I'm curious, if you don't trust iOS at launch or even several months down the line, why bother with it in the first place? Pick up an Android and join the dark side. I'm honestly baffled as to how locked-in Apple users let themselves be, even the tech-savvy ones.
Pick a manufacturer that gives you timely updates with a support duration you're happy with, and you're fine.
And before you complain "it's insane that I have to do that", you've already done that: just you picked Apple.
The mistake people make is in thinking of Android as some monolithic, consistent thing. It's not, and can't and won't be. Buy a Google phone, or a Samsung phone, or whatever, and stick with a manufacturer you like. At least if they start doing things you don't like, you have options in the same ecosystem. If Apple does something you don't like, you have no other options without jumping ship.
Is there an android device manufacturer that is currently supporting a 5 year old phone? I'm on the iPhone 6s, which released in 2015, and just installed iOS 14.
Android phones seem to be a 2~ year lifespan, even Google's own devices. Having switched from a Nexus 5, which got just two years of major Android updates. (Which also slowed to the point of being unusable, and eventually completely breaking with boot loops and then bricking itself)
Apple updates for 5 years. No Android manufacturer does that. Google offers 3 years and Samsung does 3 years on their high end flagships (which I don't personally like).
Apple is simply on a whole different level in this regard.
Better specs for $400 less, on a Pixel?
Name one phone built to last with better specs than the iPhone SE please, I'm listening.
I don't care about multiple cameras, OLED displays, 120 Hz or whatever the industry is trying to push these days, I just want a reliable decently built phone with a good SW support.
Furthermore, I don't see how replacing the phone more often would be a positive thing, it just means I would produce more trash.
> The mistake people make is in thinking of Android as some monolithic, consistent thing.
Well, the Android branding is all over the place. No one thinks “I’m going to switch to Samsung”. It’s “I’m going to switch to Android”. Android phones are commodity devices.
I do say I'll switch to Samsung or a One Plus if I'm looking for a higher end, an OPPO or Vivo if I'm going for a lower end, or a Redmi or Honor, if I'm going for a midrange resilient phone.
I use a Blackberry for my black box phone, so I don't really care about security on my Android stuff - Google or China can have all that's in there. What I do care about are having options, and Android does provide me a lot of options. For instance, my first Android phone was a Samsung and while the phone was awesome and lasted a solid 4 years, I hated the customer service offered. Then thought I'd have a cheaper Android, so decided to go with a Motorola. Then once I joined the workforce, it was the BB + Honor combo, because Honors are so much resilient. Just because Android has so much more options doesn't mean they are commodity devices, unless you look at phones as a status symbol, which is a thinking I've honestly grown out of.
I don’t think you’re representative of the general market...
I’ve never heard of people talking about the “Samsung experience”, or the “Huawei experience”. These devices are interchangeable. People talk about specs or price or getting longer term support.
Absolutely, lots of people are loyal to certain brands or look for the best value/spec in Android devices and make their choice based on that. If people didn't care, everyone would be buying $50 Android devices. Most people I know now even look at the version of Android it comes with.
I own an Android One device (Mi A2) and in the last year updates were complete garbage. The manufacturer clearly couldn't care less about my (2 years) old device.
I'm using LineageOS now and I'm much happier, but I think I'll switch to an iPhone SE when my phone dies
Android One held lots of potential, but Google managed to stuff that up too. They need to wrestle back control over the OS from the OEMs. Until they do, Android handsets will be disposable beyond a life of 2 years.
Ironically, a company that understands that model is Microsoft. It's a pity they aren't competition for Apple in this space yet. As an iPhone/Macbook Pro/iPad user, I am eyeing the Surface Go 2 w/WSL as a potential future replacement for the iPad.
Because privacy. I have no illusions that Apple’s privacy stance is permanent, but for now, they’re far superior to Google, Android, and associated vendors in that regard.