I am unhappy with some of the choices that Apple has made recently but there are 2 primary reasons I am very hesitant to leave:
- I have an investment in the Apple ecosystem as far as computers, phones, movies and music goes. Not impossible to change (I've switched from Apple to Amiga to OS/2 (anyone remember them?) to MS and back to Apple for computers/personal devices.
- Apple SEEMS to have a commitment to privacy. Looking at the Equifax situation highlights how having a company work to keep your information private is a novelty. But they've had their leaks too. And maybe they aren't as pure intentioned as most people think they are.
I have a few Samsung items. Mostly household goods like refrigerator and TV's. Good stuff, but IF they break the service is absolutely horrible, at least in my area. I have had pretty good luck with Apple service when something has failed. With a few items, like an early iPad, they replaced the unit even though I dropped it and broke the screen, and I didn't have Apple Care. Not everyone has that kind of luck with service or repairs, but it did buy a lot of personal loyalty. And I have purchased Apple Care for all my other Apple products since then.
I have had several interactions with Google over the years. Dealing with them has gone from pretty stress free to check to see if you still have all your stuff after they leave. There moto used to be 'Don't be Evil". Used to be.
But Apple also isn't the company they used to be either. The best way I can describe my feelings about them is 'fluff'. It used to be that they did things in ways no one else did. Not for the entire history of the company, but certainly in the early to 2000's to 2010 or so. Now it seems that being flashy is more important than being good at what you do and make.
Because of point #2 above, I am probably going to still buy my next phone from Apple. It may not be this year, or this model. I was kind of looking forward to buying a new phone, but now I'm ambivalent. I am a form follows function person, and my number 1 priority is that something works properly and simply. Apple famously has not really included manuals with their devices. I find myself having to search for how to do things I used to know how to do because it has changed. Change for improvement is good. Change for the sake of change isn't. Sorry for the long winded answer.
Oh I don't mind long answers. I'm probably the same generation as you, judging by your references to the Amiga and OS/X and don't need discussions condensed to tweet size.
Those are very good reasons for feeling as you do.
My take on it is that things aren't very settled in the Android world right now in terms of customer service and product refinement, either. Samsung is getting closer, but in the US, since we don't have Samsung stores around, getting service can be challenging and you end up in the usual large bureaucratic maze.
For example, my S8+ has a pink stained display, like many S8 and S+ units that came out during the preorder period and possibly even now. Samsung was promising it could be fixed via a software update but they were rolling it out slowly and AT&T was the absolute slowest at rolling it out. I was running past my return period and not sure I wanted to risk getting stuck with this distracting issue. To add insult to injury there were a great number of skeptics saying those of us with the pink tint were imagining it and stuff like that.
So I needed to talk to a human being about my options. I found out there is only one way to deal with them in regards to returns and that's via an 800 service number that was getting absolutely hammered. People were reporting being kept on hold over an hour. There was some huge kerfluffle about Samsung not honoring promotional deals for all customers so that one customer service number was flooded. I tried their help section on their site but got ignored.
I just ended up keeping the phone and deciding to live with the discoloration and vowing to never ever preorder anything from Samsung again. I mean, I had already been through a lot with the Note 7 recall TWICE. Fortunately the fix works, but it means I have to run my display in a mode that utilizes it. I can't use the display setting I'd prefer to use because it doesn't let me use color sliders. Sorry I digress.
I think Samsung is a year away from really hitting their stride with customer service and refinement of their product. I believe Apple is running neck and neck with them. I do think Apple has had their wake up call and will start addressing the things they let slide.
LG is getting closer, too, to where they need to be. The hardware seems to be there but they're still making stupid mistakes. It remains to be seen how committed they are to service. This year could solidify their reputation for next year. They're definitely on the right path but let's see how the V30 does. I think and hope they've finally shaken the stigma of boot loops that plagued some of their models for a couple of generations.
May the gods of electronics have mercy on HTC's soul. They're a hot mess when Google isn't telling them what to design. They're doing some innovative things, truly, but they're making odd design choices and their priorities are wonky. I don't anticipate this year doing anything for them.
Chinese phones aren't on my radar at this point. The longevity isn't there and I can't bring myself to out of dislike for how they disrespect intellectual property rights.
The iPhone 7 Plus has been a really good device for me. As a phone it's okay though. Just okay. I just don't get the consistently clear connections I get with my HTC 10 or my S7 Edge. My S8+ gets a lot of crackle and static, so it's a bit of a step back. Anyway, I keep finding the IPhone 7 Plus in my pocket going with me when I can or want to take only one phone.
I think the iPhone 8 Plus is a nice refinement on an already refined design but it would be nice to see some real reviews before scorching the wallet or credit card for one.
