Ok, I hear you. Now, I?ve got an even crazier story for you. I?ve had an Android phone since late 2009. I?ve had several different models; and let?s face it, the first few iterations of Android weren?t very good. However, from Gingerbread to the current version, Android has made some incredible strides and is, in many ways, superior to iOS.
One thing that touched a chord with me in your post was that your entire family uses iPhones. You may feel, as do I, that you?re being left out of things (not literally, of course). iOS has PhotoStream, iMessage, and the all-encompassing iTunes. I feel that I am missing out on stuff; especially Photostream. The only time I see the photostream updates is when I use my iPad. In that respect, Apple has done a superb job at creating a market for themselves. They make you want their product, even if it?s not the best.
Don?t get me wrong, Apple makes great stuff. I own a lot of their products, but their phone isn?t one of them. Here?s the crazy part of my story:
Since my entire family uses iPhones, I decided that I would give it a try. Now I would be part of the club. I can use iMessage and PhotoStream. I can finally use FaceTime from a phone ? yay! So, I get the phone, and after about 20 minutes of configuring it, I receive a phone all. The call lasted about 35 minutes, and the quality was terrible. The audio was crackling and choppy and I was told that I sounded like I was on the other side of the room. After that call, I called someone else and the same stuff happened. The call quality was horrible. I knew it wasn?t my service because my S3 works fine (from the same physical location). What could it be? Well, a simple Google search of ?poor iPhone 5 call quality? returned many posts and articles. I wasn?t alone and crazy. The bottom line is that Apple isn?t officially admitting there?s a problem, but if you read closely in the posts, they know there is a problem. Also, I couldn't get used to the small screen size. I know these are only two issues, but they are big issues, at lest for me. Needless to say, I returned the iPhone the next day.
I will continue to use my S3 which I love very much. I love the screen size, the quick processor, removable battery and storage and so many more things. I did want to join the rest of my family and friends and get on the iPhone band wagon, but downgrading wasn?t for me. And no offense to the iPhone people, but at the end of the day, going from a Samsung Galaxy S3 to an iPhone 5 really is a downgrade (one I was ready to accept if I didn't encounter those issues).
Maybe if Apple comes out with a larger screen iPhone and resolves the call quality issue, I will give it a try again. [Although, I wouldn't have to switch if my family and friends all gert Androids - that would be the best outcome] For now, I will stick with an iPad and my S3.