I’ve written previously about how the iPhone 14 Professional brought about main hand cramps. So, after promoting my iPhone in anticipation of a lighter titanium iPhone 15 Professional, I made a decision to check out the Android machine for a weekend in London.
After researching Android smartphones, I selected Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 Extremely, which arrived on Friday night. With an early Saturday flight to London looming, I did not have a lot time to get used to the world of Android earlier than heading to a busy metropolis. With this in thoughts, right here is my story of how I spent a weekend in London as a primary time Android consumer.
Good morning
The evening earlier than, I shortly arrange the S23 Extremely by transferring my information from my iPhone by way of the Android Switch course of by connecting the gadgets by way of USB-C to Lightning. The entire course of was surprisingly simple, and put me comfortable proper from the beginning regardless of not having any concept how something would work.
After the preliminary information switch, Android did an excellent job of robotically discovering and downloading the apps I used within the Google Play Retailer to my S23 Extremely, although it did take a couple of hours navigating backwards and forwards with passwords from my Apple machine. Key chain.
Waking up was laborious. Who knew you’d develop into so used to that annoying iPhone alarm through the years? A lot in order that I awoke 10 minutes after my 6am alarm regardless that the S23 Extremely was doing its factor. After I showered and packed, I left the home and began strolling in direction of the tram cease, which takes me instantly from Edinburgh metropolis heart to Edinburgh airport.
Connecting my AirPods appeared simple sufficient, however I could not discover any approach apart from to make use of the AirPods Professional 2’s contact controls to change between Transparency and Noise Cancellation modes whereas listening to Spotify. Fortuitously, it is a fast concern with the AirPods stem to repair, however stopping music when eradicating the AirPod has been an issue all weekend. The shortage of computerized ear detection is an actual downside for AirPods on Android.
On the tram cease, I used Google Pay for the primary time. On an iPhone, you may double-click the aspect button, choose your card, and authenticate with FaceID. Nonetheless, for Android, I needed to learn to unlock my telephone and put the machine on the fee terminal. It was awkward at first however shortly turned regular, particularly with the S23 Extremely’s under-display fingerprint scanner. Whereas somebody has to elucidate to me why you may’t change between fee playing cards as simply on Android as you may on iOS — I believed Android ought to have given me extra choices.
Increased within the air
On a brief journey to London (slightly below an hour from Edinburgh), I obtained to make use of the S23 Extremely correctly for the primary time, and was impressed with the display screen. I went into settings, selected the very best display screen decision, after which began watching some pre-downloaded YouTube movies.
Midway by way of my video, I observed a line on the aspect of my display screen, so I made a decision to work together with it, solely to disclose what Samsung calls the Edge Panel. It is a fast entry device for apps, and it is extremely helpful on a bigger machine just like the 6.8-inch S23 Extremely. Earlier than I knew it, I used to be navigating the YouTube app and writing notes with the S Pen, due to Android’s capacity to multitask in two apps concurrently on a smartphone, one thing you may’t do in iOS 17.
Good night
I used to be in London for AEW: All In at Wembley Stadium, the largest wrestling occasion ever, with over 81,000 folks in attendance, however I had a while earlier than heading to the stadium. My pals and I went to Borough Marketplace for a scrumptious lunch and it was the primary time I attempted the S23 Extremely.
At first, I actually appreciated it, however after sharing the photographs by way of WhatsApp (since there isn’t any iMessage on Android), I observed that the photographs seemed a bit too saturated and sharp for my liking. Clearly you may tweak digicam settings and coloration profiles, however I wished an progressive expertise, and I am the form of one that takes point-and-click photographs, with out messing round. My iPhone often helps make my photographs look nice regardless of my lack of pictures expertise as a result of pictures appears so pure at first, however taking a look at photographs of my sandwich or scrambled eggs, which look nearly neon, I do not assume the extent of tweaking Required on Android caters to a client like me.
The digicam wasn’t the one downside I had when utilizing a tool apart from my iPhone for the primary time in my life. Each time a good friend calls me to search out out the place I’m, I can not bear in mind tips on how to reply the decision for the lifetime of me. I am so used to hitting for a solution that the considered being caught after which hit led to a psychological breakdown. Over the course of the weekend, I in all probability missed at the very least three calls as a result of I could not adapt shortly sufficient to reply in an Android approach. However that wasn’t the one downside I discovered when shifting to Android. One other massive annoyance that I did not understand there was a repair for till I obtained house on Monday night is how Samsung’s One UI manages notifications.
In your iPhone, you see your notifications on the lock display screen and have to swipe as much as unlock your telephone. On the S23 Extremely, the inventory setting has hidden notifications on the lock display screen, and it’s essential to press the aspect button to indicate them. Because the machine makes use of a fingerprint sensor, I unlocked each time I wished to test my notifications, which meant I missed plenty of them resulting from my very own ineptitude. It wasn’t till I obtained house and spoke with Alex Walker-Todd, Senior Cellphone Editor at TechRadar, that I noticed how easy the answer was.
This was a recurring theme all through my Android weekend. I wasn’t ready for the duty at hand, and given how busy and fast-paced the time was in London, I did not have time to dig into Android settings and determine issues out. Apple has made the iPhone so intuitive that you could simply choose it up and go with out overthinking issues. Alternatively, Android offers customers an excessive amount of freedom which makes it each a blessing and a curse. For me, as a whole OS beginner, it was a curse.
Good night
On the occasion, the large 5,000mAh battery of the S23 Extremely confirmed its value. For weeks on the iMore Present podcast, I might been complaining about my iPhone 14 Professional’s battery, and having one operating from 6am till I obtained again to my lodge at midnight was like a breath of recent air with out worrying about it. Value. My good friend on the occasion had the bigger iPhone 14 Professional Max, so his telephone additionally stood the check of time.
Wanting again, I am shocked my often jittery fingers had no downside utilizing the bigger S23 Extremely all weekend, however I feel that is due to the curved edges. Which means telephone measurement is not my concern, and I beloved having an enormous display screen all weekend. However except the iPhone 15 Professional Max (Extremely) has a considerably altered design and is not as sharp, I am unsure I might select the bigger iPhone mannequin.
Good afternoon
After an excellent weekend in London, I got here house proud of my first Android expertise. There are plenty of issues, like Samsung’s Edge Panel, that I want I might use on my iPhone. Not solely that, however utilizing the S23 Extremely confirmed to me that massive telephones aren’t my downside, however the sq. design of the iPhone is my downside.
I’ve gotten to know fairly a little bit of what Android has to supply, and fairly frankly, I am impressed with how briskly the working system is with the 120Hz refresh charge Samsung panel and the way distinctive the entire expertise is.
It is secure to say I am on the fence about whether or not I need to improve to the iPhone 15 Professional Max or transfer to Android for a yr, and utilizing the S23 Extremely did not make that call any simpler. However what I do know is that there are issues I take without any consideration on iOS and issues I want the OS might do, like my restricted expertise with Android.
It is secure to imagine that the iPhone 15, 15 Professional, and 15 Professional Max shall be unveiled on September 12. Then I am going to have to decide, based mostly on what Apple reveals concerning the subsequent technology of iPhone, whether or not I would like it or not. Lastly give Android a correct likelihood or finish my lengthy and constant relationship with iOS. Till then, I am going to have surprisingly fond recollections of my Android-powered weekend in London.
