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Changing from iPhone to Android: Options and what to expect?

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Boogiepop

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So, I've got an iPhone 5 as my phone, and I've had it for a number of years now. It's served me well enough, though it was my first smartphone, so I don't have a lot to compare it to. That said, the battery has absolutely gone to hell on this thing lately. Like, it just will NOT hold a charge in the slightest. I've survived well enough on just keeping it constantly tethered to an external battery or plugged into the wall/car, but it's obviously an annoyance. Then there's the other issue, which is that the damn proprietary/non-expandable memory is driving me nuts. I'm not even a huge music guy, but I'm constantly running on full and having to remove stuff, and I don't even really have pretty much anything in the way of games or other apps on the phone.

So yeah, I'm thinking the time is fast approaching where I should probably upgrade to something else. And the whole locked/insanely overpriced memory thing+non-replaceable battery (though this one isn't an absolute deal breaker, it's definitely annoying), and the thing with the "no headphone jack" on newer models has soured me a little on choosing to stick with Apple.

My biggest things I'm looking for are, as mentioned:
-I need to be able to just slot an SD card in there or something, as Apple's crap is straight up unacceptable to me nowadays
-I want a damn headphone jack at least
-Replaceable battery is a plus

And then I'm just kind of curious as to what I need to expect in changing over from one to another. Any noticeable disadvantages to changing away from Apple?

More specific questions:
-How much worse is the game selection? I admittedly have hardly touched the stuff on iPhone, but if I wasn't screwed on memory I might look a little closer. But then again, F2P models are pretty much something I'll never, ever touch again, so for the most part it's still not going to matter much. Mainly curious about the handful of not awful things that occasionally pop up from big publishers (primarily with Nintendo jumping on board, there may every now and again be SOMETHING I feel like giving a look at least).
-How hard/possible is it to get my iTunes stuff sorted out and onto an Android device? I'm assuming it's not impossible, but I've never messed with trying that, and I'm wondering how much of an issue this'll be. I've got a modest but still notable collection of albums off iTunes that I'd definitely like on my new phone (mainly game stuff and things like the Super Sentai theme songs that aren't readily available elsewhere, at least legally).
-Is there any chance whatsoever that progress on Apps can transfer? I'm guessing not, but it'd be nice on the off chance. The biggest thing would probably be that I've beaten Super Mario Run and collected a number of goofy costumes and things in Miitomo that'd be nice to carry over, but this one isn't really a sticking point. AKA like I said, I haven't really dug deep into this stuff at all, so it's a minor shame, but a sacrifice I can definitely justify.

So yeah, not sure where to start looking to figure this stuff out, so any advice, resources, or answers to my above questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
-How much worse is the game selection? I admittedly have hardly touched the stuff on iPhone, but if I wasn't screwed on memory I might look a little closer. But then again, F2P models are pretty much something I'll never, ever touch again, so for the most part it's still not going to matter much. Mainly curious about the handful of not awful things that occasionally pop up from big publishers (primarily with Nintendo jumping on board, there may every now and again be SOMETHING I feel like giving a look at least).

There are loads of games on Android on the Play Store. You also have the option of side loading things (like emulators) that may not be published on the store.

-How hard/possible is it to get my iTunes stuff sorted out and onto an Android device? I'm assuming it's not impossible, but I've never messed with trying that, and I'm wondering how much of an issue this'll be. I've got a modest but still notable collection of albums off iTunes that I'd definitely like on my new phone (mainly game stuff and things like the Super Sentai theme songs that aren't readily available elsewhere, at least legally).

As long as you can download local copies of everything it is super easy.

1) Download your entire iTunes library onto a local hard drive.
2) Install Google Music Manager.
3) Let Google upload all of that stuff into the cloud (for free mine you).
4) Fire up Play Music and have on-demand access to everything, complete with one button syncing.

*Cleaning up ID3 tags can be done before or after the upload.

-Is there any chance whatsoever that progress on Apps can transfer? I'm guessing not, but it'd be nice on the off chance. The biggest thing would probably be that I've beaten Super Mario Run and collected a number of goofy costumes and things in Miitomo that'd be nice to carry over, but this one isn't really a sticking point. AKA like I said, I haven't really dug deep into this stuff at all, so it's a minor shame, but a sacrifice I can definitely justify.

