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Is Android already good enough for designers?

almost 8 years ago from , Product Designer at Mixpanel

As many of you I used to be an Apple fan and I really enjoyed to use iPhone since the first generation. But more and more often I ask myself if it's time to switch to Android.

We used to pay more for being closer to perfect technological future and for the extreme reliability of Apple devices. There're no such things anymore. We buy overpriced devices with average hardware and we know that Apple will apply some magic and make our phones slower when the NEW iPhone will hit the market. Couple yeard ago Android felt like 100% geek's gadget, almost as old Windows Mobile communicators. Times changed, Android seems to be much more human-friendly now. There are a lot of beautiful gadgets for half of iPhone's price (Moto X or Nexus 5x). A lot of people I know switched to Android phones already, but I'm curious if it's good enough from designer's perspective. We are much more sensitive to imperfections of interface and lacks of productivity.

Did you already switch? Do you like it? How does it feel after iPhone? Are you still ready to pay the price to get an iPhone?

20 comments

  • Chris Weston, almost 8 years ago

    I switched to Android (OnePlus Two) a couple of weeks back after having an iPhone since the first gen and I have to say I've never been happier with a new phone. I'm heavily invested in apple products so I thought the switch would be a pain but it was extremely simple. It's good to have something new to play around with too, so much more options for customisation than the iPhone will give you (which I always thought was something I wouldn't want) but it's increased my productivity on the phone. In terms of design, with Google's material design it is equally as stunning as ios! I never thought I'd be recommending android ever, but here I am. Oh, and the back button next to the home button just makes so much sense

    2 points
    • Andrei KorytsevAndrei Korytsev, almost 8 years ago

      Thank you for reply! Do you miss any iOs-only features like iMessage or Findmyfriends?

      0 points
      • Chris Weston, almost 8 years ago

        I did miss iMessage to begin with as I had a large group message with my friends, but I've managed to switch them over to whatsapp. It is a little annoying now switching between two messaging apps but not the worst thing. My favourite feature on android is being able to see how long your battery will last based on your current usage and that you can see exactly what is running in the background. You can even kill apps from there.

        1 point
  • T-Re X, almost 8 years ago

    I've never liked iOS' UX (do like Mac OS). Thus I've been with Android since the HTC Desire and now have a Nexus 6P. I think Android has really matured and is on par with iOS if you buy a flagship phone. It used to be great for people that like to tinker with their phones, but the out of the box experience is great now and you can change a lot by e.g. installing a different launcher and icon pack. My advise would be to do some research on all the OEM UI shells and don't blame Android for how much they (can) suck. Samsung has TouchWiz, HTC has Sense, Sony, LG, every brand has some sort of skin. Motorola only adds some useful tweaks, and the Nexus line is pure Android. The latter two have my preference and also update as soon as a new version is announced. Marshmallow is really nice, and coming from iPhone I don't think you'd like not having the latest updates. To wrap it up: please go to a phone store and check all brands out.

    2 points
    • Andrei KorytsevAndrei Korytsev, almost 8 years ago

      I tried Samsung phone last year and figured out that pure Android is the only option. I just got Nexus 6 (not P), will give it a try. So far feels pretty good.

      0 points
  • Quintin Carlson, almost 8 years ago

    I honestly don't know why you think Apple would make any of their phones purposefully slower... How does that benefit them, considering they are still selling the phones for years afterwards?

    2 points
  • Luca Candela, almost 8 years ago

    I had Nexus devices since the Nexus One, and I had all models of iPad and iPhone that came out since the first generation. I like both, but Android is my daily driver.

    2 points
  • Andrew ZimmermanAndrew Zimmerman, almost 8 years ago (edited almost 8 years ago )

    I tried Cyanogen OS for a month this past January. Android isn't like it was when I was using 2.3.

    That said there are two things that keep me on iPhone:

    1. System-wide swipe right as universal "back"
    2. I fear what Google and Android apps do with my user-generated info

    I have no problem paying premium prices tools I use every day.

    I'm also glad to have a choice.

    1 point
  • Victor TolosaVictor Tolosa, almost 8 years ago

    Why would Apple slow down phones? Such a strange thought. But regardless, I think it's important to familiarize yourself with both platform's design patterns regardless of which fanboyism you subscribe to. Both are solid operating systems trying to solve similar problems in their own way.

    1 point
  • probablyharis b, almost 8 years ago

    I just got my 6p in the mail today and it is fantastic. I've used and iPhone since the 1st gen came out. iOS has bottlenecked IMO and I think it's valuable to get perspective and experience an OS that represents over 75% of smartphones globally. Android has been super smooth and has all of the apps that I use regularly on my iPhone. Only gripe I have is that the camera is a little slow.

    I would recommend trying it out. The only thing that is keeping me from switching over entirely is iMessages.

    1 point
    • Brian HintonBrian Hinton, almost 8 years ago

      Can't you just link your phone # to hangouts, and have the same experience? What about iMessage are you missing specifically?

      0 points
      • probablyharis b, almost 8 years ago

        Its not so much about missing functionality. iMessages just works really well with the other devices I own and the people I communicate with. I'm sure there are some clever workarounds that I just haven't figured out yet.

        0 points
    • Andrei KorytsevAndrei Korytsev, over 7 years ago

      Thanks for the response! I got a Moto X Pure 2015 and have very similar impressions. Feels great so far!

      0 points
  • Helen . Helen . , almost 8 years ago

    I've personally started off with an iPhone4s then switched to Android with my Samsung 3 and 4. Loved using Android but over a period of time, my Android started to get really slow and battery life would drain like crazy. I hear that Samsung's not exactly the best representation of Android phones because of the additional bloatwares that it come with (with no option to remove them either). I switched back to the iPhone6 when it came out for work mainly because we focus on IOS but I do miss using an Android at times because of the crazy amount of customization. I think at some point in the near future, I may be ready to switch back to Android if a good phone comes along.

    1 point
    • Arthur BArthur B, almost 8 years ago

      I may be ready to switch back to Android if a good phone comes along.

      Google's Nexus 6P is a surprisingly good Android phone.

      1 point
      • Philip Walmsley, almost 8 years ago

        Is it? I got one recently for testing on, and I was really disappointed by the build quality. I showed it to a few friends and the general consensus was "meh." The Nexus line is supposed to be the ideal Android phone, just looks/feels like a boring OEM device.

        But Marshmallow is cool, it's a huge improvement over previous iterations. Just wish the polish on the software carried over to the hardware.

        0 points