Androids or iSheep?

R

Robert Gee

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jul 2, 2021
Messages
306
Display Name
Display name:
RBG
I have a completely irrational dislike for iProducts so I'm wondering if there are some useful aviation apps that are iExclusive or if Android devices are completely viable. Anyone use Androids exclusively?
I love my 10" Primetime tablet from AT&T for a few years and I can get 3-4 for the price of one ️iThing!️
 
My primary tablet is an ancient Nexus 7 with the iFly GPS app, although the app supports iOS, Android and Windows. My iPad has had a thermal shutdown in the plane, but I've never had a problem with my Nexus. I use both platforms though and I'm on the lookout for a good Android tablet that would be a little faster.
 
Last edited:
I will add that I have never had a problem with avare but since I switched to Garmin pilot I have had a lot of connection issues and freeze ups. I am on a free trial subscription but when it comes time to pay for it, I may just go back to avare.
 
Ifly gps is excellent. Works on Droid, ios, & windows.
 
Fltplan Go on iPad. Got an ipad because Iay upgrade to foreflight someday. For now, I enjoy the free app!
 
Personal I detest any droid product. I have a work phone that is android and it’s a pain to use compared to my I**** products. YMMV

FlyQ on my iPhone or iPad works really for me.
 
Huckster79 said:
concur! Apple stuff is just rock solid, user friendly, works-reliably, etc… don’t see the downside
Click to expand...
The downside is that it costs 4x as much as similar hardware with the android operating system. I use both (although less ios by choice) and find the Androids to be more intuitive. Of course I prefer windows computers to Apple as well, so it's probably just a personality flaw of mine.
 
Robert Gee said:
I have a completely irrational dislike for iProducts so I'm wondering if there are some useful aviation apps that are iExclusive or if Android devices are completely viable. Anyone use Androids exclusively?
I love my 10" Primetime tablet from AT&T for a few years and I can get 3-4 for the price of one ️iThing!️
Click to expand...
All aviation apps are useful…there’s probably even one that replaces the traffic pattern computer. ;)

More to the point is what apps do you think you need, and can you get them on your platform of choice? Useful and necessary aren’t synonymous.
 
Jim K said:
The downside is that it costs 4x as much as similar hardware with the android operating system. I use both (although less ios by choice) and find the Androids to be more intuitive. Of course I prefer windows computers to Apple as well, so it's probably just a personality flaw of mine.
Click to expand...

definitely concur on the personality flaw part :)

I think a big part is what ya get used to first seems more intuitive…

I just find the longevity of the stuff while being all but Maintenance free worth it. I still use my 2013 MacBook everyday for work, it’s never missed a beat in 8 years… dells and hp and such always seemed great for the first 9 months…

but it really is a high wing vs low wing thing…
 
Robert Gee said:
I have a completely irrational dislike for iProducts so I'm wondering if there are some useful aviation apps that are iExclusive or if Android devices are completely viable. Anyone use Androids exclusively?
Click to expand...
Completely agree, and I am total Android.
When I started my PPL process in Sept 2020 I wanted to try out several tools, including my instructor's foreflight. I was really impressed with DroidEFB, but ultimately settled for iFlyGPS on a $79 Lenovo tablet that connects to my Stratux. iFlyGPS works on my phone and tablet from one license, added a small fee to get the Windows license and I can run full desktop. DroidEFB is flashing out some updates that are making me think I might add it next year to see how the updates look.

Regardless, there are great options, reasonably priced, and strong performers that will not disappoint.
 
Jim K said:
The downside [of an Apple product] is that it costs 4x as much as similar hardware with the android operating system.
Click to expand...

iPads start at $329. Is similar Android hardware really available for $82.25?

Stipulated Apple hardware is more costly. I doubt the 4x more is all.
 
FastEddieB said:
iPads start at $329. Is similar Android hardware really available for $82.25?

Stipulated Apple hardware is more costly. I doubt the 4x more is all.
Click to expand...
My primary flying tablet is an 8" lenovo that I paid $100 for. It has more ram and a faster processor than a $400 iPad mini. The display is not as good. It has internal GPS, which is only available on the $700 mini, and it will take a micro SD card to expand storage which apple won't let you do for any price.

Unfortunately garmin pilot is lousy on android, so I'll probably wind up buying a new mini when they come out. Ifly recently announced they are working on a way to get adsb from garmin avionics, so I'm holding out hope I might be able to go back to them, ditch garmin pilot, and avoid spending the better part of an amu on a mini.
 
Robert Gee said:
I have a completely irrational dislike for iProducts so I'm wondering if there are some useful aviation apps that are iExclusive or if Android devices are completely viable. Anyone use Androids exclusively?
I love my 10" Primetime tablet from AT&T for a few years and I can get 3-4 for the price of one ️iThing!️
Click to expand...

I have a completely rational dislike of iproducts. :) I have to use an iphone for work, as it's issued, but can't stand it. I fly with Android and Avare, and it works fine for me. I used to have a 7" Samsung, replaced that after about 4 years with a pair of 7" Hauwei's. Not all androids have built in gps, but these do, and all will connect to either my duo 160 (I think that's the model) waas gps puck bluetooth, or a stratux wifi. If I were to buy a new one today, it would be the least expensive, smallest model with built in GPS I could find. I carry a chromebook most of the time as well, just because the little tablets aren't great for prefight with 800brief or weather.gov. All that said, I don't fly for a living, I don't instruct, and I'm flying VFR. It's a navigational aid, it's an adsb display, and it's a method for effectively carrying the charts I'm legally required to carry.
 
