But, hey, I'm a nice guy, okay?
It all started long ago
I have lost count of how many times people have asked me "if you write about Android, why are you using an iPhone?" Or how many times I answered, "I like the color blue, but that does not mean I only dress in blue, only talk to those who wear blue, or dislike the color green."
My first iPhone, the 5S, was purchased before I began writing for AndroidPIT. However, I made the move to the iPhone 6 during the period in which I was already employed as an editor here on the site. My desire to use Apple's smartphone was born from a disappointment I had with a well-known Android manufacturer, Sony.
I was a fan of the Japanese brand from the days of the Sony Ericsson and followed it through to the Xperia generation. The Xperia ZQ was not the most beautiful smartphone in mid-2013 but it definitely was one of the most expensive handsets that I'd ever purchased. The disappointment arrived a few months later when Sony introduced the Xperia Z1, which charged a similar price of admission for a far more beautiful device.
One of the reasons that Sony captured my heart was the beauty of its phones. Design is subjective, but for me, no phone was more beautiful than my ZQ when it was first released. I decided to wait for the possibility of an Xperia Z2 18 months later. But that's not what happened; less than six months after the Z1 arrived, the Xperia Z2 showed up.
For me, it was the end. Sony was toying with me. And so, though it meant I had to abandon my beloved Android, I decided I wanted a different beautiful device, the iPhone 5S.
It was all kind of weird
You can imagine how it was switching from a large Full-HD display for a smaller, lower resolution device. The performance was good, though iOS seemed to me to be an altogether more limited platform. But the symbiotic bond between my Macbook and the iPhone cemented my love for them; both conversed fluently and it aided my work at the time.
Then I saw an irresistible promotion for the iPhone 6 from my carrier – I didn't think twice. Back then I was also receiving smartphones from Android manufacturers for review. I spent months living with the Motorola line of devices and a number of Asus models.
What happened in this period was something very interesting. iOS helped me understand Android and vice versa. The ways in which I could talk about phones and systems expanded. Instead of judging one OS or another, I could analyze them impartially. After all, I was dependent on both of them equally.
Making peace with Sony
In 2016 I took a serious move back to Android. I had a history with Sony, and chose the Xperia Z3+, another device which was offered to me through a carrier promotion. (I was aware of its overheating problems, but that's a topic for another article.)
With a new Android in the arena, I decided to explore some things that were not possible on the iPhone. I got into rooting, installing ROMs and I rummaged through the system in every way.
How do you live with an Android and an iPhone?
It's as simple as walking forward. The iPhone is responsible for my productive part, synchronizing emails and appointments with my Macbook. And it supports some of my personal habits, like exercise. Android is my job, the device that spends the longest time with my SIM card.
It's true that Apple imposes its native applications on users, they're present on both the iPhone and the Macbook which pays off in terms of integration. And it's multiplatform communication that strikes me when I look at the two systems I use.
Google's apps are cross-platform and interconnected and there's little else, free or paid, that can expand upon the possibilities of those. Basically, Google's own suite of apps provide the best experience for sharing content between computer and smartphone.
Apple's native apps are basic like Google's, however, the variety of third-party solutions that add quality and promote integration between devices is larger. I abandoned the standard email client for Mac and iPhone and started using Airmail, and Fantastical instead of calendar, and so on. More than just being an alternative, they provide a better user experience.
Many applications work better on iPhone, like WhatsApp and Facebook, while Android offers everything I need to go beyond what the system normally allows. I'm a fan of customization, which may sound a bit ironic when I use iOS, but this is precisely where my Z3+ comes in.
In addition to Sony's gorgeous themes, I can use launchers, icon packs and take advantage of Full HD wallpapers. Customization is possible on iOS but to a different extent, with many cases, accessories and more.
I can live with the two systems harmoniously, they are increasingly close but different enough to both be relevant. What made me leave Android was the search for perfect design. Now Android has this too.
And so, when provided with the choice of using iOS or Android, using both systems was the best choice I ever made.
If you had to choose one of the two, which would you choose? Let us know in the comments.
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