> The iPhone SE, one of the fastest smartphones on the market (only other iPhones are faster)
I just replaced my Google Pixel (4 years old) with an SE and it's like... They're not even comparable. I'm sure it makes clear sense as to how so much progress could be made in 4 years, and how it could cost so much less (I paid $649 USD for the Pixel), but it feels a bit magical as a consumer and infrequent phone user. It's a fantastic little device.
I'm still 900% pissed about the MacBook Air they sold me in 2018 and I resent the awful support they gave me for the keyboard (It's virtually unusable already), but as a phone business, they seem hard to beat right now.
I can't do iOS still. Too many restrictions, compromise and missing functionality.
Like, give me a custom launcher option (custom everything options), emulation of classic consoles and handhelds, and easy plug and play access via a PC. If I can't even get one of those, I'm on Android regardless of how shiny I think Apple hardware is.
But if you don't want nay of that, it probably works grate. Just not for me.
I hear you, I used to feel the same. I was a heavy phone user once and that's why I got the Pixel. A lot of things mattered to me then that just don't now. I could almost get by with a flip phone, but there are still a few things I like about smart phones:
- I like to use my phone to check bathy charts while I'm out free diving. In a water proof case, a phone is a huge asset for finding interesting spots to dive. I don't really want to buy a dedicated device for this. I can just hook it to my float and it's there for exploration/emergencies/location beacon for family/etc.
- When I forget to charge my watch, it's nice to have GPS handy for tracking a run or ride
- It's really nice to be able to do a decent code review from a phone if I'm out and about. I wouldn't do this with critical code or large changes, but it's nice to give someone some extra eyes without committing to sitting at the desk or bringing my computer places
- I have ADHD and having a full-fledged reminder/task box is a god send. I'd be lost without todoist
I could do this all with any modern smart phone, but I went with the best 'bang for the buck' model I could find. I don't think I'll miss anything from Android.
I’m torn between an iPhone 11 and the SE to replace my Pixel 2. I have an XR for work and if it wasn’t so locked down for security I think I’d be using this one more than my Pixel.
I do miss a home screen widget and some apps, but I think overall the experience is really nice, and being able to talk to the iMessage people would be nice.
I built a Hackintosh on a Thinkpad and Handoff, AirDrop and all those connections are way more useful than I thought. It’s been 3 years and Android/Windows seems to be pretty much in the same state minus some minimal improvements that really don’t add that much value.
Integration and unified workflows is where it’s at for me at least.
Likewise, the degree of integration is kind of absurd and luxurious for me. I expected it to be a perk but it's quite a bit better than I thought it would be.
When I picked up my SE and signed in with my Apple ID it gave me access to all of my keychain and tons of other stuff I use frequently like photos and documents. Things I didn't realize I was missing on Android. I installed multiple apps and was automatically signed in! I didn't expect that. Wifi just works everywhere I've been with my MacBook. People near me on iPhones can have all kinds of things exchanged with minimum effort. Contacts, files, wifi passwords.
I know all of this works on Android too (kind of), but since I have a MacBook and an Apple ID I use a lot, my experience with an iOS is faaaar better than it was with Android.
I used to go days without touching my Pixel, but this iPhone is so much nicer to use and so much more useful that I carry it regularly and use it quite a bit. I'm really happy with it.
I just replaced my Google Pixel (4 years old) with an SE and it's like... They're not even comparable. I'm sure it makes clear sense as to how so much progress could be made in 4 years, and how it could cost so much less (I paid $649 USD for the Pixel), but it feels a bit magical as a consumer and infrequent phone user. It's a fantastic little device.
I'm still 900% pissed about the MacBook Air they sold me in 2018 and I resent the awful support they gave me for the keyboard (It's virtually unusable already), but as a phone business, they seem hard to beat right now.