June has been a time of Apple mania thus far, with WWDC 2022 bringing some new Apple software and hardware to people's attention. Even though the iPhone 14 isn't announced or available yet, the preview of iOS 16's features got me thinking: the iPhone is kinda great, but Android still just excites me more.
I remember a time when it was quite the opposite: the original iPhone and follow-up iPhone 3G were unrivalled. I found both phones in a box recently when organising my office better and these phones still bring a smile to my face (they also look and feel tiny by today's standards).
So what is it about the iPhone that can't seem to lure my attention away from Android? If I said the word 'boring' then I might be sticking my neck out, but that, right now, feels more true than ever. There's just no real innovation when some Android phone-makers have been really aiming for the stars.
Ramp up the innovation
That's especially true of the cameras in my view: Apple has long relied on 'safe' camera choices, not pushing resolution particularly high or zoom particularly far. Android, on the other hand, has been offering periscope zoom lenses and 108-megapixel camera offerings for yonks.
Just take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: it's the best Android phone I've used in 2022 and, in my view, one of the best looking too. Its wider array of cameras looks better than the peculiar Apple enclosure design and offers a lot more by way of zoom too.
That's not to say Apple's cameras work poorly, quite the opposite, delivering a consistent experience. But now's the time to ramp up what's on offer and really attack, bring in some iPhone innovation. The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, if rumours are to be believed, will just be much of the same but with some more resolution. It's no Google Pixel 'Magic Eraser' feature or other such excitement.
Ecosystem successes
However, there's a lot to be said for Apple's ecosystem. Own an iPhone, buy some AirPods for immediate pairing that's just better than Android's options (I've found Google's Fast Pair can sometimes be hit and miss). Go from iPhone to MacBook with immediate handover thanks to Continuity.
iOS 16 does also look to upgrade its levels of customisation too. Android has always had the advantage of that regarding Themes and better Lock Screen options, but the iPhone 14 will be the first to compete against that. But a few widgets here and there aren't enough to reel me in, really.
But what I really want are big-hitting features, not more of the same. Yes, the iPhone has already ticked the boxes to be successful in most of what it does. Android, however, still has the capacity to excite and surprise me more. It's this, for me at least, that means I still see Android as the one.
