What I miss from iOS after using Android for one month
I’ve been using my Samsung Galaxy Nexus on a daily basis for a little over one month now. In that time, I’ve come to learn and love a lot of Android’s features. But since I am coming from an iPhone, there are some things that I miss from iOS and the iPhone itself. I miss things from both the iPhone’s hardware and software, and here’s what they are.
First up is software. I feel more comfortable with Apple’s App Store, but that’s just personal taste. I think I feel this way because it’s always populated with more, seemingly higher-quality apps than I can find on the Play Store. For instance, Bow Man on Google Play is a game that I downloaded just today – and before I ever got to play it, a popup informed me that the app developers, to keep the app free, were going to monetize the app through a search bar and search app that would appear on my homescreen. Needless to say, I never drew my little guy’s bow.
Apple may allow games that use OpenFeint instead of Game Center, but it would never allow a search bar to appear on my homescreen without my permission. I understand the need for developers to make money, but ads would be more effective and would seem like less of a snarky move on their part.
So now that I’ve complained about software, I’d like to complain about hardware. Keep in mind that this post is about my first month with Android; I’m not talking about every Android user’s experience, nor am I ripping on every manufacturer’s hardware – just Samsung’s.
The Galaxy Nexus is not a phone that should be considered a high-quality device. The build quality on the phone is just terrible: squeaks, creaks, mushy buttons, and an insanely flimsy battery cover all contribute to its cheap feeling. The iPhone, however, doesn’t feel like a cheap phone. Front and back glass panels are much better than plastic ones, and the stainless steel band that goes around the device feels like heaven when compared to the Nexus’ hard, shiny plastic.
Having said all of that, Android offers so much more than iOS does at this point, so I’m more than willing to look over what I believe to be the low points of the operating system. And I’m even willing to look over the poor build quality of the Galaxy Nexus, which is actually my biggest complaint so far.
Overall, I’m very pleased with my switch. If Google could just implement a few loose guidelines for the Play Store, I’d be 100% in love with the operating system and its ecosystem. I understand that’s probably not going to happen because of the openness of Android, but then again, that could be why it happens: Android has many other app stores that don’t implement guidelines. Google’s could be one that does.