This is going to be a "no" in almost all cases.


Oh, and you should probably sub to this thread to keep up with the freebie offers (if you're in the US):
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=937765
 
Expect a better phone.

Went from iPhone to Android and i would never go back. I love my Edge 7 and how many options and things to customize it has.
 
For a replaceable battery + SD card slot, you're pretty much down to the LG V20, which is about the same price as an iPhone.

You could go LG G5, but it has a myriad of issues. You might see if you can wait a month or two for the LG G6.

Games selection is still generally better on iPhone, but the gap has gotten considerably smaller over the years. If it's a major concern, just go to Google Play and search for the apps that are must haves to you.

I buy all my music on iTunes, and literally just plug my phone in to my PC and copy the Music folder from iTunes onto my phone. Works perfectly.

As for app progress, it largely depends on the app, but for most, it does not transfer cross platform.
 
Expect a better phone.

Went from iPhone to Android and i would never go back. I love my Edge 7 and how many options and things to customize it has.

It occurs to me that anyone going from a 4 year old phone to a modern one, be it iPhone->Android or vice versa is going to have a better, more modern experience.

I'm not sure one can categorically say one flagship device is better for everyone than another device. Everyone has their own priorities. For example, I'm heavy in the Apple eco-system, and enjoy the integration, and a vast array of customisation is something I don't really want access to. I don't want to be option less, of course, and I do want some options that aren't available, but by and large, the iPhone suits me well.
 
My biggest things I'm looking for are, as mentioned:
-I need to be able to just slot an SD card in there or something, as Apple's crap is straight up unacceptable to me nowadays
-I want a damn headphone jack at least
-Replaceable battery is a plus

- Not every Android phone has an SD card slot, but many do, including the latest Samsung phones. Do your research on this.
- Every Android phone has a headphone jack (edit: except a couple phones, notably Motorola's latest).
- Only LG makes flagship phones like the LG G5 (which I have and love) and the LG V20 with removable batteries nowadays, unfortunately...

If you want to hit all your points, consider the LG G5 or its larger screen brother LG V20.
If you don't mind sacrificing the removable battery, consider the Samsung Galaxy S7.
If you don't mind sacrificing both the battery and SD card slot, consider the OnePlus 3t or a Google Pixel.

There are many other Android phones with their own sets of pros like Xperia XZ and their great Selfie camera (and has an SD slot) that are worth looking at as well.
 
I switched last year and got a Nexus 6P. Ignoring the hardware, I think most things are the same, at least when you're 'using' the phone, e.g. in a browser, youtube, etc. There are a bunch of QoL stuff I like better with Android though. Customizing, homescreen widgets, and things of that sort.
 
Expect a better phone.

Went from iPhone to Android and i would never go back. I love my Edge 7 and how many options and things to customize it has.
Seriously. Just made the switch this week and am glad to be free from my last vestige of the Apple ecosystem.

Currently using the Groove app to manage my music, as I have since the old Zune days. Helps that I also have a fat OneDrive to hold all of my stuff. Just had to install the app and mark which playlists I wanted to have offline. Done.

So far am loving this phone.
 
I'm in this same boat, ordered a Moto Z Play. Have only used iPhones since getting a smart phone. Also have a similar music library question:

So I use iTunes on my PC to manage and sync my music library (personally curated mp3s). As I understand it, I just drag and drop the mp3 files directly into the phone, so then I just pick a music player app and go from there? I don't use or need any cloud music syncing services.
 
I like my iPhone well enough but really hate iTunes and synchronizing music, pics etc with a computer. And it's been so many years of this trash, is there no end in sight?
 
I like my iPhone well enough but really hate iTunes and synchronizing music, pics etc with a computer. And it's been so many years of this trash, is there no end in sight?

Use Microsoft Groove and OneDrive or Google Music and Drive for music and pics and forget about syncing stuff with your computer. All of it works ok on iPhone, although much better on Android.
 
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