keyboard, which is good when you spend your time writing awkwardly long emails.<p>Android, since ICS, seems to be mature enough for most users. It's snappy (its multitasking, background apps and toggles mean you can do things faster than in an iPhone), does good resource managing and has a very good integration across the whole system. And, as some people have said, it's no longer ugly!

Been an Android user for a year (Galaxy Tab 8.9) and was going to get an iPhone 5 last Christmas just to try out a different device. I changed my mind and am getting a Nexus 4 instead. I was able to use one of our test iPhones at work for a primary phone and here are just 3 things I don't like about iOS:<p>1. Toggling settings can be difficult. In Android, you have a pull-up/pull-down menu right from the home screen where you can just turn things on/off, like Bluetooth, sounds, WiFi, etc. In iOS, you go to the Settings app and scroll through the text labels and go through one or two more screens before achieving the same thing. And this, despite Apple's marketed UI simplicity.<p>2. The thing can't even send files over Bluetooth. How is that not possible in 2013?<p>3. Boring old homescreen from way back 2007, which displays an amalgamation of all the apps installed on my phone, not the apps I use the most.<p>Of course, whichever phone you end up buying is nothing more than a personal preference. However, I just think that saying Android is better than iOS has become more of a fact than an opinion these days.

Can only agree with OP. I gave up my iPhone 4 for a Galaxy Nexus this summer and have never looked back.<p>I think Google can still work on the default look, but I find Android to be very "clean" and quick to work with. Android feels much more like a real operating system. iOS is so restricted and there are many work tasks that I cannot do (e.g. mailing a dropbox file to someone).<p>Google Now is also amazingly good. And the fact that mail search actually works is a "small" bonus :P<p>Samsung has also implemented some cool features in the SGS3, like that the screen stays on as long as you look at it. They are just much worse at marketing it. Can you imagine how much Apple would have hyped a similar feature?

"Solving the inconsistencies grouped around the back button"<p>Android's back button used to be incredibly inconsistent and hard to predict, but now there's a fairly well established standard for this, which is supported by the API (<a href="http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/navigation.html" rel="nofollow">http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/navigation.html</a>).<p>There was even a full-length Google IO session on it (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwGHJJYBs0Q" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwGHJJYBs0Q</a>).<p>It doesn't mean all apps follow the standard, especially those naievely ported from iOS. Even some Google apps don't always meet expectations. But the convention is mostly there now and just needs more adoption.

Apple is increasingly making me look stupid, something I couldn't imagine happening when the iPhone first came out.<p>Few days ago I saw a friend of mine unlock her phone using facial recognition. I was amazed. She was surprised at my amazement. I feel lots of iPhone users have similar moments when they see their friends with android use "magical" looking features the iPhone is slow to adopt.

My huge problem with iOS (and Apple in general) is the obsession with constantly making you enter passwords. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming that I am convinced the codebase mainly consists of password entering routines interspersed with small bits of other functionality. iOS's inability to share between apps also means usernames and passwords have to be constantly re-entered there too (eg every app that supports Dropbox requires entering a username and password in <i>each</i> app).<p>This Apple disease spreads elsewhere. I had to enter my username and password on their developer site, and some web developer at Apple had gone to great lengths to prevent you from pasting your password into the password field. (I don't know that password - it is stored in a password management program.)<p>I can't for the life of me understand why the Apple faithful put up with this nonsense.

I've been using my Nexus 4 for one week now and I obviously love it. I think the feature that impressed me the most is the 'gesture typing', which compensates for my apparent inability to type correctly on a virtual keyboard. And it works surprisingly well in French too.

&#62; While Android still doesn’t give you bouncing lists and scroll views<p>Is that something people like so much? Whenever I've used an iOS device, it annoyed me. I much prefer the highlight in Android.

Backgraound. Happy iPhone user since 2008 (available in our country then). In december they gave me to try out Nexus 4 (unavailable in our country).<p>As a device Nexus 4 itself is not much better than previous - Galaxy Nexus. Display itself is much worse on Nexus 4 than it was on Galaxy Nexus.<p>After giving back Nexus 4 I thougth I'd try out living with Galaxy Nexus, which until now was my phone in the drawer. And, actually, though I was an iphonee for 4 years, Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.2.1 is an awesome device.<p>Back button is something you miss dramatically on iphone after a detour to androidland. Sharing feature, Google Now, tiny things. I do not give a damn about configurability. There is a lot of stuff that I'd welcome into android world from ios, but other than that - I'm satisfied.<p>Such migration would be unthinkable a year ago. 4.2.x, though not that much different from 4.1.x, is mature.

What are people's experience dealing with the migration of music from iOS to android? As an iOS user with an itch to checkout android again (had one of the first HTC "google phones"), this is one of my bigger concerns.

