Not sure whether to buy an iPhone or Xiaomi? So read this post where I tell you why I made this switch and whether it was worth it.
I don't usually write posts like this here on the blog, but I thought the topic would be interesting, especially since I talk so much about shopping.
First of all, I want to make it clear that I've never had a smartphone that wasn't an iPhone.
Since 2010, when I had my first smartphone, I started with an iPhone 4.
In 2012 I switched to the iPhone 5.
In 2014 in Canada I faced the launch queue for the iPhone 6.
And, for some reason, I got discouraged by the repetitive releases and ended up just changing my 6 when it practically died in 2018.
At the time, the iPhone X had already been launched, but I chose to buy an iPhone 7 since it was what I could afford.
In 2020 I felt the need to upgrade again.
I was hoping to launch the iPhone 12, but the prices put me off.
Especially because, working with the internet, I need a device with a lot of space to handle so many apps and photos.
In other words, I planned to spend more than one thousand two hundred EUROS on a new cell phone.
This amount was absurd to me, but I didn't even consider another option.
Why didn't I want to leave the iPhone?
Like any avid Apple user, my biggest problem with the alternatives was the operating system.
After all, anyone knows that iOS, made especially for the iPhone, runs much better than Android, made for countless devices.
In my opinion, Android:
- It was ugly
- It crashed a lot
- It was unsafe
You see, I never had used an Android, that was just my idea seeing my friends' cell phones, in addition to the opinions on the internet.
Furthermore, my work computer is also from Apple.
For me, it would be much more convenient to continue using a company smartphone, as this way I have easy access to my photos on my computer, my notes (from over 10 years old) are synchronized, my passwords are already saved, my contacts...
Really, the only thing that made me apprehensive about upgrading my iPhone was the price.
What made me give up the iPhone?
Honestly, the price was my biggest motivation for leaving Apple.
I didn't think it was wise to spend thousands of euros (I live in Portugal, but the same goes for reais or dollars) on a cell phone that was practically the same as previous models, but with some advances in the camera or processor.
In addition to the very expensive original cables.
And don't even get me started on the headphones, or the wireless chargers that only work well if they are the Apple brand.
All nonsense.
Furthermore, if we think coldly about the hardware part, I had an iPhone 7.
I didn't even have portrait mode yet.
Virtually any cell phone I would buy would have a better camera than my current one.
Furthermore, the camera is important for my work.
But I have a Sony Alpha-5000 mirrorless camera.
In addition to a Xiaomi YI (Xiaomi's GoPro).
A camera good It was more than enough to record stories or take everyday photos.
I do not needed of the iPhone 12's triple camera.
Giving up on hardware for me was very easy.
The really difficult part was convincing myself of the operating system.
But I decided to take the risk for a simple reason.
The MIUI.
Why did I choose a Xiaomi cell phone?
I already had countless Xiaomi products before deciding to change cell phones.
It had a smart scale. Action camera. Extra battery.
All without any problems. On the contrary, I was surprised by the quality for such an affordable price.
The camera at the time had the same settings as the GoPro and cost half the price. The extra battery still works perfectly after almost two years (which I think is honestly a miracle).
Therefore, I didn't need much convincing to choose a smartphone from the brand.
However, two things caught my attention:
The cost-benefit due to the characteristics of each device.
What I had my eye on was the My Notes 10. The Note line usually has Xiaomi's best cameras.
In this case, this model had a 108 MP camera, in addition to 4 other cameras, a 32 MP front camera.
In addition, 128GB of memory and a great processor, as it was the brand's flagship for those who like to play on their cell phones.
All this for less than €500.
Half the price of the iPhone.
But what made me give Xiaomi the hammer once and for all was something else.
The MIUI.
Unlike other brands, most Xiaomi models do not have a pure version of Android.
And yes one edition made by the company, called MIUI.
This edition removes some features that developers consider unnecessary and adds new ones, such as the possibility of adding themes, other apps and much more.
In my opinion, it is a version cleaner of the famous operating system.
This for me was the icing on the cake, as I saw MIUI in action and found it beautiful, customizable and saw that it ran very fast.
Very different from what I expected.
I decided to make the purchase and, after almost 10 years, I abandoned Apple to switch to Xiaomi.
And what did I find?
Is it difficult to switch from one operating system to another?
