What convinced me to switch to iPhone after a decade on Android

After 10 years of being part of Team Android, I finally gave in.

After months of going back-and-forth, I finally went to my local Verizon store and bought an iPhone 14 Pro. Although it may seem dramatic, the move marked a major shift in my life.

I have always been proud of not being a part of the Apple hype. Despite being pestered by friends for years to get an iPhone, I refused, insisting that I loved being different. Everybody around me has an iPhone. It was a great feeling to break the rules. For years, I remained loyal to my Samsung Galaxy phones, which I still consider amazing.

After having conversations with family and friends about the iPhone’s capabilities that I couldn’t get with my Android, my position changed. Yes, my Galaxy S10 Plus was a great phone. It had a high-quality camera and a user-friendly interface. But the best tool of all was Object Eraser. This removes unwanted objects and people from your photos (Pixel also has a similar feature). My Android couldn’t offer a seamless way for me to communicate with my iPhone friends.

I have been told numerous times that I make group chats a mess by making all texts «green». Apple refuses to make iMessage compatible for Android phones. This means that if you message someone not on iOS, you will see green text bubbles rather than the usual blue. This felt superficial and was 100% Apple’s fault so I ignored it.

Before I realized it, I was missing out other, more important benefits of owning an iPhone.

Without a third-party app such as WhatsApp, it’s not possible to send high-resolution videos and photos directly between an Android and iPhone. I used WhatsApp until I started to envy my friends, who could instantly AirDropping photos and videos from hangouts. WhatsApp can also reduce the quality of videos and Google Drive takes longer to upload videos.

Also, it was annoying that apps such as TikTok reduced my Android camera quality. It is almost like night and day comparing TikTok videos from an iPhone with the Galaxy S10 Plus. TikTok made my Galaxy’s colors look unflatteringly blurred and distorted. Videos on the iPhone are clear and crisp, and look exactly as they should. This was crucial for someone like me who uses TikTok so much.

These and the fact that I already own a MacBook, which would make me more attractive to Apple, led me change my mind about buying an iPhone. Add to that features such as the iPhone 14 Pro’s new always-on display — which I loved on my Galaxy devices — or fun new elements like Dynamic Island and I was convinced to switch.

Of course, I had no choice but to resist the temptation of feeling like a loser. It’s a phone, after all. No matter what you do with it, others will have unwelcome opinions. My Galaxy was reliable for many years. I was ready to try something new. So far, I don’t regret anything.