iOS to Android - Just bought a Galaxy Note 8

[thefatboy]

Firstly, this isn't an Apple-bashing thread, I'm still a fan of the brand, however after being underwhelmed by the new iPhone announcements, and overwhelmed by the prices, I've finally walked the iOS plank and plunged into the Android sea!

I've been cossetted in iOS since the iPhone 3G, though the 4,5,6 and 7 but I've seen the iPhone features fall behind the competition slowly, year-by-year, constantly grumbling that one day I'd switch and now, finally, I have.

So what I'm really after is advice from seasoned Android owners and answers to some burning questions, do I need an anti-virus, what the hell is a launcher, will my phone become self-aware and murder me in my bed!

Seriously though I've been impressed by the Note 8 so far. The screen is gorgeous and the s-pen looks like it will be really useful and fun too. It's big but not so big that it affects usability and heavy but again, not so heavy that it's going to pull my trousers down if I put it in my pocket! The camera(s) are a huge jump over my iPhone, though I never had a Plus, I know the cameras were better on those.

There are a couple of immediate things I miss, like the little switch on the side of the iPhone to silence it without having to wake the phone up and change settings and the fingerprint sensor on the back will take a bit of getting used to.

I still like Apple and won't rule out returning to iOS in the future, I have plenty of iPads to keep my hand in in the environment in the meantime.

Over all though I'm feeling positive for now and any general advice or recommendations for useful or fun apps would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[kosumi]

I also started using a Galaxy S6 last week after I dropped my Iphone 5S and broke its glass.
First day: I will buy another Iphone (checking Iphone prices and contracts)
Second day: Actually, may be I can use Galaxy S6 until Iphone 8 is released.
Third day: Transferred my contacts from Iphone to Samsung and set up most of the app I use on Samsung.
...
Currently : Still living with Samsung:

• I have problems with Samsung's keyboard. Lots of misspells.
• I am still not used to the Android back button.
• Fingerprint scanner is a nightmare on S6.
• I am still looking for the Iphone side button.
• Camera is better on S6.

[thefatboy]

• I have problems with Samsung's keyboard. Lots of misspells.
• I am still not used to the Android back button.
• Fingerprint scanner is a nightmare on S6.
• I am still looking for the Iphone side button.
• Camera is better on S6.

Hi kosumi, looks like your experience echoes mine in lots of ways! Even though the Note's screen is much bigger I'm still hitting the wrong key a lot on the keyboard! The back button and the navigation as a whole will need time to get used to I think but I'm definitely not as home-sick for iOS as I thought I'd be.

The fingerprint sensor works well for me but the placement is the problem, I have to be careful not to smudge the camera lens as they're right next to one another on the back.

Thanks for posting and good luck with your Android adventure!

[kosumi]

Thanks and good luck to you too!
I also need to mention I got a bit frustrated after I installed Barclays Mobile Banking App and got "Since you are using Android, we suggest you install an anti-virus software" message.
Is Android becoming Windows of mobile phones in terms of security? I hope not.

[Lazydonkey]

Try swiftkey keyboard - it's great.

[thefatboy]

Anti-Virus is something I'm concerned about too, I've read differing opinions. Many people online advise that you don't need one if you're careful, don't download non-appstore apps, don't visit porn sites etc.

The Android users at my office however all say they have one, even if they've never had cause to need it, as a kind of safety net if you like.

I tried to install a free one this morning but it wouldn't activate as it said that I'd have to de-activate Secure Startup in order to activate the anti-virus. As I have no idea what Secure Startup is I'll have to do some research before I continue!

[kosumi]

Try swiftkey keyboard - it's great.

I just installed it. I will give it a try thanks!

[thefatboy]

Try swiftkey keyboard - it's great.

Thanks! I'll give it a go.

[bigweb]

I use both. I have an iPhone 6S for work and a note 8 for me.

I just cant get my head around how people think iOS is a better system than Android.

The Note 8 is great by the way (As was the S7 Edge before it)

Saying all that I think my Note 8 might be slightly faulty as my battery life has been awful. Has anyone experienced this? Some stuff out there suggesting that if you use smart switch with you new phone the resulting battery life isn't great

[kosumi]

Anti-Virus is something I'm concerned about too, I've read differing opinions. Many people online advise that you don't need one if you're careful, don't download non-appstore apps, don't visit porn sites etc.

