Samsung makes it easy to ditch iOS with free transfer app

Samsung's offering anyone in the UK who buys a Galaxy device a free app that transfers your contacts and data over from an iPhone.

The free app is called Easy Phone Sync, and transfers contacts, messages and photos, as well as any DRM-free music and video. It does this using an iTunes backup created on your computer.

There are two parts to the software, so as well as having the app on your Galaxy phone, you'll need to install some software on your Mac or PC. Currently the tool is only available on certain Samsung Galaxy mobiles, and can only be used in the UK.

Transferring data using the app means you'll be able to continue using iTunes to manage your tunes, podcasts and videos, which is handy for anyone who's heavily invested in Apple's desktop software.

Offering the app is a smart move, as feeling like you're already knee-deep in one manufacturer's software and apps is a serious obstacle to trying a new operating system. The news will be welcome to any iPhone owners who have been curiously eyeing Samsung's latest Galaxy S3 smart phone.

In a statement, a Samsung exec said, "We know that traditionally iPhone users have been reluctant to switch to an Android device because they couldn't use iTunes to manage their content."

Samsung's new boss recently said the company needs to improve the software it offers. The Galaxy S3 is nigh-on unbeatable when it comes to processing grunt, and offers a brilliant 720p display, but I think Samsung has work to do if it wants to pull ahead of Apple's app-laden iOS platform.

Are you an iPhone owner thinking of abandoning Apple? Or are you already hanging out in Samsung's camp, roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.