I moved from Android to iPhone last year when I bought a iPhone 13 Pro, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. That’s saying a lot, considering I had been an avid Samsung phone user for nine years before my switch.
Well, it’s been a full year, and I thought I’d revisit that switch from Android to iPhone. After all this time, I still won’t be going back to Android – even the best samsung phones do not tempt me.
Why did I fall in love with the iPhone so much? Its ease of use and fast user interface are the main reasons, along with the incredible battery life of the iPhone 13 Pro. I also like the solid build quality which makes the phone comfortable to hold. Beyond that, the iPhone has made my life easier in many small ways that make a big difference.
Below, I’ll detail my experience with the iPhone 13 Pro over the past year and why I’m sticking with iPhones for the foreseeable future.
The iPhone drew me into the Apple ecosystem
My iPhone is the key that unlocks the full potential of the Apple ecosystem.
The iPhone 13 Pro was great on its own, but its interoperability with other Apple devices is what makes it so valuable to me. I know that doesn’t mean much – after all, the Apple ecosystem is a big draw for Apple users. But as a newbie to this ecosystem, I’m always amazed at how well the company’s products work with each other. My iPhone is the key that unlocks the full potential of the ecosystem.
I originally used a pair of Lenovo wireless headphones with my iPhone. They worked well enough most of the time, but there were instances where the phone would become unresponsive when I tried to pause a song or turn up the volume. I solved this problem by getting a pair of AirPods Pro, which naturally work very well with an iPhone. They’re comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and they do a great job of canceling out a noisy subway station or busy streets.
THE Apple WatchSE was my next major purchase. I mainly bought the watch to use New York’s OMNY contactless payment system. Instead of using a subway card or even my iPhone to pay for public transport, I just tap the watch face on the OMNY screen. It saves me precious seconds that I would need to catch a train.
The watch also shows me notifications from my iPhone. Now I can quickly see which messages I need to reply to or which ones I can save for later.
Using a 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) Texting on iMessenger is another handy feature because I type much faster on a keyboard than on a phone screen. I used to keep messages as short as possible when texting, but now I can easily type a long message if I want. This feature is not unique to Apple as Windows has the equivalent Phone Link app which allows you to send and receive messages from Android phones. But as an iPhone user, texting on MacBook is awesome.
Accessories
The iPhone’s MagSafe feature is something I make full use of, especially when I’m on the go. As for Apple, I did not purchase the official Apple MagSafe charger or the Apple MagSafe wallet. Instead, I bought Anker MagSafe Charger (opens in a new tab) and the Spigen MagSafe Wallet (opens in a new tab). Like the products discussed above, these were a game changer.
The Spigen MagSafe Wallet has been particularly useful for several reasons. The most obvious is that I don’t need to carry a wallet in my pocket. And since the Spigen wallet can only hold three cards, it forces me to only carry what I need, which is my ID, a credit card, and my office key card. Having the latter in my wallet means I can just tap my phone on the building entry reader instead of pulling out the whole key card.
An official accessory that I still use is the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Silicone Case with MagSafe (opens in a new tab). I bought a Spigen Tough Armor case (opens in a new tab) and used it for a few months but finally settled on the silicone case as it doesn’t add much bulk to the iPhone 13 Pro. Not only that, but it’s also very comfortable to hold. And as I can attest from personal experience, Apple’s case protects your phone if you accidentally drop it.
Cameras and battery life
This may be obvious since the last phone I owned was a Samsung Galaxy S7, and technology has leaped forward in the years since. But the excellent cameras and long battery life of the iPhone 13 Pro continue to amaze me.
I no longer have to worry about the outcome of my photos when I capture them with the iPhone 13 Pro. Even at night, I know the iPhone 13 Pro will take crisp, clear images thanks to its 12 MP rear cameras. Taking such crisp and vivid images for my own purposes has been beneficial, but I’ve used the camera the most for work, where I often need to photograph products at events or for reviews. As long as I have a steady hand, I know my photos will look great.
As for battery life, my phone usually lasts a full day, or around 16 hours. I always carry the aforementioned portable charger with me, but rarely used it thanks to the phone’s exceptional battery life. Unless I forget to charge my phone before bed, battery life isn’t a major concern.
In fairness, I used to get about a day and a half of battery life initially. After installing apps and with frequent use throughout the day, the phone now lasts for about a day. Considering its battery life has remained consistent for the better part of a year, I can’t complain. As of this writing, its battery capacity is still at 100%, which I think is pretty remarkable.
I’m still not going back to Android
After a year of using the iPhone, I have very few complaints about the iPhone 13 Pro. In fact, the main criticism I can make against the phone is that I need a Lightning cable to charge it – and even that is somewhat moot thanks to MagSafe charging. I’m so happy with this phone that I will probably continue to use it until Apple stops supporting it with iOS updates or we finally get a iPhone with a USB-C port.
Will I ever come back to an Android phone? I don’t want to dismiss the idea, but as things stand, I don’t see that happening. The ease of use between Apple products has been far too helpful. I realize I can get some semblance of interoperability with other products, but I’d rather not bother when I’m already settled into Apple’s ecosystem.
And since I don’t want to upset my friends by forcing them to see green text bubbles in iMessage again, I will remain an iPhone user for the foreseeable future.