I love all this dressing up of personal opinion as ‘fact’.
I get that it’s a reflection on society these days but it does get a bit tiring.
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I don’t think it’s true anymore that you have to put any extra work in for Android. It’s just as simple as Apple - you could buy one, switch it on and use it as is with no configuration required. But - if you want to - you can spend ages setting things up and getting it to look and work exactly as you want.
I’d also say it’s completely level pegging on apps and app availability. Pretty much all major apps are available on both and are the same on both.
Monzo is actually the first time I’ve run into a major non-parity in recent years.
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Nexus were devices for developers and they were priced as such, reference designs if you like. Consumers started buying them because they were built well, affordable and didn’t have bloatware on them. So, Google jacked up the prices and now you essentially have the Google equivalent of an iPhone.
@maxjwalker I also absolutely hate the software update thing on Android. Networks shouldn’t control this.
I buy unbranded and unlocked phones now. But often find that features (VoLTE and native WiFi calling to name two repeat offenders) that both the phone and the network support will not work on unbranded versions.
This is so so wrong and there is no reason for it at all as Android supports carrier settings updates in exactly the way iOS does.
I actually had to flash my unbranded firmware with Three firmware to get all the supported features. Which really really annoyed me. I just wish Samsung/Sony/LG and the others would put their foot down with the networks, put a stop to it and tell them that there’ll just be one version and it’ll come from them. It’s not like they’re not big enough.
(Totally contradicted my previous post now! 
)
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So this has changed recently. Now, most phones (unless they are made/commissioned by networks) are unlocked in the UK. I believe there may well be legislation to do with unlock codes etc. that has prompted this. Certainly, if I buy a Samsung phone from Three, it will be the same as a device from 02.
Android is also introducing new features which should centralise the update process for core security updates and also help improve the hysteresis currently present when new updates are released by the core Android team.
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They’re unlocked - as in you can put any network’s SIM card in and voice and data will work - but have slightly different versions of the firmware for each network.
The differences on the surface aren’t even noticeable, usually you get the network’s logo as a start-up screen, a bit of bloatware and the network’s app pre-installed.
But the vital thing is - different carrier settings baked into the firmware.
An unbranded phone or a phone with say, EE or Vodafone’s version of the firmware will not connect to Three’s native WiFi calling and won’t have access to the 800Mhz band or VoLTE.
With an iPhone you can just put in a SIM and it’ll update the carrier settings and everything will work. Android supports this method, but it’s not used by any network in the UK. They like to make it hard for people to switch I guess. It won’t change until either Google or the manufacturers put their foot down and put a stop to it.
Modularisation of updates will help - but I bet the core system will still be like this and it’ll just be security updates and incremental updates that are centralised.
But my argument still stands that if you get an Android phone the way the vast majority of people still get their phones, through a network, everything just works.
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I don’t think that is correct actually.
Now, manufacturers tend not to install carrier specific firmware as it increases cost and, as has been discussed, doesn’t lead to a good customer experience. The tendancy now is not to have carrier specific firmware, so no carrier bloatware/splash screen/etc.
The WiFi calling/VoLTE is actually enabled/disabled by OTA SIM messages, nothing to do with the phone (assuming it has the ability to use the frequency and protocol). Obviously this has many advantages to the telcos (easy to push changes out, standard across every SIM), to the device producer (same firmware) and the customer.
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Only the Pixel, One plus one and Essential have centralised updates. The Pixel can only access WiFi calling and VoLTE with an EE SIM.
The networks can block and restrict settings and features and they definitely all do this with pretty much all their phones.
I’ve had it very recently with both EE and Three.
Look at Three’s VoLTE page (they call it 4G supervoice for some reason) - http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/network/4G-Supervoice
Devices that didn’t come from Three.
Right now, all 4G Super-Voice compatible iPhones will be 4G Super-Voice enabled once the carrier settings have been installed, even if they didn’t come from Three.4G Super-Voice doesn’t work on other non-Three devices yet however, even if the manufacturer has stated that it’s VoLTE compatible. We’re working on this, so be sure to check back for updates.
They can update them via carrier settings OTA - but they don’t.
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Hmmm. I would continue to respectfully disagree…
I have a OP3 and I can get VoLTE and WiFi calling. I could get WiFi calling on my Nexus 6. (EE)
The networks can, but it is done at a SIM level.
