What are the benefits of iOS ecosystem?

[Bucéfalo]

I've always been an Android user, I love the fact that I can do whatever I want with my phone.

That beeing said, I've just received an ipad and an iphone from my gf, since she has just renewed her devices. The exact models are:

iphone SE 2020
ipad pro 2017 10.5"

I'm considering giving them a chance, because I really could use a tablet device and I need to renew my android smartphone.

What are the benefits of this iOS ecosystem? Is there any wiki/guide to explore what it has to offer?

Thank you very much.

 

[davepoobond]

You know what you're getting. Standardization of things like video, photos, features. Everyone who has an iPhone more or less has the same features that work the same way in the same menus

 

[Lakeside]

I appreciate Apple's walled garden. I know the applications and ecosystem will work together. I have some consistency regarding my Apple TV, notebook, tablet, and phone. Oh... and Apple Watch!

 

[linkboy]

The biggest advantage is that everything (macOS, iPadOS and iOss) work together so well. That's something that no Android device will ever be able to touch.

 

[nadbmal]

Between an iPhone and iPad there's not gonna be much magic except for stuff syncing between them, obviously.

Now if you add Airpods to the mix you'll get some more magic, like them automatically switching to the device you're using without having to go into any Bluetooth settings or anything.

 

[davepoobond]

The only thing that annoys me I guess is the windows 10 phone features are like nothing for the iPhone.

 

[opticalmace]

I got an iPhone for the first time this year, also an Apple Watch and eventually the Airpods pro. The integration is pretty incredible, very little friction. There are some things I prefer about Android but overall how well everything works together has impressed me to a high degree.

The health tracking has helped me a lot. YMMV.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

+ Multiplatform apps have a reputation of functioning with more polish because iOS device specs/architectures and the OS environment are relatively standardized versus Android.

+ Apple devices communicate with each other near seamlessly so photos and other file types are easy to transfer and access across all devices using the same Apple account with minimal effort from the user. Also, app compatibility tends to be supported across the range of Apple devices more often than not, but there are notable exceptions from time to time too... i.e., as long as you're using the same app account, sometimes buying an app for one devices means you're buying it for them all. Again, this is because the OS environments across Apple devices is similar and now that Apple uses its own chip design for its laptops and computers, their actual hardware environments are similar and devs can create and convert their apps with relative ease to function across the entire line.

- The ecosystem's walled garden approach can stifle user customization, and if the user doesn't like the particular approach that Apple takes to the way things function, there's barely any way to create an alternative workflow that is as efficient.

- Honestly the tight integration between Apple products sometimes makes it feel like peripheral products within the ecosystem are purposefully handicapped from working as well with other device types. i.e. AirPods Max are amazing headphones but really only if you use them with other Apple products -- they have limited capability if you Bluetooth pair them with other devices outside of Apple. It's like, "I love this thing but it only actually fully works to a point that I love it when it's with other Apple things."

 

[Bucéfalo]

Thanls for sharing your thought. I actually do have those airpods pro because they were exactly the earbuds I was looking for (they were expensive AF, tho).

 

[Fliesen]

Pricy.

But less shit to worry about.

 

[Faceless_Caesar]

Continuity is an excellent feature. Not needing to have your phone nearby when you are using your tablet to get your messages or phone calls is habit changing.

 

[bloembak]

Their support for older devices is best in class

 

[Lobster Roll]

Zero headaches for my use cases. Everything "just works" and I don't ever find myself troubleshooting.

 

[bushmonkey]

Between an iPhone and iPad there's not gonna be much magic except for stuff syncing between them, obviously.

Now if you add Airpods to the mix you'll get some more magic, like them automatically switching to the device you're using without having to go into any Bluetooth settings or anything.

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How do you do that? I've had AirPods for 3 years and it's a hassle switching between my iPhone, 2 iPads and Mac Book Pro. I always have to go in the Bluetooth settings to switch them over.
You're not the first I've heard say about the seamless switching but I've never been able to get it to work.

