Switching back to Apple

For context I’ve been using Android since 2016 before that I was rocking the iPhone 5C. With everything going on I feel like a change is necessary.

I do enjoy the freedom of my Pixel 3a and the Nexus devices before it. But I guess I changed or maybe phones changed. Android run phones seem to be really disconnected from one another. Which from some arguments is a good thing. But they don’t really have a good unifying idea.

I guess I’m just tired of searching and doing my own research. Sure I can look up reviews to a bunch of different Android devices and their counterparts but if I just need a working phone I can just pick up the iPhone. That’s it.

I can look up the reviews of two instead of let’s say 20. But yeah first world problems.

Also airpods are just a better wireless headphones option. I know we have some better choices now.

The Apple watch is just a overall great smart watch if you care for that. I’m still really surprised that Android doesn’t have a standard smart watch that they can pair with. For now the Apple watch is exclusive for the iPhone.

Since the release in 2015 there still doesn’t seem to be a rival to match it. There are a few close ones but in all this time no company wants to get into the market to compete with them.

Wireless charging seems to be the new trend and probably more than a trend. I really think it’s going to be the new standard. The ports battle seems really like bad joke and it looks like apple is moving the conversation into wireless. And if the rumors of a port-less iPhone is true we can see them really lean into the wireless options.

And it seems like that was the only option to go. While yes moving everything into USB-C would be been nice but eventually everything should be wireless just to save on the hassle. Broken connectors and ports will still be a thing and wireless charging solves all of that.

Wired headphones are great I grew up with them. But maybe it’s time for a upgrade.

Maybe I’m praising the corporations too much but our phones and wearables are suppose to make life easier for us. I’m all for choice but I think we are buried in too much junk.

And to not sound like a total fan boy of apple I will list reasons why you should stay on Android.

As much as Apple is changing it’s still a premium product with premium prices. You still have to hunt down a deal and phones are rarely sold at a discount.

Their software sometimes could be a pain in the butt due to how restrictive they can be. While they do make things easier with Apple products they make 3rd party and others hard to play with.

USB-C is a big one. While some of their laptops have the port the phones and others still are on the Lighting cable. USB-C is just still better and Lighting really never took off.

Google seemed like it was going to go into the ring and have it out with Apple with their release of the Pixel phone line. While their phones were great they didn’t have much else.

They finally got a decent wireless headphones via the Pixel Buds 2 but they just released it this year. While it is a great pair the price could be better. They also gave us a good tablet but it’s kind of miles behind the iPad. And still no Pixel watch or any kind of reliable wearable.

And a huge reason for me at least I rather not take out my phone in public. Looking at messages or taking calls on the Apple watch seems like a better alternative in the current pandemic. Wiping off the watch is a lot easier since it’s water resistant.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m older but I use less apps now. I couldn’t care less about features or whatever. The phone is still a phone. I can still get the regular day to day apps I’m fine. The only thing I really care about now is podcasts and some music. I’m probably going to stay with the phone, airpods and watch for a while. I won’t upgrade until they force me to with software and or breakage.

A week later…

Ok so I got the whole shabang, the (Used)iPhone SE (2020), Airpods pro, and Apple watch series 3.

So I won’t bore you with all the logistics and numbers but will say that life does get easier with the watch and wireless headphones.

Not having to untangle wires and plugging it in saves a lot more time than I expected. I mean I still had to press play but I was out the door much faster.

Battery life is pretty good considering I am mainly using the watch for most tasks unless I needed to take a call. And even then if I had my airpods in I could still pick up all without taking out my phone.

While I did get deals on all the items this was still a little over 500 and well within the price range of my Pixel 3A when I got it on release. Deals are out there if your patience enough.

And if your willing to get older models the prices become more affordable. But I will say that getting a new iPhone model will only help for future proofing your gear. While one could get the 6S model to save even more, Apple will stop supporting it since it’s oldest model on the list and will probably do so next year.

The iPhone SE (2020) will continue to be supported well into the next 5 years and maybe more since the hardware is pretty top notch since it came out earlier this year.

I only got the Airpods Pro because of the Black Friday deals otherwise I might have just got the 2nd generation Airpods. The deal made the price difference not matter and a much better investment.

The apple watch series 3 was also because of a Black Friday deal. And really not into the new features in the newer versions. I know this is on the tail end of the series but I couldn’t say no to a 120 dollar smart watch. And if the next one really does make a jump in hardware and software I might just upgrade. But probably not.

Since Apple is willing to release budget phones with decent hardware it looks like I will be staying with this set up. I tired looking for an android alternative but it’s a mix match of different brands which may not work well with each other and may very well phase out with time. At least with the apple ecosystem I know they will work together until they stop supporting it.

Google has a part of the ecosystem and maybe Fitbit? Oneplus may surprise us with something next year but it’s kind of in the same boat as Google. Samsung does seem like a good alternative but they only just kind of done it this year, while Apple has had it’s ecosystem for a while now. And all the time to fix and update the bugs.

I mean after using everything for a few weeks I really like ease and comfort. Controlling almost everything on the watch made the commute better. Battery life is also better and haven’t had to charge or use my battery expect in rare occasions.

Final Thoughts:

I’m happy with the switch and Apple really makes it easy to set up everything with their ecosystem. Still trying to find a portable battery that supports charging everything. I think it’s because of the size but wireless charging for the Apple watch is not supported for all portable batteries that support Qi charging. Was hopping for a three in one sort of deal but only the buds and the phone works.

There are three in ones for your desk but nothing for a portable battery. I’m usually traveling and don’t really care about wires while at home. The winner in all this is the Airpods Pro. If there was a way to use it fully with my Pixel 3a I would. And pairing it with the Apple watch really makes the set up shine.

And the phone you know it’s still the iPhone. If I’m being honest it really hasn’t changed all that much. It still does the job and the new features are nice but if they didn’t force me to use it along with the accessories I probably wouldn’t.

My Pixel 3a was showing it’s age, so I would have to get another phone eventually. So I had it for a little under 2 years now. And I just noticed how I’m progressively getting smaller phones. The SE is one of the smallest I had in a long time. When I do need a upgrade I’m definitely getting the 12 Mini or similar. I still think the 4S was the perfect redesign for a phone.