I'll be honest, I use iPhones for 10 years at this point. (the 4S really was extremely great technology for the time, retina display, skeuomorphic design, it felt quite luxurious to be perfectly honest), but now I feel like iPhones don't really offer much and this latest update is really... milquetoast.
So, I am genuinely curious; maybe there is a feature that is compelling that I'd be missing out with on going android (or windows phone) that I've become blind to.
I will most likely switch to an iPhone 15 Pro. The reason for me is that my wife and kids are on iOS, and it's difficult to manage things like app approvals and family data sharing when my primary device is an Android phone. The Pixel 8 does not look like much of a jump from even my Pixel 5, so it's not compelling enough for me to stick with that line.
You're right that the two ecosystems are largely the same. There are some things I'll miss from my Android phone, though. I find the navigation on Android remarkably simpler than iOS. I find the quick-access and notification management better designed on Android. I'll miss a native Firefox app with uBlock Origin for ad-blocking. There are a few games I like that are Android-only. Specific to the Pixel 5, I'll miss the rear fingerprint sensor.
All those things are not super-compelling, though. The compelling "feature" that's causing me to switch is it's simply easier to use the same ecosystem as my family, and Android cannot provide that (and Apple won't let them).
Having done a lot of looking it was either Galaxy watch or Apple. Galaxy would mean a new phone (1), and I'm not a fan of Samsung's Android interface (I've been a Moto G user for a long time, and like plain Android), so it was really that that swung it for me... and I really like having just USB-C as everything else in the house is on it... and my macbook pro has it.
Totally with you on the 15, really. Was torn and thinking about getting a 14, but the USB-C and transfer speed plus having a slightly newer SoC meaning there's more chance of getting a decent lifespan out of what is a pretty expensive purchase was the decider.
Also, I was pro-Android back in the day because you could customise it, and I've run Custom Roms for a long time. It's pretty difficult to do that now and have the things I need (banking app mainly), and it really does seem Android is just another google info-hoover now.
This does mean eating serious crow with my friends, who are ALL iPhone users, and have been forever.
(1) I know I could have the hacked version that installs everywhere, but my wife was genuinely concerned it wouldn't work properly, and she's paying for the majority of the watch as she never got my 50th present for me.
- Satellite (I hike/am out of cell coverage a lot)
- USB-C
- Better camera
- Always-on display (a nice to-have, not a must-have)
- 100% battery health :-)
Vs Android:
- I don't trust Google at all, data or hardware support wise, from experience.
- Apps are generally better on iOS, IMHO, although I miss the hackery apps available on Android, but I have a SIM-less Pixel 6a to play with those.
- I find the iOS experience more polished.
- iOS Shortcuts are great and well-supported. I know there's equivalents on Android but they're not as polished or well-supported by apps.
- I find the iPhone hardware quality (fit, finish, durability) is much better.
- I use AirPods and Apple Watch heavily. I'm aware that's lock-in, but I'm okay with it, for now.
iPhones virtually never deliver early, so it should arrive Sept 22, with a very high probability.
Weak sauce.