The Android users at my office however all say they have one, even if they've never had cause to need it, as a kind of safety net if you like.

I tried to install a free one this morning but it wouldn't activate as it said that I'd have to de-activate Secure Startup in order to activate the anti-virus. As I have no idea what Secure Startup is I'll have to do some research before I continue!

I will try to live without one for now as I don't do much with my phone anyway. Let's see how it goes.

[acg]

Unless you're downloading dodgy apks you don't need anti virus. Get your apps from the play store and you'll be fine.

Uninstalled mcafee from a friends nexus as she complained it was running slow. Night and day difference, she couldn't believe it

Use p*rnhub if you need titillation and you'll be grand

I prefer google keyboard but swiftkey isn't bad at all and both are better than apples keyboard imo

I'm perfectly happy with either platform though, a mash up of the two would be ideal as they each have bits I prefer over the other

[crazyp]

I don't have an anti virus installed - not sure if that is a good or bad thing (yet).

Keyboard - I use Gboard - the Google keyboard. Its a massive step up from the Samsung nonsense.

Launcher - I'm happy enough with the way the stock samsung works. Not a problem with me, but some like the full customisability that comes with Android. Too much faff for me!

The Note 8 definitely looks tasty, but the S7 Edge still works well for me!

[sprite1275]

Gota feeling apples new pricing is going to hurt there sales big time. There making there die hard fans look at alternatives and when they see That there are alternatives out there which do the same or more for less £££ i can see that profit line plunging.

[Rod]

Hi and welcome to Android. I've never used anti-virus since smart phones came out and I have RBS banking on my phone coupled with Android Pay (very secure).
If you want a super fast customisable launcher Nova is superb... buy the prime version from Google Play store. If you go into your settings and look for 'Home' this is where you find your launcher, basically the programme that starts your phone and it's layout.
You can customise till your heart's content. It's light on it's demands and fast.
I used to use Swift Key which is good, but prefer Google Keyboard. If you use a lot of car parks, Pay By Phone is useful. Google Keep is good for notes/memos.

[adirian]

Gota feeling apples new pricing is going to hurt there sales big time. There making there die hard fans look at alternatives and when they see That there are alternatives out there which do the same or more for less £££ i can see that profit line plunging.

I thought Apple crossed the line with their prices but I was looking at the Note 8 and it costs the equivalent of 900GBP in Romania so not far behind the iPhone X.

The thing is the flagship prices are going mad and people will start looking for Chinese brands. This might be the end of the Samsung/Apple supremacy.

[Nigel306]

I use Gboard after trying SwiftKey and finding it useless, to many errors on my S8.
I keep getting the nagging off Barclays about anti virus too but as yet haven't installed any.

[sprite1275]

I thought Apple crossed the line with their prices but I was looking at the Note 8 and it costs the equivalent of 900GBP in Romania so not far behind the iPhone X.

The thing is the flagship prices are going mad and people will start looking for Chinese brands. This might be the end of the Samsung/Apple supremacy.

The way i see it is you pay a MASSIVE premium for a couple of extra gadgets on a phone and i smidge faster performance. I bought a LG G4 for £290 a couple of years ago and the thing has been flawless with a great screen and camera. Before that i had a Nexus 4 which was also brilliant at the time which cost £200. Only had to buy the G4 as i dropped the N4 down my stairs :(

[thefatboy]

I use both. I have an iPhone 6S for work and a note 8 for me.

I just cant get my head around how people think iOS is a better system than Android.

The Note 8 is great by the way (As was the S7 Edge before it)

Saying all that I think my Note 8 might be slightly faulty as my battery life has been awful. Has anyone experienced this? Some stuff out there suggesting that if you use smart switch with you new phone the resulting battery life isn't great

I read that they've put a smaller 3300mah battery in the Note as part of the alterations in the fallout from the exploding Note 7, so this may have an effect. I haven't used mine enough to really gain a full understanding of the battery life yet but I'll report back....

