Android or iPhone with MacBookPro?

[nojoamami]

Hi all, I just accepted a new job and am being equipped with a MacBookPro. I'm currently a satisfied Android user, and love Lollipop on my Nexus 5 - I've got that new phone feeling all over again! That said, now that I'm entering the Apple ecosystem, I'm considering a switch to the iPhone 6. What are the advantages of switching to an iPhone now that I have a Mac? For those who may use Android and Mac, how well integrated do you find your services to be? What are the major issues of mixing platforms? Your thoughts and experience are appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[vansmith]

As someone who has (and continues to) used both with OS X, there isn't much of a difference. If you don't care about continuity features like sms/call support in OS X or Handoff (which doesn't really work like 50% of the time anyway in my experience - lots of blank windows if my devices even recognize each other), there is next to no difference. If you use a more "neutral" sync service like Google's, you won't notice a difference since OS X fully supports Google's cloud offerings.

At the end of the day though, go with what makes you happy. Do you like your Nexus 5 (my old phone by the way which I thoroughly liked)? Stick with it.

 

[chas_m]

What are the advantages of switching to an iPhone now that I have a Mac?

Well, apart from better security, the same company being responsible for the smooth operation, Touch ID (aka "actually reliable fingerprint unlocking") and the other advanced features of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite ... not a whole lot, I guess.

For those who may use Android and Mac, how well integrated do you find your services to be?

Obviously iPhones are going to be better-integrated into Macs than Android devices, this just goes without saying. What's important, however, is whether it all works on the level you use them, as lots of Mac users own Android phones. At the basic level of syncing things, my impression is that this isn't a big issue, based on my Mac-using friends with Android phones. They don't routinely call me up asking about technical issues, which is a sign that it mostly "just works."

Unlike VanSmith, Handoff and Continuity are working 100 percent of the time without issue on my mid-2012 MBP and iPhone 5s after some initial setup issues. About the only thing I'm missing out on is Apple Pay, which I have had a chance to experience personally and am here to tell you is -- very seriously -- the Next Big Thing. For the first time I'm wishing my contract ended sooner than it does (next summer) so I could get an iPhone 6 now, just for this feature.

Of course, as Apple Pay spreads, I think Android NFC-based services like Google Wallet will also benefit, though frankly the former is more secure than the latter. Nevertheless, the point is that the rising Apple Pay tide lifts all NFC boats, as someone from Google actually just said recently.

I think the increasing integration between OS X and iOS -- by Apple's design -- pushes the advantage to the iPhone 6 over an Android device, even putting aside the other advantages the iPhone 6 line by itself brings to the table. That is not to say, however, that there isn't enough functionality that an Android user couldn't be perfectly fine using most of the better Android devices with OS X Yosemite. Clearly, there are many who do.

 

[nojoamami]

Thanks, that is very helpful. Sounds like there's no truly compelling reason to switch at this time. I was kind of looking for a reason to switch to the iPhone bc TMo doesn't have an Android phone I'd rather have than the Nex5, and I'm way overdue for a Jump replacement. I think I'll stick with the Nexus for now.

 

[chas_m]

The Nexus should be fine, particularly if it's able to upgrade to 5.0

 

[sab4758]

I dont have much insight for integration but you said you like your nexus 5 a lot. The Nexus 6 just came out. Have you checked that out?

Google Nexus 6 Smartphone Phablet | Nexus 6 Reviews & Specs | T-Mobile

 

[MacLicious]

I had an iPhone 4 some time ago and left Apple for Android beginning with a Samsung Galaxy S3, then on to a Note 3 which I love. However, I am a mac user with both a MBA and imac and I'm tired of having to use other apps and programs to sync my music, movies, files, and most importantly pics. I love iPhoto but it doesn't seem to like my Samsung Note 3. I will connect my Note 3 to my imac and open iPhoto and it takes forever (probably about 30+ minutes) to get ready, show thumbnails, and then import my pics. When I am done, I have an error message listing MANY or most of my pics that failed to download due to "unrecognized format". Really? So, after 3 years or so with Android, I have just ordered myself an iPhone 6 so that I no longer have to deal with things like that. Just plug into iTunes and go! Just my 2cents.