Tbh androids privacy is shit. I’d rather deal with Apple than Google both on hardware and privacy any day. The only way I’d switch is to something like Graphene
this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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Because my belief in political freedom has nothing to do with my phone choice and it would be odd to conflate the two.
When I had an android I had to spend a lot more time making sure apps would work with my phone and that my phone would be "secure" whereas I have less concerns of that with apple.
Simply put with apple I dont have to do as much work to make sure things work.
Americans don't really value freedom. Not really. Americans pretend they like freedom, but they will give up all their freedoms for the slightest bit of convenience, and because social media told them so.
Am I talking about consumer electronics, or politics? Impossible to say.
I understand the sentiment you are going for, but I think it is a little cheap regarding the opinion of 300 million+ people.
In my horribly narrow opinion, the American freedom is simply the freedom to choose. Nothing more, nothing less. The freedom to own a tiger, buy a tank or be "Florida man" for a day.
It is not "free" from manipulation and sometimes it really feels like a 5 year old choosing to do the opposite of the right thing just "because".
Sidenote: I ABSOLUTELY do not think it is the best way to build a nurturing society, but I get why it has such a passionate supporter base.
It was a nurturing society when most were in communities that interacted with each other. We have lost that for many reasons
You have to connect it to a server to even use it
That's also true of the versions of Android that 99.99% of people use
cannot have any third-party apps without an online account.
Most people don't care. They'll use the suggested app store and have an account already.
Right or not, it is what it is.
Not an American but to be honest, both Google and Apple are appalling. Google openly steal all your data and sell it. Apple do similar but on a smaller scale but also claim they're all about privacy. Both make it difficult to use alternative app stores but with Apple its actually impossible. Phone vendors can and do install their own awful bloat on Android phones. Apple force you to use webkit for any browsing you might want to do, Android's native GUI is a mess. Nothing Apple put on their devices is open source so all their claims of privacy can never be verified. Both companies constantly try and impose proprietary standards or charge you a bajillion pounds for a fucking pen or some such bullshit.
The key difference for me is I can put something like Calyx or Graphene on an Android device and use a whole open source ecosystem of alternative apps which vastly improves the privacy of my device.
Not an iphone user, but am intrigued by all the ads the apple people say are on androids. Literally have never seen one, and I've had adjusted androids since the og htcs.
Saw them all the time on my first android phone which was a $20 Huawei phone which is almost certainly a major factor.
It's the opposite. On Android I have an adblocker. On my work iphone I have to raw dog the internet
You can install AdGuard on iOS, it will at least block ads in the browser.
Rawdogging the internet applies to those who do not set up their phones properly. This applies to both IPhone and Android users. It is uncool that Apple only allows Webkit based browsers, where uBlock Origin doesn't work. But even Safari Browser can be set up properly in the settings. Additional to that, there are extensions that block ads and trackers. I use a combinatiion of three extensions and I haven't seen any ads so far:
KaBlock!
Hush Nag Blocker
Ad Guard (I only use the free tier)
Not an American, but as an iPhone user who has had Android phones since cupcake before: iPhones „just work“, they are a lot less janky than Android, the ecosystem is smooth (although admittedly and intentionally less so when leaving it), they get updated for longer (and at the same time!) and apple has a much better privacy track record than the competition (a low bar).
Yes, I would prefer to install my apps from anywhere I want on the device I should own. An open source phone from top to bottom would be my dream, but Android is about as far removed from that as an iphone. Google took Linux and made it into a Frankenstein nightmare that is wholly dependent on them.
Just try to stick to open source and make your phone respect your privacy and see how far you get. Start at the usually locked bootloader, install a rom without google and see how few apps are left that do not require google services. And even then you are most likely dependent on binary blobs for the drivers, meaning the manufacturers can (and will) pull the rug from under your efforts as soon as they no longer feel like updating their shitty built of Android for the device in time.
I do not have time for that. What I have is enough money to buy a phone that comes as close as possible to my idea of safety, freedom and privacy without constantly jumping through burning hoops. If I am to be in a cage, it better be golden.
An open source phone from top to bottom would be my dream, but Android is about as far removed from that as an iphone. Google took Linux and made it into a Frankenstein nightmare that is wholly dependent on them.
have you considered flashing custom roms on it? e/OS, LineageOS and GrapheneOS (restricted to google pixel for hardware+privacy/security reasons) are all opensource.
Graphene. Don't try the others if you aren't prepared for an uphill battle. Graphene just works.
I agree that graphene is the hands down best. But for people who have a device and want to switch, and that device is not a google pixel, well that severely limits your options.
