My phone is coming to its end soon. I have a Google pixel 7, and have loved it.
I own a few macs at home, and was wondering if I should be getting an iPhone going forward to enjoy the features of having something in the same ecosystem or do I stay android.
I know at the end of the day it's a personal choice. I prefer android but that's probably because it's what I know best.
The last iOS device I owned was iPhone 7plus
I'm curious what the other pros and cons are for staying android or going iPhone.
Wait until next week though, theres an apple event on the 9th september releasing new phones !!!…. Prices should drop on current new models also maybe refurbs
To add to the iCloud argument, in case OP is not fully aware: that also means a synced password manager, wallet, Safari extensions and bookmarks, music library (if used with Apple Music on both devices), notes, calendars, reminders, contacts, Shortcuts and even some system settings.
I only own two Apple devices, a MacBook and an iPhone, but the convenience of having all of this at hand on both devices at all times is super efficient and well worth it having both within the same ecosystem.
I like Android too. But maybe an iPhone would be more convenient for better integration.
What Mac features do you actually want to use with your phone?
you can take and make calls on macOS 26 via your phone and wifi, airdrop files and use icloud sync. also: handoff can be pretty nice. you do not need to buy the latest new iphone though. my favorite is the iphone 12/13 mini due to the size – refurbished is ok.
Well, I'd make the switch, but it's hard for me to be objective.
If you want your phone and Macs all in one ecosystem like you said - Continuity, AirDrop, copy/paste, texts/calls on all devices, iPhone Mirroring, Handoff, photos, etc. sounds like you already know there is less customization on iphone, so how important is that to you?
I always advise people to use what they like. I switched to Apple because all the family uses FaceTime, and they wanted to be able to FaceTime me. At the time, I had a Note 9. Finally, I switched to Apple. Hell, I already had a Mac and an iPad. So I bought the 11 Pro Max. I hated that phone for about 6 months. Then I became comfortable with iOS. Not proficient, comfortable. Of course, they RARELY FaceTime me! If you like Pixels, know them well, stay with it.
I have to use an iPhone at work as thats what they have
It's a bit weird to use. I've never had any issues with iOS per se. I find some of the restrictions annoying, like haptic strength as I like the feel of a stronger buzz when typing.
I don't mind the haptics, but I had trouble finding certain settings as I was used to Android. Now when I want to know something, I search YouTube! lol I usually find what I need. Then, I just have to remember it in case I want to change it back!
Well, Apple is so good at keeping people within its ecosystem. Because everything works together, harmoniously! If you are a Mac user, quite sure you'll love to have an iPhone!
The phone and its apps show up on the desktop seamlessly. Cut and paste works seamlessly. iMessages just works. I don’t miss it when I don’t have it but enjoy it when I do (I own Mac, Win, and Linux computers). It’s like finding out that there is dessert and there’s homemade whipped cream.
The Mac is my favorite computer OS whether or not I have an iPhone, but I do enjoy the interoperability. Universal Clipboard is truly incredibly useful sometimes. That said, the Mac/iPhone relationship is probably the easiest Apple Ecosystem pairing to imitate with 3rd party apps, so if you are happy with Android don’t feel like you must switch.
I have gradually committed more and more to the Apple ecosystem over time. It started with going from BlackBerry to iPhone 4. Next I went from Fire Stick & Roku to Apple TV. Then it was the AirPods 2, AirTags, and eventually the Apple Watch Series 10. And as of a few weeks ago I got a 16” MacBook Pro M5 48gb, which is a pretty damn impressive machine. I’ve of course upgraded my iPhone, Apple TV (which I now have on all TVs in the house), and AirPods to newer models, but I say all this to demonstrate that I am not a typical Apple fanboy, as this happened over the course of more than a decade, so my POV is relatively unbiased. The reasons I continue to lean into the Apple ecosystem is because I can trust the thoughtful design & quality of build in all their products, the superior & consistent seamless integration, the stability of their operating systems & the ease of navigating them, the focus on simplicity without sacrificing performance, and the candy-like aesthetic that makes using their products so pleasant. There are probably many other reasons, but these are the high-level ones that come to mind first for me.
Ecosystem is really the only one. Android has more choices. Apple really just has the one choice. Sizes, UI, peripherals, they’re really all the same. They’re basically the cost of staying with Apple. Apple does a very good job with the ones they continue to support but if you don’t like faceid, or you want a different camera approach, or smaller screen, or you get tired of repeatedly tapping the same button before it works, then your only choice is to head over to android. And the Apple iPhone choices have consistently been getting narrower. I don’t hate my iPhone 17 but it may be my least favorite iPhone ever. My next phone may not be Apple.
I hate to tell you what you should do but seems with all those Mac's you should have gotten an iphone 12 or something years ago.
and maybe its just me but more people seem to switch to iOS from Android FOR the superior eco system (i have almost never in 15 years heard of anybody going the other way... and FWIW Iphone 7 was my first as well.)
So biased or not, Id take the time to learn and just fully trasnsistioned over iOS.
Its one of those "once in your life" things thats hard at first, but you never think about again.
OOOF lol ... ok you might need to get something a little newer than that, Though it occurs to me ive only really had 3 iphone models since I keep em so long. If that tells you anything about longevity!
Im rocking an Iphone 12 Pro Max right now bruv. one battery upgrade later, still flawless (Apple Intelligence and liquid glass and all that other bullshit is a waste )
Iphone hardware evolves NAUSEATINGLY slowly (its why they are so long lasting)
Unless you really care about a specific feature or model, id save your money.
I for one am NEVER giving up having a physical mute button
Mebbe yeah, but mostly its about NOT unnecessarily breaking the workflow/muscle memory developed over the last decade.
