iPhone users who are tired of similar hardware designs and nearly identical annual iOS releases can switch to Android with relative ease, and Samsung will likely be one of the first Android vendors these consumers consider. The South Korean giant was for several years the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones, with Apple taking its place last year. The company sells different types of Android devices, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra that rivals the top iPhone 17 Pro models, affordable high-end phones like the Galaxy S25 FE, cheaper devices like the Galaxy A57 and A37, and exciting foldables like the Galaxy Z TriFold and the all-new Galaxy Z Fold 8 passport-style device.
But switching to a Samsung phone, while technically possible, involves tradeoffs that may not be immediately obvious. iPhone users will need to make some important adjustments along the way, as you’ll see below. The five biggest changes with the move to Android relate to various aspects of the iPhone experience. That said, mitigation measures exist and users can adapt to the new environment, especially if they have not already invested in the Apple ecosystem.
Face ID authentication
Whether they run iOS or Android, modern smartphones generally look the same. The iPhone has a few features that have no equivalent on Android, Face ID authentication being the most important. This cutout at the top of iPhones is larger than on Samsung devices, because it includes the components that operate the 3D facial recognition system. A projector projects thousands of dots onto the user’s face and the Face ID system reads the resulting pattern to create and recognize a unique 3D representation of that face. This is how Face ID unlocks the iPhone. The system can recognize the user even with masks and headgear.
One of the main benefits of the authentication system is that Face ID allows users to log in to supported applications, including online banking, medical applications, and other sensitive applications. Face ID is also used for Apple Pay authentication. Samsung supports 2D facial authentication on its phones, but sensitive apps may require a password or the use of an under-screen or side-mounted fingerprint sensor. In addition to Face ID, users may miss other unique hardware features of the iPhone. This includes the action button, the camera control button that calls the camera from any screen, and the MagSafe wireless charging system.
No iMessage support
On the software side, the biggest shock iPhone users may feel is the lack of iMessage support on Samsung devices. iMessage is Apple’s proprietary messaging system that only works on Apple devices. The rich messaging system is end-to-end encrypted and does not involve any carriers. iMessages work over any Internet connection and support many of the same features offered by iPhone and Android chat apps, including typing indicators, read receipts, reactions, stickers, editing, file transfer, gaming, and AI features.
Old iPhone users will replace iMessage with Samsung’s Messages app, WhatsApp, or another app, but they will never be able to use Apple’s chat standard on the Android device. There is good news for iPhone users who will be switching to Samsung in late 2026. The Messages app on iPhone supports Google’s RCS system, so users will be able to enjoy an iMessage-like experience on Samsung phones via RCS. This may include end-to-end encryption security. But the chat bubbles will be green, similar to the color of regular SMS messages. It’s important to note that their carrier will need to support RCS messaging for the feature to work. In addition to iMessage, old iPhone users will lose access to other available Apple apps, including FaceTime, the iPhone’s default video calling app. Android users can join FaceTime chats via a browser link, but they won’t be able to initiate new calls.
Say goodbye to the Apple Watch
Although it is one of the most popular wearable devices in the world, the Apple Watch does not work with Android handsets, so consumers will not be able to use it with their Android device. They could continue to use the Apple Watch to collect health data, but it won’t sync with the Galaxy handset. Instead, they should retain access to an iPhone to view health data. Health and fitness data collected by the wearable is transmitted to Apple Health and Fitness. These apps are encrypted and linked to the user’s Apple account.
Since health information cannot be easily moved to competing apps, users will have to rely on other apps to manually export data from Apple Health to Android Health Connect and then to Samsung Health. Even then, new Samsung users shouldn’t expect to be able to transfer all data from their Apple Watch. Users may want to purchase a Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch, or another smartwatch that works with Samsung phones to continue tracking their health and fitness on the Android handset.
Things are similar with AirPods. Apple’s wireless earbuds are customized to offer iPhone users specific features, depending on the model. Some support advanced features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and spatial audio. AirPods Pro 3 can function as hearing aids and support live translation. Any model of AirPods will work as Bluetooth wireless headphones with Android, but they won’t support the same features. Finally, AirTags will only work with Apple devices.
Mac and iPad continuity
Replacing the iPhone with a Samsung alternative will cause additional hardware disruptions beyond the Apple Watch and AirPods. Consumers with Macs and iPads will no longer be able to take advantage of the built-in continuity tools that Apple has developed over the years for the iPhone-Mac-iPad ecosystem. Features such as AirDrop, copying and pasting content between devices, using an app on a second device after opening it on the first, and mirroring iPhone to Mac will not be available to Galaxy handset owners. Users will also lose iMessage syncing between iPhone, Mac and iPad, calls and texts on Mac, and the Continuity Camera feature.
One benefit is that Google was able to add AirDrop support to the Quick Share feature, meaning some Android devices, including Samsung phones, can share files via AirDrop with iPhone, Mac, and iPad. For other Continuity-like features, former iPhone users may also want to purchase a Windows laptop/tablet and an Android tablet.
The user’s Apple account and iCloud are key elements involved in continuity features. iPhone, Mac, and iPad must be signed into the same Apple account to support continuity. Additionally, iCloud backups and files are accessible on Apple products but require the same Apple login. Users will need third-party cloud alternatives to enable cross-platform functionality, as iCloud is not available on Android as a separate app.
Software updates
Samsung is one of the Android vendors that offers industry-leading software support for specific types of devices. Android flagships get up to seven years of major Android updates and seven years of security updates. Mid-range Android handsets can benefit from software versions of up to six years. Although Samsung offers these guarantees, the company does not control the timing of deployment of these software updates.
Android 17 is the last major Android update released by Google in June 2026. The update is available for supported Pixel models, but it will still take a few weeks to reach older Galaxy phones. When this happens, Samsung will not roll out the Android 17 update to all Galaxy devices that support the new version at the same time. Instead, the company will do a staggered rollout. Samsung needs to customize and test the latest Android operating system under its One UI software.
This experience will be completely different from what iPhone users are used to. Apple doesn’t promise seven years of updates like Samsung in its marketing materials, but Apple has a proven track record of supporting iPhones for at least five or six years. The 2019 iPhone 11 series is the best example of this, as the handsets will receive the iOS 27 update launched in September. It’s important to note that the company is making its latest iOS versions available to all supported iPhone models simultaneously. This includes beta versions of iOS and finalized versions. Apple controls the deployment schedule and no third parties, such as carriers, are involved in the release.
