I’m thinking about replacing my iPhone 6s. The battery has been ‘throttled’ by Apple, and even if I force it to full power mode, the phone eventually craps out and reboots spontaneously. I know I can get a replacement from Apple (is the $29 offer still good?), but this thing is starting to act slightly squirrelly in other ways too.
So the question is, what do I replace it with? The obvious choice is another Apple phone. Apple is currently offering a $150+ trade in allowance on the 6s, and I can supposedly get the iPhone XR for a ‘mere’ $550.
There are things I genuinely like about Apple products. The integration with Macs, the focus on privacy, the steady trickle of security updates and Apples apparent dedication to privacy are all pluses. However, I do not like the way Apple’s attempts to prevent 3rd party or DIY repairs, their lack of interoperability and being restricted to their walled garden. And let’s not forget the ‘Apple tax.’
But Google is not a fabulous choice either. Google spies on everything you do, and security updates for most Android devices are very spotty. And there’s lots of malware on the Android Market (or Play Store, or whatever they’re calling it these days.)
So what’s the sane choice here? If I do get an Android device, which brand/model would best ameliorate the shortfalls of Google and Android? If it matters, I have a toe in every ecosystem (Apple iPhone + Mac, Youtube Premium, GMail and Office365 subscriber, Fedora on multiple devices.)
I’m not an apple person, but that’s not a terrible price. Android phones are getting up there as well, and if you’re comfortable on Apple, I’d recommend staying.
You’d be hard pressed to get malware unless you’re going out of your way to find it. I’d say that the chances of getting malware on your Android are about equal to that on your Apple device.
How long do you plan on keeping the phone?
The mobile ecosystem isn’t ideal no matter how you slice it. I’m hoping the Librem 5 can shake that up a bit.
I just “upgraded” my android device this Black Friday to an iPhone 7. I added a line and got a new 7, 32gb for $250. Perhaps the 7 might not be the biggest step up and you may miss the aux port compared to your 6s. But it may be your cheaper option if you want to stay within the Apple ecosystem and be the least disruptive.
I’ll cast my vote to stick to the iPhone. Yeah the price is getting up there. Even I’m getting mad about that. But they are offering a relatively decent trade in right now on older devices. I’m looking at going form a 7 to a XS here soon.
Thanks for the replies and thoughts. Look like there’s an iPhone in my future. Not sure if I’ll finance it or just buy it outright. It’ll be a little painful either way.
I’m surprised some Android fans didn’t show up and try to sway my decision, or start a flame war.
woah where are you getting the iPhone XR for $550??? I got mine for the regular price et contract. I like my iPhone XR and after I graduate I will be trying to move away from google because of their privacy violations and such.
I am an “Android fan” in very loose terms and I would suggest getting the XR. You seem to want it, you’re familiar with the ecosystem, and you are getting it for a reduced price.
I’m no cellphone expert, but Android One phones are pretty much the best Android experience IMO, but the guarantee of only two years for software updates and three years of security updates is BS.
I just stumbled across this thread and registered for an account, because I’m in the exact same position as the OP. I don’t like Apple’s walled garden or their actions regarding 3rd party repair, but I do like their stance on Privacy.
On the other hand, I like the hardware of Android phones more. The fact that I could get an OLED screen for ~500 bucks is great. And I’d like to be in the more open ecosystem. But Google’s data harvesting is pretty much a deal breaker for me. I’ve been looking into LineageOS as a possible solution to this problem. Does anyone have thoughts about this?
replacing battery is reallly easy until 6s. I’ve done many iphone battery/screen replacements for friends and family. you can get batteries from ifixit or ebay for around $10-20. I would personally never ever ask the apple store to tinker with anything but that’s just me. (replacing battery does bring the speed back up to the original state based on what I’ve noticed so far.)
If the email you got turn out to be true sure, it’s a really good deal. Especially because you’re already in the ecosystem and you like it.
If the offer is over you can ask Apple to replace the battery, sell it and buy a new Android phone. For the amount of money the XR costs a good Android alternative are the OnePlus 6T, Galaxy S9, LG G7.
I was on the fence about getting the XR, until a timely $100 gift check arrived in the mail. That was enough to push me over the edge, and I went down to the Apple store and picked up a blue iPhone XR.
As usual the migration to the new phone was seamless. I was even able to login to my Level1 forum account without needing additional authentication.
Now I need a case, and since I lost my headphone jack I need to start thinking about Bluetooth headphones. Any suggestions?
