Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I had an Android phone I had the Samsung Galaxy S5 for awhile. There were several reasons I went back to iPhone. The first is bloatware, there was tons of carrier bloat that I couldn't erase on my Android phone that took up precious space. The second was software updates, as an iPhone user, I get to have the latest and greatest software update for my phone as soon as it comes out along with every other iPhone user. With Android I have to wait for carrier and phone manufacturer to get it together and that often took a very long time, even for security updates. I certainly appreciate Android for what it is, but I would much rather have the iPhone.

My Galaxy S4 was still on Kitkat long after Lollipop was released and it would always say "Software is up to date" right to this very day!

Would I ever use Android again? No. I would rather use a Nokia N95.
 
I didn't read previous posts, please pardon for duplication.

Reason 1 - When something is wrong with my phone, I want to be able to walk into a store and have someone to take care of it.
Read this -
https://forums.macrumors.com/index.php?posts/21994609/

Reason 2 - I want the exact phone model to be the most popular, so I have the best selection of 3rd party accessories, the most active forums on internet, and greatest demand eventually when sell the phone.

Reason 3 - the whole Apple Eco system is entirely supported by one company- Apple. No finger pointing.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: HEK and waquzy
Price is very low on my list of reasons to buy a phone. Feel free to judge that decision, but I am unapologetic about it. I choose my phones based on many things, and sometimes that's an Android phone, and sometimes it's an iPhone. At this particular point in time, it's both: I have an iPhone 6s Plus and a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and they are both great phones. The cheaper Android phones are great in their own right, but they normally have some sort of compromises I'm not willing to live with.

I agree. The majority of the cheaper android phones are lacking in some way or another which is why I've never bought any of them.


To be honest there isn't much difference between flagship android devices and the latest iPhone. In the past iPhones had many advantages in terms of stability and app availability however these days not so much. However on the other hand the majority of the advantages android devices had over the iPhone have been neutralised over the years e.g larger screens, high resolution screens, expandable memory, removable batteries, widgets, third party keyboards, flash support.

I think when you are looking at the top end devices it really comes down to preference. I started with the iPhone, used it for about 3 years, then used various android devices for 3 years and now for the past year I've been using the iPhone again. For me personally the iPhone fits my needs better mainly because of the extensive ecosystem I've built up (iPads, MacBook, Apple TV, Apple Watch). It's not simply a case of it costing me money to buy other devices. I've tried having android tablets, with android phones and Windows laptops and the level of integration is nowhere near as good as that which the Apple ecosystem provides.

In addition as I've said above the advantages of android are all but nullified so at this point I don't see the point in investing in android devices.

Furthermore Apple devices come with excellent after sales support, continued software support and a wide availability of third party accessories.
 
Last edited:
It was an almost outdated LG G pro 2, cheap and the price is around an average hardware (not top) China brand android phone but good enough for anything. Why do you buy Iphone 6s/6s plus but not much cheaper android phone? I think this is a very interesting Psychology question.

Most people on here have multiple years (I have 6+) invested into the iOS app ecosystem.

The "cheap" Android phone would increase in price quickly if I needed to rebuy all the apps I use regularly, to say nothing of the cost of suddenly maintaining one app ecosystem on my iPad and another on my phone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throAU and HEK
Most people on here have multiple years (I have 6+) invested into the iOS app ecosystem.

The "cheap" Android phone would increase in price quickly if I needed to rebuy all the apps I use regularly, to say nothing of the cost of suddenly maintaining one app ecosystem on my iPad and another on my phone.
You make a good point about money invested in an ecosystem. Before I switched to android in 2012 I'd already invested a good deal of money in the Apple ecosystem. Back in 2012 many of the apps I'd purchased on iOS were not available on android and Some were free to download. In addition to this I always had an iOS device along side my android devices (iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV) and continued to purchase things. When I switched back to Apple last year I realised that I hadn't actually invested that much in android in terms of apps, music, tv shows etc which made the switch back easier financially.
 
It was an almost outdated LG G pro 2, cheap and the price is around an average hardware (not top) China brand android phone but good enough for anything. Why do you buy Iphone 6s/6s plus but not much cheaper android phone? I think this is a very interesting Psychology question.

The same reason i drive a 75k car and not a 10k car. It's better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK and Hieveryone
I bought my 6s for $750, I'll buy the 7 for $750, I'll sell my 6s for $450-$500 when the 7 comes out.

You buy that phone for $300, in a year it's worth $50, and it'll still be on the same os version as when you got it.