 

[Faceless_Caesar]

Zero headaches for my use cases. Everything "just works" and I don't ever find myself troubleshooting.

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As someone who works in IT this is a godsend however the counterpoint to everything "just working" is that if you deviate even slightly from the one way they want you to do everything the whole process breaks down quickly.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

I appreciate some customization in terms of settings but I like the fact that iOS is typically stable, fast and smooth. And the synergy is has in its ecosystem is just unfuckwitable. I don't have all day to tinker with customizing my devices. I just want shit to work the way I need it to.

As someone who works in IT this is a godsend however the counterpoint to everything "just working" is that if you deviate even slightly from the one way they want you to do everything the whole process breaks down quickly.

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Correct. For me I generally prefer Apple's approach. But it can be fustrating seeing some features/functionality that I really wish was ubiquitous across all platforms.

 

[Faceless_Caesar]

I appreciate some customization in terms of settings but I like the fact that iOS is typically stable, fast and smooth. And the synergy is has in its ecosystem is just unfuckwitable. I don't have all day to tinker with customizing my devices. I just want shit to work the way I need it to.



Correct. For me I generally prefer Apple's approach. But it can be fustrating seeing some features/functionality that I really wish was ubiquitous across all platforms.

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For the love of God just let me put more than four icons on the bottom without resorting to empty widgets. This is especially painful on iPad because if you want more icons on the bottom than can fit in the dock without using folders you can't even use empty widgets because the number of rows/columns changes based on the orientation of the device.

 

[ThatBigDude]

I have an iphone 12 from work, but there's literally nothing on there that you can't do with my S20 FE, and the S20FE has even more options than that. Don't think I'll ever go iOS for personal use.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

For the love of God just let me put more than four icons on the bottom without resorting to empty widgets. This is especially painful on iPad because if you want more icons on the bottom than can fit in the dock without using folders you can't even use empty widgets because the number of rows/columns changes based on the orientation of the device.

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Agreed. That's something I'd like to see changed. I get some people need big ass icons, but I don't. There's plenty of room and I'd like those icons scaled down a bit. Also, folders were scaled for iPhone 5 screen sizes. Times have changed and they need to create larger folders that hold more icons per page.

 

[molnizzle]

Everything just works how you expect without having to poke around a bunch of bullshit settings.

 

[jelly]

For me it's simplicity which true can be frustrating when you really want a feature or try to do something you are use to on a PC but it's ever so minor, like I want the phone to do it but I'll have to use the PC instead for a moment.

Longevity is the ultimate winner, OS upgrades for quite a long time is superb.

I'm not a heavy phone user myself so people may have other issues with it but yeah solid feature set, just works, no maintaining, I don't have to think about it.

 

[Aiii]

 

[Faceless_Caesar]

Agreed. That's something I'd like to see changed. I get some people need big ass icons, but I don't. There's plenty of room and I'd like those icons scaled down a bit. Also, folders were scaled for iPhone 5 screen sizes. Times have changed and they need to create larger folders that hold more icons per page.

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The sheer vastness of open space between the icons on the 12.9" iPad Pro is obscene. You get 4 maybe 5 icons per row and they are all of course on the top left.

 

[LuigiMario]

iPhones are great phones, they last 4+ years without a sweat (especially if you get the battery replaced sometime within year 2-3) and get software updates far longer than any competing option. The thing about iPhones though is they're deadass boring. This probably doesn't matter to non nerds, but a new phone in the early smartphone days felt like you were getting a swath of new functionality. Now it just feels like I got a slightly better camera and battery, but everything else is the same. It just is boring.

but if you're phone is a tool and you don't mind apples rules set up for you, they're great phones built to last.

 

[iceblade]

I got an iPhone for the first time this year, also an Apple Watch and eventually the Airpods pro. The integration is pretty incredible, very little friction. There are some things I prefer about Android but overall how well everything works together has impressed me to a high degree.

The health tracking has helped me a lot. YMMV.

