I Left iPhone After 10 Years for the Pixel 9 Pro | 2 Months Later

Summary

After spending 10 years in the Apple ecosystem, the user switched to the Google Pixel 9 Pro and shares their 2-month experience. They highlight the phone’s premium design, excellent fingerprint scanner, and high-quality camera, though they express disappointment with video performance and raw photo processing speeds. While Android’s user interface impressed them, especially in notifications and AI (Google Gemini), they miss iMessage and Airdrop. Fitness tracking with the Pixel Watch 3 has been inconsistent, and the lack of suitable fitness apps was a letdown. Overall, the switch has been positive, and the user is committed to staying with Android for at least the next couple of years.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Google Pixel 9 Pro’s fingerprint scanner and face ID combination is a huge plus for the speaker, offering faster and more reliable unlocking compared to the iPhone’s Face ID.
• 😀 The Pixel’s hardware feels premium, with a similar design to the iPhone, which was intentional to appeal to iPhone users switching to Android.
• 😀 The Pixel’s display, including the high refresh rate and brightness, is highly praised, especially for visibility outdoors.
• 😀 The camera performance is good, particularly for RAW photography, but the video quality has been disappointing with dull colors and a lack of raw video shooting capabilities.
• 😀 The Pixel 9 Pro’s chip performs well for general tasks but can lag when processing RAW images, resulting in a delayed shutter response and low-resolution preview images.
• 😀 Getting the Pixel on sale made the purchase worthwhile, as the speaker believes paying full price for the device would have been less satisfying due to the chip’s performance.
• 😀 Notifications on Android, especially Google’s version, are much more intuitive than on iOS. The speaker enjoys the less intrusive notification system without constant red dot indicators.
• 😀 Google Gemini's AI functionality, especially through voice commands, is superior to Apple's offerings in terms of generating meaningful, AI-driven responses.
• 😀 While iMessage and Airdrop were initially seen as big drawbacks, the speaker found Google Messages and alternative apps for file transfer to be suitable replacements, though Airdrop’s simplicity is still missed.
• 😀 The Pixel Watch 3's fitness tracking features, including heart rate and sleep stages, have been inconsistent, with the speaker mentioning that the lack of support for fitness apps on Android compared to iOS is a significant drawback.
• 😀 Overall, the speaker feels the switch from Apple to Android has been smoother than expected, with minor issues like fitness tracking being the main challenge. They plan to continue using the Pixel for at least another year or two.

Q & A

Why did the speaker decide to switch from iPhone to the Google Pixel 9 Pro?

The speaker switched from the iPhone to the Google Pixel 9 Pro after being in the Apple ecosystem for 10 years. The decision was motivated by a desire to try something new and explore what Android had to offer, particularly in terms of hardware and user interface.

What is the speaker’s opinion on the fingerprint scanner in the Google Pixel 9 Pro?

The speaker appreciates the fingerprint scanner on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, finding it faster and more reliable compared to Face ID, which they weren't a fan of on the iPhone. They like having both face recognition and fingerprint options available.

How does the speaker feel about the Google Pixel 9 Pro's hardware compared to the iPhone?

The speaker feels that the Google Pixel 9 Pro feels premium and similar to an iPhone in terms of its build quality. They have no regrets about the design and feel of the phone.

What are the speaker’s thoughts on the display of the Google Pixel 9 Pro?

The speaker is very impressed with the display of the Google Pixel 9 Pro, particularly its high refresh rate and brightness, which makes it easy to see content outdoors, even in direct sunlight while wearing sunglasses.

What concerns does the speaker have about the Pixel's camera, specifically for video?

The speaker is disappointed with the video performance of the Google Pixel 9 Pro, particularly the lack of raw video shooting capability. They find the standard video quality to be dull and were hoping for a better experience compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Plus.

How does the performance of the Pixel 9 Pro’s chip affect the speaker’s experience, particularly in photography?

The speaker finds the Pixel 9 Pro's chip to be fast and reliable for day-to-day tasks, but they experience lag when shooting raw photos. The lag can cause delays between pressing the shutter button and the photo being taken, and the initial low-resolution preview adds to the frustration.

What is the speaker’s opinion on the Android user interface compared to iOS?

The speaker finds Android’s user interface to be intuitive and better in certain areas, such as notifications and AI functionality. However, they also mention that the overall experience isn’t dramatically better or worse than iOS, with both having their pros and cons.

What specific features of Android’s notifications does the speaker appreciate?

The speaker enjoys the organization and intuitiveness of Android notifications. They also appreciate the absence of red notification dots on app icons, which helps reduce distractions, and the way notifications are handled in a more logical manner.

How does the speaker feel about Google Gemini compared to Apple’s AI?

The speaker is impressed by Google Gemini, noting that it provides responses comparable to ChatGPT and performs much better than Apple’s AI, which they feel is lagging behind.

What has been the biggest challenge for the speaker in leaving the Apple ecosystem?

The speaker expected the hardest part of leaving the Apple ecosystem to be losing iMessage and AirDrop, but it turned out to be the fitness tracking that was most challenging. They miss the seamless integration of Apple’s health tracking, which has been inconsistent on Android, particularly with the Pixel Watch 3.