Everyone who has pronounced their passion for Apple products has felt it: that cynical attitude from others who will never understand why we are so committed to a company whose products often approach twice the sticker-price of rivals. Last night, whilst reading about Google's announcements made at their development conference, I had my moment of zen regarding why I choose Apple.![]()
Software versions. This may seem trivial, but anyone who is left using a device no longer supported by their company knows how frustrating it is. This is my experience with Sprint, Android, and HTC -- and the reason I will never be buying another Android. I bought my Evo Shift (a 4G phone) in February of 2011. My OS was Froyo (otherwise known as 2.2.2). Meanwhile, Gingerbread (2.3), the absolute cutting-edge OS, released in December of 2010 and available on one phone, was rumored to be released for more phones. However, Android's dirty little secret is that once a handset is released, whatever OS is running on it when bought is the only OS you will ever use. Because there are so many different Android handsets, developers are not concerned with backwards compatibility on their phones -- customers be damned.
This is a foreign concept to Apple users -- one of my friends (Caroline Sumner) is using an iPhone 3GS (released on June 19, 2009) -- while she won't have access to ALL of the features in iOS 6 (to be released this fall), she will still be able to upgrade to the NEWEST operating system -- with a handset that was released THREE YEARS AGO. Apple users expect this... Android users can't fathom it.
You may ask why, if I proclaim such a love of Apple products, that I bought an Android. Then answer is simple... but sad. I wanted a smartphone, and I wanted to be on Sprint's network. At that time, Sprint did not have an iPhone, so I bought in. I learned two things. Androids aren't worth it... and Sprint's unlimited data might be worth it... if I wasn't constantly roaming. I will be abandoning both Sprint and Android as soon as is humanly possible. Until then, well -- I'll work to live as best I can with the P.O.S. that I'm using.
