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Comment by Krasnol | Hacker News Reader

Besides the fact that you shouldn't use your fingerprint as an password and that the face ID has been tricked already, I'm not sure what exactly your issue with privacy consent is. You can set the privacy settings individually and if you don't like what an app wants from you, there are always a lot of alternatives and most of them are free. There are also alternative stores like F-Droid. Maybe you should play around with it a little bit more to learn about the possibilities. They excel those of the Iphone by far.

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One of the primary reasons I switched to the iPhone years ago was exactly what you’re describing.

I don’t want to have to configure settings on a micro level per-app. I want sane defaults that respect my privacy at the app level, all the way down to the OS layer. Paired with the Play Store with a much lower barrier to app acceptance, this has proven to be a danger to peoples’ privacy if they aren’t vigilant to vet and check settings of each new app they install.

That being just privacy, I was also tired of micromanaging every setting on my phone. I don’t care to have custom UI widgets, root-level modifications, or especially installing a completely new OS. I know as a software developer these things should be more acceptable, or fun even, but my phone is such a critical piece of my day-to-day, I’d rather pay a premium (to a degree.. looking at you XS Max) for the peace of mind that everything will Just Work every time. I’ve yet to have any real problems with any iPhone I’ve owned.. Android was a different story.

You could have just installed F-Droid and use the apps from there...I mean, I don't see how "taking away features" is a reason FOR a product.

I understand that critical aspect but being faced with an IPhone that is unable to sync mails from the exchange server for several OS versions already is what I'd consider a critical issue and problem. I never had anything like that with the Android or other relevant "not working" issues. I have no idea what people do with their phones to really "break" it.

Edit: I still wonder how people who intentionally switched away from Android take the missing back-button and the continues search for the function within the apps. It's either right or left, called differently every time. Sometimes it's not even there...

> I understand that critical aspect but being faced with an IPhone that is unable to sync mails from the exchange server for several OS versions already is what I'd consider a critical issue and problem.

Can you clarify this a bit? I don't really understand the problem - I have an Exchange server synced on my iPhone and there are no problems.

> Can you clarify this a bit? I don't really understand the problem - I have an Exchange server synced on my iPhone and there are no problems.

The native email app does not sync mails that are being filtered into folders properly. Or let's say: it sometimes does it, sometimes it does not. I just lost any trust into it and drag down every folder to be sure that there isn't a new mail in there. It's a pain. I asked around on the forums and reddit and even though the issue is not new, nobody could help me out. Some pointed out that it surely is an issue with the server but it works flawlessly with the Windows Phone and Android.

1. I think it makes a difference if Face ID can only be tricked with a professionally created mask vs a photo my neighbor took to unlock a phone. It might not make that much difference in the real world, but I like to use a product that was well-thought through instead of a copycat gimmick.

2. While Android indeed now gives you okayish controls over privacy settings, this wasn’t the case for many years. In addition, if you set up your device, just count how often you have to tap no/disable/deny vs on iOS. After the third pop up, most people don’t care anymore. Even the damn keyboard calls home.

In case of Samsung, you sometimes can’t use specific features if you don’t agree to everything. Huawei is similar.

3. I don’t trust free apps that have no reasonable pricing model. Because they still have to make money (same is true for iOS apps).

Look, I don’t want to convince anyone. I say: Android gives me an odd feeling whereas iOS doesn’t so much (although I don’t use iCloud files or photos).

1) Sure it depends on where your priorities are. If you really need that security, you probably just won't use either the finger printer nor the FaceID and just type a password. But let's be honest here: the feature is being liked/used as a fast login bypass rather then for security reasons. I don't use it at all. Neither on the IPhone nor on my private Android.

2) Well yeah, many years ago many thing where crap. I don't understand your count excample. I have to tap is as many times as I want/many apps I have. You have to do the same for iOS for the few options you get there.

3) I don't know about Samsung or Huawei because I don't have one. I can buy my hardware from a producer I trust or like.

Did you ever ask yourself where that "odd feeling" actually come from? Because complaining about "too many options" (same done above by a different commenter) seems quite odd to me.

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