In short, no.
Although some things are in different places (like the control panel, which on Android appears if you drag the screen downwards, unlike on iOS which is upwards), the systems are very similar.
All the apps I used on iOS also existed for Android.
In fact, the ones that were subscription-based, I just logged into on my new cell phone and continued paying through Apple, to have as little hassle as possible.
To access my photos from the computer, I just used Google Drive. It's not as fast as Photos of the iPhone, but it's not a big deal either.
For my ten years of notes, I decided to use the Notebook, which is compatible with all devices. I copied Apple's most important notes to a notebook called OLD on the Notebook and that's it, problem solved.
The only difficulty was my contacts. The two systems do not have a system to share them, so you need to use a third-party application (very easy) or copy manually.
I took advantage and instead of importing ten years of contacts, I only added the people I actually still talk to. I think there were about twenty.
The only real difficulty was getting used to the keyboard, but within a few days I got the hang of it.
Is Android really that bad?
Not even.
I can't answer for all smartphones using Android, after all, mine has a great processor and uses MIUI instead of pure Android.
However, in terms of not crashing and not slowing down…
I found it the same as iOS.
I have zero complaints in this regard.
I thought that was what would bother me the most, but I didn't see a difference in speed or ease of use.
Furthermore, in terms of beauty, I left it in a very clean and simple, which was easy since Android is easily customizable (and Xiaomi even worked to make it more beautiful).
I removed that Google bar that I think is hideous, removed that button bar at the bottom and voilá.
Beautiful and easy to use.
I confess that I was very positively surprised.
There are only two things that bother me about iOS.
The first is the fact that the Google assistant doesn't listen to me when the screen is off.
I used Siri a lot when cooking or when applying skin products – two times when my hands got dirty – and I liked just saying “Hey Siri” and being able to ask for what I wanted.
With this cell phone I can't do the same, which makes setting timers at these moments quite annoying.
But I'm surviving, lol.
The second, unfortunately, is Instagram.
Everyone knows that the application was initially made for iOS, and for me the difference is clear between use on both devices.
I don't talk about see content, this works very well.
But when we talk about recording stories, for example, the difference in quality between an iPhone and any other device is obvious. To change the color or font of a text, the options are often below the keyboard, making them inaccessible unless I use the floating keyboard option.
Furthermore, for some reason on my cell phone I cannot record a sequence of videos continuously, recording only 15 seconds and stopping.
It's something that bothers me but doesn't make me regret switching operating systems.
And the Xiaomi device, is it good?
I already consider myself a Xiaomi witness at this point.
So much so that I have already bought two products after the cell phone (the We Band for sports and Air Dots, wireless headphones).
The cell phone is resistant (I've dropped it more times than I'd like to admit), has great processing capacity, doesn't crash, is fast and does what it promises.
The camera is very good, with several cool functions, but I admit that it is not an iPhone camera.
Furthermore, as I have already made clear, MIUI is a huge differentiator for the brand, and I think it makes the experience easier for those who are moving from iOS to Android.
Personally for the price, I'm amazed at the quality.
So, is it worth switching from Apple to Xiaomi?
Personally, I thought it was worth it.
I needed a fast cell phone, with a lot of memory and a good camera.
The Xiaomi Note 10 gave me exactly that, for less than half the price of an iPhone.
I don't regret it.
However, however, however…
If you are a person who accurate of a professional camera on your cell phone, I would go with the top of the line iPhone model.
In my opinion, Xiaomi can compete with Apple in all categories and win in many due to cost-benefit, but even with the 108 MP camera, it is undeniable that iPhone cameras are in another category, especially those of the iPhone models. Pro.
Now, if you intend to use the camera just to take incredible photos for Instagram and record your best moments, and not for work, Xiaomi more than does the job.
Where to buy Xiaomi?
If you were curious about this post and want to take a look at Xiaomi cell phones, I recommend taking a look at Amazon BR.
I know that the brand officially sells in Brazil, but the prices on Amazon are much better, in addition to the store offering a wide range of models.
Mine, as I already mentioned, is the My Notes 10.
But you can also take a look at I 10T, or Red Mi 9T.
Remembering that this blog is affiliated with Amazon, that is, if you make a purchase through these links, I will receive a commission (you don't pay anything extra for this, it stays the same price).