That is very interesting… My mum has an unlocked, Google Store Nexus 6P and 4G supervoice works for her.
Just to muddy the waters even further, if you buy a phone direct from a carrier e.g. EE you’ll quite possibly get a locked phone (varies slightly between networks, they seem to be getting a bit better than they used to) with associated firmware but some resellers like Carphone Warehouse just keep a stock of unlocked phones to save holding lots of the same model with different network locking.
Oh and even more fun is that the iphone apparently network locks to the first sim you put in it.
Sigh, why can’t life just be simple 
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I had WiFi calling on a Windows Mobile from EE, updated the software and lost WiFi calling ability. They only approved it for certain phones with certain OS versions, even if your device technically capable
Yeah, as I say - the rules were tightened on phone locking (anti-competitive behavior) and since then, carriers have just stopped bothering to be totally honest. It started costing them more money to deal with all the unlock requests, than it made them trying to keep customers. They also have to pay extra to have custom firmware installed, then with Google tightening the reigns on software updates it has cost more to employ more people within the telco to manage the updates…and with direct device selling and “stock” firmware becoming more popular it hasn’t made sense to pay all this extra stuff for a splash-screen logo.
Yup. And this can be done at SIM level. Doesn’t need to be done with firmware…
I think they’re exceptions and it’s because they have centralised updates and more open/tweakable firmware.
Updates can be done on a SIM level (OTA) and even by manually typing in settings - but it’s blocked. I don’t know the technical details of how they do it mind. Just every phone from every major manufacturer has been like this for as long as I’ve had them and still is.
They also annoyingly tweak things. Like on the Three version of the S8 you don’t get the VoLTE icon when on VoLTE. I guess they think people are thick and will get confused and they want to make it look seamless.
There is no real reason for them doing this - if your phone supports something and your network does then it should work and shouldn’t be blocked.
I read a lot about it when I ran in to it. But don’t know enough really to argue the point.
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Hi…I wrote this on a different topic but it probably makes sense to be on this one instead. Maybe I’m being too demanding but after yesterday’s presentation got a bit disappointed with how Monzo is dealing with android. So here it goes:
Part 1:
Sooo…iOS already has current account pulse graph. On android is being delayed over and over. And they claim parity by the end of the year? Really like Monzo but tired of being second class client. Really considering trying other services. Not here because of an emotional attachment. I want a great app. Current account app so far is a step back compared with top up. Yesterday was expecting some good news… And no news at all. An embarrassing presentation.
Part 2 (after someone asked why I feel the need for the pulse graph as that was the topic of the thread)
Because since the first day Monzo was released for Android the disparity between its app and iOS has been significantly. iOS always had pulse graph (imho is really useful, more now on the current account), you can export spending data etc.
We were always told on the progress map that things were coming… Some never did. Now with the current account there’s things that got delayed again - which I could understand if I felt there was a serious commitment to get to app parity at some point.
Even yesterday I was expecting proper news during the presentation and nothing. In one minute they were claiming that there will be parity by end of 2017… in the next slide they were showing things that are not a priority like pulse graph, fingerprint support etc. iOS already has this things. So…parity?
Monzo is famous for being transparent. That’s not what is happening here. I know overdrafts and other current accounts specific uses are important. But more than anything I want an app that makes the use of the bank the revolution Monzo sells. That revolution shouldn’t be only for iOS.
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I seem to remember that it was mentioned that the pulse graph might appear as part of other improvements (ie. it is easier to show customers when they’ll go into overdraft on a pulse graph) however getting current accounts out of the door (with all the boring regulatory changes that go with that) is the priority. We must also not forget the Android app and team have been around a whole year less.
I think the issue here is that features like pulse graph were built in lulls where Monzo was waiting for it’s licence and innovating with new features. The iOS app has also been around longer. I’m sure parity will come, it’s obviously an issue but the really important thing is getting current accounts out THEN adding what is essentially a shiny thing.
I just think that pulse graph, export spending and fingerprint reader are not shiny things at all. Are very useful tools. Specially if the goal is it to Monzo to become my main account.
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Pulse graph sucks, if I could get rid of it I would. I hate it, hated it from day one, just look how much space it takes up.
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toggle to turn it off 
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I’ve said that loads of times as have other people but nope I don’t see it happening
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Yep. Useful constructive suggestions are ignored but suggest adding extra emoticons or charging 5% for all ATM withdrawals and they may act upon it 
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