You know this thing where kids learn something at a really early age and then become really good at it over time? Well, because they clearly do not have the kinds of problems that we have now, they get to spend more time and give more concentration to any concept, as long as they are very interested in it. I was that kind of kid when it came to gadgets.
I owned my first Android phone when I was 11 years old. And I spent a lot of time exploring virtually everything about it, especially the Android OS. It was running on Android OS 2.1. Compared to what we have rolling out now, Android 14, there were a lot of things that the phone wasn't exactly capable of doing because of the version it was running on, because there was the more efficient Android 2.3 at that time already, but it sufficed for the most part as per my being only a kid then.
I got accustomed to Android, fell in love with it, and didn't care much about other OS that weren't even common then. iOS was already existing, but it wasn't really a thing here at that time. Hence, most phones that had touchscreens were running on the Android OS. And, because of that, there was this compatibility most phones had with one another since they were running on the same OS and were at least close in version numbers.
At that time, there were so many tricks we could leverage with the Android OS. The OS was simple and user-friendly enough that it allowed for certain features like sharing applications and making personalised customizations. There were a myriad of exciting applications to choose from—games, utilities, and social media applications—because it was the most popular OS and there were many developers creating things every day.
Times changed, and I had to change mobile phones many times. The thing, however, is that I never left the Android ecosystem; even now, I am still in that ecosystem. It has become my lifestyle, and my level of productivity keeps going up because I stick with Android phones that are very efficient and useful.
Along the way, of course, iOS started to get around more and garner followers. Fast forward to now; there is now such a big competition between both operating systems, and the digital world is split between two major types of people—the Android gang and the Apple squad.
Right off the bat, I would say that I have not yet had the opportunity to explore the Apple ecosystem as much as I have been able to with Android, and so I would not be able to speak much from that angle—although I have interacted with it a couple of times. Therefore, I couldn't fathom the hype that had always been around for Apple devices—iPads, iPhones, and Apple watches.
From my little firsthand experiences with iOS and living vicariously through its regular users, there are so many aspects that I would choose Android over iOS. For one, you just have to be in the Apple ecosystem and fully immersed in it to truly experience their "magic." Otherwise, using iOS with other devices that run on different operating systems is just another level of hassle.
I have managed to turn myself into some sort of nerd for mobile phones, so much so that I binge on videos, articles, or anything at all that talks about phones and their features, specifications, and how they compete with other phones of different makes. That has made me come to understand certain depths about many phones, including the Apple phones.
The latest Apple phones are the iPhone 15 series. Without a doubt, these phones are exceptional, though many reviews by prolific tech content creators have it that there aren't exactly drastic changes in those new phones and their predecessors. However, the level that Apple phones have reached is commendable, especially with the incredible features they are capable of.
The catch, however, is that there are a myriad of phone manufacturers that are equally making waves in the mobile phone category. The top contenders are Samsung and Google Pixel. And, for the same reason aforementioned, there are fascinating things that these Android phones are capable of because of their "openness."
I would love to try out the iOS ecosystem and know for myself just how it is to be there and what benefits it has over Android. Considering how much of an Android guy I am, however, I would usually find it hard to crossover from the space that I have become very accustomed to for most of my life.
If I could pick the kind of Android phone I would like to own, it would be the new Google Pixel 8 Pro. It is quite expensive, yeah, but it is a pretty impressive phone, and its synergy with Google and their products makes it even more powerful with the kind of OS it has.
In a nutshell, although I do agree that iOS devices have pretty impressive features, especially in recent times, I would remain loyal to the Android ecosystem for a very long time. There's just that thing about that OS that is connected to my childhood. Thank you for reading!