[adirian]

I read that they've put a smaller 3300mah battery in the Note as part of the alterations in the fallout from the exploding Note 7, so this may have an effect. I haven't used mine enough to really gain a full understanding of the battery life yet but I'll report back....

A bit off-topic again but why did you choose the Note 8 and not the S8+?
It seems that everyone finds the S8+ a better deal than the Note, price wise and battery wise

[thefatboy]

Unless you're downloading dodgy apks you don't need anti virus. Get your apps from the play store and you'll be fine.

Uninstalled mcafee from a friends nexus as she complained it was running slow. Night and day difference, she couldn't believe it

Use p*rnhub if you need titillation and you'll be grand

I prefer google keyboard but swiftkey isn't bad at all and both are better than apples keyboard imo

I'm perfectly happy with either platform though, a mash up of the two would be ideal as they each have bits I prefer over the other

I don't have an anti virus installed - not sure if that is a good or bad thing (yet).

Keyboard - I use Gboard - the Google keyboard. Its a massive step up from the Samsung nonsense.

Launcher - I'm happy enough with the way the stock samsung works. Not a problem with me, but some like the full customisability that comes with Android. Too much faff for me!

The Note 8 definitely looks tasty, but the S7 Edge still works well for me!

Hi and welcome to Android. I've never used anti-virus since smart phones came out and I have RBS banking on my phone coupled with Android Pay (very secure).
If you want a super fast customisable launcher Nova is superb... buy the prime version from Google Play store. If you go into your settings and look for 'Home' this is where you find your launcher, basically the programme that starts your phone and it's layout.
You can customise till your heart's content. It's light on it's demands and fast.
I used to use Swift Key which is good, but prefer Google Keyboard. If you use a lot of car parks, Pay By Phone is useful. Google Keep is good for notes/memos.

I use Gboard after trying SwiftKey and finding it useless, to many errors on my S8.
I keep getting the nagging off Barclays about anti virus too but as yet haven't installed any.

Thanks all, I'll live without an anti-virus for now, I'm not planning on downloading loads of dodgy apps and my porn addiction is in remission so I'll chance it for now!

I'll give the suggested keyboards a try and have a play with the launchers too, cheers!

[bigweb]

I read that they've put a smaller 3300mah battery in the Note as part of the alterations in the fallout from the exploding Note 7, so this may have an effect. I haven't used mine enough to really gain a full understanding of the battery life yet but I'll report back....

Yes I have seen this but the new processor and RAM should have made a good bump to battery life. All the tests I have seen out there rank it as the best for battery life at the moment.

[thefatboy]

A bit off-topic again but why did you choose the Note 8 and not the S8+?
It seems that everyone finds the S8+ a better deal than the Note, price wise and battery wise

Hi Adrian, I know the Note 8 and the S8+ are very similar, almost identical in fact, but the main reason for the choice was the small differences; the dual camera, extra RAM and the S-Pen.

It remains to be seen whether these will be worth the extra, let's see if my pics improve on the Friday thread, but I got a deal I was happy with and it was much less than the iPhone 8, let alone the X.

Are you an S8+ owner or are you deciding between the two?

[adirian]

Hi Adrian, I know the Note 8 and the S8+ are very similar, almost identical in fact, but the main reason for the choice was the small differences; the dual camera, extra RAM and the S-Pen.

It remains to be seen whether these will be worth the extra, let's see if my pics improve on the Friday thread, but I got a deal I was happy with and it was much less than the iPhone 8, let alone the X.

Are you an S8+ owner or are you deciding between the two?

I kind of lost interest in phones a few months ago when I settled for a Note 4. I feel that all the phones share the same design, not like 10-15 years ago when every phone brand had it's own highlights.

Now I own an iPhone SE that fits well into my pocket and does everything I need.
I was looking at the S8 but people are complaining about poor reception and that put me off.

[ViperStripes]

Currently on an iPhone 6 and going to make the switch to Samsung S8, the iPhone X price is just too high.

However this thread put me onto the Note 8, it's only half a mm thicker and only 14 mm longer and the addition of the stylus for note taking and extra ram appeals. Will have to read some more reviews and comparisons.

[thefatboy]

A sample of the camera's abilities, these were our companions in the beer garden on Saturday.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[lewwyt]

Yes I have seen this but the new processor and RAM should have made a good bump to battery life. All the tests I have seen out there rank it as the best for battery life at the moment.

