I obtained my first smartphone in 2010: a Samsung GT-i5500 (look it up, children) operating Android 2.1. Since then, I have been by way of God is aware of what number of smartphones, every operating Google’s open supply working system. As a budget-conscious younger grownup, the worth for cash provided by Android smartphones was laborious to beat. As an influence consumer, I appreciated Android’s customizability; I typically switched from official software program to every kind of bootloaders and customized ROMs.
However with nice flexibility comes nice threat, together with software program and {hardware} incompatibility, app crashes, and normal instability.
I broke the cycle and acquired an iPhone 13 Mini just a few weeks in the past, largely as a result of I wished to attempt one thing new, partly as a result of I’ve seen mates with iPhones from years in the past who’re nonetheless pleased with their units.
Whereas there was positively a studying curve, I dare say I will not be utilizing an Android as my every day driver ever once more. In the event you’re coming from Android and fascinated with splurging on the most recent iPhone 14 collection or making the most of the decrease costs on older fashions like I did, listed here are a few of the causes I’ve discovered making it price switching gears.
iPhones get OS updates for for much longer
As I stated earlier, one of many causes I switched to Group Apple (I switched from Home windows to macOS over a yr in the past) was due to the longevity of their merchandise. I’ve seen mates rock MacBooks from round 2016 with nonetheless dependable battery life and efficiency. I’ve additionally seen them fully happy with their 3 or 4 yr outdated iPhones, solely selecting to improve as soon as the battery on their units was fully depleted.
It’s because, traditionally, Apple has historical past of compatibility with its older units. Even the iPhone 8, launched in 2017, obtained the most recent iOS 16 replace launched in September 2022. You would be hard-pressed to search out an Android flagship of an identical age that obtained official producer help for the 2021 Android 12 replace. Google’s Pixel 2, launched in late 2017, solely obtained main official updates till 2020’s Android 11.
In the event you care about preserving a cellphone for years, then you may’t go mistaken with an iPhone. However what’s long-term OS help if the consumer expertise is subpar, proper?
It is smoother and extra cohesive than Android.
With Android, I typically needed to root, flash ROMs, and obtain further apps and widgets to get the on a regular basis performance I wished from my cellphone. Nonetheless, this, mixed with the truth that cellphone makers wish to customise Android with their very own flavors, signifies that the ultimate product appears and appears like a jumble of jigsaw puzzle items collectively reasonably than a cohesive expertise. A lot customization additionally lends itself to inconsistent efficiency, sudden lag spikes, and outright OS crashes.
In contrast, iOS was a pleasure to make use of after the preliminary adjustment interval. It was shocking that I did not should do my traditional routine of “tweaking each little factor to squeeze each final drop of efficiency out of the cellphone.” The interface feels easy and flawless proper out of the field, with fewer stutters and hiccups in comparison with my 3-year-old Android flagship with manufacturing unit reset.
Additionally, evidently the apps out there on each working methods are extra optimized for iOS when it comes to look. On Android, apps really feel like they exist in their very own worlds, wanting so totally different from one another and from the working system itself. Alternatively, most iOS apps have a unified look that makes it look like each was designed particularly for the iPhone. This continuity in design language additional displays the premium attraction of the iPhone.
The continuity even extends to the usability of and between Apple units.
Continuity options are a boon for productiveness
Home windows and Linux desktop working methods are superb. Android is superb. What No superior is attempting to be completely productive between the 2 platforms. If I needed to switch a photograph from my Android to my PC or vice versa, I needed to: (a) use a cable and cope with the Android debugging bridge that typically simply stops working; (b) use a flash drive that’s appropriate with smartphones and desktop computer systems; (c) utilizing painfully sluggish Bluetooth; (d) e-mail it to myself; or (e) add to a file sharing service.
With my iPhone and MacBook, all I’ve to do is activate Airdrop and I can shortly and simply share my information and images between units. No extra coping with annoying plugins or third celebration apps. Additionally, I can simply share them with my different mates on iOS with out having to make use of ad-ridden apps like ShareIt.
Different Continuity options I’ve discovered helpful embody the Common Clipboard, which permits me to repeat and paste textual content, photographs, images, and movies between units; Continuity Digicam, which permits me to scan paperwork immediately into my MacBook’s Finder window; and Continuity Markup, which permits me to mark up paperwork on my cellphone and have the adjustments mirrored reside on my MacBook display. As somebody who juggles a number of facet hustles, these options have been invaluable in guaranteeing my work effectivity regardless of the place I’m, to not point out simply plain superior.
An equally premium exterior wraps round this premium holistic consumer expertise.
As stunning on the surface as on the within
I have been speaking in regards to the iPhone expertise primarily from a software program standpoint, however the bodily options and traits of the cellphone are simply as vital. Its anodized aluminum physique and glass-covered again really feel so good to the contact that utilizing a case appears like a disservice to its construct. It additionally comes with a pleasant weight that communicates “premium.” The primary time I held the iPhone in hand, I believed, “So that is what I have been lacking.” All of the reward on-line about Apple’s craftsmanship is correct.
One other bodily side that I appreciated was the bodily ring/silent change, because it offered a safer approach to make sure my cellphone was silent throughout conferences reasonably than having to carry down the quantity button. Magsafe can be a gorgeous function, permitting for quick wi-fi charging, in addition to slim, magnetized wallets that clip onto the again of my iPhone. Though I’ve but to spend money on it, I’m wanting ahead to having a chunk to put on on daily basis sooner or later.
Though I’ve been speaking about iPhones as if they’re the top of all smartphones, there are nonetheless a few issues that I feel may be improved.
Do not get me mistaken, it isn’t excellent.
For instance, Apple nonetheless makes use of its proprietary Lightning connector, which implies my tangle of USB-C cables at dwelling and in my automobile are ineffective. Whereas even the most recent MacBooks from Apple, most different smartphone makers, and even different tech segments have transitioned to utilizing USB-C, it is outrageous that the iPhone hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon. Nonetheless, with the European Union regulatory resolution for all smartphones bought to comply with a normal charging port by Q3 2024, USB-C iPhones ought to arrive within the close to future.
The details about the change from Android to iOS also needs to be extra express. When my spouse switched to an iPhone months earlier than me, we have been unaware that there was an official, easy methodology to do it and that it might solely be accomplished with a manufacturing unit reset gadget. If you are going to get an iPhone this vacation season, be sure you obtain the “Transfer to iOS” app in your Android and do not make the identical mistake we did to keep away from losing hours downloading apps and adjusting app folders and cellphone settings to your liking. .
There are positively many extra options that I have not talked about on this article, together with the wonderful digicam and digicam app, Stay Photographs, Apple Notes, and my MacBook textual content messaging, to call just a few. Precise consumer expertise will certainly differ. However for those who’re somebody who needs a premium cellphone with no frills or fuss, the iPhone could be what you are searching for.
Phrases by Chris Noel Hidalgo
Additionally revealed in Devices Journal November-December 2022 Version
– Goodbye, Android; Hello, iOS • Gadgets Magazine
