This site, Android Beat, has been live for about half a year now. When people find out I write all about Android, they think I don’t know anything about iOS. The funny thing is, I’ve had more experience using Apple’s mobile operating system than Google’s, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. Why should I? Apple is cool, and without the iPhone, Android would look very different today.
You see, back in January of this year, I sold my two year old iPhone 4 and had every intention of buying an iPhone 5, but I simply couldn’t find a store that had one in stock. Now granted, I was in Malaysia at time, so the Chinese New Year Year was to blame. Me being the genius that I am, I sold the iPhone 4 before figuring out where to buy an iPhone 5, which put me in the uncomfortable situation of hopping from Apple Store to Apple Store to Apple Store in Kuala Lumpur’s sweltering heat to find what was, at the time, the new iPhone. After failing to locate said iPhone, I picked up the next best thing, Samsung’s Galaxy Note II. Why the Note II? All the journalists who I respect and voraciously read have said, at one point or another, that the Note II was the best Android phone on the market. The 5.5 inch screen put me off a bit at first, but I listened to the experts and plunked down my hard earned money on Samsung’s second generation phablet. Do I regret buying the Note II? Some days I do, some days I don’t, but overall I’d say I’m satisfied with the device. The screen has spoiled me, however, and holding my girlfriend’s iPhone 5 makes me giggle like a teenage school girl at the size. So with all that backstory laid out, it’s time to have a deep think about what Apple presented yesterday. First, the iPhone 5c. I thought it would be cheap, $450 max. Instead, it’s nothing more than an iPhone 5, but with a slightly larger battery and a plastic case. At $550, I’m simply not interested. Not even in the slightest bit. And considering that the more advanced iPhone 5s is just $100 more, which isn’t a lot if you live in the Western World, the the 5C means absolutely nothing to me. Some of you care about it because it’s colorful. Have fun with that. Focusing on the crème de la crème, the iPhone 5s, it’s a super impressive device. I want one. I really want one. The only thing that’s stopping me from buying one is that small screen, which I know will be fixed next year with the iPhone 6. But then I think to myself, why not get rid of my Note II, buy the iPhone 5s, and then also buy the 2013 Nexus 7 to get my Android fix? Usually I wait at least two years before buying a new phone, but I have a feeling deep inside me that’s hard to describe that’s urging me to get rid of the Note. There’s nothing wrong with the Note, but I just … I simply just don’t want it anymore. And now that the Note 3 is just two weeks away, so I should buy that, right? What would I gain by going back to iOS? For one thing, I’d have a phone with an awesome camera again. I used to take photos constantly with my iPhone 4, but when I switched to the Note II, I stopped. The pictures aren’t as good, and the device is simply too big. The iPhone 5S would fix that. Then there’s apps. Android sure is powerful, and I can do things on Android that I know I would never be able to do in a million years on iOS, but you know what? Apps for iOS have a polish that only a small handful of Android apps can claim to have, and it’s something I miss. Whenever my girlfriend shows me a game she’s just downloaded on her iPhone, I just look at my Note II and sigh. Let’s also not forget about updates. When will the next version of Android come out? When will the company that built my phone update the phone? When will the operator that I bought my phone from approve the update that the company that made my phone just pushed out? This bullshit doesn’t exist on iOS. If I do switch back to iOS, will I still write for this website? Absolutely. Android is awesome, and watching Samsung grow is fascinating. Part of me secretly wishes that Android would die, however, and that it’ll get replaced by some sort of new Chrome OS type environment that’s incredibly locked down. And hey, as I write this, I’m taking my SIM card out of a Windows Phone. All of these platforms are great, but really, at the end of the day, my (first world white man) struggles have a lot to do with form factor. Do I want to be a guy who owns a laptop and a phone and a tablet or is a laptop and a phone enough? How big should my next laptop be and how big should my phone be? Watch this space. I’ll buy a phone between now and Christmas, but I don’t know which one yet. Oh and in case you’re wondering: The fingerprint scanner deserves a soft golf clap, but nothing more. And the fact that the A7 in the 5s is 64-bit is something I don’t care about, but Apple’s claim that it’s 2x faster than the A6 is something important to note. As for color? I’d probably go with gray.