The initial money isn't a big deal, a few hundred is minuscule in the long run to use a device for a year that manages all my email/calendar accounts securely for work and personal. As well as have iMessage for great communication.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
I buy an iPhone because it offers great experience and is user friendly. I don't mind spending money on something that is of good quality than something cheaper
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
I might be the only one who sticks with iPhone for the camera.. I tried a couple android phones over the past few years and always went back to my iPhone. The camera takes great photos with no special settings. I am good with technology but to me I still love the simplicity of iOS and the camera. That and all my music is in iTunes too. As many have said also - it's just a nice looking device! I tend to always want something new but I managed to keep my iPhone 4s for 3 years. That right there is huge for me. Apple has me hooked.
 
I didn't read previous posts, please pardon for duplication.

Reason 1 - When something is wrong with my phone, I want to be able to walk into a store and have someone to take care of it.
Read this -
https://forums.macrumors.com/index.php?posts/21994609/

Reason 2 - I want the exact phone model to be the most popular, so I have the best selection of 3rd party accessories, the most active forums on internet, and greatest demand eventually when sell the phone.

Reason 3 - the whole Apple Eco system is entirely supported by one company- Apple. No finger pointing.
I second this - especially 1 & 3. Plus...
4. New versions of OS supported on older hardware. I like new stuff. If I can't justify the hardware, at least let me enjoy a new OS version. This is especially helpful as we hand down hardware to our kids.

I had several windows and a couple android phones for which the vendor customized OS could not be updated to next major release. I could have hacked it, but support was completely my own and took time I didn't have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
It's also interesting that people like OP think that they bought an Android phone with almost outdated average hardware for a cheaper price = outsmarted all the iPhone users and feel the need to start a thread like this in an Apple-centric forum to save all the idiots here :p Interesting psychological question.

So true, I don't think the OP's question to the forum has as much psychological implications as why he asked it in the first place :)

Reason 1 - When something is wrong with my phone, I want to be able to walk into a store and have someone to take care of it.
Read this -
https://forums.macrumors.com/index.php?posts/21994609/

Reason 2 - I want the exact phone model to be the most popular, so I have the best selection of 3rd party accessories, the most active forums on internet, and greatest demand eventually when sell the phone.

Reason 3 - the whole Apple Eco system is entirely supported by one company- Apple. No finger pointing.

It's like you read my mind. Outside of all the specifics about the device, there's a number of reasons many of us make the decision to buy Apple phones (tablets and computers for that matter...). #1 is _very_ important to me (for myself, and my family), especially with an Apple Store ~30 minutes away.


with proper modifications, Android runs just as well as iOS

Sorry, had to chuckle at this. :)

Honestly, I get that some people want to spend their time making custom themes, flashing the latest ROM, etc/etc/etc (including the JB-ers) I did it for a few cycles myself, but it got tiring pretty quickly. I'm a software architect/dev/writer, so I expend enough energy in my professional life wrestling with tech :)

I use my phone to communicate, to facilitate business, to capture photos/videos of my beautiful little girl, to occasionally entertain, I need a reliable device, that provides those features OOTB, that provides some consistency so that my wife and I can have [near] transparent device exchange, and a solid end-to-end ownership experience that includes how well it works with my "lifestyle tech" and my professional equipment.
 
Last edited:
i buy both. flagship iphones and a flagship android phone each year. the iphone is my personal phone cause I simply enjoy iOS more than the current marshmallow os my nexus 6. the quality of the apps is the biggest difference
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
I use iOS now because I just enjoy the look and feel of the apps better, and how smooth the overall experience is. Last year I tried an iPhone 6, and could not justify its worth in my mind over the 2014 Moto X; mainly due to the poor multitasking experience I was having. I did not regret my decision at all, but told myself that when Apple provides a better multitasking experience I would be willing to pay almost twice as much to get an iPhone instead of the Moto X.

Lo and behold, that happened, and here I am with my 6s. Also, T-Mobile's JOD program giving me a monthly credit and 0% interest payments helped too; but next time I'll just she'll out the cash so I don't need to worry about not getting credits, etc. and just buy from Apple.
 
Software Updates
Great Legacy Support
Better security
Fewer viruses
I prefer the iOS ecosystem

And I simply do not trust Google. Far too many stories regarding their dubious data mining techniques and selling personal data on for my liking. Combined with the viruses and malware attributed to Android, IMO using the platform is practically begging for your identity to be stolen.

For that reason alone it's worth the extra outlay. The rest is a bonus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
Why you dont like 6 plus? I think 6s plus fix important part like not easy bend anymore, but just nothing really new and creative.
The performance for me was just bad. Noticeable ui lag. Constant safari crashing,
Pages fail to reload, tab reloads, etc.

The 6s plus is the iPhone that the 6 plus should have been. I've never been as disappointed with a phone as I was with the 6 plus. Likewise I've never been as pleased with a phone as I am with the 6s plus.

I don't feel a phone needs to have some brand new feature every year. I don't expect this out of s computer, a car, or a whole lot of other technology. Makes no sense for me to demand s killer feature out of my phone.
 
