Phone Wars

I don’t understand the need some people have to insult another person’s cell phone choice. The Internet is the biggest battlefield for phone wars, with any article on smartphones gathering arguments and put-downs from all sides. I’m tired of it.

My phone is not inferior, nor am I a brainwashed sheep because I have an iPhone. In fact, why am I the one who’s brainwashed when I don’t automatically exclude a brand? Seems to me the Apple hatred I hear is more brainwashing against something than me brainwashed for it.

I’ve had an iPhone since there have been iPhones. Then, they were clearly unique and superior to the alternatives. They have fallen behind in ways, but I continue to use one. I am not an Apple-head. I don’t stand in lines to get the newest one on the day it comes out. All of my computers are PCs, running Windows. I have an Android tablet. In other words, I have no brand loyalty. I get what’s useful for me.

Since I have had an iPhone for so long, I’m invested in it. Part of that investment is in actual money. Without doing calculations, I have over one-hundred dollars in apps that would not transfer to a device on another platform. Some of the apps I use regularly aren’t even available on other platforms. While I have heard the cries that Apple limits app developers, the developers of the best apps always manage to make them for the iPhone. Most even still start with Apple’s iOS.

Some “hate that Apple does that,” believing Apple hooked me and won’t let me go. Apple didn’t do anything. The developers make those decisions. Even if some of my favorite apps are available on Android, I would have to buy them again. If I had an Android phone and wanted to switch to an iPhone, guess what? I would also have to buy my apps again, so that shoots down the notion there is an Apple cabal controlling app development. If Apple wanted to lure Android users, or vice versa, they would offer free app transfers, which still wouldn’t solve my problem that Android doesn’t have the lolo apps or Hipstamatic, which I like and use regularly.

My other investment is time. I know my iPhone well. Really well. I know where things are. I have it set up the way I want. In a side-by-side race to do the same thing with friends who have Androids, I beat them every time. Does this mean iPhone is better? No. It means I know my phone better and have it set up for maximum effect. It means it’s better for me. For now.

Another thing I like is I can customize the permissions I give apps. If I don’t want an app to access my camera or microphone or contacts but still access photos, I can do that. With my Android tablet, it’s all or nothing. If I want to use the Facebook app, my iPhone is set not to let Facebook see my contacts, whereas my tablet would have access to everything. Call me paranoid, but I like to control what I let those apps see without rooting my phone or installing anything.

I’m capable of doing those things, but I don’t want to. I have better ways to spend my time, and I want to stop being judged for that. My phone does what I need, and that should be the end of it. If I had an old clamshell phone, and I was happy with it, why should anyone insult me for it? So leave me and my phone choice alone, and I’ll do the same.