UX transition from OnePlus 6T to iPhone 12 Pro Max

I recently purchased the iPhone 12 Pro Max (Gold) even though I didn't really need it. I have been using the OnePlus 6T (Purple) for 2 years and was pretty happy with it. With COVID-19 and all, I decided to "Treat Yo Self".

Why did I get the iPhone 12 Pro Max?

Umm...I was randomly watching unboxing videos of the iPhone 12 lineup. I thought I'd be done after 1-2 videos, but I ended up watching a ton of reviews on the iPhone 12 lineup vs other phones for the next 2-3 weeks on YouTube. In the end, I decided the iPhone 12 Pro Max was ideal for me because:

1. The camera looked like a lot of fun for night photography or taking 4K videos.
2. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is almost like a mini tablet, so it seemed perfect for reading ebooks, playing games, and watching videos.
3. The OnePlus 6T is bigger than the iPhone 12 Pro and I can't go smaller.
4. My previous iPhone for personal use was the iPhone 4S, and this design just brings back 'em memories.
5. The Gold color just looked pleasing to the eye and matched my interior decor. I knew the Graphite / Pacific Blue color would provide a less distracting experiece when consuming media but I just loved the look of the Gold.
6. Who knows, maybe I'd develop my own iOS app one day.
7. My partner has been enjoying 電子マネー決済 (Eletronic Money Payment) with the Google Pixel for a while, and kept making fun of how analog I am. (My OnePlus didn't support Felica so I couldn't use it)
8. After spending so much time doing research on it, I couldn't NOT buy it.

Fears of switching to the iPhone 12 Pro Max

1. The OnePlus 6T is 185 grams and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is 228 grams. I already found the OnePlus 6T on the heavy side and the iPhone 12 Pro Max definitely turns that heaviness up a few notches.
2. I could type on the OnePlus 6T with one hand, but the Pro Max definitely required 2 hands.
3. OnePlus 6T's in-display fingerprint sensor was convenient. Pro Max didn't have a finger sensor and during COVID-19 times where you always have to wear a mask when outdoors, Face ID is useless. I'd have to insert the PIN to unlock the phone everytime.
4. Phones sold in Japan are speced in a way so that the shutter sound cannot be turned off which is stupid. I'd look like an uncivlized person if I were to take photos overseas with the shutter sound constantly on. With COVID-19 and all, I'll be stuck in Japan for a while and since everyone's camera screams here, I guess it's not a big deal.
5. The biggest problem was whether I could get used to iOS again because Oneplus's Oxygen OS's UX sold me hard.

The Transition

The first thing I noticed was that I could not place Apps anywhere on the grid. You cannot have app that has a row of empty space between them. That's pretty annoying.

Going Back

In OnePlus, I can "Go Back", by swiping up from the bottom left corner of the phone, or on the Pixel, swiping left from the right side of the screen. The iPhone only works with swiping right from the left edge of the screen. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is pretty wide, and it is hard to stretch my thumb to the left side to swipe back with a single hand. I have failed numerous times swiping back for not being totally on the left edge. That is just poor UX. When consuming content on a phone, you should be able to navigate with one hand only.

On WhatsApp, this problem is especially prevalent. It's very easy to accidentally swipe right on the chat bubbles aligned to the left activating the Reply functionality. I either have to find space where there is no chat bubble aligned to the left and swipe right at that exact spot to go back or result to using 2 hands and tap the Back button on the top left.

Reading

The screen size is perfect for reading articles and ebooks in short reading sessions around 20-30 minutes tops. It's pretty taxing on the hand to hold it for long periods of time.

Gaming

On OnePlus, there is a Gaming Mode setting. One feature that is especially useful is the ability to disable notifications when gaming. When I game I like to be fully immersed and I don't want any distractions. On iOS, the only way to do that is to turn on Do Not Disturb mode before you play and turn it back off after you're done. That's so annoying.

iOS also has the disturbing white bar that always sits in the bottom of the screen, and it doesn't go away when you're in a game.

Mobility

Unless I am taking a subway, the Pro Max is very uncomfortable to rest in my pants pocket. Because when I'm on the subway, it won't even be in my pocket, I'll be using it. Whether I'm biking or taking a stroll, I always throw it in my tote bag. It's just too big to ignore when it's in your pocket. Everytime I raise my leg, it feels ew.

Transferring Files

Since I use a Mac already, being able to transfer files via AirDrop is just too good. With OnePlus, I had to connect a cable to my Mac each time.

Conclusion

After 8 months of using it, I've gotten used to the annoyances, but I still find it too heavy. The lack of finger ID scan has been less of an issue since I work remote more now, but everytime I go out to purchase something with the iPhone, while wearing a mask, it's still annoying to have to input my Pin Number. The big screen is still a pleasure to look at though.