Why get an iPhone? What am I missing.

[No5tromo]

So in short my history with iPhone is this: In 2005 I got my first Apple product, an iPod nano (that led me to having a super organised iTunes music library and later became a reason to consider iPhone over Android). In 2008 however I opted for a Blackberry Bold instead of an iPhone 3G which turned out to be a huge mistake corrected in 2010 when I got an iPhone 3GS and stopped using iPods all along. Since then I've got a 4s and a few months ago I got a 6s (in 48 instalments, no contract). Despite being on a relatively low budget I value my mobile phones a lot and am willing to pay good money to get a good device.

So a few days ago a friend of mine bought a Huawei Ascend P8 for 1/3 of the price I bought my iPhone 6S and it came down to comparing our phones and him asking me to show him what my phone can do more or do better. Not only did I struggle to find anything essential to show him but his phone's camera features and picture quality would crap all over 6s.

So can someone please prove to me that I am not a big fool for falling for Apple's hype and what exactly justifies the X3 more money I spent? Mind you I no longer use iTunes and opt for streaming apps.

 

[MacDawg]

No need to prove anything to you
If the other phone meets your needs, you like it and it fits your budget, then buy it
No one can "prove" anything to you
They can only state the reasons why they choose an iPhone over others
Your use case is as individual as your DNA, so make your own choices

 

[Closingracer]

Personally I wouldn't even touch Huawei phones with a 10 foot pole .... The only devices that appeal to me on Android is the Samsung Galaxy S7 and oddly enough the HTC 10 which looks amazing. I have had Android devices and the Note 4 was an amazing phone and just to compare I think it is a better phone than my iPhone 6 Plus. That being said I would still buy my iPhone 6 Plus over the Note 4 again. I like that my iPhone is connected with my Macbook pro and i can easily pick up phone calls with my laptop vs looking for my Phone which usually isn't near me when I am home. I think the photos that come out of the S7 look amazing and better than the iPhone 6S Plus based off both being used at a Bestbuy but iOS camera is super easy to use to get amazing pictures while Samsung might be harder to use for some.

 

[No5tromo]

No need to prove anything to you
If the other phone meets your needs, you like it and it fits your budget, then buy it
No one can "prove" anything to you
They can only state the reasons why they choose an iPhone over others
Your use case is as individual as your DNA, so make your own choices

Can you at least give me an example of what kind of needs can an iPhone meet that a cheaper Android device can't?

 

[MacDawg]

Can you at least give me an example of what kind of needs can an iPhone meet that a cheaper Android device can't?

iMessage

 

[No5tromo]

iMessage

which only makes me feel like a bigger fool for paying X3 the price just for "imessage" which I barely use since in my country everyone uses viber or fb messenger.

 

[bandofbrothers]

Only you can choose to go with what ticks your wants and needs boxes.

I also choose Apple products due to the level of customer service and support if something does go wrong.

 

[MacDawg]

which only makes me feel like a bigger fool for paying X3 the price just for "imessage" which I barely use since in my country everyone uses viber or fb messenger.

you said 1 example
i gave you 1
not the only 1, but 1

as I said, your use case is individual
sell your iPhone and go get a cheap piece of crap and be happy

nobody will prove this to you
buy what you want

 

[Ladybug]

Sounds to me that you have already convinced yourself that a Huawei will better serve your needs based on price alone. For that reason, no amount of arguing or convincing here will do any good. I'd suggest you buy a Huawei and figure this out for yourself.

 

[DeltaMac]

... a few months ago I got a 6s (in 48 instalments, no contract). Despite being on a relatively low budget I value my mobile phones a lot and am willing to pay good money to get a good device.

So a few days ago a friend of mine bought a Huawei Ascend P8 for 1/3 of the price I bought my iPhone 6S and it came down to comparing our phones and him asking me to show him what my phone can do more or do better. Not only did I struggle to find anything essential to show him but his phone's camera features and picture quality would crap all over 6s.

So can someone please prove to me that I am not a big fool for falling for Apple's hype and what exactly justifies the X3 more money I spent? Mind you I no longer use iTunes and opt for streaming apps.

I bet you can find someone who wants your iPhone more than you, and maybe pay off your iPhone.
Sell it, and get the Huawei.
I think everyone is allowed to be a "big fool" every now and then. It's a part of life, where (hopefully) you learn by your mistakes!
It will be interesting to hear your opinion about that 2 or 3 years from now.

 

[maxsix]

It's simply a matter of choices.

My iPhone 6S Plus isn't bad. For my personal preferences it makes a good secondary smartphone which is exactly how I use it.

I waited patiently for the Huawei Ascend P8 after reading very favorable reports. Mine is excellent, yet I prefer my Huawei Mate 8 because of its 6.0" display which is my all time favorite smartphone display size.

