iPhone vs Android longevity

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
Buster65
Posts: 234
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 4:13 pm

iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by Buster65 »

I've got an iPhone 6 and its acting up since the new iOS came out in advance of the iPhone 8 and X. I was just wondering if Android phones generally last longer. I'm not talking about the physical makeup of the phone so much I'm more focused on the constant software updates that cause them to slow down and eventually forces you to want to upgrade?
PFInterest
Posts: 2684
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:25 am

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by PFInterest »

Ppl have tested this. Apple and Google are not purposely slowing phones.
My 6 runs fine. Did you factory reset it?
bluebolt
Posts: 2137
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 8:01 am

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by bluebolt »

Good news/bad news for Android owners - they typically get far fewer major OS version upgrades, so this isn't a problem they have to worry about.

I also have an iPhone 6 with iOS 11 and it is performing just fine. Might there be another issue with your phone?
jfave33
Posts: 3287
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:18 pm

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by jfave33 »

Iphones are updated for longer and tend to last longer before showing their age. The google pixel range is pretty good - 3 years of promised updates for the latest ones.

The thing with android is that once they have stopped being updated they still work and there are a lot of options to install custom roms and prolong the life that way. Ios generally doesn't let you do that - you are at the mercy of apple. But chances are you will want to upgrade anyway by that time.

The iphone 6 should still be fine.
Cunobelinus
Posts: 232
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:31 pm

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by Cunobelinus »

PFInterest wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:10 pm Ppl have tested this. Apple and Google are not purposely slowing phones.
My 6 runs fine. Did you factory reset it?
Indeed. An iPhone 4s (circa October 2011) runs reasonably well with a periodic factory reset. I've reset three times in 6 years, and it has run significantly better after the reset.. until I got around to filling it back up with junk. Some reputable organizations have tested iPhones and Macs before and after software updates and have found no deliberate slowing down (no links -- easily searched online). A PowerBook G4 (circa 2005) runs Tiger or Leopard just fine -- if the newer OS X versions were available for PPC, it'd likely run them slower because they require more memory and processing power, much like newer and more "feature rich" versions of iOS.

The battery life is poor these days, but that's expected after 6 years of constant use. I think some car batteries get replaced more frequently than that. The PowerBook G4 only lasts a handful of minutes without being plugged into the wall.
PFInterest
Posts: 2684
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:25 am

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by PFInterest »

Cunobelinus wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:47 pm
PFInterest wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:10 pm Ppl have tested this. Apple and Google are not purposely slowing phones.
My 6 runs fine. Did you factory reset it?
Indeed. An iPhone 4s (circa October 2011) runs reasonably well with a periodic factory reset. I've reset three times in 6 years, and it has run significantly better after the reset.. until I got around to filling it back up with junk. Some reputable organizations have tested iPhones and Macs before and after software updates and have found no deliberate slowing down (no links -- easily searched online). A PowerBook G4 (circa 2005) runs Tiger or Leopard just fine -- if the newer OS X versions were available for PPC, it'd likely run them slower because they require more memory and processing power, much like newer and more "feature rich" versions of iOS.

The battery life is poor these days, but that's expected after 6 years of constant use. I think some car batteries get replaced more frequently than that. The PowerBook G4 only lasts a handful of minutes without being plugged into the wall.
If you are no longer receiving updates it's probably better to upgrade for security purposes.
User avatar
StevieG72
Posts: 2214
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:00 pm

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by StevieG72 »

IPhone 6S here, always update software.

No issues with performance.

My last iPhone was replaced due to a hardware failure vs. software issues.

YMMV.
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
Cunobelinus
Posts: 232
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:31 pm

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by Cunobelinus »

PFInterest wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:56 pm
Cunobelinus wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:47 pm
PFInterest wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:10 pm Ppl have tested this. Apple and Google are not purposely slowing phones.
My 6 runs fine. Did you factory reset it?
Indeed. An iPhone 4s (circa October 2011) runs reasonably well with a periodic factory reset. I've reset three times in 6 years, and it has run significantly better after the reset.. until I got around to filling it back up with junk. Some reputable organizations have tested iPhones and Macs before and after software updates and have found no deliberate slowing down (no links -- easily searched online). A PowerBook G4 (circa 2005) runs Tiger or Leopard just fine -- if the newer OS X versions were available for PPC, it'd likely run them slower because they require more memory and processing power, much like newer and more "feature rich" versions of iOS.

The battery life is poor these days, but that's expected after 6 years of constant use. I think some car batteries get replaced more frequently than that. The PowerBook G4 only lasts a handful of minutes without being plugged into the wall.
If you are no longer receiving updates it's probably better to upgrade for security purposes.
It's sluggishness can be considered a security feature these days. I find that I use it less and less and consequently it has less important information on it. Phone, text, e-mail, and authentication apps. Airplane mode 12-14 hours per day, WiFi only at home. Attack surface is smaller than one might expect.
123
Posts: 10415
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:55 pm

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by 123 »

I've had my Android Moto E (2nd generation) for about 2 years and I've ordered a replacement Moto G (5th generation). The Moto E was under $100 and the Moto G is under $200. My main reason for my upgrade is that I think I need more memory (RAM) because the phone doesn't seem as responsive as it was to start with. My original Moto E lacked a flash for the camera. Moto E had 1 MB, Moto G will have 2 MB. I seem to get a lot of updates for my apps on Android, those kind of updates seem to be much less often for my family members with iphones. With Android it seems that you pretty much often have to plan to live with the OS version you started with for the life of the phone, whereas on iPhone there's a definite and progressive (usually) annual upgrade. Apple can do that since they know everything about their user's devices, whereas Android phone are made by a bunch of manufacturers and there can be a lot of variation in the community. I'm happy with Android because I can easily regard a $100 - $200 phone as a disposable item if something goes wrong with it.
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
ncbill
Posts: 2053
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 4:03 pm
Location: Western NC

Re: iPhone vs Android longevity

Post by ncbill »

Forget the software.

The glass on my kids' iPhones crack if you look at them funny.

So they're stuck with big, bulky cases while I have a minimalist, rubberized cover for my Moto.
Post Reply