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Same here. It feels cohesive and purposefully designed. Not that Android doesn't, but you can often wind up with multiple UIs for programs that make the system as a whole feel cluttered. When i got my iPhone for example, I was happy to notice that it had a separate alarm for bedtime built in to the clock and was able to track my sleep, instead of me having to manually set an alarm each morning (I don't always wake up at the same time).

Also another advantage is that you often get best in class components or even devices. Apple has had a solid lead in SoCs for years now, and the cameras are consistently as good or better than the competition. The Apple Watch and iPad lines are arguably the best smartwatches and tablets available. Another advantage is that you get updates for quite a while on a device. 5 years doesn't seem to be an unreasonable expectation. Granted, this is getting better (bit by bit) on Android, but it still isn't anywhere near consistent.

Another thing I didn't expect was that apps tend to be better designed. the DVD Netflix app for example, lets you rearrange your DVD queue by sliding on each individual title, rather than sticking all the options into the hamburger menu.

If you like the granularity of Android, and the ability to tinker and fiddle around, you might be best off staying with Android. But if you want something that works and lasts, IMO it is worth giving Apple a try. I used to be very anti-Apple and I've changed my stance since getting the iPhone. There is definitely a lot to like about Apple's approach.

As someone who works in IT this is a godsend however the counterpoint to everything "just working" is that if you deviate even slightly from the one way they want you to do everything the whole process breaks down quickly.

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LOL true. You have to stay exactly within the lane they give you. If you don't, prepare for a lot of trouble and frustration.

 

[Darkkahn]

The calculator holds up to 9 digits unless you rotate the phone.

 

[DJ_Lae]

My kids all have iPads and my wife has had an iPhone since they launched in Canada with the 3G. Their advantage is that they just work - almost all of the time. Diagnosing an iOS issue can be maddening, as there is usually few resources available on a solution or there are a dozen 'solutions' that don't apply.

I don't really know why I've never bought one for myself. I resent the walled garden to some extent, I suppose, as you slowly amass purchases over time and are unable to switch platforms without losing that stuff. With Android you can at least dance around different brands without problem.

In terms of hardware and reliability I haven't noticed a significant difference between Apple and Samsung and a couple of the other brands I've used. Apple makes nice stuff, it's just expensive. Is it worth it? Mostly.

 

[Sanka]

Paying more money because brand.

 

[8byte]

The biggest boon for me has been and always will be device support and consistency. Who knows what Android will look like or perform like from phone to phone, and what apps or OS updates will or won't work, etc.

Android is a pain in the ass (for me), and I don't really have to worry about shit with an iPhone. Everything that's available is gonna work, and it's gonna work for much longer than Android devices.

 

[CurseVox]

consistency and reliability. Everything just works and works well, which at the end of the day is all I really want out of my device.

 

[Panic Freak]

Blue text message bubbles

 

[platocplx]

How easily all the devices talk to each other, and its reliable and just nice to share certain things with other users.
Like I have a shared album with my GF where we put photos into it, or air drop is easy I just like how easy most things are. Dont have to think about it.

 

[Nothing Loud]

I just transitioned to all apple products 2 months ago: an M1 iMac, M1 iPad Pro, watch series 6, and iPhone 13 Pro Max (which I've had iPhones for years now). For me the biggest difference is that shit is intuitive to me, finally just works (never had issues with my printer like on windows and other devices), and it works seamlessly with other apple devices. Takes a lot of cognitive load and stress off my daily life to use and program on Apple products.

 

[Charcoal]

Paying more money because brand.

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Paying more for quality, in my experience.

Pixels will always be my favorite phone, but the hardware and support quality has been spotty over the years.

 

[Ultron]

I like that I can copy something on my iPhone and paste it on my iPad. Let's me have LastPass just on the phone, with the Face Recognition, but still login to stuff on the tablet without manually typing in complicated passwords.

 

[Infinity Times Two]

Whenever I've had Android phones over the years with all the customization of the world, I just end up tweaking them to behave more like iPhones.

iPhone pretty much fits my mental model of how a smartphone "should" work.

