Hey everyone!
I’m living in Japan for just over a year now and using a Pixel 6 Pro (Android), but it's time for me to get a new phone. I’m debating whether to stick with Android and upgrade to the Pixel 9 pro or switch to iPhone 16 pro, and I’d love some advice from fellow foreigners living here.
While Android phones and IPhones both have their pros and cons, I don't want to spark a fundamental discussion. Rather, I want to find out which system might be better suiting for a foreigner in Japan who is still learning the language and rely on translation features a lot in everyday life.
Let's point out the most important: Translation. I rely on Google Translate every day, especially the quick available "translate what you see on screen" function (the one that appears when you hold the home button) not needing to manually open another app. It’s super useful for things like websites with text as images (e.g., advertisements, banners, notes on graphixs, etc), where the automatic web translation doesn't work or I cannot just copy the text. Before I discovered this feature on android, I used to take a screenshot and open it in Google translate, but I don't really want to go back to this procedure. I think these Android translation features are excellent, and I don’t want to miss them.
Does the iPhone offer similar hassle-free translation tools? I don’t mind switching if iPhone can handle translation just as well, but I don’t want to regret it if it doesn’t.
I’m also planning to switch to a Japanese Google or Apple account so I can use Japan-only apps like PayPay, Mercari, the japanese bank accounting app etc., which aren’t available with my current European Google account. Also looking forward being able to pay with my phone instead of searching for the physcal card in my wallet. And of course, mobile Suica! In addition I’ll keep my Pixel 6 Pro active for my home country’s banking apps, since they likely won’t work with a Japanese account. As I will likely return to my home country after a couple of years, I am still managing my money there.
Given that, I’m wondering:
Does the iPhone (16 Pro) have comparable or better translation features than Android (9 Pro) for daily life in Japan?
Are there any Japan-only apps or services that work better on one platform vs. the other?
What are your experiences as a foreigner in Japan using either platform? Any pros/cons I should consider?
Thanks a lot for any advice!
by cptnbzng