Then there's my Huawei designed Nexus 6P. It remains my Primary Smartphone. With it's 5.7 " display, in a very compact, high quality metal body, it's far and away the best, fastest and most enjoyable. Nearly perfect, if it had a 6.0" display it'd be ideal.

As much as I appreciate Apple's iPhone, Android has become a much better Operating System for my demanding smartphone use. Thanks to Google and the Nexus line, my daily experience is fast, fun and trouble free.

 

[aristobrat]

Can you at least give me an example of what kind of needs can an iPhone meet that a cheaper Android device can't?

For me, it's that iMessage, FaceTime, and iCloud are all native features built in to my Mac, iPhone and iPad. Just about anything I do involving phone calls, text messages, photos, and music/video I can do on any of those devices, and it shows up almost instantly on the other ones.... without me having to juggle multiple third-party apps requiring different accounts, etc. Love being able to take a regular cell call (not FaceTime) upstairs on my Mac when my phone it sitting downstairs by the couch.

I'm sure I could spend time finding other apps that do similar things for Android/Windows Mobile and Windows/ChromeBook computers, but I don't want to put the effort into that (or managing the lot of them).

My Apple experience hasn't been 24/7 literally "It just works", but as someone whose career is managing tens of thousands of computers and servers running other operating systems, I really enjoy the relatively few headaches my iPhone/Mac/iPad give me. It's been as close to "It just works" for me as I'd expect it to be (as an IT guy).

 

[No5tromo]

you said 1 example
i gave you 1
not the only 1, but 1

as I said, your use case is individual
sell your iPhone and go get a cheap piece of crap and be happy

nobody will prove this to you
buy what you want

But that's what I'm asking though. What makes those other devices a "cheap piece of crap" compared to iPhone and the only thing you've mentioned is "iMessage".

 

[melman101]

But that's what I'm askin though. What makes those other devices a "cheap peace of crap" compared to iPhone and the only thing you've mentioned is "iMessage".

As aristobrat says, it's the tight integration in the Apple Ecosystem that really sells it. If you have a Mac and an iPad, then, you can do everything on any of those devices. Pick up phone calls, facetime, iMessage, SMS, etc.

If you have an Apple Watch, then you are even more tightly integrated.

Also, his phone won't get any updates in a reasonable amount of time. With the iPhone, everyone gets the update at the same time.

Furthermore, I believe the App Store has more quality apps then other mobile app stores.

I don't think anyone is a fool for spending money on an iPhone. It's one hell of a machine. And the software is top notch.

 

[Chatter]

But that's what I'm askin though. What makes those other devices a "cheap peace of crap" compared to iPhone and the only thing you've mentioned is "iMessage".

I think you are here to argue and nothing more. You asked @MacDawg for 1 example of what Apple does. He gave you 1 example. Then you argue that "its not good enough". That is fair and its your opinion and you can buy the Huawei phone. If he thinks Huawei is a "cheap piece of crap", its his opinion. Who is stopping you from buying any phone you want?

 

[No5tromo]

For me, it's that iMessage, FaceTime, and iCloud are all native features built in to my Mac, iPhone and iPad. Just about anything I do involving phone calls, text messages, photos, and music/video I can do on any of those devices, and it shows up almost instantly on the other ones. Without me having to juggle multiple third-party apps each requiring different accounts, etc. Love being able to take a regular cell call (not FaceTime) upstairs on my Mac when my phone it sitting downstairs by the couch.

I'm sure I could spend time finding other apps that do similar things for Android/Windows Mobile and Windows/ChromeBook computers, but I don't want to put the effort into that (or managing the lot of them).

My Apple experience hasn't been 24/7 literally "It just works", but as someone whose career is managing tens of thousands of computers and servers running other operating systems, I really enjoy the relatively few headaches my iPhone/Mac/iPad give me. It's been as close to "It just works" for me as I'd expect it to be (as an IT guy).

I know exactly what you're talking about since I was the IT guy in a company up to December (and soon to be in other company) and that's how I felt myself. After having to tweak, troubleshoot, deal with the mess of so many computers I just wanted something for myself that I could enjoy as user and not as an administrator. However after getting my hands on a couple of android devices (and especially a galaxy s7 edge at a store) I realised that they look and feel amazing, to the point where I felt like I'm missing out on something. I shouldn't feel that way after having spent money for the most expensive phone in the market. I only recently realised that I might have misjudged Android.

 

[MacDawg]

But that's what I'm askin though. What makes those other devices a "cheap peace of crap" compared to iPhone and the only thing you've mentioned is "iMessage".