 

[xxracerxx]

Paying more money because brand.

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Low effort posting, you can do better.

 

[Deleted member 10629]

My mom can use two different devices (iPad and iPhone) with very similar if not out right the same interface with little to no additional training.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Paying more money because brand.

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You will get piled and clobbered, but this is correct.

 

[hordak]

- updates available regularly. Even if your phone is 4-5 years. This is worth the extra $$.

- apps work so much better.

- iMessage is beyond magic. Sending texts from my iPad and MacBook is amazing.

- air drop. You can transfer files between iPhone, iPad and macs seamlessly.

 

[SigSig]

I jumped from Android to iOS recently. I thought I was an Android power user and that I pretty much did the maximum of what's possible. I'm talking heavy automation setups, lots of Termux stuff, at some point I compiled my own Rust code on the bus.
I've learned that Shortcuts does all of my automations, but is way easier to setup and discoverable. Termux needs to be sideloaded because Googles (I know, I know…) walled garden doesn'T allow it, yet iSH shell is available on the Appstore, easily integrates with iCloud/files and now runs my Emacs setup across multiple devices with the exact same configuration. I haven't compiled any rust yet, tho :p
Everything is mostly easier and already integrated into the OS. The best thing is probably that things work together properly. On Android, after years of usage, all Apps feel very separated, while on iOS after a single month I feel like I'm dancing through the OS. Working on things in one app, sharing it to another, saving into files, loading it elsewhere, it all feels a lot more effortless.
No heavy launcher customization tho!

 

[maximumzero]

Airdrop is awesome. I can quickly and easily send files to other Apple devices without having to go through another application like Dropbox or Messages.

Apple's keychain feature for passwords is excellent and means I don't have to go through another application like 1Password or Lastpass to manage my passwords and two-factor authentication.

 

[bionic77]

The biggest advantage is that everything (macOS, iPadOS and iOss) work together so well. That's something that no Android device will ever be able to touch.

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This is my favorite part of Apple hardware too.

Whether streaming to the tv from my phone, laptop, etc or getting messages and phone calls on all of the devices and being able to respond as well.

Its just seamless and idiot proof.

 

[Hypron]

In terms of things I care about:

- Stuff working together is a big one. File transfer over wifi between your phone, iPad, and Mac is super easy. You can even copy paste stuff across devices.
- Some apps like Notes sync automatically and are well integrated in both mobile and desktop platforms. Typically with Android and windows, your stuff is only well integrated in one platform - it's available on both, but you don't get that native experience you would get with Apple products.
- The language and keyboard support on Mac is miles ahead of what's available on Windows. It has a inbuilt multi-lingual dictionary that just works. I can easily look up definitions in several languages. It's also easy to configure your keyboard. I type in Dvorak and I'm learning Japanese. Getting a Japanese keyboard in Dvorak layout on windows requires some dirty registry hack which has issues, whereas on Mac the language and keyboard layout are decoupled so it's a non-issue.
- Some software I use just works much better - see Bitwarden iOS vs Android for example. It's a glitchy mess that doesn't always show up on the latter, whereas on the former it just works.
- Some of the stuff I use is only available on Linux/Mac.
- For mobile devices, you get updates for much longer than you would with most Android devices.

 

[Skoje]

It makes you hip

 

[Septy]

Apple supports their phones for up to 6 years with major software updates. It's what allows iPhones to keep a high resale value allowing you to keep your phone longer.

 

[Duck Sauce]

It's a cult. Don't do it. Stick to Android.

Sent from my iPhone.

 

[PopQuiz]

The calculator holds up to 9 digits unless you rotate the phone.

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Landscape is for power users.

 

[Mediking]

I was team Android for years until I got an IPhone. I will never go back to Android. I still have fond memories of Android phones but never again. iPhone is for me now lol

 

[NinjaScooter]

Its everything working well together for me. I have an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and MacBook and everything between them is seamless.