It's my opinion that you can't make the assertion that the Nexus 4 is faster than the iPhone 5 by feel. Some people feel like their cars or motorcycles perform better after an oil change and a car wash, but it's psychological. Otherwise, I guess the rest of the article is interesting because it just proves that these "Why I switched" articles are never going to die for whatever reason.<p>In 2008: "Why I switched from BlackBerry to iPhone" In 2009: "Why I switched from iPhone to give webOS a shot" In 2010: "Why I switched to Windows Phone from iOS" In 2011: "Why I switched to Android from iPhone" In 2012: "Why I switched from X to X because it doesn't even matter anymore"<p>I get that it gives perspective on the differences between platforms and devices, but these pieces can only be so narrow because it's only one person's perspective.

Having owned an iPhone 3, 3GS, 4 and a Galaxy S2, the Nexus 4 is by far the best smartphone I've owned.

The website went down. Here is the cached version of the article: <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.24100.net%2F2013%2F01%2Fan-iphone-lovers-confession-i-switched-to-the-nexus-4-completely%2F" rel="nofollow">http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.241...</a>

I am getting frustrated with all these mobile os posts. Reminds me of the desktop OS wars people took pride in joining.<p>Everyone's needs are different; some people love customization and hacking their phone. Others get it to just conform to the majority. Some even get it because it's free.<p>Platforms evolve with different visions. The beauty of the era we are in is the fact that services like Amazon Cloud Player, Dropbox and Spotify let you be on whatever platform you wish without losing your "services".<p>Am I the only one who doesn't care what OS they use as long as texting/podcasting/web browsing/music is available?

I went the other direction recently, from Galaxy S2 with 4.2.1 Jelly Bean to iPhone 3GS with jailbroken iOS 6.0.1.<p>The iPhone feels great in my hands because it's so small and the battery seems to be lasting for ages. I don't even feel like it's that old because it still has the latest OS and apps.<p>I'm enjoying the iPhone for now but I think it's mainly due to getting bored with the Galaxy. The Galaxy is due an upgrade in November and I think at that point I'll get a Nexus.

I still like my iPhone and iPad, but I could see moving to Android in 1-2 generations. Apple's first-party software quality is declining, and not being able to override it is grating and limiting improvements.<p>The two things which keep me from moving to Android are: 1) My ~$500 or so in purchased applications. Vendors should allow a one-time return of purchased apps on one platform to get them for the other, or just give both iOS and Android licenses for the same price if there's a way to prove the phone belongs to the same human. Admittedly 99% of what I really care about is free or &#60;$100 total (Kindle, 1Password, Facebook, web, email, ssh pretty much cover my use).<p>2) Lack of hardware platform security features on most Android devices (semi-supported on the S3, apparently, but I'd only ever buy a Nexus device). If Google developed a Nexus 4+, 7+, 10+ with apple or blackberry level hw security, I'd probably switch, particularly if there were a way for an enterprise to essentially replicate the Google Apps management of devices with a simple self-hosted server (i.e. root of trust being enterprise, vs. Google or Apple).

I bought a total of 3 Nexus 4 phones for myself and my friends. All are pleased and so am I.

I was just making the case for investing in Apple on seeking alpha (an investing site). I've seen few people switched to the iPhone and even I was tempted with the release of the iPhone 5. To be honest, I haven't played with an android phone that matches it hardware wise. The lack of nexus 4 devices in the store really hurts google as there's no way one can just walk in a store and 'test' it out, like one can do with the iPhone. You have to make do with youtube unboxing videos, which are good, but leaves much to be desired. FWIW, I'm now seeing the value of iPhone's especially for people already in the eco-system. I could have never seen this before

Have a Macbook Pro for a couple of years.<p>I had an Iphone 3 once i liked it very much. Now i have a lowly ZTE Aqua with Android 4.0.3 and i'm very satisfied. Tried an Iphone 5 at a store and Ipad's and found the UI, boring.<p>In my opinion, Apple's "chromed" UI is getting old and would really love something more fresh, either on iOS and OSX.

Does not compare the security model of the two platforms. This is the number one factor for me (and dare I say, should be for everyone). I don't know much about the Android security model - does it have any advantages over iOS?

I'm really curious about Android as I've been an avid Apple iPhone user since iPhone first came out. Part of me wants to switch as I love what Google is doing, but I'm hesitant as I'm so entrenched in the Apple ecosystem.

I manage my media assets (music, podcasts, video, photos, apps) across several devices (phones, ipods, tables, and laptop) using iTunes.<p>Can anyone speak to how well switching one iPhone to a Nexus would work in this type of senario?

The Samsung S3 / Nexus 4 comparison is interesting. I just sold a Nexus 4 and bought an S3. I do prefer stock android, but no sd card, fragility issues and the unremovable battery were a deal breaker for me.

Extremely detailed video comparison and review of Google Nexus 4 versus Samsung Galaxy S3: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D30vBWCWCnI" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D30vBWCWCnI</a>

GROUP TEXT MESSAGES drive me crazy on android (complete rubbish), iOS has nice user experience for this. If there was one thing I wish google would fix ASAP its this.

This confirms everything I will ever know and believe.

Tried so hard to get a Nexus 4. However.... I am using iPhone 5 now. LOL

Any mirror? Its down here.

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