On a whim yesterday I ordered the Samsung Galaxy Nexus from Phones4u and it arrived first thing this morning much to my surprise! I’ve been using iPhones since the 3G came out so this is a major change for me and I have to admit I’m a little nervous at changing OS but so far seems okay…
Side by side with iPhone 4
I’m moving from iPhone 4 and first thing I notice is the increase in size is much more significant than I was expecting! I was also considering the Samsung Galaxy Note (SGN) but now I have this I think the SGN might have been too big for me…
Battery and sim installed and the initial configuration didn’t take long. Found wireless network, added Google account and contacts all synced up very quickly.
So far the interface feels really slick and responsive and I’m loving the way I can customise the home screens with apps and different size widgets. It is much more flexible than iOS for sure. I’m a big user of Evernote so was keen to get that on as my first app and am mighty impressed with the different options: Small icon, full width bar with key shortcuts, full width bar with most recently used 3 notes displayed.
Evernote Widget
I hope this is representative of the other widgets and applications available in the market, I’ll be spending the weekend going through and seeing what I can set up!
Let me know if you’ve recently made the move from iOS to Android and share your experiences or app recommendations – I will be reviewing Android apps in the future obviously!
Have you just moved from Android to iOS maybe? Curious to hear the other side of the story…
Glad you’re enjoying the phone, it does look great!
Glad you’re enjoying the phone, it does look great!
What i cant get me head round is why no MicroSD card slot, Its going to have to be a Note for me because of this
No MicroSD slot??????? Qee!
No MicroSD slot??????? Qee!
What i cant get me head round is why no MicroSD card slot, Its going to have to be a Note for me because of this
When you go android it’s hard to go back love widgets get information when you want it.
When you go android it’s hard to go back love widgets get information when you want it.
Are you planing to expand the article Alan?
I’d be interested to hear what you miss from iOS, what you prefer on Android and most interesting of all, if you’d go back to iOS or are an Android convert.
Are you planing to expand the article Alan?
I’d be interested to hear what you miss from iOS, what you prefer on Android and most interesting of all, if you’d go back to iOS or are an Android convert.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I do plan to post some updates to expand on my experiences! Would love to hear of similar cases where people have made the leap to a new OS as well…
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I do plan to post some updates to expand on my experiences! Would love to hear of similar cases where people have made the leap to a new OS as well…
Hi. Good article for a quick review. I have owned each Iphone device that was released (my kids use them now). I have also used at least 30 different Android devices since the G1, my last being the Xperia Mini 2 and the Galaxy SII. Also have Ipad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.9 (Yes, I know I have a tech problem :0).
I also generally avoid any MS product at all costs (switched to OS X 6 years ago).
Why am I saying all this?
On a whim I switched to a Windows Mobile 7.5 Mango device 2 weeks ago just to try it. Amazingly, I cannot go back to Android now. I have to say its the fastest, slickest and most effecient mobile operating system I have ever used. I can honestly say I prefer to check my Gmail emails on this device then on Android (I receive about 400 emails a day).
Anyway, if anyone else gets a chance to try a WM7.5 device, try it and write a short note.
For someone who buys so much tech you oddly don’t know Windows Mobile 7 was killed off several years ago and never made it to market ;-). It may sound pedantic but Windows Mobile and “Windows Phone” are vastly different in pretty much every way.
Both iOS and WP are to locked down for my liking. Thanks though. Agreed, the UI is very slick (in some ways more so than Android). A friend has one. I especially like the gallery app, it’s much better than Android’s.
Bradavon those days of messing around on your phone are behind us now. I don’t need to do that anymore that’s why 95% of people buying smartphones just use apps and the operating system.
It was good to have an unlocked system but I can do all I want on my phone these days without the root / cmd prompt.
I have a iPhone as I use macs and think for ME it’s the best phone for what I do.
The same as you would say on your mobile of choice.
Bradavon those days of messing around on your phone are behind us now. I don’t need to do that anymore that’s why 95% of people buying smartphones just use apps and the operating system.
It was good to have an unlocked system but I can do all I want on my phone these days without the root / cmd prompt.
I have a iPhone as I use macs and think for ME it’s the best phone for what I do.
The same as you would say on your mobile of choice.
Bit pedantic Bradavon. I think it was easy enough to understand what he meant.
Bit pedantic Bradavon. I think it was easy enough to understand what he meant.
” I especially like the gallery app, it’s much better than Android’s.”
Which one? There’s a LOT of gallery apps available for Android. Or are you one of those people that thinks you should only compare stock device apps and ignore the very reason for getting something like an Android device in the first place?
For someone who buys so much tech you oddly don’t know Windows Mobile 7 was killed off several years ago and never made it to market ;-). It may sound pedantic but Windows Mobile and “Windows Phone” are vastly different in pretty much every way.
Both iOS and WP are to locked down for my liking. Thanks though. Agreed, the UI is very slick (in some ways more so than Android). A friend has one. I especially like the gallery app, it’s much better than Android’s.
Hi. Good article for a quick review. I have owned each Iphone device that was released (my kids use them now). I have also used at least 30 different Android devices since the G1, my last being the Xperia Mini 2 and the Galaxy SII. Also have Ipad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.9 (Yes, I know I have a tech problem :0).
I also generally avoid any MS product at all costs (switched to OS X 6 years ago).
Why am I saying all this?
On a whim I switched to a Windows Mobile 7.5 Mango device 2 weeks ago just to try it. Amazingly, I cannot go back to Android now. I have to say its the fastest, slickest and most effecient mobile operating system I have ever used. I can honestly say I prefer to check my Gmail emails on this device then on Android (I receive about 400 emails a day).
Anyway, if anyone else gets a chance to try a WM7.5 device, try it and write a short note.
Having used all three I prefer Android for my phone and an iPad 2 for my tablet.
I really liked Windows Phone (I haven’t tried Mango) but it just didn’t work the way I wanted it to. And the app situation while not awful was missing some key things which I need.
Having used all three I prefer Android for my phone and an iPad 2 for my tablet.
I really liked Windows Phone (I haven’t tried Mango) but it just didn’t work the way I wanted it to. And the app situation while not awful was missing some key things which I need.
I’ve taken that step as well. iPhone 3 was my first smart phone i loved the experience and loved Apple for that. The ability to download apps of every kind and type was amazing. I totally forgot all about my laptop, i’m just using the phone.
I kept hearing about Android and all the fuzz with Apple. Court cases and patents started my search about Android. I liked the “open source” methodology very much and right after that, I “Jailbreak”ed my iPhone. I was able to make more use of the device that before. I never installed hacked apps, but all the tools and utilities that was available kept me going.
During my search I came across the release of a new Android phone, Samsung Galaxy S2, and then was my move. Right when it came out i was one of the first who got it. Since then I’m a very big fan of Android, and I’m very much liking the experience.
To move from IOS to Android is not just a different platform, it is a different way of usability. Profiles, Location based functions, widgets, customization, and more customization.
Now when I reach my office, my phone turns on WIFI, disables 3G, changes the ringtone, lowers the notifications volume, and starts SYNC.
If you are a big “Games” fan, the the android store will be a disappointment. Other than that, you would find anything you need or think about.