Considering buy 5S(or likely a 5C)...But needing opinions!

[Nogitsune Micah]

What keeps you all with Iphones year after year?

I am contemplating switching from Windows Phone 8 to the iPhone...I know i don't want Android(ew, no) and I would give Blackberry a try but i just can't get the old Blackberry Storm experience out of my mind and I figured i'd asked here.


Here's My thoughts:

So I am here in the line with friends keeping them company while they get their iphones and I have gotten into a few discussions about iPhones and my Lumia 928.

But as I stand here in line with these crazy people waiting in the cold, I have been doing some thinking about My Phone.

I love Windows Phone...I personally think it is the best Operating System around in my opinion. Something different than a grid of icons and widgets and it is certainly something different. I like being different and going against the mainstream.

And I like the fact that my camera is pretty much better than most phones nowadays.

But unfortunately, the app ecosystem is what is bothering me. I never really needed 700,000 apps like Android and Apple has. Personally, it is a number that is being thrown around for bragging rights. In most cases, Windows Phone has great apps.

We don't have official Instagram or Vine apps but we have 6tag and 6sec which are unofficial Instagram apps that are simply amazing and way more attractive than the official apps.

But as a windows phone owner, the apps sometimes break due to the fact they are not official.

I just recently started using VINE and i noticed the first few clips i used, i got attention and revines and likes on.

The past few days, i've gotten zero likes and i can't even find myself using the Vine windows phone app, 6sec.

As much as I love the operating system, my eyes are wandering.

I used Android briefly last month as a transition from one phone to the next...I had used Android for 2009-2012 exclusively and then i came to the windows phone and fell in love with the Operating System in November 2012.


I briefly tried apple iphone 5 and i just found it annoying and i took it back the very next day and went back to windows phone. But i think that had to do with the fact I was being close-minded and didn't allow myself to give it a chance to see if i liked it and the fact I always hear usually from my android fans, Apple sucks.

So I stand here in the cold waiting with friends and I am curious about trying out ANOTHER Iphone....to give myself a week or so with the phone and i was just wondering what makes you guys stick with apple iphones all the time.

I mean i know i hear the phones just work(My lumia just works) but there has to be more to it than "It just works" especially when lots of other phones have features that are missing from the iPhone or gimmicks.

It's 1:30 am now so i have quite a few hours to decide but I would love to hear as Unbiased results as possible from you all.

If i did buy one, I'd probably go with an Iphone 5C just because most of the features of the Iphone don't impress me and I want some color just like my lumias since iphones sort of remind me of Lumias lol

 

[Fausty82]

What keeps you all with Iphones year after year?

I am contemplating switching from Windows Phone 8 to the iPhone...I know i don't want Android(ew, no) and I would give Blackberry a try but i just can't get the old Blackberry Storm experience out of my mind and I figured i'd asked here.


Here's My thoughts:

So I am here in the line with friends keeping them company while they get their iphones and I have gotten into a few discussions about iPhones and my Lumia 928.

But as I stand here in line with these crazy people waiting in the cold, I have been doing some thinking about My Phone.

I love Windows Phone...I personally think it is the best Operating System around in my opinion. Something different than a grid of icons and widgets and it is certainly something different. I like being different and going against the mainstream.

And I like the fact that my camera is pretty much better than most phones nowadays.

But unfortunately, the app ecosystem is what is bothering me. I never really needed 700,000 apps like Android and Apple has. Personally, it is a number that is being thrown around for bragging rights. In most cases, Windows Phone has great apps.

We don't have official Instagram or Vine apps but we have 6tag and 6sec which are unofficial Instagram apps that are simply amazing and way more attractive than the official apps.

But as a windows phone owner, the apps sometimes break due to the fact they are not official.

I just recently started using VINE and i noticed the first few clips i used, i got attention and revines and likes on.

The past few days, i've gotten zero likes and i can't even find myself using the Vine windows phone app, 6sec.

As much as I love the operating system, my eyes are wandering.

