Why get an iPhone? What am I missing.

[Savor]

I believe the OP sees it like this -

Do iPhones have the best camera? Probably not.

Do iPhones have the best display? Nope.

Do iPhones have the longest battery life? Nope.

Do iPhones have the best designs? Nope. Not if their best design returned with the SE from THREE YEARS ago!

Even if we can say yes to some of those questions, is it worth paying so much more for it when the differences can be negligible? The OP is also pro cross-platform and could care less about closed ecosystems, so all that crap with iTunes, iCloud, and iMessages, and different standards for chargers don't mean squat to him. Add the fact that iPhones don't have fast charging yet, let alone, wireless by default. Or no expandable storage and swappable batteries for more future proofing. This nonsense has been going on since the iPod days.

Only what 16-17% all over the world? After releasing iPhones in different sizes, the huge growth still isn't there. Maybe in the States where Apple is the #1 OEM, it might seem like it matters since Samsung is the only viable alternative there. Maybe once sub-$100 prepaid phones start cutting into the premium segment is when we start seeing losing share in installed base with iOS. Too bad Samsung is the only viable contender in the USA because in Asia we have many brands like Huawei, Oppo, Lenovo, ASUS, Gionee, ZTE, Acer, and others offering better phones than the cheap prepaid phones over there.

Smartphones have become homogenized. I already started feeling this back in 2013 when my younger brother who is an Apple user asked me what is the difference between this phone to that phone? I have used multiple OSes and basically said they are all the same nonsense to stimulate the economy. App launchers. Like drinking milk or bottled water. Alot of features is negligible except in paying for them.

 

[pika2000]

So a few days ago a friend of mine bought a Huawei Ascend P8 for 1/3 of the price

1. Is his Huawei P8 running Android 6.0.1 with April security update? Will it keep getting the security updates on time for at least 2 years? If not, that's already a win for iOS.
2. If he needs official support for his Huawei, where can he go? Who can he call?
3. If he needs official support overseas, where can he go?

I switched to Android before, lured by the plethora of variety of phones, and the lower price points. But then the pain comes when those three points arrived. Updates, support, and overseas support. Samsung USA said they don't support any unlocked Samsung phones. Sony Singapore refused to even look at my problematic US Xperia Z1. Meanwhile, I had my Verizon iPhone 5 serviced in Japan Apple Store without any questions. That is when Apple won me back.

Of course, if you buy new phones every 6 months and never go overseas, cheaper Android phones work.

 

[acorntoy]

1) I personally find the back button a good idea. The left-to-right gesture that Apple offers as an alternative is optional for apps and developers use it in different ways (eg some use to show the menu) which makes it often very confusing.

2) No complaints about the mail app, it's very good

3) We covered the back button

4) I haven't used Android that much to confirm, so I'll take your word for it

5) I've already covered how disappointing the 6s camera is compared to the much cheaper Huawei Ascend P8

6) Apple stores are present in areas that count as big markets and/or are affluent. Where I live we have "autorised resellers" which is a washed-out experience and the support is no-where near as good.

7) iMessage unlike viber, whatsapp and fb messenger is an Apple exclusive feature which makes it almost useless to me since not everyone in my contacts is using an iPhone

8) Correct me if I'm wrong but iCloud Photo sharing is only available to those having an iCloud account, so it's the same case as iMessage. I personally share photos via social media and dropbox.

9) The price is probably the biggest issue for me. All of a sudden I feel like I'm paying premium and getting the exact same as someone who chooses budget electronics. The camera comparison to Huawei did it for me, a phone that cost 1/3 pissed all over my iPhone 6s' camera. All the rest "exclusive-to-iPhone" features have equivalent free versions that are more likely to take over (if they haven't already) and will make Apple features obsolete in a few years since they are not exclusive to those who can/are willing to pay premium.
[doublepost=1460720530][/doublepost]
Why not? It's interest-free and I can settle up whenever I choose, in the meanwhile I only need to pay 18€/month and my contract-free carrier expense is another 10€/month and I get a full pack 1.25GB/400mins/Spotify premium and other perks.