Just to say. I recently jumped from Android and the iPhone didn't just work like I remember they did. Two bugs I had were adding comments on Reddit using Firefox. The keyboard would come up but my text would be off screen so I couldn't see what I was typing. This could be a Firefox bug but it was still very weird and not one I'd seen on Android.
One bug that used to get annoying is I'd unlock the phone and when going to type, the volume would be at max briefly before going back to the volume the phone was set at. This caught me out a few times in the middle of the night.
I couldn't get on with iOS and felt that after not using it since the iPhone 4S that nothing had really improved. Also the lack of being able to use uBlock Origin on Firefox was awful. It's been a while since I browsed the web without an adblocker and I really hated having to do something every day. Eventually I sold the 16 Pro I had and went back to my Pixel 8.
The one thing I remember being great about the iPhone was when you upgrade you restore the backup and the phone just works. With Android you typically have to go around and login to all the apps again. Again a developer issue but certainly easier on iOS.
This could be a Firefox bug but it was still very weird and not one I’d seen on Android.
This is likely directly related to the fact that Apple blocks use of any other web renderer than Webkit based on App store guidelines.
This means neither Chrome nor Firefox on iOS are actually the normal versions. Normally Chrome uses Blink and Firefox uses Gecko, but they both use Webkit on iOS.
The average American is a fucking idiot and half of them are dumber than that
Americans have been propagandized by Apple advertising into thinking Apple products are "high class."
Ask yourself: Why does anyone wear a Rolex?
It boils down to the same thing, showing people your wealth and thus "social value" (barf) via conspicuous consumption.
If it wasn't conspicuous consumption, why would US people literally judge potential dating partners on what kind of phone they use?
Its function is exactly what the name implies: to alert people that you have money in the bank. I Am Rich was available for purchase from the phone’s App Store for, get this, $999.99 -- the highest amount a developer can charge through the digital retailer, said Armin Heinrich, the program’s developer. Once downloaded, it doesn’t do much -- a red icon sits on the iPhone home screen like any other application, with the subtext ‘I Am Rich.’ Once activated, it treats the user to a large, glowing gem (pictured above). That’s about it. For a thousand dollars.
This was barely a year after the original iPhone's release. The attitude toward Apple products has persisted ever since.
I hate to say it, the reason people choose dating partners on phone use is because of blue texts on iMessage. that’s the only reason. Apple was brilliant pitching that as an Android problem instead of playing fair and working on an open standard since day 1. Dragged their feet for years.
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Not an American, but I ended up with an iPhone simply because the cost difference between it and an Android device via my carrier wasn't that big. It was also a previous generation model at a steep discount which helped a lot.
I am not a fan of Apple but if a company is going to screw me then at least Apple isn't so in-my-face about it like Google is. Google's data harvesting and ads are absolutely atrocious.
I used Blackberry right up until they ditched BB10. Sometimes I wonder if I should just get a feature phone because modern smartphones are awful things.
I am not a fan of Apple but if a company is going to screw me then at least Apple isn’t so in-my-face about it like Google is. Google’s data harvesting and ads are absolutely atrocious.
I mean, that's kinda the dilemma.
You might get a bit more privacy with Apple, but then you sacrifice with the whole "not being able to 'sideload' apps" thing.
And if you want to bit of freedom, you have to use Android, which means you lose more privacy because the whole Google thing.
Ugh, why does every company suck so much. 🤦♂️
(Also: I don't even know if Apple is really more private, its kinda just blind faith tbh...)
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Honestly, if you can tolerate the Apple ecosystem it works really well, with adequate privacy. My wife and my mother both use them and I recommend it for anyone who isn't a privacy nerd.
If the user isn't willing to jump through hoops to lock shit down, Apple offers a better suite across platforms for privacy and security.
Honestly, if you can tolerate the Apple ecosystem it works really well, with adequate privacy.
Not having firefox browser extensions is a huge dealbreaker tho (because Apple require some safari thing in all the browsers that breaks extentions), like imagine not being able to have uBlock Origin.
Also, I'm a bit of a pirate... Apple app store has no torrent client... 😉
Also, I'm a bit of a pirate... Apple app store has no torrent client...
I sideload iTorrent on my iPhone via AltStore
Why would you torrent from your phone?
Wrong tool for the job…
Why wouldn't you?
Through the release of the first iPhone to the mid 2010s I'd wager that most consumers agreed that iPhones were superior to Android by most metrics: they featured more support across the board, had more apps, looked nicer, and were considered the premium. Apple pioneered the modern smartphone and had a headstart in getting users hooked into their ecosystem. Nowhere was this more pronounced than in the wealthiest country in the world (and Apple's home country).