You asked for 1 example that iPhone does that others don't, I gave you 1 example
That one isn't important to you... I get it

YOU have to decide what is important to you
And apparently, none of the differentiating factors are important to you
So get a cheaper phone... simple

Most phones do pretty much the same things with slight variations
They all run Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, have a camera, show YouTube et. al.
There are some differences in quality of build, performance, specs, etc.
And there are some variations in operating system and even in some available apps
These may or may not be important to you if the core is there

Why have someone prove anything to you?
To justify your decision to move on?
Who cares?
Just buy what you want
You won't change anyone else's mind, and why would you want to?
Do you really need someone you don't even know to tell you how to best use your device?

 

[imanidiot]

Don't get an iPhone. Problem solved. You're welcome.

 

[No5tromo]

Do you really need someone you don't even know to tell you how to best use your device?

No, but the lack of arguments / poor arguments in a forum you'd think people are able to answer these questions really helps me make up my mind about the iPhone vs Android debate. Everyone is free to use what they want, but that was not what my topic was about.

 

[Love Divine]

An iPhone is definitely expensive - in all honesty it's difficult to justify to any price-conscious consumer. That said, the following are things I see as advantages of an iPhone, complete with obnoxious bolding:

- Premium build quality, design, materials. Although competitors have caught up here (S7 Edge), the iPhone still looks and feels great. The only compromise is ergonomics, although I suspect this will be fixed in future iterations.

- Top-tier performance. The A9 is beastly, and still spanks the Exynos and Snapdragon competition in single core performance. Having many cores with insane clock speeds (that are unsustainable for any real length of time) is cool and all, but the iPhone beats, or at least holds its own in day to day performance against any other smartphone.

- Quick updates. Unless you're on a recent Nexus, this is no contest. Eligible models, stretching back years, get the latest OS at the same time. Simple, easy, and reliable. Anyone at all who has used an Android phone with a manufacturer skin on any US carrier has experienced this. For example, the Galaxy S6 JUST got Android M; Android N was just announced. Meanwhile, the 1.5 year old 6 Plus got 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1 etc instantly. This is huge. Also, instant access to public betas.

- Inherent OS advantages. When you finally do get that update on your skinned version of Android, it's neutered from Google's vision - ie it looks the same as it did before, it's lacking key features, and loaded with carrier bloatware. With iOS, you compromise nothing. iOS still is the place to get most apps first (or even at all), and App for App, iOS apps outperform Android counterparts on the whole, in terms of performance, speed of updates or design and interface. Android is also bogged down with uncontrollable background app processes which hamper stand-by time. Only rooting allows full control over this. And it took many years to finally catch up to iOS's permission system.

- Apple Ecosystem. Facetime, iMessage, Handoff, Airplay (although HTC though!), etc. The more invested you are in this, the better this is for you.

- Solid fundamentals. Good call quality, battery life (Plus versions: especially in standby time; solidly beats the S7 edge and Note 5, only loses out to a few super-specialized and uncommon Android phones), audio quality, speaker quality, camera quality, screen, fingerprint sensor (was way ahead of the pack), etc. Better customer support.

That's it in a nutshell. I was a long-time Android guy until the iPhone 6 launched. I realized that what I valued in my phone was solid fundamentals, premium build and design and a slick OS. I didn't have time to customize or tinker with phones any more. iOS was thus the solid choice for me. Can the iPhone stand to improve? Certainly! Ergonomics on the plus size model, higher res screens, improving cameras, etc.

That said, they're just all-around, well-built and well-made devices that work very well as a whole unit. Samsung still doesn't match the overall fit and finish of experience; only Nexus devices come close. Even then, many are asking themselves the price question that you are, OP. That's why you're seeing an explosion of moderately-priced devices with little in the way of apparent compromise in the Android space.

 

[aristobrat]

I realised that they look and feel amazing, to the point where I felt like I'm missing out on something. I shouldn't feel that way after having spent money for the most expensive phone in the market.

You're an IT guy. Sounds like Android is your new "oh, look, something shiny and cool". Go play with it. See if it meets your needs. There are a lot of reasons why Android (the OS) isn't a good for for my digital lifestyle, regardless of the price-point, physical build quality, or one-off tweaks that each manufacturer seem to put on it.

Personally, I don't need my phone to look and feel amazing. I mean, it'd be great if it always did, but there's a much larger list of criteria that I need it to meet first. In other words, switching to a phone that looks/feels amazing but can't easily do what I need it to do would be pointless for me. This may be a poor argument to you, but it's the basis for what I look for an a phone for me.

If you're not that invested in the ecosystem, it'll be an easy swap for you. Give it a shot. Worse case, you don't like it, sell it and get another iPhone. This isn't hard.

