I've been an avid Android fan ever since the first Motorola Droid launched in late 2009. Since then I've owned three Android devices in less than four years (Droid, HTC Thunderbolt and Galaxy Nexus).
But earlier this year I finally retired the Galaxy Nexus in favor of an iPhone 5, and I can't say I miss it.
Now, keep in mind I'm a HUGE user of Google services, and I was fully bought into the Android ecosystem, so switching was kind of a big decision (and yet, ultimately an easy one) for me. Below are the reasons why I pulled the trigger:
Build Quality
Even with all the different Android devices in existence, the iPhone is still a premium device with a fit and finish that, in my humble opinion, remains unmatched by any other phone.
I love the way the iPhone feels in my hand. I love the screen. I love that the camera just works and produces reliably good photos for a phone (Android cameras are a crapshoot). And I love that the resale value is greater than zero after 12-18 months.
Plus, the Apple software and hardware work together so well. That's not always the case with Android. For example, my Galaxy Nexus suffered from a firmware issue that prevented the microphone from working properly during phone calls (kind of a critical bug, I'd say). It was only by installing a third-party app that I could regain my phone functionality. Pretty ridiculous.
Battery Life
Battery life alone nearly got me to switch to an iPhone years ago. Until very recently there hasn't been an Android device on the market that would actually get an even moderate user through the day on one charge. Now with the Motorola Droid Maxx and the Moto X we're seeing a few devices FINALLY getting a day's worth of battery life. Unfortunately, all of my devices - and especially the Thunderbolt and Galaxy Nexus (both of which had an extra large battery) - still had abysmal battery life.
Android Fragmentation & Bloatware
This is one of my pet peeves about Android. Every manufacturer seems compelled to fork the stock Android OS and create their own special Frankenstein version, packed full of uninstallable bloatware. It's infuriating, and it was the primary driver (along with battery life!) behind my switch from the HTC Thunderbolt to the Galaxy Nexus. Ah, beautiful stock Android!
Android is actually a great OS, and I love love LOVE the deep Google integration, so I wish manufacturers would stop ruining a good thing by messing with it.
App Ecosystem
Say what you will about the Android vs. iOS market places, I maintain that the Apple App Store is still a considerably better app ecosystem. I know that Android has just about the same kinds of apps as iOS these days, but having made the switch recently, I find that I have a more satisfying and polished experience with iOS apps than I ever did with Android.
Google's iOS Apps Don't Suck Anymore!
Google seems to have put serious effort behind their iOS apps, and they are finally good enough to actually give native Android apps some real competition.
As someone whose entire life is basically locked up in Google's apps and services, I love that I don't feel like I'm giving up much functionality while using iOS. In fact, the new Gmail, Google Drive and Google Now apps are pretty awesome. I especially love the offline options in Drive.
Things I still would love to see from Google:
- Tighter Google Now integration in iOS (I realize this is somewhat limited by iOS itself)
- Better Picasa upload/integration (then again, this probably has more to do with them neglecting Picasa in favor of the god-awful Google+ Photos)
In Conclusion
I still love the Android OS and its seamless Google integration. Some of the newly released phones (in particular, the Moto X) have made me rethink my switch to iOS. If I ever go back, battery life and stock Android will be critical must-haves for me.
I'll probably give Android another look in a few months (or end up carrying two devices like I have in the past), but for now I'm quite content with the iPhone.