Why I’m Breaking Up With My iPhone

I know the "smoothness" of iOS, and after 3 years having relationship with it, I have enough of it. I get bored with its "uniformity" and now everyone around me carrying iphones (even i saw old grandma is using it), well at least in singapore they are now.

They are penetrating all market segment but forget to maintain its exclusiveness of having an iphone. In my opinion, they need to create another level of product that focus on the exclusivity for certain people.

Oh and one other thing, the market places have the potential to lose any app both android and iphone.

I did the exact opposite, wrote about it too. Will be interested in how you do after a month. I was so tired of non uniformity and just love the smoothness of iOS. Android was too "hack job" feel to me.

http://listentotristan.blogspot.com/2011/10/first-in-line-iphone-4s.html

I use a Dell Venue Pro (T-Mobile) and despite it's rather troubled existence, I love it. I bought the 8GB version, upgraded the SD to 32GB (after much research), and it's never been smoother.

In my opinion, the design is now the second nicest design out there for a Windows Phone (I'd have to give first to the Nokia Lumia 800). The physical keyboard is second only to a Blackberry (I actually switched from a Blackberry 9700, so the vertical keyboard made it a no-brainer for me) and the 4.1" screen makes using the touchscreen keyboard just as enjoyable (I'd actually like to see Blackberry take the hint and make a Torch with a larger screen). Sure, it has some weight to it, but it feels solid, not plasticky like the HD7, and the sliding mechanism is surprisingly sturdy (even still after 10 months of use).

My biggest grips is the camera (great in daylight, abhorrent in most other cases). Minor: the lack of a front-facing camera and a notification LED.

With the OS itself, I'd like just three things: closing apps in the App Switcher (likely ala webOS' 'swipe up to discard' gesture), adding a setting in the OS to make the main search/Bing button an extended-press gesture (ala here:http://su.pr/1DoZ9m ), and a notification area that takes all notifications and puts them in a condensed, listed view. That last one may seem like the issue Drew was talking about having with iOS, but it can be done better. I'd personally have it as a permanent card in the multitasking view (kind of like an easter egg), that you'd have to go to if you wanted a simple list of your notifications. Or, simply, as a swipe to the left of the Start screen.

In regards to the Lumia 800: While the FF camera wasn't supported until Mango (hence it's not being on the DVP), the 800 is basically an N9 which actually has a FF camera, so why no camera, Nokia? That I don't get at all.

I use a Dell Venue Pro (T-Mobile) and despite it's rather troubled existence, I love it. I bought the 8GB version, upgraded the SD to 32GB (after much research), and it's never been smoother.

In my opinion, the design is now the second nicest design out there for a Windows Phone (I'd have to give first to the Nokia Lumia 800). The physical keyboard is second only to a Blackberry and the 4.1" screen makes using the touchscreen keyboard just as enjoyable (I'd actually like to see Blackberry take the hint and make a Torch with a larger screen). Sure, it has some weight to it, but it feels solid, not plasticky like the HD7, and the sliding mechanism is surprisingly sturdy (even still after 10 months of use).

My biggest grips is the camera (great in daylight, abhorrent in most other cases). Minor: the lack of a front-facing camera and a notification LED.

With the OS itself, I'd like just three things: closing apps in the App Switcher (likely ala webOS' 'swipe up to discard' gesture), adding a setting in the OS to make the main search/Bing button an extended-press gesture (ala here: http://su.pr/1DoZ9m ), and a notification area that takes all notifications and puts them in a condensed, listed view. That last one may seem like the issue Drew was talking about having with iOS, but it can be done better. I'd personally have it as a permanent card in the multitasking view (kind of like an easter egg), that you'd have to go to if you wanted a simple list of your notifications. Or, simply, as a swipe to the left of the Start screen.

In regards to the Lumia 800: While the FF camera wasn't supported until Mango (hence it's not being on the DVP), the 800 is basically an N9 which actually has a FF camera, so why no camera, Nokia? That I don't get at all.

I would think the fact that many apps use the same UI elements would be a positive — users will feel familiar when using a new app. They won't have to learn a separate set of controls for every single app on their phone.

Non-computer savvy people are afraid of technology. They won't "try" something unfamiliar, they'll simply road-block. They won't do anything, for fear of breaking it.

A unified GUI across all these apps may not feel like it was released last week — but people will know how to use it, and feel comfortable with the interface.

This seems like an advantage, not a disadvantage, to me.

You do realize that you can turn the annoying pop-up style notifications back on right?

So you're complaining that so many apps look the same and aren't pushing the envelope (which is a valid criticism) and then when Apple produces something that really busts out you're "shocked" that they promote it? For a week? Really?

