I have never been an Apple fan. For the simple reason that I am an enemy of elitism and exclusivity, especially the kind that, because of the size of my wallet, mocks my social class. But I have used Android devices enough to learn new things. I have experienced the frustration of being excluded from an Android update just a couple of weeks after buying a shiny new gadget. I have experienced the broken ecosystem that is Android and its horde of device devils. The big lesson has been that exclusivity is everywhere. Strangely worse in Androidville actually where every other month you’re made to salivate over a high end gizmo that’s simply out of economic reach. So, the envy of watching friends enjoy a better experience on the Apple side of the fence is finally getting the best me.
To be clear, my wallet’s not any bigger but coming clean takes a huge burden off me right now. Apple makes the better experience. And nothing has convinced me more than studying information on the new iOS 7 and, last week, the new iPhone 5s and 5c. The much cliched ‘this is not technology for technology’s sake’ sums up my impression.
If you’re like me, you just want the simplicity to get on with your work and life. Yes there are moments for us geeks to want the adventure of bending and fixing the technology. Doing new stuff that pushes the limits of the phone. But most times, I just want to check my email, make Facebook and Instagram updates, take awesome photos, chat on WhatsApp and be human. I want to get on with my life without the troubleshooting, rebooting, workarounds and figuring outs etc… I want to use the device and not be constantly finding ways to use it.
All this device trouble is what Android feels like right now, and I wish, against all economic realities and sense, that I could leave right away. The one thing I know is that I’ll never buy a top range Android phone again. No. Not even the Moto X.
Share
Home
33 comments
Its called growing up bro.
lol.. true hey
You can still be simple on android. Used to be a ROM junkie, customising and pushing my phone to the limits always. But now I simply install the apps I need on my android phone. Of course mine is rooted, so I can have the extra apps like “Prepaid widget”, ‘Titanium backup”, and Android firewall which need the root access… but other than that Android doesn’t give a headache. iOS is beautiful, smart and smooth, so is android (minus the smooth part :D).
Bottom line, i love Android for the cheap and free apps 🙂
battered wife mourning
Haha, another one getting older and not being able to keep up, join the club, really tough to admit that all you want is something that works and is simple. I do still stand by Android though, their ideals and openness.
Android can be simple if you choose but it is hard to be strict when they are breaking new ground and have so many options. Grab an S4 and use the air gesture, esp when answering a call while your hands are dirty, or you could unlock your iPhone with a grubby fingerprint.
Everyone has their needs and preferences, for some it’s iOS and others it’s Android.
Tho Apple has good polished hardware and aesthetics, iOS is too rigid and i find it rather boring and too constricting.
With BBM getting on multiple platforms, Android this Saturday and iOS this Sunday…….. That gives Sumsung the upper hand…
Viva Android
The Galaxy Note 2 hasn’t disappointed me to say the least. Only problem i have with it is its plastic body. Other than that its an amazing Android. Can’t wait to get my hands on the note 3.. That said, I haven’t seen any Android tablet as good as the iPad though
This was an interesting read. One reason why we cannot have the apples is sometimes because of theives. Thieves are keeping us at ransom. The issue of theives is the most decisive factor when one buys a phone. Right now with business seeming to be winding up at Xiemex we are breathing a sigh of relief that maybe that the time of being physical followed by thieves if you are known to have an apple phone are over.
You can recover your stolen handset if you (and the police) visit the mobile operators with the phones IMEI
The last i heard it would take as long as two months for them to release trace details
If Apple does a 5inch screen then I’d consider moving. So far the screen is just too small for what I like to do. Yes everybody can whatsapp, tweet, instagram on that 4 inch screen, but I pretty much like the way things appear on my 5.5 inch Note 2.
But of course I’m frustrated that the updates of high-end droid devices take forever to come… which is why, if the 5 inch iPhone ever surfaces, I just might jump ship…
I kinda feel jealous that most of my iOS colleagues have gotten the update and that they all get the update the very same day. For droids, eish, when you get 4.3 for the Note 2 (which I still don’t have by the way) Google is already on 4.4…
true. An iPhone 4, a phone released back in 2010, got the same update that an iPhone 5 got yesterday. Everyone is reasonably included. That there is a sign of an ecosystem that gives its customers a great experience.