 

[cyclingplatypus]

iMessages
Calendar - I run a business and if I make an entry in my mobile calendar it is on the desktop, I don't need to think about not and I don't really need to worry about it.
Contacts - see above
Music - I use a few different music services but when I build a playlist in iTunes on my iMac I don't have to think about it and it is available on my phone, my iPad, my macbook

Integration. I don't have to worry about a third party app to sync through iCloud - I make an entry in notes/calendar/contacts/etc and it is everywhere I need/want it to be.

I can answer my phone on my MBP/iMac if I want to - seamless integration...in the end it is all about seamless integration for me. I have owned and still own a couple of android products from different manufactures and they all have on thing in common that I can say that I have never thought about an iOS device (and I know some will disagree with me) but I have never thought when using my iDevice that it doesn't feel finished. In my experience with an android device it feels unfinished, unpolished...I don't need or want that, I don't want to be the end piece of the experience because I just want it to do what I need it to do.

I tell people all of the time to choose what works for you, sure I am jealous of the gorgeous display that they Samsung has but at the end of the day I will choose an iOS device because it is what works for me. I don't have to think, I don't have to worry like I did back in the palm pilot/treo days...did I sync last night, it is already done.

Yes I can accomplish all of this integration using various android apps but I don't have to...it is all baked inside and it is everywhere I need it to be. Watch, phone, tablet, desktop, laptop - all there, no need to think about it.


And as Love Devine has listed - NO BLOATWARE - you get iOS and that is it, no ATT/Verizon/Sprint/etc fiddling...updates come to you through Apple not after a 'tech team' gets through testing and customizing it for your network.

 

[willmtaylor]

My .02. Yours may vary.

1. Ecosystem. I've been using Apple products since '02, and with how well my desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones play together and share info, it behooves me to stay in that ecosystem. It's worth any small trade offs for me.
2. Overall workmanship & quality. I've owned and used other smartphones and always feel like I've overpaid for what I got. Maybe not immediately, though sometimes, but the degree with which they start to slowdown was disappointing. Also, I've found the cameras/software on iPhones to generally be head and shoulders above cheap, entry-level Android devices.
3. Less fiddling. I'm not in IT. I have no need to root or jailbreak. The simplicity is an advantage for me. I have no need or want to be messing with my devices 24/7. I want them to work how they're supposed to work when they're supposed to work. Period.
   
4. Support: both with firmware/security updates and with customer service. Apple's customer service has been ranked #1 in many areas for years on end. That's worth something to me.

Hope that helps.

 

[No5tromo]

iMessages
Calendar - I run a business and if I make an entry in my mobile calendar it is on the desktop, I don't need to think about not and I don't really need to worry about it.
Contacts - see above
Music - I use a few different music services but when I build a playlist in iTunes on my iMac I don't have to think about it and it is available on my phone, my iPad, my macbook

Integration. I don't have to worry about a third party app to sync through iCloud - I make an entry in notes/calendar/contacts/etc and it is everywhere I need/want it to be.

I can answer my phone on my MBP/iMac if I want to - seamless integration...in the end it is all about seamless integration for me. I have owned and still own a couple of android products from different manufactures and they all have on thing in common that I can say that I have never thought about an iOS device (and I know some will disagree with me) but I have never thought when using my iDevice that it doesn't feel finished. In my experience with an android device it feels unfinished, unpolished...I don't need or want that, I don't want to be the end piece of the experience because I just want it to do what I need it to do.

I tell people all of the time to choose what works for you, sure I am jealous of the gorgeous display that they Samsung has but at the end of the day I will choose an iOS device because it is what works for me. I don't have to think, I don't have to worry like I did back in the palm pilot/treo days...did I sync last night, it is already done.

Yes I can accomplish all of this integration using various android apps but I don't have to...it is all baked inside and it is everywhere I need it to be. Watch, phone, tablet, desktop, laptop - all there, no need to think about it.


And as Love Devine has listed - NO BLOATWARE - you get iOS and that is it, no ATT/Verizon/Sprint/etc fiddling...updates come to you through Apple not after a 'tech team' gets through testing and customizing it for your network.

You are invested in the ecosystem so much more than I am so I get why iPhone makes sense to you. Even though I can integrate almost everything you mentioned on a Windows PC as well, I get it, "out of the box" seamless integration is more appealing (that's true for myself also, despite being in IT). However the more I think about it the more I realise Android is probably a better choice for me.

 

[matt_on_a_mtn]

No, but the lack of arguments / poor arguments in a forum you'd think people are able to answer these questions really helps me make up my mind about the iPhone vs Android debate. Everyone is free to use what they want, but that was not what my topic was about.

The only thing your topic is about is you trying to stir the pot and egg people on. You've been given plenty of examples and reasons, but what it comes down to is that you don't want to hear them, as you're here to pick a fight rather than have an actual discussion.

If you want an android phone, go buy an android phone. That's your decision, and clearly you've already made it.