Can confirm my battery life has been great with extensive usage over the weekend, my 18 month old S7 Edge was below 10% by around 7pm and my Note 8 was over 40% with similar usage.

[thefatboy]

I kind of lost interest in phones a few months ago when I settled for a Note 4. I feel that all the phones share the same design, not like 10-15 years ago when every phone brand had it's own highlights.

Now I own an iPhone SE that fits well into my pocket and does everything I need.
I was looking at the S8 but people are complaining about poor reception and that put me off.

I know what you mean, I wouldn't be able to pick most phones out of a lineup these days and it's comforting I should think to jump off the merry-go-round and just stick with a phone you like.

It's the screen and technical improvements that draw me in though, I stream a lot of video on my phone, youtube and movies from my server at home, and the Note is ideal for this with the screen it has.

[KingKitega]

I too was an iOS fan until I moved over to Android a couple years ago. Never looked back, esp with dual SIM options.

If you're thinking moving away from iPhone due to cost, check out Xiaomi phones. Specs (and prices) to drool over.

[pacifichrono]

I would not recommend surfing the web with your Note without an antivirus program running. Even if you never visit porn sites or the like, you can easily fall prey just by clicking on an interesting link on a legitimate website, like maybe: "Tyson Fury's Plan to Retire AJ!"

Just one curious click and your phone is spinning out of control.

[adirian]

Just curious, what would a virus do that the phone? I never had a problem nor had heard someone complaining about it

[andy armitage]

Android all the way for me I much prefer then to iPhones and I bet the Note 8 is awesome just a shame to me that the battery isn't bigger but hopefully the battery life will be good and as for using an anti virus I never have and never will and I have had loads of Android phones.

[rdesouza]

Moving to android also gives you so many options for phones and there are so many out there. I've got a s7 and my wife an s7 edge and they are both excellent phones.

Sent from my YOGA Tablet 2-1050F using TZ-UK mobile app

[Glamdring]

Just curious, what would a virus do that the phone? I never had a problem nor had heard someone complaining about it

Snap. Always used Android, so far no issues. EE gave me a free version of Lookout which checks apps when updated/installed, or every week otherwise, and doesn't seem to use up resources. Currently on an S7 Edge.

[miguelh34]

Note at least has some innovative tech and useful tech like the stylus. What does the X do apart from face unlock and animojs?

[miguelh34]

Never had a Virus problem on android its always the user and how stupid they are

[number2]

I would not recommend surfing the web with your Note without an antivirus program running. Even if you never visit porn sites or the like, you can easily fall prey just by clicking on an interesting link on a legitimate website, like maybe: "Tyson Fury's Plan to Retire AJ!"

Just one curious click and your phone is spinning out of control.

Not sure about your android experience but, I've had android phones by Sony, LG, HTC and Samsung and have yet to encounter a virus, just lucky I guess .

[mattleicester]

I think the biggest problem with android is that not all phones get the new update and so many people are running different versions .apples updates are pretty swift and most people install them on release date, I use the paid for avg app as i got a strange message one day and the phone (s6) started doing some strange stuff. It got rid of whatever was causing the problem with a quick scan and there are plenty of options to use if you want to really tighten security up.
Im using an s7 edge atm , i picked it over the s8 as i like a home button.
One tip for the finger print reader is add the same finger/thumb a few times, seems to make it a lot more reliable.
Left apple a while ago as i like the customisation of andriod and just felt apple tie you down to much. Still use an ipad for browsing though As they do make the best tablet imo.

[crazyp]

I think the biggest problem with android is that not all phones get the new update and so many people are running different versions .apples updates are pretty swift and most people install them on release date, I use the paid for avg app as i got a strange message one day and the phone (s6) started doing some strange stuff. It got rid of whatever was causing the problem with a quick scan and there are plenty of options to use if you want to really tighten security up.
Im using an s7 edge atm , i picked it over the s8 as i like a home button.
One tip for the finger print reader is add the same finger/thumb a few times, seems to make it a lot more reliable.
Left apple a while ago as i like the customisation of andriod and just felt apple tie you down to much. Still use an ipad for browsing though As they do make the best tablet imo.