I used Android briefly last month as a transition from one phone to the next...I had used Android for 2009-2012 exclusively and then i came to the windows phone and fell in love with the Operating System in November 2012.


I briefly tried apple iphone 5 and i just found it annoying and i took it back the very next day and went back to windows phone. But i think that had to do with the fact I was being close-minded and didn't allow myself to give it a chance to see if i liked it and the fact I always hear usually from my android fans, Apple sucks.

So I stand here in the cold waiting with friends and I am curious about trying out ANOTHER Iphone....to give myself a week or so with the phone and i was just wondering what makes you guys stick with apple iphones all the time.

I mean i know i hear the phones just work(My lumia just works) but there has to be more to it than "It just works" especially when lots of other phones have features that are missing from the iPhone or gimmicks.

It's 1:30 am now so i have quite a few hours to decide but I would love to hear as Unbiased results as possible from you all.

If i did buy one, I'd probably go with an Iphone 5C just because most of the features of the Iphone don't impress me and I want some color just like my lumias since iphones sort of remind me of Lumias lol

Two quick thoughts... first, you probably won’t get an unbiased anything on an Apple forum... and second, your friends know you better than we do, so perhaps you should ask them. They won’t be any more biased that the average user on the iMore forums.

With that said, buying Apple isn't necessarily buying "700,000 apps", but it is buying you access to a ton of apps from which you can select the ones that will work for you. The BlackBerry crowd is relatively happy with their appreciably smaller app store because they have apps that work for them. However, they also lose out on some of the apps that at Apple users we have access to because they don’t exist for BB. Does that make sense?

The camera in the current iPhone 5 is pretty freaking good. And the enhancements in the 5S push it beyond that of the Lumina line, IMHO... and don’t dismiss the "it just works" thing. It really is true. There’s the entire ecosystem of seamless interoperability between OS X and iOS... between Mac and iPod and iPad and iPhone.

Maybe you can find a clue in this thread, as well:

http://forums.imore.com/general-apple-news-discussion/261977-what-makes-you-choose-ios.html

 

[END]

We stay with iPhones/iPads for a number of reasons.
Here are a few of those reasons-

1. The phone itself is made wonderfully. Sure they could anodize a little better, but of all the phones we have owned (which is a good number, and from different OS?s/manufacturers) they have been the best. They really do put the time in crafting their devices, and it definitely shows.
2. Their phones and tablets are usually pretty good powerhouses when it comes to their CPU?s and GPU?s (It does help that they own the phone/tablet and OS, so they can optimize)
3. Accessories. We are accessory people that is for sure. We love all the little doo-dads you can buy for the iPhone/iPad. They have so much more available to them than any other brand.
4. Ecosystem. While sure the big numbers both iOS & Android throw around have their fair share of garbage, there are so many great apps that are available in the iOS ecosystem. The polish on so many of them is wonderful. It also does not hurt that iOS gets a lot of apps first, and sometimes exclusively.
5. Updates. We really appreciate how they keep updating their devices and not just forget them once they are sold.
6. Security. Yes, I know any phone can be secure as long as you don?t do anything stupid. But we still like the Apple curation process. Just a little more peace of mind.
7. Their stores. It is nice to have a physical store which specializes in your device that you can pop into; be it for service, questions, or to just look around and end up walking out with something lol. (I know MS has theirs now too, but this is only recently).

So those are a few of the reasons we have stuck with our iPhones & iPads.
Stay warm.

 

[porksoda]

Seems like you want someone to give you a specific reason to switch, i think you have already made up your mind about iphone; You like certain aspect of it and that's why you are looking into the iphone.

I use my iphone primarily for business, the iphone has worked very well for me and few others in our organization than the blackberry did. I have used android and personally i don't have time nor the patience to tinker with it and out of box it's not as smooth as iOS. Alfa romeo (if you don't know the pains of owning one then lets say maybe a kia or hyundai), that's what the android os is like, whereas porsche is what the iOS is like; it maynot be first to adopt technology and trick and it maynot be the first to add tons of bells n whistles but it does very well and very reliably on what it is supposed to do.

