Back in the early days of “smart” phones, I jumped in headfirst with a pretty revolutionary device from a startup brand called Danger. They made this quirky phone with a wacky OS, full keyboard, and a screen that flipped around and up. It was called the HipTop, and was available on T-Mobile as the Sidekick. Monochrome screen, 2G data, a Kyocera detachable camera, and some weird and funky features onboard.

After some teething issues and a realization that I wanted something color, but more reliable, I jumped ship to HTC in the form of a series of their T-Mobile phones running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. The first one didn’t even have a touch screen, and the later ones were progressively more useful and hackable. I recall putting the Orange UK ROM onto my HTC Wing and how fun that was.

Skip forward to the introduction of Apple’s iPhone and it really did seem like color screens with touch and wireless capabilities were catching on. There was contempt from some in the BB camp about the lack of a physical keyboard, but that didn’t end up being an advantage once people and software got better. The path forward was becoming clear and I was ready. Almost.

The original iPhone was an AT&T exclusive, while still costing hundreds of dollars, and so changing networks was a requirement that I couldn’t see happening. I’ve had the same mobile plan since about that time and it’s been a good ride on the Magenta train, for the most part. I had to wait, but not long, because my HTC love extended to the world of green in the form of the T-Mobile G1.

I have a love/hate relationship with Linux, and Google, and many other things, but the package of the first Android device seemed to be a solid one, if not quite a match for the iPhone. A capacitive screen with the optional slide-out keyboard was a nice compromise, though it made the phone quite thick, but it bridged the gap between HTC’s older, classic devices, and what would come. Getting a device with a 1.0 version software was a bit of a risk, but how bad could it be?

Not bad, as it happened, and the combination of a solid hardware base and a respectable software start meant that I eventually owned four of them in three different colors for many different reasons, not all sensible. I did give up on Android briefly when the shiny sparkle of Maemo from Nokia glittered too bright for me to resist, but reality slammed fully into me when the Nexus One was announced and I ordered it.

Thus began a long line of Google’s Nexus devices, including that Nexus One, the Samsung Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, and finishing with the trio of LG Nexus 4, 5 and 5X. The last one broke me, however, after years of being a huge Android fan and mostly an iOS hater. I’d cracked some years previously when I first used an iPad and realized how it was shockingly superior in every way to any and every Android tablet I’d owned, but I wasn’t ready to jump ship on my daily phone. Yet.

The Nexus 5X and 6P were the last straw. I didn’t want a Chinese phone, and I’d really liked the Nexus 5. I still consider it the best Nexus phone by a big margin, but the X tacked on to a warmed-over model was a bad move, and it was the worst Android experience I’d ever had. I took stock of what my options were and it was clear that going forward iOS was the best option. Samsung isn’t a company I’m interested in using with their skin and look. Never. HTC was basically floundering in a pool of its own drool and vomit. Motorola wasn’t sure what was going on and may have just been sold to Lenovo.

The iPhone 6 was a pretty dramatic step forward in the Apple design language. Some would say it was backwards, as the iPhone 4 still holds up as a design, but the 6 is the phone that the phone you’re holding was probably more influenced by than any other. the S line bumped the specs in many ways, and it had been out for a few months at the time. I was able to find a 6 S Plus for a very good price and so I did what I never thought I would.

That was ten years ago as of writing. Many things have happened since, including the brief period in which Google abandoned the Nexus line and introduced the far better Pixel line. I don’t regret the switch, as I’ve owned a Pixel 1 and own a Pixel 6 Pro currently, but it did take them several more years to show that they could compete with Apple and Samsung.

I started with that 6 S Plus, then jumped to an 8, an X, back to an 8, then up to the 11 Pro Max, 12 Pro Max, 14 Pro Max, and finally to the 16 Pro Max I use today. I got on the trade-in-every-two-years-for-the-new-one train a few years ago and it’s been grand. I don’t have to worry about the phone I bought breaking, as it’s got AppleCare+ while I have it, and it’s a simple payment each month, and I’ve got the newest phone every 2nd year with those benefits.

What did I notice was the biggest improvement from Android? Speed. I could push the button on the camera shutter in half the time and get a better picture. Battery. I used to charge my Android phones overnight and likely need a bump in the evening. I’d carry a charger in the car to make sure I wouldn’t be without, but since moving to iOS I’ve only charged my phone in a vehicle 2-3 times in those circumstances. With smaller batteries the Apple devices are just better at optimizing. Vertical integration works, just don’t tell Samsung what they’re doing wrong or your next Galaxy will be running Tizen.

Yes, I’ve had an Android phone for most of that time. I kept my Nexus 5 and only recently sold it on eBay. I use WiGLE, on Android, which is still possible due to Android’s Developer features. Is Android as good in 2026? Maybe it’s close. The Pixel 6 Pro runs the latest version, which number I can’t remember but is probably 16, and it’s quite good. However, iOS 26 runs on an iPhone X S, which came out almost 8 years ago. This Pixel 6 Pro will likely not run any version of Android from Google higher than 17, if that. Android support for updates is better than it’s ever been, but it’s still lagging behind.

Would I recommend this to anyone? It’s up to you. I’ve had several family members stick to Android and they’re content, but several others switch and they’re very pleased. I’ve not pushed or persuaded anyone to change teams, and I won’t do it. I don’t even joke because it’s not important. Back in 2016 the difference was a LOT bigger than it is now. Features exclusive to one or the other platform are almost universally shared. AirDrop is becoming available on some devices. Do not hold your breath for iMessage though…

My next phone will be an iPhone, but I’ll always have an Android because it’s interesting to see both sides. I would recommend you do the same, in either configuration, so you know what’s going on.