I have used Android since roughly 2011, and would definitely classify myself as a fanboy. Now that I do quite a bit of iOS development for work, I finally made the jump over to using an iPhone full-time. Now that I’ve switched, I don’t know if I could ever go back. It’s not like I was completely oblivious to the iPhone before I switched — I’ve even been using an iPad for years and making iOS apps for quite some time. I’ve just been too reluctant to switch because I was so comfortable with my Android phone. In fact, the Galaxy S10e came out after the iPhone XR, so the iPhone XR is actually an older device! So what is it that makes me so pumped to now have an iPhone as my daily driver? 🤔

Big-name apps work better

Apple definitely has a majority market share of smartphones in the US. So that means, companies with a focus on the United States have an incentive to put more resources into their iOS apps, as opposed to Android. I’ve always known this and been kind of annoyed as an Android user. Now that I’m using an iPhone, I’m starting to really appreciate it 🤩

A lot of apps look and act exactly the same on both platforms, and hats off to those companies. However, a lot of smaller things come to the iPhone first, and their iPhone apps often end up being more polished than their Android counterparts. Shockingly enough, this is the most evident in banking/finance apps!

Things just work like magic

Android’s open ecosystem is incredibly open and customizable. I’ve always loved this, and its one of the reasons I have stuck with it so long. However, this often results in manufactures or carriers making unnecessary changes to the OS for their own benefit (looking at you, Samsung). The Android software is built to fit an enormous range of hardware, and it’s begun to feel like a one-size-fits-none situation. Once I stopped being able to articulate what I specifically liked about Android over the iPhone, I decided to make the switch at least temporarily. I couldn’t be happier with the consistency of experience that Apple has provided.

Creating software with hardware in mind, and vice versa has clearly evident benefits. I’ve been using the iPhone for a little over a week now, and haven’t experienced any crashes or even lag. Even FaceID works 100 times more consistently than its Android counterpart.

The emphasis on design is notable

I’m an engineer, so design isn’t exactly my strong suit. I used to not even care about design, but the more I use computers and phones in my life, the more I want to actually enjoy the experience. This is especially magnified as I dive into a profession driven by creating positive software experiences for users.

It’s become pretty apparent that Android is engineered and then designed, while iOS is designed and then engineered. Color schemes, animation, and even sounds have surprised me with the level of detail invested. iMessage is without a doubt the most obvious example of this, specifically with the whole screen effect features 🤯

Beyond that, Emoji is just better. I used to never use emoji. Then I started using them on my mac because my girlfriend pointed out how much better they appeared than any other implementation I’ve seen. Emoji are supposed to communicate something better than text, and Apple really nails the fun element here!

Syncing with my MacBook is too convenient

Having iMessage on both my phone and my MacBook is a pretty novel feature. Not incredibly useful but definitely nice to be able to respond to texts in the middle of using my Computer without having switch devices.

Airdropping between my phone and computer has been pretty great too! Being able to transfer documents, pictures, and even links back and forth without emailing them is a bit of a time saver.

Just today, I got sent a link to a site that looked like garbage on mobile. All I had to do was open safari and click on the tab (from my MacBook) that was open on my iPhone, and ba-bam, I was in business on my MacBook.

All of the syncing is definitely not perfect. There’s a bit of a lag between my phone and computer, and I’ve often had my computer be ringing after I already answered a call on my phone. But still, the sync between the 2 is pretty cool.

Privacy 🔐

I’ll be honest, Apple’s stance on encryption is bold and attractive to me as a consumer. They’ve shown in public that they’re willing to stand up to even the government to protect their users' information, and that’s priceless in a time where the economy runs on personal information. If you use an Android phone, you’re all but consenting to have Google track everything about you. A great side effect of shifting to the iPhone is the option for more choice over disclosure!

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Making the switch from Android to the iPhone was a lot like my jump from Windows to Mac. It took me years to work up the guts but I’m definitely not regretting it. Yes, Apple charges significantly more for products that compare equally on a technical level. The “Apple Tax” is very real, and a barrier for many. If you’re trying to decide if that price jump is worth it for you, talk to some friends, and ask them what they like about their iPhone! Go into the Apple store and get hands-on with them 👨‍🔬

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