I am not an apple person and iphone is the only apple device i have, but i admire how apple has a lockdown on their OS's to keep things consistent, tidy, and reliable.

P.S I would get the 5s instead of a 5c.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

lol my friend's weren't as helpful because they were like "I like it because it's apple and apple is the best"
I figured a more tech oriented crowd would have more insightful answers than my lame friends haha

Thank you for your response!
It is such a hard decision for me because I absolutely love the Lumia lines and Windows Phone OS and i always tell friends who are looking for new phones to check them out(especially the camera).

But i told this one guy i am standing in line with now

I have everything out of the OS i want for the most part with Windows Phone OS but i do always feel a bit behind on fads and popular apps.
I just actually learned with Pininterest was about lol and I JUST started playing Candy Crush on my Best friend's Droid.

I basically have to choose between the PErfect OS/Camera for me with a limited selection of apps...but at the same time, I do think the iPhone(now that IOS 7 sort of reminds me of Windows phone A LOT) is something i may be happy settling with....i'll just miss the 41 megapixel Super Camera.

And given the issues I had with getting my Lumia replaced when i had issues, I've witnessed that apple stores really do have excellent customer service

Two quick thoughts... first, you probably won’t get an unbiased anything on an Apple forum... and second, your friends know you better than we do, so perhaps you should ask them. They won’t be any more biased that the average user on the iMore forums.

With that said, buying Apple isn't necessarily buying "700,000 apps", but it is buying you access to a ton of apps from which you can select the ones that will work for you. The BlackBerry crowd is relatively happy with their appreciably smaller app store because they have apps that work for them. However, they also lose out on some of the apps that at Apple users we have access to because they don’t exist for BB. Does that make sense?

The camera in the current iPhone 5 is pretty freaking good. And the enhancements in the 5S push it beyond that of the Lumina line, IMHO... and don’t dismiss the "it just works" thing. It really is true. There’s the entire ecosystem of seamless interoperability between OS X and iOS... between Mac and iPod and iPad and iPhone.

Maybe you can find a clue in this thread, as well:

http://forums.imore.com/general-apple-news-discussion/261977-what-makes-you-choose-ios.html

 

[KingaSpades]

You won't find better apps. By that I mean look and feel. No OS can touch the iPhone in that department. Even when a company makes a version of their app for both the iPhone and for Android phones the IOS version is better looking and even if they look identical they won't work the same. The iOS version will be smoother and more polished and often with extra features. I tried the S4 and the HTC One and their 1080p screens didn't make video look any better. It was bigger but when I compared the cottage side by side it was just bigger. I hate scrolling and seeing the pictures or words jerk or not flow like illuminated water. On iOS it does. The pictures look better. Even when I compared the pictures on my iPhone 5 to those on my Android flagships the iPhone pics just looked better and I didn't have to mess with settings. I had to take a lot of pictures of the same thing on my Android phones to get the same results. When I listen to music on my iPhone it's loud enough. On Android I had to keep trying to find apps to boost the volume through the headphones. And it sounded like the quality of the music was not as good even though it was the exact same file. The browser was just more fluid as well. There are a million little things that together create the kind of experience that you don't get anywhere else. Another thine that really matters to me is the fact that developers come to iOS first. iOS users decide what the next Instagram and vine will be. We decide what's hot. Simply because we get everything months before anyone else. That's just another part of the total experience. When I try another OS I miss all of these things and no other platform can provide them so I always come right back.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Is the iPhone still a good bet for those who are not big on the APple ecosystem(I am pretty much Microsoft everything else..Bing, Windows 8, Office, Skydrive, etc etc)

 

[Fausty82]

lol my friend's weren't as helpful because they were like "I like it because it's apple and apple is the best"
I figured a more tech oriented crowd would have more insightful answers than my lame friends haha

Thank you for your response!
It is such a hard decision for me because I absolutely love the Lumia lines and Windows Phone OS and i always tell friends who are looking for new phones to check them out(especially the camera).