That's a huge generalization but I think it resonates true to a degree. Also, anecdotally, I remember that all my school computers were Macs when growing up. I'm sure Apple seeped its tendrils into people's lives a variety of ways. It's not a cake walk for most people to switch ecosystems. As a lifelong Windows user I'll have a panic attack if you asked me to print a document on a Mac; I'm sure its the same vice versa lol
SonyEricson p800 was launched 2002. It said smart phone on it.
Yes and that phone wasn't the basis of most of the smart phone platforms we see whereas the iphone was.
Honestly I didn’t get an iPhone until 2021 or so and all of my android phones before then ran slow in a year or so. That never happened with my iPhones. Having recently gotten into privacy and selfhosting I have considered a pixel with graphene but don’t wanna waste money.
Worth noting I don’t use iCloud or any of those Apple related services.
I know my partner thinks the same way. My family all has them recently too. Idk why though. We mostly had Samsung before then LG earlier.
A few things to comment on.
| I didn’t get an iPhone until 2021 or so and all of my android phones before then ran slow in a year or so.
Like your computer, smartphones slow down when you have a lot of things running/idling in the background. They also slow down with bloatware. Cleaning your phone's memory every so often is a smart practice to incorporate into your ownership of the device. CCleaner is the one I download every so often to do a scan and clean what I can. There's bound to be a better app option, but that's the one I know about and have used before.
And just so we're on the same page, I bought a refurbished Pixel 2 back in early 2020 and it's been running fine for me. Haven't noticed any issues with operations except for the screen and the battery not holding its charge as long as it once did. But to be fair, my screen has a few hairpin cracks in it from dropping it on accident a couple of times. And the battery hold on any smartphone degrades with age and usage.
| That never happened with my iPhones.
You're either super lucky or you're the kind of person that gets a new smartphone every year or so; for some reason or another.
As I mentioned above, smartphones naturally and unnaturally get slower as they age. But let's not forget that planned obsolescence is very much being used across the board.
all of my Linux phones before then ran slow in a year or so. That never happened with my iPhones
Linux isn't really optimized for phones so they are going to be terrible.
And since Apple doesn't really sell budget phones, iPhones are always gonna be fast, so is a flagship Android phone. Its the flagship aspect that makes a phone fast, not the OS.
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I’m a professional C# developer, and I switched to iPhone in 2020. Mostly I wanted a more controlled, curated App Store for increased confidence in a safe execution environment. I’ll pay the $100/yr for a developer account if I really need to build and run my own code.
The lack of ad block options bugs me. I also don’t use iCloud.
I have doubts about whether this question is asking or proselytizing.
Asking.
Using iPhones is fine.
But I see people being so "SovCit" then go on and use an iPhone, which is just like... wtf lol
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Honestly, at this point, the only reason to go with either ecosystem is that Android, for now, allows you to escape Google, to some degree depending on how much work you're willing to put in. IOS/apple doesn't allow that
But, Google is trying hard to get to the same place.
But, ignoring that, apple got there first. That's what it amounts to. The first real smart phone was by Apple, and that gave them a leg up
android user now but basically... it might be that most of us Americans try to take the path of least resistance or whatever doesn't give us headaches. I mean like, almost everything we do (except taxes) are pretty simplified. And even for taxes, we can LITERALLY pay for services to simplify or do it for us ( like wtf, this is kinda stupid). Apple does a good job of making it an easy experience.
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easy to use - like an automatic car vs manual car.
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popular apps just work - I don't think its a problem now but I remember when some social media apps were just broken on android vs iphone.
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a lot of the software looks pretty clean and fancy. Gives it a polished experience.
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HARD TO LEAVE - Apple products work better with other apple products. Once you leave, you basically lose out on all the purchases you've made over the years.
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Apple store support - life saver for most people
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Security updates more consistent.
Hell, trying to adjust from typing with iphone keyboard to android keyboard took longer than expected.
Also our government issues out iphones for fed employees.
unless you're going to crack your android and install a custom rom (which, with limited exceptions, is extremely risky to do,) your choice is to either use an apple product, or a google-based OS.
Apple has a slick design, and while android (and many of he devices it runs on) aren't awful, it's hard to change. and virtually every mainstream mobile device manufacturer is using some some form of android os with a custom UI, including Huawei (which no officially a fork, because of sanctions.)
everything that's not android or apple is pretty much going to have to be installed custom. (there's a few linux-based things that aren't android, mobian, for example is a mobile-version of debian.)
I'll leave it to the other to rant about why apple might be better than android for privacy and useability, given the caveat of not hacking a custom rom.
I would never use an iPhone if my phone were my primary computing device. But I just make occasional calls and texts, and use a handful of apps (for instance, Nextcloud and Home Assistant connected directly to my home server, bypassing most of Apple’s ecosystem).
For a secondary device, I just want something simple and sturdy that I have to think about as little as possible—and for that specific use case the limitations are a plus.
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