Fraser Speirs Switches to a Google Pixel
Fraser has picked up a Google Pixel 2XL as his next smartphone. The reasons are explained inside but the episode turns into a reflection on just how similar and different the two main smartphone platforms are in 2018. There is some discussion of Google using their apps as an Android ‘beachhead’ on iOS and the implications of Apple’s pricing strategy.
So far, the most surprising thing about being on Android is how familiar it feels. Almost every app that exists on both platforms is not just feature-compatible but virtually pixel-identical to its iOS counterpart.
Firstly, the whole thing is way more notification-driven than iOS. The notification screen is much more like an ‘activity inbox’ than it is on iOS. Sometimes, this is great, other times annoying.
It’s great to see things like completion of background activities in there. On the other hand, I’ve had notifications for things that are literally happening on the screen right in front of me. Needs quite a lot of tuning.
Previously: Advantages of Android, Android Oreo Review: An iOS User’s Review, Why Apple Should Copy the Android P Notification Shade.
