Why I got rid of my iPhone

A couple of weeks ago, I traded in my iPhone 6S for a Google Pixel 2. You did what?! Yep, I completely left the iPhone family.

After using an iPhone for about 10 years of my life, I decided it was finally time to call it quits. It wasn’t just one thing that led to this decision, it was several frustrations that kept adding up over time.

A little bit of background for you: I have always been an Apple person. I have lived and breathed Apple products my whole life. I have used MacBooks, MacBook Pros, Apple Watch, iPhones, iPads, iPods, etc. The list goes on and on. I always thought that Apple products were the best in the industry, the most beautiful, and the most user-friendly. I always thought I would forever remain a loyal Apple customer.

Here are some of the reasons I decided to leave the iPhone Family:

• Apple Maps. My Apple Maps have really never worked well. The past few months, it got even worse and mapped me the wrong way several times. With the most recent iOS version, it was having trouble mapping almost anywhere.
• Battery Life. I don’t think the battery life has ever been great on the iPhone. Even when you have a brand new iPhone, I feel like I am constantly charging it.
• Charging. Unfortunately, the iPhones do not charge that quickly. Their new iPhone X is capable of quick charging, but you have to buy a separate cord for that feature.
• Photos. Obviously, smart phone cameras have been getting better and better, but iPhones have been falling behind in this area. Android and Google phones have been consistently making better cameras for the last couple of years. We have been using Alex’s phone for pictures the last couple of years since he has Android.
• System Bugs. As most of us experienced, “A?” doesn’t really mean the same thing as the letter “i”. It really irritated me that Apple didn’t test/QA the software better. I know they gave us a workaround, but it just seemed super sloppy to me.
• Lack of Creativity. Apple used to be really creative and would come out with unique features. I haven’t seen anything groundbreaking from them in the recent years. This leads me to my next point….
• Playing Catch-Up. “Wow…..the iPhone X has that new face recognition software!” Guess what? The Android phones have had that for years. Apple is now playing catch-up with Android phones. They used to be the trailblazer when it came to new features, but I don’t feel that way anymore.
• Cost. The cost of a new iPhone has gotten to be outrageous. I feel silly paying $1,000 for a phone when I know I can spend $650 to get a phone with better features.

These are just some of the reasons why I decided to ditch the iPhone. There are other little reasons here and there, but the points above cover most of the major issues I had with it.

It has now been almost two full weeks with the Google Pixel 2 phone, and I do really like it. The camera is incredible, so I can’t wait to start taking more pictures with it. Everyday, I am discovering a new feature on the phone, and it amazes me what it can do. When we were mapping to the airport the other day, I was able to text my mom while the mapped directions stayed up in the corner of the phone. How nice!

I will be completely honest with you, though. The transition has been somewhat difficult. I would be lying if I said it was all easy. It’s just not. It takes time to learn a new phone and create a new system for yourself. I am hoping that once I hit the 1-month mark, I will finally feel more comfortable with the Google phone. Despite the learning curve, I would still recommend switching. Just know that you are going to have to give it a little time if you have been a lifelong iPhone user.

I am not scared of change, so switching to the Google Pixel 2 has been fun. I wanted to “challenge” myself to see if I could actually use something other than an iPhone. I am honestly pretty surprised with myself that I haven’t run back to the Verizon store to exchange it. That is a testament to how much I am already loving the phone.

Since I am barely two weeks into this journey, I am still learning what this phone is capable of. I know there are features on this phone that I have yet to discover, so I am excited to experience more of what Google has to offer.

One last thing to note is that I did a TON of research before switching. I have been wanting to get rid of my iPhone since August. Over the last couple of months, I started reading more about the differences between the 2 phones. There are also a lot of great YouTube videos that go into great detail about the differences in cameras and other features. So, if I can leave you with any advice, it would be to do your research and make sure that this phone will be the right fit for you! Don’t rush into a decision.

If you have any questions about the switch, feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail! I am happy to help if you are considering other options. Also, I will try to do another blog post on the Google Pixel 2 once I have a better handle on all the amazing features!