Iphone 6 vs Samsung 6?

Lifelong PC user, never owned an Apple product, but my kids tell me to get with it and go Apple. Please share your thoughts.

Both are state of the art devices and both will serve you well. No wrong choice. But the Samsung will be more aligned with your current set up (this from an Apple enthusiast). If you want total customization go with the Samsung. If you want to synchronize with your family (FaceTime, iMessage) go with Apple

I had the iPhone for a few years despite NOT being an Apple guy. Once they changed the charging port from the same one that also charged the iPod, I switched to the Samsung Galaxy S4 active. Now I have the S5 Active. Here's why I like the Samsung better than iPhone:

• The cord that charges it (mini USB) charges a lot of other things in my house
• I have another battery that I can swap out in a pinch when running low (can't change iPhone battery)
• All the apps & functions work just as well as iPhone
• It's waterproof
• When I plug it into my PC, it appears like a regular PC product with normal folder structure so it's super-easy to manage files, photos, music, etc.
• I doubt Samsung will eff around with port design so that I have to buy a new set of chargers and docking stations when I upgrade to next gen
• I maintain that Samsung hardware/manufacturing is much better than Apple's hardware/manufacturing (through AppleCare I probably replaced at least 12 iPods)
• Syncs effortlessly with my outlook for contacts, calendar & emails
• There are apps that make it super-easy to switch from Apple to Android or Android to Android without losing / re-entering preferences, contacts, etc.
• I like John Hodgman better than Justin Long

Twelve defective iPods?!?!?! I haven't replaced 12 defective products in my lifetime!

The standardization of charging ports is so convenient.

We have Samsungs, Motorolas, Kindle Papwerwhite's and a Fire HD and the same charger can charge all of them. I have a charger in the car that I can use the charge my cell phones or my Kindle. I have one charger that I travel with, to use in hotels or friends houses, that charges whatever I bring.

The only company that did not jump on the standardization bandwagon is Apple. They're so special.

I also like that I can swap batteries in my cell phones. Too bad Kindle does not support swappable batteries.

cuethesun said:
Twelve defective iPods?!?!?! I haven't replaced 12 defective products in my lifetime!

looked back in my records and it was actually 14. Serial #s:

I keep good records.

I'm a complete Android & pc person, but I recommend Apple products to people who don't mind paying the premium, and who prefer not to spend extra hours tweaking their devices and working around glitches that may develop.

Jasmo said:
I'm a complete Android & pc person, but I recommend Apple products to people who don't mind paying the premium, and who prefer not to spend extra hours tweaking their devices and working around glitches that may develop.

Never had to "tweak" my Samsung. Periodically I clear the cache.

lanky said:

Jasmo said:
I'm a complete Android & pc person, but I recommend Apple products to people who don't mind paying the premium, and who prefer not to spend extra hours tweaking their devices and working around glitches that may develop.

Never had to "tweak" my Samsung. Periodically I clear the cache.

We never had to tweak and we have 3 Samsung cells, a Motorola cell, 3 Kindle Paperwhite's and a Fire HD.

Jasmo, What was it that you had to tweak?

I have a Samsung Galaxy 5 that I am very happy with. My spouse has an iPhone that she is equally happy with. We synch our calendars and laptops via Google without a problem. Both phones are very good all-around products, so you can't go far wrong. Why not play around with both and talk to people who have both to see which you're likely to be more comfortable with. One thing that I can note is that the Galaxy's ability to respond to verbal questions is superior to the Apple's. My spouse and I have often posed the same question or search to both phones, and the Galaxy beats the Apple nearly every time; when it doesn't, it's generally a tie.

Oh, one other thing: I noted that another poster mentioned the ability to take out the Galaxy battery, which you can't do with an iPhone. However, unless I'm mistaken, I believe I heard that the Galaxy 6 no longer has that ability.

I have the Galaxy 5 which is a recent upgrade from a Galaxy 3-- I did this a month ago as my galaxy 3 was not keeping a charge and dying. I did not go with the 6 because it does not take the card which had my data backed up. I am a confirmed android user.

I have a galaxy s 3 which I am considering replacing, and I am at the point where I am trying to decide between the same 2 phones. With the android phone, I like being able to sync my gmail contacts seamlessly. Is there a simple way to import gmail contacts into iphone? And how well does the iphone synchronize with outlook, since this would be a work phone as well as personal.

between my phone and some other gadgets I now have approximately 1 billion micro USB cables to charge things. So that is another plus. My wife has an iPhone 5s, so we have a fair number of lightning cables in the house for charging as well, although I would probably buy a couple more for work and my briefcase. Many things to consider here.

ETA I am NOT happy that the Galaxy s6 does not allow removal of the battery, or a separate micro SD card.

mrincredible said:

ETA I am NOT happy that the Galaxy s6 does not allow removal of the battery, or a separate micro SD card.

Not being able to swap the battery is a big minus for me. I'd pass on the Galaxy 6. But what do you mean by separate SD card? Do you mean its not removable or the Galaxy 6 does not support a SD car?

I forgot to include the additional SD card capability in my "pros" for the Galaxy...

BG9 said:

mrincredible said:

ETA I am NOT happy that the Galaxy s6 does not allow removal of the battery, or a separate micro SD card.

Not being able to swap the battery is a big minus for me. I'd pass on the Galaxy 6. But what do you mean by separate SD card? Do you mean its not removable or the Galaxy 6 does not support a SD car?

