After 3 years I still havent ditched my iPhone and gone back to Android, and
I cant believe it

Date:
Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:35:42 +0000

Description:
Im still using an iPhone after 3 long years years despite being an Android lover at heart.

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A lot can change in three years. Wars can spark off, recessions can bloom, businesses can rise and fall, generative AI can make art, and some bloke can buy Twitter and all but ruin it. However, in 36 months, it turns out Ive not changed much.

Specifically, I'm basing this observation on the fact that Im still using an iPhone as my main phone. Back in December 2021 I made the swap from Android
to iOS, ditching a Google Pixel 6 Pro for an iPhone 13 Pro after years of resisting entering Apples walled garden.

But the iPhone 13 Pro brought in (finally) a 120Hz OLED display, packed a
trio of excellent cameras, and delivered powerful performance, all in a 6.1-inch package that I felt the best Android phones couldnt match. And I was kinda smitten.

I adored using the 13 Pro; it really did 'just work' for everything I wanted it to do, and when I got my MackBook Air M2 , the phone played nice with one of the best laptops Ive ever used. Heck, I even enjoyed how the stainless steel slowly developed a patina .

Yet, in the back of my head, I had the feeling that Id return to an Android phone; maybe a new Pixel with its refined smarts and style, or a mighty
Galaxy S-series Ultra.

That didnt happen. And to my surprise I even found myself waxing lyrical
about the iPhone 15 Pro Max Id started using as part of my role heading up TechRadars Mobile Computing division. The titanium design made a large phone feel light , and almost and wieldy as its non-Max stable mate.

So when UK carrier Vodafone kindly sent me the iPhone 16 Pro Max , I moved over to it without a moments pause. Living for the ease (Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)

Now the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a disappointment of sorts. It launched without a load of Apple Intelligence features, the cameras didnt offer much of an
uptick over what came before, and the new Camera Control button-meets-slider is borderline a gimmick at least based on my use of it so far.

But Im still using the iPhone 16 Pro Max, despite a wonderful Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra giving me use me eyes from its spot on my desk although that could just be my imagination and its rear-camera orientation. More recently, my boss, Global Editor-in-Chief Marc McLaren, expressed surprise that a once dyed-in-the-wool Android fan is still using an iPhone.

The reason for this is simply down to sheer convenience. Now that other
phones use titanium, and come with a host of smart features, and that Android continues to evolve, its hard for me to lean on my preference for the photos the iPhones image processing and computational photography kick out, or the performance the A-series chips offer.

However, iOS just has that magic touch; that way of making everything that
bit easier thanks to Apples ecosystem. My AirPods Pro seamlessly connect to
my iPhone, and when a call pops up on my phone I can take it on my MacBook handy if Im wearing headphones. AirPlay still feels like connectivity
wizardry in the face of temperamental Bluetooth, and tight integration of
apps and tools means you can just get things like two-factor authentication done at speed.

A great example of this was when a group of us London-based TechRadarians
were looking to escape the historic city of Bath after a grueling Black
Friday at Future Publishings HQ. Two of my colleagues, who will remain nameless, lacked the foresight to download their digital train tickets before reaching the station. Thanks to the buildings thick walls and the terrible public Wi-Fi, these two reprobates struggled to get internet access, so had
to tether to my iPhone, which was basking in 5G signal.

As they were both using iPhones, rather than try and figure out my Wi-Fi hotspot password, I could simply tap a prompt to share access to it with
them. Its a small thing, but it felt like tech magic in the moment. And on a daily basis, iOS and the wider Apple ecosystem enable such feats of convenience.

Sure, theres no way even the best iPhone is anywhere as interesting to use as an Android flagship, which means I nearly always have an Android phone within reach. But these phones feel like gadgets that one makes a conscious effort
to use, whereas my iPhone feels like a tech tool that I just use to do a task and then pop in my pocket; theres no soul here to speak of, but for getting stuff done with zero fuss Ill always reach for Cupertinos smartphones.

I hope this changes, as I used to love bouncing between Android phones; maybe the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra , which we expect to see in January, will tempt me back. But for now, in an increasingly chaotic world, Ill choose convenience over character when it comes to a smartphone. You might also like Im a die-hard Apple fan, but even Ill admit that the Google Pixel 9 Pro is
the best-looking phone of the year 5 things we want from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra I can't believe I love this Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra downgrade



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/after-3-years-i-still-havent-ditched-m y-iphone-and-gone-back-to-android-and-i-cant-believe-it


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