My switch to iPhone from Android solved these frustrations

After loving Android phones for 10 years, I finally gave in.

A few weeks ago – and after months of going back and forth – I went to my local Verizon store and ordered a iPhone 14 Pro. It may sound like I’m being overly dramatic, but the move was a big shift for me.

I’ve always been proud that I didn’t partake in the Apple hype. Despite years of bullying friends into switching to an iPhone, I pushed back, insisting I liked being different from the crowd. Everyone around me has an iPhone. It felt good to defy the norm. And so I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy devices for years, which I still believe are incredible phones.

But after conversations with friends and family about what I could get with the iPhone that I could never get with my Android, I started to rethink my stance. Yes, I loved my Galaxy S10 Plus and everything it offered: a top-notch camera, a customizable interface, and the best tool of all: Object Eraser, which removes unwanted people or objects from your photos (Pixel has a similar function). But in the end, there was one big thing that my Android could never provide: a seamless way to communicate with all my friends on the iPhone.

I’ve been told countless times that I’m ruining group chats by making all texts “green.” This is, of course, because Apple refuses to make iMessage compatible with Android phones, so if you message someone who isn’t using iOS, you’ll see green speech bubbles instead of the default blue. Because this felt like a superficial complaint — and 100% Apple’s fault — I pushed it aside.

Until I realized I was missing out on other more important benefits of owning an iPhone.

Unless you’re using a third-party app like WhatsApp, there’s no easy way to transfer high-resolution photos and videos directly between an Android phone and an iPhone. I was fine just using WhatsApp, until I started to get jealous of my friends who were right away AirDropping photos and videos after our hangouts. WhatsApp also reduces the quality of videos and Google Drive takes much longer to upload videos.

It was also frustrating that apps like TikTok reduced my camera quality on Android. Comparing TikTok videos shot on an iPhone — even an older version like the iPhone X — to those shot on my Galaxy S10 Plus is night and day. On my Galaxy, TikTok distorted the colors and blurred everything in the most unflattering and unrealistic way. On the iPhone, videos are crisp and clear and display as they should. For someone who uses TikTok as much as I do, this was important.

These reasons, along with the fact that I already use a MacBook and would therefore benefit from the Apple ecosystem, led me to change my mind about owning an iPhone. Add to that features like the new always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro models — something I absolutely loved on my Galaxy devices — and fun new elements like Dynamic Island, and suddenly I was hooked on it. idea to switch.

Of course I had to fight the feeling that I was sold out. But I realized it’s just a phone after all. And whatever you do, people will have an unsolicited opinion about what device you’re using. My Galaxy has worked well for me for years. Now I was ready for something new. And so far I don’t regret it.

Check out the video above for more of my thoughts on switching from an Android phone to an iPhone.