Yup. No expandable storage in the Galaxy S6.

http://www.cnet.com/news/the-samsung-galaxy-s6-just-killed-two-of-my-favorite-android-features/

Now, the base model of the S6 comes with 32 GB of storage, but I think if I move to a device with no expandable storage I will definitely have to spend more time managing all the pictures and video I take (6-year-old kids seem to require a lot of digital storage space).

I have had an iphone 4 for about 4-1/2 years and haven't wished for a memory card. I can transfer files by dropbox (over wifi) or syncing over a cable or syncing over wifi.

As for Android vs iPhone, I agree that there's no right answer. Many people are happy with both.

The expandable memory card is great for storing music...

Tom_Reingold said:
I have had an iphone 4 for about 4-1/2 years and haven't wished for a memory card. I can transfer files by dropbox (over wifi) or syncing over a cable or syncing over wifi.
As for Android vs iPhone, I agree that there's no right answer. Many people are happy with both.

I ran out of memory only once on my iphone, and it has 16 GB of RAM. Newer phones often have a lot more than that. I'm not saying expandable memory is useless to everyone. I'm just pointing out that it's not a deal breaker for everyone.

I prefer the Samsung. I still have the S4. I don't think its that hard. My father, who is anything but a tech guru, is able to use it and really likes it.

That being said, they are both good phones. I must say that I was really disappointed that Samsung did away w/ the expandable memory and the easy battery change. Its a real cost saver IMO. As a commuter, I don't like to rely on having connectivity all the time.

I have the S6 and it's been great to use. This is my 3rd Android phone going from HTC to Samsung S3 and now the S6. Switching from the S3 to the S6 was a breeze. Android has evolved and IMO is more user friendly than the iPhone.

I still had smoochie get the iPhone which I set up for her and we have 2 iPads. I'm using my iPad for almost 18 months and we've had the iPhone for about a year. I love the iPad for the big screen and ease of downloading apps. iPhone I'm still not a fan.

I may eventually go full Android and get a tablet. But for me I'm just fine with the iPad.

For whatever it might be worth Android models still have no "kill switch" http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/06/smartphone-thefts-on-the-decline/index.htm

Both are great phones and really are a matter of personal preference. 'My kid bugging me to switch..' would probably not be a reason to switch for me. My kids are very 'image' driven and iPhones are cooler then Android, but besides of that they are all great phones.

On the Android side, there are also a few other high end phone that you might want to consider, like the latest LG, Sony, OnePlus, Nexus or Motorola models if you want to be at the high end, or there are some good 'last years' models that might save you a few bucks without really working any worse.

At&t mobile protection covers it for android

waxwings2 said:
For whatever it might be worth Android models still have no "kill switch" http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/06/smartphone-thefts-on-the-decline/index.htm

earlster, what are some of the good last year's models? I'm thinking about getting one.

Tom_Reingold said:
earlster, what are some of the good last year's models? I'm thinking about getting one.

I'm currently using a Nexus 5, the price and performance are just right for me. You always get the latest versions of Android, at 5in the screen is not a monster and I just can't see myself spending $600+ for a phone that I'll replace in 2 years. These days if possible I like to buy my phones off contract. In the past I would buy the 'latest' that I could get for 'FREE' with a contract extension.

Other options I have heard good things about are the OnePlus One, LG G3, Moto X and G and Sony XPeria. But I have no 1st hand experience with any of them.

The GS5 is also a "last year's model" though still very popukar.

I used to hate the non-subsidized programs from the phone cos, like Verizon ' Edge program. But it decouples the cost of the device and the service, and makes it easier to compare plan costs.

My son just got an S6 and loves it! I wanted him to get an iphone, for the find my phone feature. He did a ton of research and decided he likes the android interface better and decided it looks better. His camera is a lot better than my iPhone, but mine is only a 5S.

There are strengths and weaknesses with each phone. It comes down to which operating system is more desirable. Android allows for a more customizable look while IOS is ready to go out of the box. There are more android users but there are more iPhone owners. After one too many computer viruses (Tom you actually got us through a bonked hard drive with a house call several years ago) I went with Apple and never looked back. The continuity between devices is seamless. As they say "it just works."

BG9 said:

lanky said:

Jasmo said:
I'm a complete Android & pc person, but I recommend Apple products to people who don't mind paying the premium, and who prefer not to spend extra hours tweaking their devices and working around glitches that may develop.

Never had to "tweak" my Samsung. Periodically I clear the cache.

We never had to tweak and we have 3 Samsung cells, a Motorola cell, 3 Kindle Paperwhite's and a Fire HD.
Jasmo, What was it that you had to tweak?

Currently, the latest OS on Android is Lollipop, and on the LG G3 [supposedly one of the better phones], using Verizon, there is a problem receiving push notifications, which means that my gmail and several other apps, like Hangouts, don't automatically download and notify me when I have a new email or gchat, This problem won't be fixed until a new update appears in the Fall, maybe. I heard Samsung initially had a similar problem, but maybe it's fixed now in a new update.

Another issue that I currently have is that there is a syncing problem between google contacts on my PC and on the phone. I haven't figured out why, and have been reading various android message boards about the problem.

Another problem that I've had is that google maps has, in the past, failed to work properly, for example, pointing in the opposite direction of my car.

For those who use iTunes, for many years it was difficult to download new tunes directly, and they had to be downloaded onto the computer before being transferred to the phone. Not sure if there recently was a fix for that one or not.

Anyway, these are a few issues that come to mind this evening, but I find that I read Android sites fairly often when new problems arise, to find a fix for them. I think it's just as not an integrated system as Apple, and multiple phone companies issuing slightly different versions of Android make it more prone to mishaps, although I'd never switch to Apple products.