Should Your Next Phone be iPhone or Android?

When it is time to get a new phone, many iPhone users just get another iPhone. Here are some reasons why I believe you should make an Android your next phone instead.

(Warning: If not having iMessage is a dealbreaker, be ready to give that up for an Android. That’s right, you will become the dreaded green bubble. However, unless you have a Mac, it is not as important for texting as one may think. While the one Android user in a group chat is known to be problematic, I found out that if I keep both my data and Wi-Fi turned on at once I always get the message.)

One particularly annoying aspect of Apple is that when they do something that is mocked and ridiculed, some Android companies end up doing it as well; prompting more complaints.

For instance, there is the lack of a headphone jack since the iPhone 7. As much as people complained about this, even more were OK with it. After that, even some Android phones like the Google Pixel Line forwent a headphone jack. Wireless earpods can fix this, but those aren’t in the Vanguard Bookstore for $10-15.

While there are adapters for wired headphones, they cannot be used while charging the phone without a split dongle, which means more money spent. Fortunately, many Android phones still have a headphone jack.

Call me cheap or old-fashioned, but I like having a regular headphone jack.

While phone companies are always inventing new models and improving software, iPhone updates have a bad reputation for slowing phones down with the plan to forcing consumers into buying a new one. I have never owned an iPhone, so I can’t tell how much of that is the truth and how much is a conspiracy. However, according to Business Insider, an antitrust watchdog fined Apple for slowing phones down with updates. 

I may have never kept a phone for longer than two years, but if my phone’s brand suddenly decided to slow it down because it is obsolete, I’d probably never trust that brand again. That’s just straight-up evil!

Android updates, on the other hand, are not known for these scandals. Instead of slowing the software down, they tend to keep it as fast as the original software. Even when the phone becomes out of date, it is still perfectly usable. Yes, there is still planned obsolescence, but it is better-planned obsolescence that doesn’t ruin a phone with updates. I would rather have a neglected phone than one broken by the company that made it.

Another thing to consider is price. On one hand, many top-of-the-line Android phones are similarly priced to the iPhone and will give users a similar experience. However, there are many solid cheaper options with Android.

Think of a phone like a car. Typical iPhones have always been premium products like a Mercedes Benz, whereas a cheap Toyota is all that is needed. Because you’d be going from a Benz to a Toyota, a cheaper phone can feel like a downgrade in some ways.

However, is a $600-$1000 phone necessary? The Google Pixel 3a, for instance, is only $400 and has one of the best phone cameras, along with a headphone jack and a solid performance history. In fact, its’ commercials were all about its camera being better than an iPhone X’s. 

If a camera is not important to you, a $300 Moto G7 is highly recommended, as it gives a fantastic experience for half the price of an iPhone. Yes, it’s a step-down, but if you’re trying to be frugal, then I highly suggest you buy a cheaper phone.

If money is not a concern, Android competition has created all kinds of options. Plenty of articles have been written about the top flagship Androids with categories for the best camera, screen, overall value, audio experience, etc. There is an Android for almost every taste out there. 

As a whole, some things are just easier on an Android. For example, there is a universal back button on the phone at all times. Transferring music to a computer and vice-versa can be done without installing new software. Apps you never use can be taken off the home screen. 

While perhaps these are not the most important aspects, the fact that Android continues to give consumers the choice as a matter of principle is simply better. If you want a different browser to be the default, it is possible to set this up on an Android, unlike iOS. I cannot even imagine not being able to do that. If every link opened in the default browser for me, I would be furious because I never use it!

Overall, while iPhones are obviously popular in culture, I believe that more options, customization, and value can be found in Android phones. According to Statcounter, most of the phones in the world are Android, and it seems clear why. So, the next time you need to upgrade your iPhone, consider an Android instead.