What Brand Loyalty
I have owned an iPhone since the day it was released on June 29, 2007. Friday [ October 5th 2012 ] marked the first day that I no longer owned an iPhone. I thought long and hard about the change but due to an iOS 6 bug I was forced to look for an alternative device since my phone had become useless.
iOS6 for AT&T currently has a bug where the WiFi Network option greys out causing an assortment of other problems. When this happens the 4G connectivity stops working, all calls drop, facetime doesn’t work and text messages come in already read. After Apple supplied 4 iPhones trying to fix this I had to make a change till a patch is released > [ Forum Link Click Here ]
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The Phone Choices:
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After spending an hour in the store fumbling around with the Windows Phones I just couldn’t get comfortable with lack of emotion the UI presented to me. With the Windows phone I felt like the ux was clear enough to use but wasn’t created with any love. I found myself feeling like a robot created it and I would get bored of it quickly. The two Android phones presented a better option for what I was looking for and seemed closest to the iOS platform I was happy with. So I decided to try out Apples main competitor the Samsung GS3. Considering all the press and court cases I felt is was the right way to go.
Keep in mind I have a 30 day return policy so the fate of my mobile device choice is in Apple’s hands and how quickly they can patch the iOS6 bug that I am experiencing.
It’s funny how people judge you based on your phone these days. The four days I have owned the phone people have been asking me:
- How I like it compared to the iPhone?
- Is it better then the iPhone?
- What are the differences from the iPhone?
Just a note for any readers I am a user experience and user interface designer so my attention to detail on items such as this tends to be very detail oriented. So here are some quick thoughts on the iPhone Product vs Samsung Product as well as iOS vs Android. I wanted to keep this quick.
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Product quality and design:
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Looking at the two options as products in your hand I honestly don’t believe you can compare the two. The iPhone is a product which has an amazing amount of thought and detail behind the design, the glass, the etched corners, etc. The Samsung is an odd egg shape made with what feels to me a cheap plastic. So the easiest way to compare the two products quality and design is relating them to vehicles.
Both vehicles are great options but in the end it’s what your willing to spend. I always believe you get what you pay for. In this case the iPhone to me relates to BMW and what is considered a brand that pays a great amount of attention to detail. Yes you pay a premium for a BMW but it’s in a class of it’s own delivering a great ride, design and evokes emotion. The Samsung in this case I compare to a Honda which is not focused on making the best but simply selling the most. It’s a reliable machine, not focused on design or fine details but on how many they can sell with cost effective parts.
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Operating system and user experience:
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The most important aspect of any mobile device is the operating system, user experience and how it relates to the user. The iPhone is an excellent example of great user experience when you think about how easy it is to navigate and find things. I have listed a couple bullet points below that I “Liked” or “Disliked”.
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1. Customization [ Android - Like ]
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The iPhone has strict guidelines for app development as well as any customization that happens throughout the device. The Android however is completely customizable in every way. I personally think that allowing user full customization tends to ruin the feel and experience of a device. But in this case I found that I am able to discover content faster with the customization of screens that the Android device offeres. So this ones a plus for me.
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The iPhone delivers very intuitive navigation for users to find what they need at all times. The Android I consistently find myself wondering how to navigate or change a setting depending on what I am doing. The user should never have to think about how to do something so I really dislike this.
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The camera I believe is the star of the iPhone. The iPhone delivers a very responsive, fast, easy to use start to finish process for any type of photographer or videographer. The Android I found left puzzled by a couple things. 1. How to open the camera app quickly. I loved the ability to photograph quickly with my iPhone which the Android doesn’t seem to deliver. 2. Photo quality and Apps for the iPhone are untouchable. The Android just doesn’t have any photo apps that are any good and the quality of photos is just not the same.
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5. Syncing [ Android - Like ]
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The iPhone syncs with iCloud to allow users connections to email, notes, tasks and contacts at all times. The Android syncs with Google Accounts and offers the same list of items that the iPhone does. I believe the Android syncing is far superior and actually delivers a better experience. I found that with three clicks my entire phone and apps were fully synched delivering exactly what I wanted from mail to Google Reader and more. If Apple would step up it’s development process then I would side with them but in this case they are just moving to slow.
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6. Screen Size [ Samsung GS3 - Like ]
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The deciding factor for me. The Samsung GS3 screen size is what the iPhone 5 size should have been. I am not buying the Apple commercials [ http://youtu.be/EY4c2mh15Yk ] emphasizing the thumb length and reachability. I think it’s false advertising for a mistake they know they made. With that said lets hope the next iPhone 6 screen size is the same as the GS3 because it’s perfect and my fingers reach just fine.
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Final Thought:
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The iPhone 5 was a big launch for Apple. I believe it was one that would make or break some users such as me and my decisions on a phone for the next few years. Not to mention the major bug with iOS6 that I have experienced was the real deciding factor.
The iPhone all around is the best device in the world. It doesn’t matter what anyone says -start to finish- no other platform can deliver what Apple has done. Overall it depends on what functions you use most on your mobile device. For my needs messaging and the camera are the most important and the Android just falls short. In final I do prefer the Apple iOS and will be back on it but for now I am completely happy dealing with a lack luster OS such as Android’s because one thing makes me happy every time I use it. The GS3 4.8” inch display is the perfect size and the days of “Brand Loyalty” are gone.
The ball is Apple’s court. Will they fix the bug before my return policy on the GS3 expires…
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Update 1 - October 22 2012:
Apple still has not released a patch for this. I still have the Samsung GS3 with 5 days remaining to return the phone. I truly miss the Apple ecosystem. All of my content [Videos, Music, Etc] are trapped inside of iTunes which I can’t access on the Android. Also the Camera experience and photo editing on the device are absolutely terrible with the Android system which is what I use most on phones. However the screen size of the Samsung GS3 continues to grow on me. I will post another update in the coming weeks.
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