The problem with this is that almost every high end manufacturer like Apple, HTC, Samsung and others overprice their phones because of the subsidized way carriers work. An HTC one M10 isn't going to be cheaper than a 6S. Your paying more because these companies want everything they can get.

#8 is wrong. You need an account yes, but only an iTunes account, I believe pcs have full access now at iCloud.com, androids might be a different story.

It's all personal preference. You seem determined that IOS is no longer for you so I highly doubt anybody at this point will make a argument to change your mind, why don't you switch? You could easily sell your 6+ and buy a oneplus or a Huawei and you'll see for yourself if android is right for you. Make sure you get one though that satisfies every desire of yours out of the box, because more than likely it won't get many updates.

 

[throAU]

Don't be one of these:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=askhole&defid=6961250

 

[Simplicated]

Seems to me the OP wants to prove his phone is more premium than his friend's to inflate his ego.

 

[Abazigal]

For me, it's more that I am deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. All my Apple products work well together and I don't want to upset this harmony. For example, I have spent a ton of money on iOS apps which have a both iPhone and iPad equivalents. Getting an Android phone would make me have to repurchase those apps again, and that's assuming these apps are even available on Android.

 

[No5tromo]

Don't be one of these:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=askhole&defid=6961250

I didn't ask for advice. I asked "what am I missing" and a lot of the answers helped me understand that a lot of the things that keep people hooked to Apple (ecosystem, iMessage, photo sharing etc) don't justify MY spending of 900€ I don't even know what people expect me to say at this point. It seems like if you don't praise Apple with every sentence in here you are automatically a troll.

 

[No5tromo]

I believe the OP sees it like this -

Do iPhones have the best camera? Probably not.

Do iPhones have the best display? Nope.

Do iPhones have the longest battery life? Nope.

Do iPhones have the best designs? Nope. Not if their best design returned with the SE from THREE YEARS ago!

Even if we can say yes to some of those questions, is it worth paying so much more for it when the differences can be negligible? The OP is also pro cross-platform and could care less about closed ecosystems, so all that crap with iTunes, iCloud, and iMessages, and different standards for chargers don't mean squat to him. Add the fact that iPhones don't have fast charging yet, let alone, wireless by default. Or no expandable storage and swappable batteries for more future proofing. This nonsense has been going on since the iPod days.

Only what 16-17% all over the world? After releasing iPhones in different sizes, the huge growth still isn't there. Maybe in the States where Apple is the #1 OEM, it might seem like it matters since Samsung is the only viable alternative there. Maybe once sub-$100 prepaid phones start cutting into the premium segment is when we start seeing losing share in installed base with iOS. Too bad Samsung is the only viable contender in the USA because in Asia we have many brands like Huawei, Oppo, Lenovo, ASUS, Gionee, ZTE, Acer, and others offering better phones than the cheap prepaid phones over there.

Smartphones have become homogenized. I already started feeling this back in 2013 when my younger brother who is an Apple user asked me what is the difference between this phone to that phone? I have used multiple OSes and basically said they are all the same nonsense to stimulate the economy. App launchers. Like drinking milk or bottled water. Alot of features is negligible except in paying for them.

Well you kinda hit the nail on the head. I personally didn't even know that Apple's closed ecosystem was such a significant factor in people choosing iPhone. I honestly thought I was getting the best of the best, and don't get me wrong, I didn't buy a bad phone, it's very good, but I don't feel like it was money well spent. The whole "platform" that keeps people buying iPhones is not relevant to me and I'd rather get a better camera and a better display (and a camera that doesn't pop out for that matter). Android is a beast at this point, it has its drawbacks but nothing to justify spending X2 the money on iOS.

