Edit : Why I Use An iPhone

Ok, so before I begin with this article, let me clarify that I haven’t been paid by Apple to write this, I don’t hate Android phones, and I most certainly am not a “fanboy”. Also, I am not Bharat Nagpal (I know most of you came here expecting Bharat to finally reveal why he uses an iPhone). 

The question is simple yet one of the most debatable one this side of the century, “Why do you use an iPhone?” 

Some background details first

[pullquote_right]working at iGyaan has its perks![/pullquote_right]I currently use a 16GB iPhone 4s, my first iPhone, which I’ve been using since January, 2012. Before this I had a Nokia 5230 “Express Music”, a Samsung Corby, a Samsung Metro, a Motorola flip phone (don’t remember its name now) and a Nokia 1100 (which I had to crush with a brick and then drown in a bucket full of water to make sure it was dead). Oh, and a couple of Android devices here and there (working at iGyaan has its perks!). 

Now the Crux

So, it took me only 1 day to realize that I had a phone in my hand that is perfect for me. Why so? Easy, because it’s is simple and uncomplicated!  I work around technology on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean I want my products and services to be unnecessarily complex.  In fact, I tend to go the opposite way – I spend a lot of time working with wireless devices, dealing with random issues, playing with settings, and the likes.  In my time off, I’ll always migrate to the solution that’s the easiest.

I want a device that works the same way every single time.  When I open an app, I expect it to take the same amount of time to open each and every time, when it doesn’t, it aggravates me. [pullquote_left]Having a sluggish phone with a 1.5 GHz dual-core is like having a Pulsar that moves like a Rajdhoot.[/pullquote_left] The iPhone is consistent, fast and ridiculously smooth! While you’ll never have a device that’s 100 percent fail-free, I’ve yet to find another device that performs as fluidly as the iPhone 4S. 

One of the primary reasons I love the iPhone is the large selection of high quality apps. Even though more apps come to Android every day, I still prefer to buy (cough!) most of my apps and games on the iPhone.

Not only do most of these apps look better, but i don’t have the same buyer’s (cough again!) remorse as I do with many Android apps I purchase. When given the choice between the same app on Android and on iPhone, I choose the iPhone app. I can’t recall looking at an Android app and complimenting its looks in comparison to its iOS and Windows Phone counterparts. 

Daily Usage

Typing is a breeze with the auto-correct (though i have suffered some more than embarrassing moments due to it). The phone literally learns as you use it. Overtime Siri picked up on my “Indian Accent”and autocorrect started suggesting Hinglish words. I use dictation on the iPhone 4S to write entire articles with enough accuracy that only minimal editing needed. In fact, I am writing this article through the WordPress app on my phone! The new Voice Actions in Android 4.0 include many of the same features and work just as well as Siri and Dictation on the iPhone, but it is less polished. There is no use of relationships and Voice Actions doesn’t prompt for the message, requiring taps on-screen instead.

Through iCloud, I have all my emails, contacts, data backed up effortlessly and accessible from anywhere. I don’t have to worry about subscription renewal or periodic updates. All I had to do was create an iCloud account and I was good to go!

Camera and portability

The camera is definitely the best I’ve seen on a mobile phone (do not mention the PureView!). It has eliminated the need to carry a separate camera while on a vacation. I am more than satisfied with it!

One of the biggest feature of a phone for me is the screen, and the iPhone delivers in that aspect! The Retina display is a treat to use! Bright, vivid colours, great viewing angles, outdoor visibility and no pixilation at all! Texts are as crisp as they can be and even though the screen may not be the biggest, it definitely is the best for my needs.

Jailbreak

[pullquote_right]For all the things that Apple didn’t include in the iOS, there’s JailBreak![/pullquote_right] You can do anything, literally, once you’ve jailbroken your phone! Be it applying a custom theme (I am using the Windows 8 theme currently), add toggles to the homescreen and download unlimited apps for free!

Out of all of the smartphones I’ve used, battery life continues to shine on the iPhone 4S in comparison to Android and Windows Phone equivalents.  It has taken a hit for sure with iOS 5 and the 4S’ dual-core processor, but it still outperforms other smartphones I’ve used. It charges ridiculously fast!

Conclusion (The Only Answer)

So basically, the iPhone has a smooth and fluid OS (I cannot emphasize this enough!), adequately powerful hardware, and tons of great features! Not to mention it looks great and I don’t have to deal with “minor bug fixes” now and then! So why should I switch to some other phone just because it has ridiculously speedy quad-core processor and an awfully powerful GPU when at the end of the day I have a phone which does what I need perfectly!

Is it the best phone ever? Nope.  Would I go around recommending it to everyone?  Nope.  I can go off on a tirade of things I don’t like about it.  Email management has been especially bugging me. There’s a ton of features on the Android that I wish I had access to on my iPhone, and there’s no doubt that Android will continue to develop over time, but right now, I just want a phone that pretty much manages itself, so I can enjoy it, without having to worry about if I need to update permissions on my phone.  But for today, it’s the device that allows me to check off the most number of features on my list, so it stays!