Adieu Android, Hello iPhone!

I was going to write a long post about why I’m switching from Android to iOS, but then Nick Pierno read my mind.

Sure, there are some differences: For example, he’s turning in his Nexus 5, I had a 2 year old HTC One S (more on that below). He’s getting a 6, I’m getting a 5S. But we’re turning to iPhones for the same reasons:

  • Better camera
  • TouchID
  • Better hardware
  • Early access to great software (1)

Then there’s the fact that Apple and Google have totally different views on technology. In his interview this week with Charlie Rose, Tim Cook said: “We have hundreds and millions of customers. So it’s a very rare instance that there’s been any data asked. And one of the reasons is, we don’t keep a lot.” Apple already made their money when they sold you the iPhone. They don’t need to store your messages on their servers to milk them for keywords.

To me, that illustrates a broader theme, that started to emerge very clearly after this year’s WWDC and Google’s I/O: Google uses technology to do cool but strange stuff (Google Glass!, Project Tango!), Apple uses technology to create great consumer electronics (iPad!). In the last couple of years, at least as far as consumer electronics are concerned, I realized I actually like Apple’s view point better.

Also, it doesn’t hurt that iOS8 finally adds Extensions and 3rd party keyboards. It will make the transition much easier. I can’t imagine how you iPhone people lived without being able to swype-input text.

I’m looking forward to my new iPhone. But to really make a clean transition, I need some closure first…

HTC: You did this to yourself

You screwed me over, HTC. No updates? For a year-old phone? After all those years I had been telling people HTC made the best Android phones?

We both know the One S could have used that update, too… Crashes, laggy widgets, that thing where the phone would think my head phone had a mic, and would start calling my contacts. And all those 3rd party apps that you can’t uninstall? Is this my phone, or theirs? I paid for that storage space! You robbed me, HTC! Not only of my phone’s storage space – you robbed me of my hopes for Android being a contender…

1. Semil Shah spoke the truth on ‘iOS first’