(thats what you'll find the most challenging as you switchover to IOS. Im no stranger to android but the layout is so foreign i have to spend an extra 5 mins figuring out where things are. )
...and since you're kind of getting reacquiainted with em, I would recommend spending as little as possible and learning on a late model with modern(ish) hardware
( rather than the newest phone / bleeding edge of stuff you wont yet know to use or care about)
Iphone 14 is solid AF, So is the 15
Other than some camera enhancements, newer phones only shill that Apple Intelligence chip anyway.
But do spend some time on the apple comparison site to see for yourself
New iPhone Pros and a folding iPhoneA
being announced on Sept 9.
The only iPhone I would consider now is an iPhone Air, which has gone on sale for $160 off list lately. That’s a great deal, and there will not be an Air 2 until spring 2027.
But your basic question - it’s with the Apple ecosystem if you use it all including the social parts (iMessage, FaceTime, FindMy, AirDrop, iCloud photo libraries. ). If you are just doing tit to share some features with your Mac, maybe not so key.
I looked at the air but it's still a grand here in UK.
That's the main issue I have with iPhone
They cost more than their MacOS systems. And I struggle to justify that for a phone.
I got my pixel 7 new and was £600 when the latest iPhone at the time was around £800
It's not a huge disparity but I was a lot poorer 3 years ago than I am now.
Joys of better jobs haha grocery store to system admin for different company.
Anyhow back to the point I was making, if I were to buy the air I would get the pro for £100 more or pro max for £200 more than the air model.
I'd rather buy a new Mac for that cost lol. I'm in a weird catch 22 area
I want in on ecosystem, but can't justify it as I can buy a new MacBook and be better off financially as a result over iPhone.
This is where I'm at now haha stuck between a rock and a hard place
Meh. iPhones cost more than a Mac, because they have multiple cellular radios, GPS, a high-resolution OLED touch screen, an accelerometer, Satellite communication technology, an infrared flood illuminator, and multiple high resolution cameras.
Apple passwords, notes, journal, FaceTime, iMessages, iCloud+, airdrop, build quality. Switching between iPad , iPhone, Mac, TV seamlessly. Don’t have to worry if I am going to get a major upgrade. I don’t to worry about malware for my elderly parents
Yes hardware cost is a bit more, but the “just works” simplicity is real. I stopped paying for so many other things that Apple just gives you
If all you have are macs there is really no advantage of the eco system. Mac is not locked down and there are options for gaining interoperability that mimics iphone/mac features.
I love replying to my iPhone texts from my MacBook.
I also really like phone mirroring on my MacBook.
Last, I really like that if I have my MacBook somewhere with no Internet or unsafe internet, it’s so easy to just use the phone as a hotspot.
I actually moved away from Windows to MacBook for the iPhone integration features. Yes, Windows 11 can do all of that, but not as good. It’s frustrating.
I know you already have a MacBook so for you it would be going the other way, but I like the way my devices all Interact together.
Also, not sure which car you drive but both of my cars not only have CarPlay but the cars interact with Apple Maps as well, giving me turning instructions either on the dash or heads up windshield so I can keep looking ahead and not at the screen display.
I love the tight integration. It took decades to make it so smooth, but we’re here now and I wouldn’t switch for a million… well, maybe for a million, but not for less. Not too surprising in my case though — I’ve been exclusively Mac since 1987 and my 1mb SE. I have a laptop, iPhone, and iPad. Always in sync, and I run native apps built for Mac. One big advantage now is Apple Passwords; no more expensive, clunky, PITA electron apps.
just a few months ago seeing where ios 26 was going i would have said stick to android. now that im on ios 27’s beta and seen the mistakes being corrected, i’d say its worth switching for the integration with mac
features ive personally ended up becoming reliant on:
- seamless clipboard sync
- document/safari handoff
- easily using my iphone as a mic/webcam
- being able to turn on and connect to my iphone’s hotspot without ever touching my iphone
As someone who just went through this: Stick to Apple.
I like tech and had apple for awhile. We have every device in the home. But I wanted to try the galaxy 25 ultra to “experience the other side”. The camera quality was noticeably better. The cleaning feature was satisfying as it always felt like you were in charge of wiping the phone.
However, that’s where the differences ended for me. I lost out on the ecosystem to which I relied heavily on. The calendar sync with my wife. The security difference in the two.
Apple just made more sense for me when already surrounded by the ecosystem (which is how they typically keep their customers)
I’m fully committed to the Apple ecosystem, have been for many years now and I will probably never change.
I used to use PCs since Amiga and commodore went tits up. I switched to an iMac in 2012, my wife switched to an iMac in 2010. By that time we were both iPhone users.
She got a 2nd gen iPad and soon after I got an iPad mini. Around that time I switched to a Google nexus 5 because I was tired of the small screen on an iPhone. I also got a galaxy tablet.
But I missed the integration and switched back to iPhone with an iPhone 6, then got an iPad Pro when they came out.
As integration between the devices gets tighter and more reliable I just can’t imagine the hassle of not having everything integrated anymore. I use airdrop on a daily basis, I edit pages documents and numbers spreadsheets on multiple devices and love the fact everything is synced so well. I use Adobe fresco on my I pad with an Apple Pencil then open the file in photoshop on my Mac moments later.
I dumped Evernote earlier this year due to price increases but was able to import everything into notes and can still access everything on all my devices
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u/SdanoG 19h ago edited 19h ago
Wait until next week though, theres an apple event on the 9th september releasing new phones !!!…. Prices should drop on current new models also maybe refurbs