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iPhone X Is iMessage the main reason you are sticking with the iPhone?

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BigSky20

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 26, 2007
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Don't get me wrong. I really like my iPhone X, but I don't love it. Mainly because I am getting board with iOS and the lack of customization. However, iMessage is the main thing keeping me on the iPhone (even though I am fully in the Apple ecosystem).

I know people will say you can use other apps to do messaging, but having iMessage as the stock messaging system is key for sending pics and videos to family and friends.

Just a thought on this sunny Friday...
 
For me, it’s just one of many reasons. I also don’t get bored with the iOS interface. If you believe interface tweaks are for you, a different phone might be a good option if you can get everyone to use a different messaging app to suit your needs.
 
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BigSky20 said:
Don't get me wrong. I really like my iPhone X, but I don't love it. Mainly because I am getting board with iOS and the lack of customization. However, iMessage is the main thing keeping me on the iPhone (even though I am fully in the Apple ecosystem).

I know people will say you can use other apps to do messaging, but having iMessage as the stock messaging system is key for sending pics and videos to family and friends.

Just a thought on this sunny Friday...
Click to expand...
Hardly.

I can count on one hand the number of people in my circle of family and friends who use iMessage. I can count on multiple hands the number of people I communicate with who use SMS/MMS and several of those HAVE iMessage but their messages always come across as SMS/MMS.

I've maybe sent one video since 2009 when I got my first smartphone. I rarely send images, except when my wife needs to make a decision about which product she wants from the shelves at Walmart or the coffee menu at my local coffee shop.

Other than character count and the fact that iMessage works on WiFi I see no real advantage to it - even though I do use it.

But the ability to use it on WiFi is negated by the fact that 99% of the time my iPhone is on cellular.

So, no. iMessage has zero hold on me.
 
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I don't use iMessage. I do very much like iOS, more so than Android, though I'd have no issue switching to Android either, to be honest, but I don't see a reason to at this time.
 
BigSky20 said:
Don't get me wrong. I really like my iPhone X, but I don't love it. Mainly because I am getting board with iOS and the lack of customization. However, iMessage is the main thing keeping me on the iPhone (even though I am fully in the Apple ecosystem).

I know people will say you can use other apps to do messaging, but having iMessage as the stock messaging system is key for sending pics and videos to family and friends.

Just a thought on this sunny Friday...
Click to expand...

It’s huge for my family. iMessage and AirDrop. Otherwise I’d be out there sampling other phones despite me also having an iMac, iPads, Apple Watch and Apple TVs.
 
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BigSky20 said:
Don't get me wrong. I really like my iPhone X, but I don't love it. Mainly because I am getting board with iOS and the lack of customization. However, iMessage is the main thing keeping me on the iPhone (even though I am fully in the Apple ecosystem).

I know people will say you can use other apps to do messaging, but having iMessage as the stock messaging system is key for sending pics and videos to family and friends.

Just a thought on this sunny Friday...
Click to expand...

Not for me. Most of my customers use Androids. I just need to be able to call, text and email and the iPhone has a nice OS that makes it all easy.
 
iMessage is a definite factor for me. My wife and I use it extensively to share photos/videos of the kids. I am also mostly bored with iOS though. However anytime I consider switching (I am ashamed to admit OS boredom is the only real reason I consider it) to a Note or a Pixel, I read some other story about android and/or Samsung in general which makes me think it is not worth the trouble.

Also, Apple has sold me on Apple Watch and AirPods so that makes switching more complicated and expensive.
 
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My family all has iPhones and uses iMessages and FaceTime a lot. However, the primary reason I stay with the iPhone is the easy ability to switch between devices and not have to sync or run anything each time. For instance, I like being able to create a list in Notes on my MBP and then pick up my iPhone and it's right there. Or continuing an iMessage conversation on any device. There are some drawbacks, like some of the newer Android phones being cheaper and shinier. However, it does what I want it to do. I like to tinker with electronics and customize them, but that's more in then the sense of a project (building a PC, coding, etc.). For the devices I use daily, I just want them to work well.
 
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tlmp said:
…However, the primary reason I stay with the iPhone is the easy ability to switch between devices and not have to sync or run anything each time. For instance, I like being able to create a list in Notes on my MBP and then pick up my iPhone and it's right there. Or continuing an iMessage conversation on any device.…
Click to expand...
Can't do any of that on PowerPC Macs or Intel Macs only capable of running Snow Leopard max. But I have workarounds or alternatives since Apple dropped me with iTunes 10.6.4, the iPhone 5 and up.