 

[No5tromo]

OP, you are probably seeing the light especially when it comes to price. An epiphany that didn't hit me until about 2012-2013 about the limitations with iOS and the minor better abilities with iPhone's overrated and overpriced hardware. I have been using Viber since 2012 which replaced everything from FB Messenger, WhatsApp, and Talkatone (VOIP for Google Voice), so I don't need iMessages which has limited reach because it isn't cross-platform. And last I check, there is like about 80% Android users out there.

I remember having a Nexus One and iPhone 4 at the same time. I kept reading about how amazing the cam was on the iP4 and was great in low light when all I got were yellowish shots. When I compared photos on both phones on my computer, I was shocked to see that the Nexus One was better! Don't simply judge it based the quality of photos by looking at their display. Even the video recording, the sound was much louder on the Nexus when I heard it on the computer.

I think paying for flagship phones is starting to look like a waste of money for a better camera. All phones at whatever platform has become homogenized. OP, if you can't find any real reasons to pay extra for Apple and hate organizing your media with iTunes like me, find another smartphone that suits you. I am kinda surprised the Huawei P8 outclassed your 6s but then I remembered my Nexus One. Don't always believe all the hype that you read. This was no different during the pre-iPhone era when Apple tried selling us an mp3 player for $300-$500 when there were other better alternatives like Creative, Cowon, and Archos that were cheaper, iTunes-less drag and drop, longer battery life, and could play many different formats.

Insightful comment. It really surprised me as much when the Huawei P8 camera performed so much better. We took a few pictures of the same items and my friend would zoom in to show me some impressive level of detail while my iPhone at this zooming point almost felt like VGA. At first we both thought I have mistakenly lowered the resolution from the settings and started looking how to fix it but, well, there is not such setting.

 

[throAU]

I didn't ask for advice. I asked "what am I missing" and a lot of the answers helped me understand that a lot of the things that keep people hooked to Apple (ecosystem, iMessage, photo sharing etc) don't justify MY spending of 900€ I don't even know what people expect me to say at this point. It seems like if you don't praise Apple with every sentence in here you are automatically a troll.

You asked what you're missing, people told you.

You dismissed it all.

It's fine if it doesn't apply to you, but they are valid factors for many people.

You seem to be denying that they are valid factors. It may just be the case that the iPhone is not for you. It may also be the case that these are factors that you WILL notice as being missing in a few months when the novelty has worn off.

 

[cynics]

I didn't ask for advice. I asked "what am I missing" and a lot of the answers helped me understand that a lot of the things that keep people hooked to Apple (ecosystem, iMessage, photo sharing etc) don't justify MY spending of 900€ I don't even know what people expect me to say at this point. It seems like if you don't praise Apple with every sentence in here you are automatically a troll.

Well to be fair aren't you trolling for an argument? Or are you really just now realizing every single proprietary feature of the iPhone is of no use to you? The OP is like you woke from a coma and have amnesia or something, "why do I like things?!" Lol

If you feel an android device is better try it out, maybe you'll love it!

 

[No5tromo]

You asked what you're missing, people told you.
You dismissed it all.

iMessage, closed ecosystem and photo sharing is not something I was missing, it just didn't appeal to me. And there is no way someone can convince me that these features are worth the extra cost. Certain iPhone supporters are being delusional, it might work for you and it's your right to want to overpay for things but don't even try to make me agree with your biased opinion. Consistent updates is petty much the only Apple advantage I will agree with.

 

[No5tromo]

Well to be fair aren't you trolling for an argument? Or are you really just now realizing every single proprietary feature of the iPhone is of no use to you? The OP is like you woke from a coma and have amnesia or something, "why do I like things?!" Lol

If you feel an android device is better try it out, maybe you'll love it!

