How To Switching from Android to iPhone
With the next version of the iPhone just around the corner, some Google Android owners are having smartphone envy.
Switching between platforms is not as easy it should be. But in some ways, moving from the Google Android platform to Apple iOS may be slightly easier than going the other way. But there will be some Google-specific things that you may miss, such as tight integration with some Google applications.
Contacts, calendar and e-mail
As a Google Android user, you've likely been using Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts. This is a good thing, since those applications work really well with the iPhone.
It's very easy to set up a Gmail account on your iPhone using the Apple Mail client. You can set this up directly through the settings on your iPhone. Once you enter your Gmail account information, you'll be able to sync your e-mail, contacts, and calendar with your iPhone.
But keep in mind, that the Apple mail client is not the Gmail client. So even though messages will be threaded like they are in Gmail, they won't be starred and labeled like they are in Gmail. If you really want the full Gmail experience on your iPhone, you can always access your Gmail account via the Safari browser on your iPhone.
Music and iTunes
When it comes to music on the iPhone, it's all about iTunes. This is both a blessing and curse, depending on how you view iTunes. Some people love it and think it's easy to use, while others think it's a piece of junk and can't stand being locked into the iTunes world.
If you are an iTunes-hater, getting an iPhone may not be a good idea since almost everything you do to your iPhone is done through iTunes. In fact, iTunes is required to even set up your phone.
Since you're moving from Google Android, which is a much more open system than Apple's iOS environment, the good news is that moving your music from Android to iPhone will be much easier than if you were going in the other direction. This is mainly because the music player in Android doesn't put any DRM protections on your music. So this means you can simply drag and drop your music from your Android device into iTunes and then sync your iPhone with your iTunes on your computer. And, voila! you're done.
Unfortunately, using cloud-based music services on the iPhone is clunkier. Currently, Apple does not offer an app for accessing either the Amazon Cloud Player or the Google Music Beta cloud-based music services. That said, if you already have your music stored in these services, you can access them via the Safari browser on your iPhone. But Scott Stein, a senior CNET Reviews editor, told me that the Amazon Cloud Player via the iPhone's browser doesn't work so well.
Apple has announced its own cloud-based music service, called iCloud, which will be available later this year. Since the service hasn't even launched yet, there are still some things that are unclear about how it will work.
Here's what we know so far. Unlike Google's and Amazon's cloud-based music services, Apple's iCloud won't offer streaming. Instead, the music will be stored in the cloud and then downloaded to your device. While it will be free to access music bought from the iTunes music store, it will cost you an annual fee of $24.99 that will match up non-iTunes songs with its library and upgrade them to 256kbps AAC DRM-free.
Apps
As I mentioned in the previous column, you will not be able to take your Android apps with you as you transition from the Google Android platform to Apple's iOS. But you will likely find all the same apps or at least equivalent apps in the Apple App Store.
One potential benefit of having the iPhone is that the Apple App Store simply offers more apps than Google's Android Market. While Android is quickly catching up in terms of the number of apps, in general, most mobile developers develop first for iOS and then for Android. The reason for this is simple: Developers can sell apps and get paid more on the iPhone than for an Android phone. It's also a little easier to develop for the iPhone since there is generally one device to develop for. Google Android phones come in hundreds of different sizes and flavors.
The downside as a consumer is that some apps that you had for free in the Android Market will cost you in the Apple App Store. So beware.
Smoother, more consistent updates
I alluded to this in the previous section, but another benefit of being on the iPhone platform is that new software updates should work on your phone without major issues. This is not always the case with Google Android.
Because there are so many different hardware manufacturers making these phones and the phones themselves differ in terms of processing power and screen size, not every Android gets software updates at the same time. This means that some handsets could wait months for upgrades. The other problem is that sometimes these updates cause changes that may screw up a whole host of things on your phone.
Apple has only introduced one iPhone a year since 2007. So the hardware is much more consistent. This means that when Apple rolls out its software upgrades, it can be offered to all iPhone customers at the same time. One problem that has emerged as more versions of the iPhone are introduced is that older versions of the device may not be eligible for the software upgrades or the hardware may not support all the features. Still, even with these issues, upgrading the OS on an iPhone is often much smoother than upgrading Android handsets.
iOS 5
You mentioned that you are waiting for the next version of the iPhone. This means that your iPhone will be running iOS 5. This version of the software, due out this fall, will offer iPhone users some features that Android users take for granted. For example, iOS 5 will allow iPhone users to sync and get updates to their devices over the air. Android phones have done this from day one.
And the new iOS software will take advantage of Apple's soon to launch iCloud service. It will not only offer a music storage and syncing service, but will also allow you to automatically store your pictures, videos and other content in the cloud for free.
Finally the new iOS will offer updated notifications to the iPhone, making it more Android-like.
Things you'll miss
Of course, there are some downsides in switching from an Android smartphone to the iPhone. Some of Google's own applications are not as tightly integrated in the iPhone as they are on an Android phone. Google Navigation is one example.
Even though Google Maps is preloaded onto the iPhone, the service doesn't include Google Navigation. This means that you won't get turn-by-turn or voice directions.
You can download other third party navigation apps for your iPhone. For example, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which each sell the iPhone, offer their own versions of navigation services. But you have to pay a monthly service fee to use these services. There are other navigation apps that require only a one-time fee, such as TomTom's app. The prices vary on these apps as does the quality, so you might want to research the apps before buying any of them.
That's the skinny on moving from Android to iPhone. As you can see there are a few things you may have to give up, but switching from Android to the iPhone will likely be easier than going in the other direction.
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