So, I finally made the switch from an iPhone to an Android-based “regular” phone. Considering that I’ve been using an iPhone (4, 4s, 5s, 6plus, SE, 7, the X) since 2010… it feels as if I’ve got a divorce! And Apple has no freaking clue on what grounds!
Well… I’ll be honest, I saw this coming when I bought the iPhone X early this year. After a couple of days… I could barely notice if I was holding a new (super-expensive) phone! None of my family members noticed the change… nor did any of my colleagues at work.
In fact, besides a spiffy hardware… it all just felt… the SAME. I reasoned why I bought a new phone when my iPhone 7 worked just fine. Couldn’t find a convincing answer (I know, I know… I should’ve reasoned before the purchase… but I got tempted!). And then, I switched to my Moto X4 — an Android-based phone that’s slightly old-fashioned in terms of design but works as well, if not better.
The experiment was to last for four days… and by the end of it I put up my iPhone X online for sale. And it was gone it just a few minutes. Problem solved. Case closed. Nobody noticed.
I’m fiddling with my phone more than I did while I was using iOS… Android phones don’t “just work” but we have to make them work… which can be a nice thing. The phone can be customized to behave just the way we want. Which is great…
Also, the feeling of having jumped out of the walled garden was sensational. It felt like a great (although expensive) adventure! I was on such a roll that I even considered this laptop that I’m typing this post on… my favorite MacBook Pro (which coincidentally is the best MacBook ever!)! Thankfully, good senses prevailed… and I decided to not pull another stupid move and ruin my life. Not because I don’t have alternatives… but I’m pretty confident I’m more productive using a mac than I would ever be on a Windows.
I’ve been there done that… and if things get worse, I always have the option to switch to Linux (on my MacBook Pro, of course)! Boy, that would be fun. Or not… but you got the point.
Another thing… and this possibly is one of the most important reasons why I switched. The status quo… Apple doesn’t challenge it anymore. In fact, from where I am right now (in a Starbucks, sipping my triple-shot Americano)… I see iPhones (mostly 7s, 8s, and Xs) on every freaking table! And if I walk up to any of these tables and ask why they use an iPhone here’s what I’m going to hear:
1) It just works! (Well… yeah, it does!)
2) The ecosystem (Oh, please! Go to hell! You just have an iPhone anyway!)
3) It’s got the best camera (No.. it doesn’t.. Pixel 2 does!)
4) It’s got the best hardware! (Again. NO!)
Here’s the real reason why people have an iPhone…
It’s expensive… and owning one would simply imply that they’re rich and hip! Period.
Would they admit it? I don’t give a damn if they don’t.
And that’s the freaking problem — instead of Apple challenging the status quo… it has created one.
Does this mean I won’t ever own an iPhone again? I’m not sure… but if I do… it won’t ever be for the same reason why I bought my first iPhone in 2010 because I thought the company “Thinks Different.”