For ten years, I’ve had to explain to critics why I insist on using an Android phone. I’ve been debating whether to upgrade from my beloved Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus to the iPhone 14 Pro for months, and I’ve finally decided to do so. So far, I don’t regret anything I’ve done. (More so now that I’ve stopped being called “green” because of my text color, but more on that later.)
You might think I’m being theatrical, but going to the Verizon store was a turning point in my life. I’ve always taken pleasure in the fact that I’ve resisted the urge to join the Apple fan club. I refused to upgrade to an iPhone despite years of pressure from friends who said I would be happier if I did so. Nearby everyone is iPhone-equipped. Going against the grain was liberating. For a long time, I relied only on Samsung Galaxy products, which I continue to think are fantastic.
However, after discussing the advantages of the iPhone over the Android with loved ones, I began to change my mind. Having a high-quality camera, a flexible user interface, and Object Eraser to eliminate distracting backgrounds or people from photos were all features I found invaluable on my Galaxy S10 Plus (Pixel phones have a similar feature). Still, there was one major advantage that the iPhone had over my Android that I couldn’t live without.
So many people have informed me that I make group texts unreadable by making everything appear “green.” Since Apple has refused to make iMessage compatible with Android devices, the text bubbles in your messages to those who aren’t using iOS will be green. I ignored this since it seemed like a trivial gripe, which was entirely Apple’s responsibility.
I used to think the only good thing about having an iPhone was…the iPhone.
In order to transfer high-resolution photographs and videos from an Android phone to an iPhone, a third-party software like WhatsApp is required. At first, I was content with only using WhatsApp, but then I started to feel jealous of my friends who were immediately AirDropping photographs and movies following our hangouts. Videos lose quality when sent using WhatsApp, and it takes a long time to transfer them to Google Drive.
It was also annoying that Android applications like TikTok lowered the quality of my camera footage. TikTok videos shot on an iPhone, even an older model like the iPhone X, look completely different from the ones I’ve shot on my Galaxy S10 Plus. When I used TikTok on my Galaxy, the app warped the colors and blurred the images in a way that was really unattractive and unnatural. Videos look great and function properly on the iPhone. For someone who spends as much time on TikTok as I do, this is crucial information.
For these and other reasons, as well as the fact that I already use a MacBook and would so benefit from the Apple ecosystem, I’ve begun to reconsider purchasing an iPhone. Combining the new always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro versions (which I found to be invaluable on my Galaxy devices) with other exciting new features like Dynamic Island, I found myself really considering making the move.
There were times when I felt like such a sellout, but I fought through it. However, I finally accepted the fact that a phone is simply a phone. Additionally, people will always have uninvited thoughts about the gadget you’re using, regardless of what you do. The Galaxy served me well for a long time. I needed a change, and I had finally found it. So far, I don’t regret anything I’ve done.
