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My iPhone Experience

by Adam Folkman, May 23, 2023

I have been a cellphone user for roughly 25 years, and a smartphone user for at least 17 years. I never would have thought after all this time that I would finally give iPhones a try. I have always been a Windows and Android user (I did use a Blackberry for work when they were on top of the smartphone world), and I always pushed back against Apple devices because they are trendy and expensive. But what do you do when your cell phone carrier gives you the opportunity to try the new iPhone for free? Well, you get a free phone. (Let's be honest though, free is a loose term. You still have to pay taxes and commit to two more years of service with your wireless carrier.) I have been looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. I will share my experience here, so if you're thinking about making a switch (whether from Android to iPhone or iPhone to Android), check back here regularly for my updates on which platform is winning the battle.

Current Winner: Android +6

Last updated July 17, 2023

Android (Pixel)

Ability to name message groups regardless of the makeup of the group (mixed Android/iPhone groups vs. homogenous groups).
Schedule text messages natively w/in the messaging app.
Can add credit cards to Google Pay with NFC scan.
Biometrics -- both fingerprint & facial recognition
File transfer and management (especially photos)
Default apps -- can be anything you want and won't automatically open apps when you connect to certain devices (for example, iPhones automatically open Apple Music when connecting to a car's infotainment system, despite the fact that I've never used Apple Music).
App notifications (number on app icons on homescreen) can be viewed and dismissed without entering the app.
USB-C port* (the Lightning cable is different than every other device -- even Apple's Macbooks use USB-C)
Multi-user support
Ability to access app settings (notifications, app storage/cache, etc.) from the app's icon on the home screen.

iPhone

Can pin up to 9 (versus 3 for Android) text messaging groups to the top of your messages list.
General hardware and software performance -- an impressive display and more consistently reliable software.
Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac
DisplayPort alternate support through charging port (although this is rumored to be coming to the next Pixel lineup)

*Starting with the iPhone 15, Apple is now using the USB-C charging port for iPhones.