Two words: Nexus phones. If you want to be always on the latest Android version, get a Nexus phone. Seeing that you appreciate large screens, the upcoming Nexus 5 sounds like it will be right up your alley.
I cannot imagine myself using iOS, a) Losing widgets & Google Now would suck b) I cannot live without Tasker, Llama & a half-dozen other utilities that transform my ordinary phone into something more. (I don’t know how far Apple took Geofencing in iOS, but it’l never get be anything like Tasker, but that’s for ‘power users’).
Different strokes for different folks. Whichever smartphone ecosystem you’re into, just take a moment to consider that you have a freakin’ computer in a pocket. We’re living in the future.
Took the words out of my mouth. I have a nexus 4. Pure,stock android and first on updates. Good performance and cheap. Problem is they don’t sell in our markets. got it through a mate in Europe. they’re sold in SA though through third parties with fairly justifiable prices.
i am moving to iphone from android for one simple reason, take a samsung S4 and an iphone 4 (not even the S) and open the dial pad, iphone opens immediately no secs involved, now open the dial pad on a samsung S4, you can count 4 secs to the time it opens. now imagine looking at the screen and waiting for the app to open and you are driving (i don’t support using the phone whilst driving), iphone – no accident, android – accident
your s4 must be a fake…
got a galaxy s3 and i seem to have been missed by your android problems…..please do write again when your tired of itunes.
btw…your Itunes account can’t be a zimbo address, welcome to exclusivity
I’m not moving to iPhone. Didn’t say so in the article. I just wish I could.
Umm please don’t. Stay with us in our Droid world 🙂
Dude, am on the verge of getting a Galaxy S4 mini…the timing of your article couldn’t be worse. I’ve been browsing reviews, trying to get confidence in that gadget, you come along and tell me (imply) I might be better off getting the iPhone 5C instead.I love tinkering around a little bit with my phone, but at the same time I want it to just work when i want to, say, check email, whatsapp and occasionally play around with the camera or GPS on boring days.
Is android as bad as you have made it sound?
Every Android experience is different. I personally just owned the Motorola Attrix 4G and have used other lower ends (Huawei ideos, Asus tablet etc…). I have handled the Samsung Galaxy S range devices a few times and haven’t felt they are any better significantly than the Attrix. The article is just my experience and my new resolve
Android is not as bad as this. I’ve used both and I’m glad I didn’t waste an extra few hundred on an Apple phone.
android is great, the phone you want to get is useless…
android is good, gives u plenty of OPTIONS. you can choose not to go with some of those options, and have the simple experience you desire. from my experience (S2, S3, Note II) u wont go wrong with a high end Samsung Galaxy device.
You need to google the real comparison between Iphone and Samsung galaxy Range. Iphone is beaten in almost every angle. Apple is for upper market society not just in Zimbabwe but even in New york And Birmingham England. On the other hand Samsung carters for everyone as you can buy a $20 brand new smart phone and you can as well buy a $600 smart phone. And their Restriction on browser. You can only ever use their rubbish Safari. Samsung will give you power to download anything you want from Chrome, Firefox, Linux, Opera, etc. And now the price. The Latest Iphone 5 C and S and like toys, too plastic and doesnt feel like the solid iphone 4 and 3G before it. Even on Spec, resolution, screen size, browsing speeds, the iphone is beaten by Galaxy. Anyway its a choice for an individual, I have both Iphone 5 and Galaxy S4. Iphone its like a closed source market while Android is an open market where a user can do unlimited things.
Good luck with Apple store and the huge unexpected charges coming your way pretty soon
i have installed Opera on my iPhone but Safari just works much better in terms of loading speed.
well done…
I love my blackberry….but have been spending time on everbuying.com
Want to pick up a cheap tablet for presentation and to house my other line (incidentally in my old blackberry)
Welcome to my world
My first android device was samsung galaxy note 10.1 tab. Good when i got it but compared to the iOS on my iphone … I’m definetely shopping for an ipad now … even though it doesn’t have the cool s-pen like the note (something i use a lot ) its just not up to par
Symbian all the way…