I use Android and Avare as was stated previously in this thread. I use it on a Samsung S6 Lite and haven't had a glitch with it yet (except forgetting to download maps before hand). Did a trial of Garmin Pilot and liked it a lot, will probably get a subscription to it at some point in the future. Used to use Naviator 7 or so years ago and it was a good product as well, but haven't checked it out recently. I'm in the same camp and having a very deep dislike for apple products. I run Linux on my laptop/desktop and Android on my phone/tablet.

Tried iProducts and really wanted to like them, but for me they were more trouble than they were worth, constant overheating and a crappy interface (for my way of working) not to mention the walled garden that keeps the sheep in, or sorry, the wolves out.
 
I have an Ipad pro and it overheats all the time and shuts down, especially when you need it most.
It has become VERY unreliable for me.
 
MauleSkinner said:
All aviation apps are useful…there’s probably even one that replaces the traffic pattern computer. ;)
Click to expand...

You mean you don't have one of these glued to your panel? :rolleyes: I do. I sometimes set the wind direction on the top when I listen to AWOS just as a reminder.
CzImRGp.jpeg
 
Huckster79 said:
I just find the longevity of the stuff while being all but Maintenance free worth it. I still use my 2013 MacBook everyday for work, it’s never missed a beat in 8 years… dells and hp and such always seemed great for the first 9 months…
Click to expand...

I am an IT Director at a college we have used Lenovo and Apple for years there is no noticeable difference in the amount of hardware service between the two. I have a 2009 Lenovo I use every day at home.

My Samsung Galaxy Tab has been rock solid and I have never heard of one overheating but have heard about iPads regularly overheating.

There probably isn't a right answer but on the cheap you can't go wrong with Avare an Android for most things.
 
My first electronic device was a Galaxy tab S2 bought I think 6 or 7 years ago. I have used both Fltplan go and Avare. Within 6 months of flying with it, I pretty much made Avare my primary app. I also fly with an ipad and have simultaneously run Fltplan go on it, but Fltplan go crashes occasionally, and the ipad sometimes gets hot and shuts down. I don't think I have ever had an Avare shutdown, or Android hardware problem. I have been saving my Avare track files for all these years, and I think I have them all. If I would have had to rely on an Ipad, I would probably have lost about 10 to 20 percent of them due to shutdowns. Android and Avare has just been more reliable for me. I still am using that same Galaxy tab S2 that I originally bought, and it still is rock solid. Ironically the ipads that I use are much newer and less reliable on flights.
 
DFH65 said:
You mean you don't have one of these glued to your panel? :rolleyes: I do. I sometimes set the wind direction on the top when I listen to AWOS just as a reminder.
CzImRGp.jpeg
Click to expand...

What is this and where did you get it? I want one!
 
DFH65 said:
I am an IT Director at a college we have used Lenovo and Apple for years there is no noticeable difference in the amount of hardware service between the two. I have a 2009 Lenovo I use every day at home.

My Samsung Galaxy Tab has been rock solid and I have never heard of one overheating but have heard about iPads regularly overheating.

There probably isn't a right answer but on the cheap you can't go wrong with Avare an Android for most things.
Click to expand...

I guess that’s why anecdotal evidence is just that- anecdotal… I’ve lucked out on apple stuff and had some bad luck with the windows side of things… objectively that likely means my viewpoint is skewed by that…
 
Garmin Pilot on Android.
Phone and Chromebook.
Works well, never have had real issues.

Tim

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk
 
FastEddieB said:
iPads start at $329. Is similar Android hardware really available for $82.25?

Stipulated Apple hardware is more costly. I doubt the 4x more is all.
Click to expand...

Yes some are. I don't know what you get for $329 or it's limitations but you can get a device for $79 or even $59 for a no name knock off droid. I'll never go that cheap again though, even for a kids toy.
I hate to miss out on something so ubiquitous as ForeFlt but if there is some incest between them and Apple to not convert the code to the other that's their loss.

Maybe I should have just asked what the best competition to ForeFlt?
Thanks for listing the other options.
I'm exploring FltPlanGo but have no experience to really compare it to so any opinions on it are appreciated.
 
Robert Gee said:
Yes some are. I don't know what you get for $329 or it's limitations but you can get a device for $79 or even $59 for a no name knock off droid. I'll never go that cheap again though, even for a kids toy.
I hate to miss out on something so ubiquitous as ForeFlt but if there is some incest between them and Apple to not convert the code to the other that's their loss.

Maybe I should have just asked what the best competition to ForeFlt?
Thanks for listing the other options.
I'm exploring FltPlanGo but have no experience to really compare it to so any opinions on it are appreciated.
Click to expand...

Best is going to be subjective.
I have recently switched over to iFly. If you have iCrap it runs on iCrap. It also runs on Android, and Windows. I am unaware of any of the OS's being favored over the other with them. It does everything I want and more for both VFR and IFR.
 
I am moving to Android tablets running WingX and Avare - on Samsung Tab 8 inch - hasn't overheated once in the plane, unlike the iPad.

Avare for a free app it's actually impressive and constantly evolving - works great with Stratux unit
 
FWIW, I run an iPad mini (with GPS) and ForeFlight, and have found the combination very reliable. My instructor teaches/uses ForeFlight as well, so we are in sync when doing any learning. I haven't had the iPad overheat in the cockpit, but on long flights I will turn off the display when traffic is light (and rely on the Garmin 750 display instead). For the overall amount of money spent on owning a plane and flying it, the cost of the iPad mini is small by comparison.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top