For reasons explained in my first post I jumped to iPhone 6s without putting too much thought into it. I reckon a lot of people have been in a similar situation (not just with iPhone, with whatever expensive device). Only recently I realised that a phone 1/3 the price can even outperform iPhone. Already explained all that in my first post (guess you chose to ignore my explanation there). Some people in here are like "you either are an iPhone fanatic and dare not question its superiority or you are a troll"

 

[chasonstone]

Reasons to get an iPhone:

iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Continuity between devices (i.e. do something on iPhone see it on Mac, iPad, iPod, blablabla), investment in iOS versions of apps, only phone that works with Apple Watch, build quality (though subjective, there are definitely phones on par), familiarity, AirPlay (except that HTC), customer support (Apple has been top notch for me compared to anything else), robust App store, robust third party accessory options, and I'm sure some other stuff but that's the gist of why I prefer the iPhone.

If you don't rely on the Apple ecosystem there are certainly cheaper options that would work well. I say weigh what features you use. If there are more exclusively iPhone related features/services on your list, go iPhone. If there's not much reliance on the iPhone only features/services, certainly look to what works in your price range.

 

[Truefan31]

1. Is his Huawei P8 running Android 6.0.1 with April security update? Will it keep getting the security updates on time for at least 2 years? If not, that's already a win for iOS.
2. If he needs official support for his Huawei, where can he go? Who can he call?
3. If he needs official support overseas, where can he go?

I switched to Android before, lured by the plethora of variety of phones, and the lower price points. But then the pain comes when those three points arrived. Updates, support, and overseas support. Samsung USA said they don't support any unlocked Samsung phones. Sony Singapore refused to even look at my problematic US Xperia Z1. Meanwhile, I had my Verizon iPhone 5 serviced in Japan Apple Store without any questions. That is when Apple won me back.

Of course, if you buy new phones every 6 months and never go overseas, cheaper Android phones work.

Wait. So if you have an unlocked Samsung phone in the us where do u go for service/support? I think I've read you can get a third party like square trade but how does it work with no Samsung store?

 

[throAU]

iMessage, closed ecosystem and photo sharing is not something I was missing, it just didn't appeal to me. And there is no way someone can convince me that these features are worth the extra cost. Certain iPhone supporters are being delusional, it might work for you and it's your right to want to overpay for things but don't even try to make me agree with your biased opinion. Consistent updates is petty much the only Apple advantage I will agree with.

There you go again...

iMessage is a lot cheaper than MMS for many people, and iOS to iOS it is seamless.

If you think security updates and integration with the rest of the Apple platform are worthless then fair enough, but they are real factors that others consider to be worth real money.

You're hand-waving them away like they're nothing. They might not matter to you, but they are real reasons people stick with Apple devices.

 

[pika2000]

Wait. So if you have an unlocked Samsung phone in the us where do u go for service/support? I think I've read you can get a third party like square trade but how does it work with no Samsung store?

There is still phone/online support for tablets and carrier phones, but when I called them for support of my unlocked Samsung phone, they explicitly told me that they do not support unlocked phones. So yeah, no support. This is true for most most companies. Their warranty is local only. Apple is the exception, which is why I am back on iPhone.

 

[lparsons21]

There is still phone/online support for tablets and carrier phones, but when I called them for support of my unlocked Samsung phone, they explicitly told me that they do not support unlocked phones. So yeah, no support. This is true for most most companies. Their warranty is local only. Apple is the exception, which is why I am back on iPhone.

That's got to be the #1 reason not to buy Samsung phones!

I'm at the point in time that since the carriers are moving to only selling the phones I'm not buying one that isn't fully unlocked and at minimum, most carrier compatible. And I expect support if needed. So that will leave Samsung off the list for sure! They never were high on my list because I've never found their support of any of their products to be very good over the years.