But i told this one guy i am standing in line with now

I have everything out of the OS i want for the most part with Windows Phone OS but i do always feel a bit behind on fads and popular apps.
I just actually learned with Pininterest was about lol and I JUST started playing Candy Crush on my Best friend's Droid.

I basically have to choose between the PErfect OS/Camera for me with a limited selection of apps...but at the same time, I do think the iPhone(now that IOS 7 sort of reminds me of Windows phone A LOT) is something i may be happy settling with....i'll just miss the 41 megapixel Super Camera.

And given the issues I had with getting my Lumia replaced when i had issues, I've witnessed that apple stores really do have excellent customer service

I hear what you’re saying... and let me start by saying that sometimes Apple fanboys hurt the brand/image with blanket "It's Apple. It’s the best". Clearly all products, especially electronics will have flaws and/or blemishes. But IMHO, Apple is the best FOR ME. It does what I need it to do, and has software (apps) available to be able to accomplish the tasks that I need to tackle.

But you hit on the key in your comments when you said "I basically have to choose between the PErfect OS/Camera for me". The key is "for me". It’s a personal decision that you have to make based on what you need/want/expect out of a device.

My final piece of advice is to evaluate the entire package and don’t get hung up on specs for the sake of specs. For example, an camera that is rated at 10 megapixel can be substantially better than one that has a rating of 14 or 20 mp. It’s about the quality of the image, unless your only objective is to create 6 foot x 6 foot murals... if you get what I’m trying to say.

You seem to be asking the right questions. What ever you choose, I wish you luck and success.

 

[Rocket_Girl]

lol my friend's weren't as helpful because they were like "I like it because it's apple and apple is the best"
I figured a more tech oriented crowd would have more insightful answers than my lame friends haha

Thank you for your response!
It is such a hard decision for me because I absolutely love the Lumia lines and Windows Phone OS and i always tell friends who are looking for new phones to check them out(especially the camera).

But i told this one guy i am standing in line with now

I have everything out of the OS i want for the most part with Windows Phone OS but i do always feel a bit behind on fads and popular apps.
I just actually learned with Pininterest was about lol and I JUST started playing Candy Crush on my Best friend's Droid.

I basically have to choose between the PErfect OS/Camera for me with a limited selection of apps...but at the same time, I do think the iPhone(now that IOS 7 sort of reminds me of Windows phone A LOT) is something i may be happy settling with....i'll just miss the 41 megapixel Super Camera.

And given the issues I had with getting my Lumia replaced when i had issues, I've witnessed that apple stores really do have excellent customer service

I went from BB to Android, and HATED Android, so very quickly went to Windows phone (at full retail price)- as soon as I knew Windows Phone existed. i really thought I had found the OS I would use forEVER. Like you, I was evangelizing about Windows Phone - advising others to try it. Like it was this well-kept secret (it was...) and I had the power to let others in on it.

Windows Phone is cool and different, but at the time, still wonky. i had three different devices- each had their not just glitches but unpredictable failures at clutch moments.

i initially bought an older iphone to keep as a second/backup phone, for peace of mind in case my primary phone failed (again). I set it up to learn it, and never went back. I quickly returned the older one and went full on for 4S... then 5. i also jumped on iPad 3... sold that for Mini ... and am straightjacketing myself against purchase of 5S.

I never wanted an iphone- i kind of actively DIDN'T want an iPhone- until i tried one. i am glad i got here via process of elimination, because I know there is no greener grass, and am not tempted to try others the way I might have been if I started instead of ended with iPhone.

updates: everyone gets them, same day. Now, this has some server traffic downsides, but that's NOTHING compared to wondering if and when your phone, from your carrier, might get an update. the carrier-and-device specific upgrades are utterly ridiculous compared to the democracy of one update, one day, all devices (several, though not all generations).

I have NEVER had a random fail of an iThing, ever- with one 'no service' exception that was eventually solved with a device replacement. they DO JUST WORK, but its more than that. They're beautiful.