Earlier this year I made the switch from an Android based phone (Google Pixel XL) over to an Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Why? Well let me give you a history of some of the devices I've had first for a less biased view.

I started with an Ericsson AF738 flip phone back in 1996. Small and compact flip phone that fit in my pocket. Most students had pagers in high school, which required someone to call a number and leave a numerical message which then got sent to the pagers, then those people would call the senders back. My cell phone (which on AT&T had a 20 minute per month voice plan), was more than enough to let my family and friends know that I was running late on my way home, or that I was going somewhere after school. In many senses, it was my digital leash which allowed me more freedom than most.

Once in college, I decided an upgrade was needed and I got a Nokia 5160. I had a few more candybar style and flip phones until I bought my first PalmOS based device which combined my calendar and contacts with notes. Treo 600/650 were devices based on PalmOS, and the 650 was one of the first on Sprint's network at the time to allow text messaging. After that, a Windows Phone, the Pocket PC PPC6601 slider with a keyboard was now my primary phone. It was useful and fun, but large.

After college, I moved up to Redmond, WA to work at Microsoft. I drank some of the Kool-aid and had some more Windows-based phones (Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone, etc.) until my first iPhone. I then had some reception issues where I lived at the time, and found that switching networks and switching to a new Motorola Droid on Verizon worked better for me at the time. I stuck with mostly Android phones up until this year, when I found that iPhones might be a worthwhile switch again for what I needed.

So... I switched to the iPhone 7 plus, picked up an iPad, Airpods, Apple TV, and some other Apple goodies. I still have Windows workstations and my passion for technology hasn't changed. Best tool for the job, but why iPhone? It does what I need it to for now, allows me to iMessage with my friends and family, and my data just goes where it needs to when I need it. Will I switch again? Perhaps. Is Android dead? Absolutely not, and it keeps pushing the other player(s) in the mobile space to get better, including Apple. The new Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE is pretty neat, and definitely works well making phone calls and data.