 

[cynics]

For reasons explained in my first post I jumped to iPhone 6s without putting too much thought into it. I reckon a lot of people have been in a similar situation (not just with iPhone, with whatever expensive device). Only recently I realised that a phone 1/3 the price can even outperform iPhone. Already explained all that in my first post (guess you chose to ignore my explanation there). Some people in here are like "you either are an iPhone fanatic and dare not question its superiority or you are a troll"

Fair enough. However I'm sure it's clear to you (and us) you have already made and are now justifying your decision.

It human nature, I do the same exact thing with vehicles. No matter how hard you try I will never be convinced an Audi/BMW/Mercedes is worth more then the vehicle I drive. That's where this conversation has gotten too.

So is a Mercedes better than a Subaru? Well technically yes, however those reasons don't matter to me, much like the reasons people stay with iPhones don't matter to you.

I guess the difference is when I sold my Audi I didn't go on the Audi forum and start a thread asking what I'm missing when a Subaru can also drive down the road at a fraction of the price.

 

[No5tromo]

There you go again...

iMessage is a lot cheaper than MMS for many people, and iOS to iOS it is seamless.

If you think security updates and integration with the rest of the Apple platform are worthless then fair enough, but they are real factors that others consider to be worth real money.

You're hand-waving them away like they're nothing. They might not matter to you, but they are real reasons people stick with Apple devices.

Why use MMS though? You can use viber, fb messenger or whatsapp, they are cross-platform and free, iMessage requires the purchase of an expensive device.

I agree when you say that Apple is more consistent with updates having the advantage of a unified platform, but if you worry about getting the latest updates so much you can opt for a Nexus.

I've already explained that these features don't matter to ME. Do I feel like you're overpaying by choosing Apple over Android just for those features? Yes I do. Is it you right to believe otherwise and spend your money how you want? Absolutely.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Reading through the thread it became crystal clear that the original idea was nothing but trolling.
Sell your iPhone, buy what you want.
One more thing. If you've already made your decision there was/is no need to provoke others.

 

[throAU]

Why use MMS though? You can use viber, fb messenger or whatsapp, they are cross-platform and free, iMessage requires the purchase of an expensive device.

Because it doesn't rely on another third party app (that requires the other user to also have), giving up your personal information, location, conversation history, contacts, etc. to a corporation.

I agree when you say that Apple is more consistent with updates having the advantage of a unified platform, but if you worry about getting the latest updates so much you can opt for a Nexus.

A nexus only gets the updates google push. Android security is swiss cheese even with the updates.

 

[Snoopy4]

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.

I've had Samsungs and iPhones. I look at Apple products as play products and others as work. Meaning, the Apple products are better suited for home than work. If you work in an environment that is not compatible with Apple, then you're going to be frustrated. For us we have all sorts of Apple devices, but no Mac computers. It's a hybrid environment. You've got a music library, but how about movies? Do you want a closed environment like iTunes or something more open live Ultraviolet.

I enjoy the connectivity of the Apple ecosystem across my devices, it's really unmatched. The problem is I can't sit down at home on a Mac and do work. We're under 10 years from retiring so we looked at it from a standpoint of "what are we going to use computers for in retirement". The answer there is simple. Play. So we decided to stick with Apple devices because they work so well, but remain in the Windows PC environment until we retire. That said, I'm a bit frustrated with the digital copy environment of late which is going away from iTunes and toward UV products like Vudu.

 

[mrochester]

Other than the iPhone SE being exactly the amount of power I want in the size I really like, there's also the fact that Apple are a company that embodies values that I value: highly innovative, pro-competition, pro-privacy, pro-workers rights, pro-environment, pro-corporate responsibility. I don't know of any other company in the smartphone market that embodies all of these values.

 

[No5tromo]

Reading through the thread it became crystal clear that the original idea was nothing but trolling.
Sell your iPhone, buy what you want.
One more thing. If you've already made your decision there was/is no need to provoke others.

How exactly did I provoke you or others? For not over-praising iPhone? For not having the exact same opinion as you? Why do you even bother replying to trolling? People of the Internet never cease to amaze me.