Well hello,
there is a 90% percent chance you clicked on this article to write a comment about why I am absolutely wrong or maybe you are the 10% that want to find more reasons that support your point of view in preparation for the next time you get into this very controversial argument with your friend.
Look, I am going to be honest, I am an absolute tech geek. I have researched such topics for hours, scrolling through various forums and specification sheets in order to find the best products. My family is also very supportive and I am always the person that gets asked questions like: what phone should I buy? Can you tell me if this is a good deal? Can you fix this for me? etc. etc. etc.
Anyway, now that you have some background let’s get into today’s topic.
I could just say that looking at performance benchmark numbers, there are simply better phones out there for a better price and that would be the end of the discussion, but I want to dive deeper into what makes Apple particularly a tough sell for me.
First, let’s go from the outside. iPhones are simply ugly. I am sorry, there is no better way to put this but I’ll just show you. This is a three-year progression of how Samsung and Apple have evolved in their design for the past three years.
You can see how Apple held on to the classic Apple look until the iPhone 7 – way longer than they should have. When they finally moved on they gave us the iPhone X with the horrible-looking notch that blocks so much space on the top. Just compare that to the beautiful Android counterpart. The truth is that we all spend 4-6 hours starting at our phones, and when you are spending upwards of $1000 dollars, we shouldn’t be dealing with these ugly compromises. The worst part is what Apple uses the notch for – Face ID. They could have easily added an under-screen fingerprint scanner or converted the Apple logo at the back to a fingerprint scanner, but they went with the less superior option in classic Apple fashion.
The next important thing I want to point out is expandable storage. Look I will admit Apple has some of the best camera systems, especially for videos. The problem is that 4K 60fps video takes up a lot of space. Personally, I have a three and a half-year-old Samsung Galaxy S8 plus and do you know how many times I have had to transfer my media to my computer? The answer is zero and I take a LOT of photos, videos, and receive tons of messages on Whatsapp from relatives. I never even bother to delete old stuff that I never use and have multiple HD movies on my phone. I joke about how I am ONLY using 220 GB out of the 300 GB available just to make Apple fanboys mad.
The last important thing I want to talk about is third-party apps. I get that this one can be a bit controversial but hear me out. Since many of you may not have had experience with these, I want to clear up what I mean by third-party apps. I am not talking about any apps that are available on the App Store or Play Store. I am talking about the ones that you can go to a website and download. I get that Apple is trying to protect user privacy by not allowing these, but if you are not stupid, your data will be fine. Apple refuses to let its users have the freedom to do what they want. To be transparent, most of these apps are not on the play store for a reason such as torrent and copyright issues. I am not endorsing engaging in such activities, but sometimes, life is just so much more convenient when you can download videos, songs, and movies on demand and not have to deal with advertisements. The bigger issue is that as a programmer I wouldn’t be able to let my friends and family have apps that I make without having to pay the fees that go along with publishing the app.
For today, I think these are the three big points I want to make. I have many many more but I will save those for another day. I would love to hear your opinion on this matter in the comments.
Hi Jimit,
I thought your blog post was very interesting, specifically your negative opinion of Apple products, as most people I have talked to have a positive opinion of their company. I read this post because I myself have a positive opinion of my iPhone and Airpods, which are my favorite Apple products that I own currently. I think the innovation of wireless headphones is extremely useful, and prevents a few problems arising with traditional headphones, such as the fact that they take up a large amount of space when compared to the Airpods, and they become tangled easily. As far as the phones, whenever I have used my grandma’s Android, I always find it more difficult to use than my phone from Apple. Whether this is due to the fact that I have never owned a device by Android, or it is simply less developed technologically, I’m not sure, but I will never switch over to Android products most likely. One of the areas I would be interested in learning more about, however, is the durability of both company’s screens, as I have cracked the screen of almost every iPhone I have owned. Again, this was an interesting post to read, especially after planning to purchase the new iPhone, as it raised questions about the negatives surrounding Apple phones, and their products in general.
Hello Jimit,
I do not believe that I would fall into either the 90% or the 10% groups of people you listed. While I have been a lifelong Apple consumer, I also fancy myself a bit of a technology fanatic, and thus would never turn a blind eye to the blatant downfalls of many Apple products. The absurdly high price points when compared to lower performance and a more restricted operating system are among a myriad of reasons why I would never consider purchasing an Apple computer. There is something about the market for phones, however, which keeps drawing me back to Apple, despite the problems I have with many of the company’s other products. I think this might be the reality for a lot of other people. The only answer I can possibly come up with to this point is the aesthetic. While you shared that you find the Android counterparts to be better looking than Apple phones, I honestly must disagree. While I cannot pinpoint it exactly, there is something about Apple phones which just looks more appealing, and I think the visual arts are certainly an area which Apple dedicates a lot of its resources to perfecting. So while I will never be a Mac owner, the combination of the appearance and the trendiness of the iPhone will likely keep be coming back for future generations, despite the fact that it may not give me the best bang for my buck performance wise.
Hi Jimit! I enjoyed your post and found it very informational, as I admittedly know very little about technology. Ever since I got my first smartphone, I simply hopped on the Apple bandwagon without really researching any of its features. Despite my history of Apple consumption, I will concede to your point that the iPhones do have a significant number of annoying features. For instance, I really related to your point about Apple devices having a very limited storage capacity. I’m constantly having to go back and delete apps, photos, and videos just to free up another ounce of storage. Overall, I appreciate your informational approach to evaluating phone effectiveness, rather than simply conforming to popular opinion and going the Apple route.
Hi Jimit,
It was certainly interesting to read your thoughts on Apple, however I couldn’t help but feel that at the end of this, your blog maybe should have been titled “Why I Don’t Like Apple,” or perhaps “Why I Prefer Android to Apple.” To put it simply, I think at the end of the day it is simply a matter of perspective and preference. For someone like me, I enjoy the seamless communication between Apple devices, such as AirDrop, instant pairing with AirPods, and other neat features like taking calls and answering texts directly from my laptop. I also would point out that the speaker systems on Apple products are generally much better in comparison to Andriod and, as someone that consumes quite a bit of media, it’s very important for me. I can’t disagree with any of your points you made, but this also just strengthens my belief that the Apple vs. Android debate simply depends on preferences.
Sai