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Comment by acchow | Hacker News Reader

> Again... this level of ignorance and short-sightedness is surprising coming from someone in such a position of authority

He was making a joke, playing into the Android vs iPhone eternal war.

But as someone who spent years on iPhone, then switched fully to Android for 5 devices across 4 years, and now back to iPhone..... I actually think the ignorance is the other way (Android users who have never tried iPhone as their full time phone).

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> But as someone who spent years on iPhone, then switched fully to Android for 5 devices across 4 years

Perhaps you don't know how to pick phones? My last Android device lasted 4 years (in fact it is still going strong after I installed DivestOS, became my backup phone), and my new device will probably last a long time too.

Each for a fraction of the price charged by Apple.

Might be luck of the draw, but my experience with Android has been similar to OP. Each of my (at the time top of the line) Samsung phones stopped working due to various reasons after a time period ranging from just under an year, to a couple of years.

In comparison, my secondhand iPhone 3G worked for several years—until I left it in a plane by mistake. My iPhone 7plus I used for ~7 years; in fact I still use it, along with my new iPhone 13.

You used Samsung products, that was your problem. Every Samsung I've had or used has been absolute trash

So the largest Android phone manufacturer is “trash”? Who do you recommend?

Apple response incoming.

All phones are trash except my unbranded Huawei clone running a custom version of Android I built myself. It's been totally problem-free since I got it 8 days ago (the one before it was also trash).

OnePlus. My 6T still works perfectly. No issues after 4 years of use, even the battery still lasts a good time. Sometime after they dropped support (since it's an old model), I installed DivestOS and it still works great, updates and all. Became my backup phone. I got myself a Nord2T now, and I like it a lot, I have the impression it will last forever too.

I had a Samsung in the past, but I had some issues with it.

Btw, I never buy top of the line phones.

I think it's pretty hard to argue that the undefeatable dedicated Bixby button was a good idea, or that Galaxy Folds are awesome. They release basically the same thing constantly to give people FOMO on upgrades because the new Galaxy+ S MegaUltraGigaSuper GigaProPixel 97 with 18 cameras is out. They fake detail on the moon to impress the non-tech-savvy who don't understand how it's just a trick. They're also run by a family that is above the law in Korea and has a large influence on the government because they're such a large part of the economy. Their appliances are also trash quality and not made to be repaired, there have been class action lawsuits about this.

My iPhone does the same with Siri as far as power button.

I had a good several year run with the LG G6. Google Maps navigation got too bogged down to be usable, though. That's more Google's fault than LG. Now I'm on a Pixel 6 and it's mostly non-offensive. The fingerprint reader is a bit unreliable, and the lack of a headphone jack is annoying. Other than that, it is responsive and the UI stays out of my way.

Just because a manufacturer makes a lot of things doesn't make them good, their software is some of the worst and most bloated I've ever experienced

Google pixel running grapheneos

Also no, I have never owned an apple device and I never will

My his and hers pair of S5s lasted 6 years despite a fun competitive game we would play where we would try to smack the phone out of others hand which often sent it flying comedically through the air. (good training for phone theives we both have iron grips of our phones now)

> Perhaps you don't know how to pick phones? My last Android device lasted 4 years (in fact it is still going strong after I installed DivestOS, became my backup phone), and my new device will probably last a long time too.

They might just replace their phone a lot. Some people do that.

Actually, despite the common wisdom that Apple users are always getting the latest thing and just can't wait to give Apple more money at every opportunity, every person I've known who replaced their phone about annually to chase whatever the just-released flagship phone was so they can always have the shiniest thing, has been an Android user. Though, to be fair, I've also known plenty of Android users who don't do that. I've just not yet seen an Apple user behave that way (but I'm sure some do). I think this has something to do with Android fans having more overlap with computer hardware enthusiasts in general, than Apple fans do.

I've also known a few Android users who get a new phone every year because they think the next $200 phone won't suck just as much as the last one did. And that, sure, is kinda their own fault.

> They might just replace their phone a lot. Some people do that.

I actually don't like to replace my phone a lot. The issue was, with each Android phone, despite great recommendations from others and lots of research I was left wanting. And after being disappointed by each Android phone, another Android expert would tell me that some other newly released hardware would blow me away. I was tricked by this again and again and again. Until eventually releasing I would just be so much happier on iPhone. I was.

Heh—as an ex-Android user who owned a couple of the "good" ones, I definitely get where you're coming from. I'd take a $400 iPhone over any Android phone, no matter how nice, no hesitation, even disregarding existing purchases and such (I don't have a ton of those, anyway)

I know a lot of people that get the latest iphone every year but I think the difference is they don’t advertise it or mention it the way a lot of the android folks do. Perhaps due to the hardware enthusiast overlap you mentioned.

You know you can get an Iphone SE for 150 dollars, right?

What and expensive paperweight.

It is $430 on Apple's website:

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-se/4.7-inch-dis...

> Perhaps you don't know how to pick phones?

Right. They’re doing it wrong?

Did it get operating system and security updates for four years?

They recently dropped support, so it doesn't get updates anymore. But I could install DivestOS, it works great actually.

More than I can say about the old iPad I have here, that became essentially a paperweight. First and last shit I bought from Apple.

> Perhaps you don't know how to pick phones

That's part of the problem with Android...

I think the ignorance point was more about ignoring the entire Android userbase who wouldn't benefit from these donated AirTags, which is a valid point for a government program.

(I also currently own an iPhone mini 12 but my Galaxy S23 Ultra is my daily driver, no accounting for taste and such).

I mean, android is fine. But as I’ve gotten older I have less patience with the mucking about I must always do with android devices.

This; I used to build my own custom ROMs for my Android devices to get a close-to-AOSP experience + Google services + rooted app store, but it was a lot of overhead and maintenance, plus still slow and unstable compared to iOS. Now that iPhones have had great battery life + excellent performance for a while, combined with great cameras and apps that are iOS-specific, it'd be very painful to go back to Android.

Good point. When you buy an Android phone you're forced to put custom roms and new bootloaders on it. The phones do not work without doing all that.

Serious question: when some app sends you somewhere after a click/tap on iOS, but doesn't leave you the breadcrumb back link in the upper left corner, how do you go back? Is there no shortcut or gesture? Drives me crazy I can't figure it out every time I grab my son's or my parents' phone to help them with something.

To bring up App Switcher, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, then pause in the center of the screen. Then, to browse the open apps, swipe right, then tap the app you want to use.

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/switch-between-open-a...

You can also quickly switch between open apps on an iPhone with Face ID by swiping right or left along the bottom edge of the screen. But try App Switcher first, it'll provide clearer orientation.

Just a note that apps are not responsible for that breadcrumb and have no control over it (if you are meaning the little one that lives in the status bar?). The OS adds that in cases where apps link out to other apps

To go back in all cases you can swipe the home indicator to the right to go back to the previous app you were in. Or you can fling it up to about half way to see all previous apps

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open an app switcher of all the open apps.

The most recently used app is usually immediately to the left of the one you’re currently in.

On older iPhones with the Home button, double tap the Home button to get to the app switcher.

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