I made the switch from Android to Apple. Hear me out before the fanboy rage!
Many people, including me, often praise Android over iPhone because Apple has a reputation for stealing ideas and technology, and their products are often way overpriced. I agreed with this for the most part, but overtime Apple has shown that they can still provide quality devices that rival Android.
OS Updates
My very first smartphone ran Android; it was a Motorola Atrix to be specific. It was great when it first released, but it quickly became obsolete. When I say obsolete, I don’t mean a newer Motorola phone came out that was better than it. We all know technology moves quickly and a new device will release each year with every company. What I mean is it ran Android 2.0 and only updated to Android 2.2 over its entire life. It quickly became incompatible with apps, and it was at risk to security breaches.
Just a week or two ago there were news articles about a massive number of Android phones being at risk to some virus. This isn’t the first time this has happened, and it’s not because Android users are dumb and download everything that pops up. The Android operating system doesn’t get updated unless each manufacturer (Motorola, Samsung, LG, whatever) decides to roll out an update to their phones, and many phones are often left behind. Without updates, they quickly become vulnerable to viruses. While it’s true that not all Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) can run the latest iOS, they try to keep all of their products up to date for security and app compatibility.
Apps
Speaking of app compatibility, iPhones are usually more compatible with a wide range of apps because there are a small number of Apple devices that can run them. When it comes to Android, there are a wide range of different devices out there that can make it tough to program for. Yes, there are still some apps that are Android exclusive or Apple exclusive, but from what I hear from developers it’s easier to program for Apple devices.
A quick side note for those who may wish to switch from Android to Apple: If you do wish to make the switch, do not get any smartphone earlier than the iPhone 5S. I hear they will be switching their App store from 32-bit to 64-bit, and the iPhone 5S and later use the 64-bit operating system.
Memory
Another big reason why I made the switch was the memory. A few years back, it seemed like all Android devices only had about 10-15 GB of flash memory. These days the latest Android smartphones have around 32 GB of internal memory. Android is often praised for having expandable memory using micro SD cards, which I agree is great, but there is a bit of a downside to expandable memory. For one, the speed of the memory will depend on the quality of the SD card, and will always be slower than the internal memory. Furthermore, the micro SD cards are only used for pictures, videos, music, and documents. Apps must still be saved to the internal flash memory. If you use too many apps and get updates to the operating system, your internal flash memory can quickly fill up. iPhones can be purchased with 16, 32, 64, and even 128 GB of internal flash memory. I will admit that the prices for these memory upgrades are pretty outrageous, so I would recommend buying used.
Free Messaging
A very minor reason why I switched to Apple from Android was because of the people I associate with. Many people I know already use iPhones but aren’t too tech savvy. I found out I could message them using the iPhone’s text message app without a mobile service — just using wifi — because it was sent using Apple ID’s email set up. But I must say that using Facebook’s messenger app, Skype, or just Gmail is fine when sending messages. Facebook and Skype can even do free voice and video calls if you’re hooked up to the internet! But again, the people I associate with aren’t very tech savvy. I had a hard enough time teaching them how to sync their iTunes library onto an Android phone and telling them which was the best music player.
But these are the reasons why I switched from Android to Apple. No fanboying here. These are legitimate, well thought out reasons. And I hope my iPhone 5S lasts a long time without having to upgrade.