Most of the big manufacturers have monthly security updates - a very different thing to the android versions. So security I think is not so much of a problem. But yes nowadays phones are more susceptible. The problem I found with anti virus apps was they slowed the damn system right down.

[pacifichrono]

Just curious, what would a virus do that the phone? I never had a problem nor had heard someone complaining about it

My Note 5 was 'hijacked' by a ransomware program about a year ago. They wanted me to send $200.00 to return my system to me. Nothing I did seemed to rid my Note of their ransomware screen, even rebooting. It took me several days of researching solutions with Google on my desktop to finally hit upon a series of steps that expunged that crap!

[adirian]

My Note 5 was 'hijacked' by a ransomware program about a year ago. They wanted me to send $200.00 to return my system to me. Nothing I did seemed to rid my Note of their ransomware screen, even rebooting. It took me several days of researching solutions with Google on my desktop to finally hit upon a series of steps that expunged that crap!

Do you remember what you did to "infect" the phone?
Are the "you won a million bucks" pages that contain the viruses or you get it by just surfing the web?

I avoid clicking strange adds or flashy things that pop up on my screen.

[pacifichrono]

Check out Ransomware on Wiki and you will see how widespread and dangerous it is. Unfortunately, even the best antivirus software may not defend against new strains of ransomware.

[Rod]

The way i see it is you pay a MASSIVE premium for a couple of extra gadgets on a phone and i smidge faster performance. I bought a LG G4 for £290 a couple of years ago and the thing has been flawless with a great screen and camera. Before that i had a Nexus 4 which was also brilliant at the time which cost £200. Only had to buy the G4 as i dropped the N4 down my stairs :(

I use a Nexus 4 too... brilliant phone it has stopped me buying anything else. Flawless performance .

[thefatboy]

Thanks all for the replies so far, it seems that variety and flexibility are what drew a lot of you to Android and it's great to see so many happy users.

Battery life seems pretty good so far, with my usual round of YouTube, streaming and browsing I had about twenty-five percent power left when I put the Note on charge before bed last night.

I have a lot of reading to do on all the features and customisation, but that's half the fun, right?

[kosumi]

So did you managed to save your data? If yes how so? Also, were you using any protection software?

My Note 5 was 'hijacked' by a ransomware program about a year ago. They wanted me to send $200.00 to return my system to me. Nothing I did seemed to rid my Note of their ransomware screen, even rebooting. It took me several days of researching solutions with Google on my desktop to finally hit upon a series of steps that expunged that crap!

[sprite1275]

I use a Nexus 4 too... brilliant phone it has stopped me buying anything else. Flawless performance .

Yes its a great phone, a real stand out price/performance phone at the time. Gutted when i smashed it. Always had it in a good solid case but for some reason i took it out to do something, went to go down stairs and there was something i slipped on. I just remember watching it spinning through the air until it smashed on the tiled floor screen down

[rasputin]

I’ve made the switch in the last week too. I think quite a number of us will.

Two recommendations:

1. An app called MySMS. It will allow you to send/receive texts on your iPad/PC/Mac. TBH I’ve found it more reliable than than the default iPhone solution.
2. Samsung SideSync. Install this on your PC/Mac and you’ll see your notifications pop up on your desktop.

[mattleicester]

Most of the big manufacturers have monthly security updates - a very different thing to the android versions. So security I think is not so much of a problem. But yes nowadays phones are more susceptible. The problem I found with anti virus apps was they slowed the damn system right down.

Tried a few antivirus apps and avg pro did not seem to affect any of the phones i installed it on . I tried the free version first and was impressed enough to go pro.i even get pictures when my grandkids are trying to unlock my phone to play on it .

[thefatboy]

I’ve made the switch in the last week too. I think quite a number of us will.

Two recommendations:

1. An app called MySMS. It will allow you to send/receive texts on your iPad/PC/Mac. TBH I’ve found it more reliable than than the default iPhone solution.
2. Samsung SideSync. Install this on your PC/Mac and you’ll see your notifications pop up on your desktop.

Thanks rasputin, I'll give that a go.

I think you're right too, certainly from what I've read here and on other forums people are unwilling to keep paying more and more for less and less.