The days of Android being WAY behind iOS in terms of reliability are behind us. Again, with proper modifications, Android runs just as well as iOS. I also use an app to "mirror" and "send/receive" texts across multiple devices, just like iMessage.
The idea that Android is inferior and laggy and crappy is just something Apple and die hards like to repeat erroneously. It's not unlike Mac v PC, but We have moved on from that (mostly). It's damsungs turn to fish out the ridiculous commercials. I'm not a fan of Samsung products, personal preference, but I think their ads are great.
 
Your question is confusing. You ask why buy an iphone over an "android flagship".... but then you compare to cheap android devices? There is no comparison there. But there is a valid comparison between the actual android flagship (and no, not Samsung).... the Nexus 6P and the Iphone 6S Plus.

People who don't like the lag, bloatware, ease of returns, customer service, slow updates of "android", etc, have likely never tried a true android device from Google. The experience is quite comparable to Apple. And I will say depending on how the camera results and battery life come back, the 6P might actually be a better device than the 6S Plus.

But in the end it comes down to the ecosystem you are invested in. I torture myself and spit between the two (well 3 because I love the Amazon Fire TV over the Apple TV).
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
The reason I don't own an Android device is mainly one of habit. I'm used to iOS.
I considered one bigtime whilst owning my 6+ but ultimately I'm too used to iOS and there are some elements of Android that I don't like. If I had known only Android then they wouldn't be a problem I'm sure but my 'issues' are:

I hate Gmail. It doesn't work as well as the Apple email app and the coloured circles suck.

SMS get converted into MMS on Samsung phones if they are over three texts in length. As I get unlimited SMS on my contract but have to pay for MMS, this would be a problem.

Emoticons are charged for on Samsung phones. I use them a lot and they are inclusive on my iPhone.

Battery life.

I actually prefer web browsing on Android, Chrome is excellent, but overall there is too much that I'm accustomed to in iOS and I'm not prepared to make the change. Premium Android smartphones are excellent pieces of kit and for someone who isn't a habitual iOS user there is very little wrong with the Android platform. I'm sure someone changing from Android to iOS would have similar reservations if they're a habitual user. They would miss things and not like certain Apple implementations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: linuslh1996
To be honest, it's because iPhone is the most fashionable and sexy device out there.

Same reason why I buy Mercedes- to show off.

A Mercedes doesn't exactly stand out...heck I probably passed 20 or 30 in my 10 minute commute home this evening. I think I'll probably get more attention from my MGB once I have it than I would from a Mercedes or BMW.

Just like every other phone I see people using is an iPhone 6 or some variant thereof. I'd probably get more notice using a RAZR or an older iPhone like my 3gs than I do with my 6-although I use the 6 because I've gotten use to the screen size, how fast it is, and how much it can do relative to the 4s it replaced.
 
It was an almost outdated LG G pro 2, cheap and the price is around an average hardware (not top) China brand android phone but good enough for anything. Why do you buy Iphone 6s/6s plus but not much cheaper android phone? I think this is a very interesting Psychology question.


I like Apple ecosystem much more. App store is superior, iphone is easy to use, everything just works. My only complaint is I think iPhone should be made in the US. Quality would be better and we would keep our technology in, instead we just needlessly feed China secrets. Granted China would copy them anyways but at least with some effort on their part. As it is Xiaomi or whatever its called came out with iphone technology and looking like iPhone weeks before iPhone 6S.
 
Android itself is pretty good these days but the skins all suck and cause lag. I've gone back and forth over the years between iOS and Android. I remember when iOS couldn't even record videos or multitask, and when Android was ugly and laggy. They've both progressed a lot. My last Android phone was the LG G2, good phone for the money I paid, but LG's skin sucks and gets laggy. I've also had Nexuses and Motos, those are the best I think with stock or near stock Android.

I just went back to iPhone with the 6s, because I missed the consistent reliable iOS experience and having a Mac the iPhone works best with it. The other big thing is updates, Apple supports their phones for around 4 years with continuous updates, Android you're lucky to get 1 update. My G2 will probably never get Marshmallow or even 5.1 and has had issues crashing since the Lollipop update. I find iPhone battery life better even with the smaller batteries, I find Android a lot of times seems to drain battery for seemingly no reason.
 
  • Like
Reactions: linuslh1996 and HEK
What you pay up front means nothing without considering resale value.

If you can buy a $750 iphone and in 1 year sell it for $550 you only lost $200 using it for a year

Or you can buy some crappy Android device for $318 (if 37.5% of $850 128gb iphone 6S) that a year or so ago cost $565 or more new that's lost almost half of its value in the same year or so time.

The point of this is? If it works for you great.

I wouldnt buy a phone in 2015 that barely competes with a Note 3 from 2 years ago no matter what the price is. Are we supposed to be shocked you can get a 1.5 year old crappy Android device now for a fraction of a 2015 phone?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.