But I don't really use any of that on a Mac anyway. Most of the time my phone is right next to me. I sit in front of a computer for 16 or more hours a day. Each device I own/use has a specific purpose so there are things I wouldn't do on a phone, especially when a keyboard is right under my hands.

That said, I know this whole Apple ecosystem thing works for a lot of people. Otherwise it wouldn't be so popular.
 
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My wife is the only person I text regularly via iMessage. My circle of friends use FB Messenger and WhatsApp to text one another. I could easily (and sometimes do) jump from my iPhone to the Pixel 2 without skipping a beat.
 
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Oh yes, iMessage is definitely a big reason why I remain on an iPhone as it’s used heavily in my family. Plus most (close to all) of my friends seem to use iMessage so it’s convenient.

Other reasons I’m on an iPhone are:
Easy backup to iCloud
Apple Watch
Ability to walk into an Apple store for support
 
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nburwell said:
My wife is the only person I text regularly via iMessage. My circle of friends use FB Messenger and WhatsApp to text one another. I could easily (and sometimes do) jump from my iPhone to the Pixel 2 without skipping a beat.
Click to expand...
I abandoned Facebook over a year ago (deleted my account) but even when I was using it FB Messenger wasn't a thing at all in my circles.

But as a third party solution it's an option (and one that your circles have taken). And this is what I think is great. Despite Apple's attempts to lock people in they can't stop third party alternatives.

So, while not what I'd be using, the fact that you can switch back and forth easily because this is cross platform IS a thing to me.

I've never been one to let myself be tied down by any specific company.
 
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Haven't used iMessage in years. It's primitive compared to other platforms like WeChat.
 
One of many reasons, including FaceTime with soon group FaceTime, and Find friends is awesome with family.

iMessaging is better IMO and would be hard for me to downgrade.

I do prefer Google maps for long trips and Google Calendar for every day use though.

I feel both Apple and Google ‘Mail’ and ‘Contacts’ to be on equal footing and use iOS default for seamless integration.

There’s a LOT of other reasons why I stay because I prefer iOS to androids OS for many personal reasons.
 
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No. I use FaceTime and iMessage with only two people. In Norway, both Messenger and WhatsApp are far more popular, even among iPhone users.
 
eyoungren said:
I abandoned Facebook over a year ago (deleted my account) but even when I was using it FB Messenger wasn't a thing at all in my circles.

But as a third party solution it's an option (and one that your circles have taken). And this is what I think is great. Despite Apple's attempts to lock people in they can't stop third party alternatives.

So, while not what I'd be using, the fact that you can switch back and forth easily because this is cross platform IS a thing to me.

I've never been one to let myself be tied down by any specific company.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I don't even have the main FB app installed. I just have messenger installed when my one friend switched to a S9 from his 6s. Not sure why we didn't go the WhatsApp route, but it is what it is.
 
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No. I don’t even use iMessage. However I do sometimes receive messages through the stock app and it’s nice to see the message on my Mac or iPad if that’s what I’m using at the time.

The main reason is the ecosystem. I have a lot of Apple devices and I like the way they just Work together seemlessley.

In some cases there are no viable competitor devices. The iPad being the only tablet worth buying imo. Also the Apple Watch is better than what else is out there.

I have a MacBook and after years of getting crappy windows computers, I’ll never buy another windows device.

I also stay with the iPhone for the guaranteed software updates. I tend to upgrade my iPhone every year but my iPads and other devices I might keep for longer and when I buy them I’m confident that they will continue to be supported for several years. So in that sense there is more value in my purchases.

Also if I buy AppleCare I know Apple will take care of me if anything goes wrong with my devices.

So many of the reasons why I stay with the iPhone as my daily driver are more about the ecosystem and Apple as a whole rather than one particular feature that the iPhone has.
 
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BigSky20 said:
Don't get me wrong. I really like my iPhone X, but I don't love it. Mainly because I am getting board with iOS and the lack of customization. However, iMessage is the main thing keeping me on the iPhone (even though I am fully in the Apple ecosystem).

I know people will say you can use other apps to do messaging, but having iMessage as the stock messaging system is key for sending pics and videos to family and friends.

Just a thought on this sunny Friday...
Click to expand...
It’s one of the reasons for sure. FaceTime as well. Overall though I just like how IOS works. I really don’t have time to tinker with Android like when I was younger.
 
WhatsApp kinda killed iMessage in terms of decision making.....I went from 8+ to note * then back to iPhone X within 2 months.
Nothing to do with iMessage, more battery throttle on the note 9 because of how much u can actually do on it.
Everything seems to throttle the battery
 
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