Hey guys, it’s Kevin.
So, I’ve been using the iPhone 14 Pro Max
ever since it was first released,
but I wanted to try turning to the dark side
and use only the Galaxy S23 Ultra as my main phone.
As an Apple fanboy who’s spend a lot of time inside the walled garden,
I’ll share the pros, cons, and my overall thoughts about this switch.
So, let’s jump right in.
Ok, Android is very customizable,
which I’ll divide into 3 different levels.
For level 1, it’s the basic wallpaper change on your Lock Screen and Home Screen.
But Android takes it a step further by matching the color palette to your wallpaper.
I’ll use this tennis court looking one as an example,
and you can see how the color palette changes to match it.
Once I apply it, the quick panel icons change colors,
the on and off switches, and even some text.
And if you turn on “Apply palette to app icons”, those will change too.
It doesn’t happen for every app though.
Moving on to Level 2, the home screen layout.
We’re all familiar with having apps nicely aligned,
but what if you want all of the apps pushed to one side?
Well, on Android, apps can be placed anywhere you want.
And I can even have a space in between apps.
You can also change the grid layout for the home screen, app screen, and folders.
And last but not least, level 3.
Most companies had their own skin built on top of Android.
We have One UI on Galaxy phones,
and it’s quite different from stock Android.
So, if you’re like me and prefer Samsung’s hardware
with a Pixel-ish look, you can install a launcher.
I’m using Nova Launcher,
and now my Galaxy S23 Ultra looks like stock Android
but with the extra One UI features.
You can even go above and beyond by changing the notification center and volume sliders.
But the coolest thing is on the Galaxy Store.
There are themes you can download,
some are free and some are a few dollars,
and they can completely change the entire look of the phone.
I can apply this cat theme,
then the wallpaper, app icons, and even the always on display are changed.
Now, I’m not saying iOS can’t do any of these.
It’ll just take longer.
On iOS, you can change your lock screen and home screen wallpaper, but that’s it.
There is a nice blur effect on the home screen though.
As for the app layout, every app needs to be auto aligned to the top left.
You can’t place the icons any where you want without any workarounds.
I normally place widgets on the top half, so the apps are reachable.
And if you wanted to apply a theme, it’s not possible.
I’ve seen some cool customizations, but these require the Shortcuts app.
I made this matte black icon one a couple years ago,
but it took way too long to make all of the icons and set up each shortcut.
So, the good thing about Android is that if I ever wanted a fresh new look,
I always switch the whole UI in seconds.
Alright, navigating around the UI is different on both phones.
On Android, you can access Notification Center and Quick Panel
by swiping down from the top, middle, or bottom.
But on iOS, you can only access it by swiping down from the top.
Swiping down any where else will bring up Search.
These are pretty big phones, and using them one-handed isn’t always safe.
Android has a universal back gesture
where you can swipe from either the left or right side to go back to the previous page.
And iOS only has a swipe from the left.
I prefer Android’s way because I don’t need to reach all the way to the other side.
Plus, I rarely need to go forward a page.
As for one-hand mode, they have different methods.
On Galaxy phones,
a swipe down from the bottom shrinks down the entire UI,
so everything is reachable.
It also stays like this until you deactivate it.
On iOS, there’s Reachability, which shifts the UI down,
but it returns to normal after you tap something.
I’m a big phone person, so these gestures help me use the phones one-handed.
So, Apple added to ability to add widgets on iOS 14, but they’re only glanceable.
Widgets on Android, however, are interactive.
Some of favorite widgets are Spotify,
so I can see what songs playing, pause it, or skip to the next track without opening the app.
Device care to monitor my storage and memory or clear up the RAM altogether.
And the Hue app to turn on or off my smart lights.
I’m hoping Apple will add interactive widgets in a future iOS version
since it can be done on the Dynamic Island.
iOS still limits one app to be used at a time.
iOS 14 added picture in picture though.
I don’t go commando on the multitasking since most of the time,
I’ll just use my MacBook Pro or iPad Pro.
But if I don’t have any of those with me,
then multitasking can come in handy.
Let’s say my cousins and I wanted to find a new place to eat.
I can use Yelp to search for a place, look at pictures, and read reviews.
Then use Chrome to place an order.
On iOS, I would need to go back and forth between apps.
And if you’re a hardcore multitasker,
Android allows you to have split screen, pop up view, and picture in picture.
Now, I want to talk about the hardware.
Both of these phones have amazing screens, great cameras, and excellent build quality.
But I prefer the iPhone with the squared off design,
and it feels more premium with the stainless steel sides.
The screen is also color accurate and brighter.
Samsung phones are a little too saturated.
In terms of the cameras,
both take great photos and videos,
and I don’t really prefer one over the other
since I always edit my shots later.
If you’re interested in why I have two phones in the first place,
I’ll leave a link to that video in the description box below.
And of course, we can’t have an Android and iPhone video without talking about the Apple Ecosystem.
I use basically every Apple product on a daily basis,
but some of them are now paperweights since I switched.
My Apple Watch can’t be setup or paired to an Android phone.
And my HomePods won’t work without any third party software.
I’ll need to use the physical AppleCard in stores,
and my transactions and Apple Savings account are only available on iPhone.
Luckily, I can still make payments online.
And probably the biggest loss for me is Continuity.
I never knew how much I used it.
No more AirDrop for sharing files between devices.
Phone calls can’t be answered on a Mac.
And Universal Clipboard to copy and paste text or media from one device to another.
And also iMessage and FaceTime for my family group chats.
The deeper you’re in the Apple Ecosystem, the harder it is to get out.
If I could combine these two into the ultimate phone,
I would have the iPhone 14 Pro Max design
with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Phantom Black and cameras.
Then, I’d add some Android/iOS hybrid
with the customizations and Continuity features.
Would you make the switch?
Let me know in the comments down below.
Thanks for watching!
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And I’ll catch you guys in the next one. Bye!