Overall I get your point, and if I was using my phone more intensely maybe I'd be shopping around too. In fact I think you're overdue for a change. You sound like your perfectly reasonable frustrations are making your complaints come across as strident, like you've been cooped up in Apple's walled garden for way too long.

If that becomes a common experience, Apple has a problem. I'm curious to see how things go; please do update us on where your exodus takes you and how things unfold over the next year or so when you get there.

I understand where you are coming from Drew. I've tried all sorts of phones and OSs and I really have to say I was blown away by how much fun and enjoyment I get from Windows Phone.

I reluctantly chose to grab one about 10mths ago (first gen, limited OS etc), but DAMN! (after all to make an informed decision about something you need to try it firsthand). This OS was really thought out well. So smooth and very very usable. I had, and still have had, no crashes or freezes, and it runs so very elegantly on the minimal hardware compared with other handsets as it doesn't need it to run efficiently. That was before the major update of Mango came...

Now it just Rocks! Seriously, give it a shot - don't listen to propoganda or those who think that it's still "windows mobile" - it couldn't be further from it. You will be pleasantly surprised. The new generation handsets such as the HTC Titan or Radar, the Samsung Focus S, or the crafted Nokia Lumia 800 (although this doesn't have FFCamera), will have you enjoying using your phone as a tool to do what it is supposed to do - keep you in touch with the people that matter to you, without being submerged in the phone itself.

Go ahead. I would highly recommend you a Samsung Focus S with Windows Phone 7.5 :)

Many people switch... but few grandstand like we even care. Go get a Droid, then come back when you are sick of that in a month or two.

"I want my phone to be social, and to interact with me more than I interact with it. I don’t want to feel like I’m using a mini computer anymore."

you know the answer right?

Good luck with your new device (whichever may be). You'll needed.

Bye

No way Android is better than iOS, so I can't sympathize with you there. Windows may just end up being more useful, and it's certainly very elegant. I wouldn't make the jump for a couple years though - the phones are just too bloody hideous still.

Jackass.

Technology aside (just lost most readers), your point about constantly checking your phone intrigues me. I moved from Canada to Brazil about 4 years ago and whenever I go back to Canada (Toronto), it's shocking how frequently people check their phones when out in real-life social circles. Living in Rio, where the majority of the population still doesn't have a smartphone or possibly just aren't connected due to soaring 3G costs; but living here has really highlighted this social-shift that has occurred in modernised countries.

I personally don't own a smartphone and rarely even bring my phone anywhere anymore. I'm connected all day during work and sometimes it's good to disconnect when you're out with friends.

I just tried using an android phone for 2 months (motorola atrix) I love a lot that android brings to the table but the random resets and mysterious battery drain became too much to bear for me... I still carry my android for times that I have a lot of heavy (web browser) work to do but I can't bring myself to use an android phone as my main phone because its just not as reliable as my 3GS is.

i've been an iphone user since the beginning but decided to buy a second hand htc mozart on ebay just to try WP7, now it's been a week that i've been using it and this thing is really amazing!!! the phone itself is not bad but it's the WP7 experience that really got me, it's really different, all those integrations (fb, twitter, linkedin, messenger, etc) in one place, and those flippin live tiles with all the infos! man it's really amazing! except for a few apps like viber, consume, and one of my banks, most of the apps i need are available or has equivalent. Anyone who hasn't tried wp7 should give it a go, buy yourself a really cheap windows phone on ebay and give it a try. By the way, i bought my son an android phone with froyo on it and it's not really comparable to IOS at all, looked cheap. But for now, i'm enjoying windows phone and now looking forward to the nokia lumia, and my son's having my iphone coz he hates the android phone as well.

Very little of this article makes sense.
Android / windows phone will never have competing software.
WM 6.5 was shit. Scour the net for software for it... What do you find? Shit.

Sure, android is competing a little... But it's just not the same.
You use the iPhone more because it has more to offer. It's designed with consumers in mind. Your article was a bore to read.

Enjoy your fragmentation. "The Ungrateful" Drew.

I tried iOS out right after abandoning Blackbery (WP7 wasn't out yet, but I did like Windows Mobile 6.5).

I like Android now, and am about to upgrade from my Galaxy S to either a Galaxy S II or Atrix II. My wife's Atrix is fantastic... dual core, large battery, very nice screen.

I need to punt on the analysis paralysis and pick one of them... hopefully today.

Samsung Galaxy S2!

i am drifting away from android back to iPhone, the reasons that i did enjoy all that customizations which i will miss on iphone, however i have learned to understand that android is an OS which is there for anyone who wants to use it, i mean its not built for a particular hardware, i boughth the most expensive Samsung Nexus and my brother bought an economical version, we both suffered in terms of hanging, un usual behaviour of apps. i know iphone has limitations however whatever they serve it works, unlike Android and i personally feel Android is a FAD which will fade away smohkim