Why I Didn’t Choose an iPhone

I’ve got a new phone in my life… my Droid Razr Maxx arrived last week and I’m pretty much in love. I’m saving that review for another day, though. Today I wanted to answer a question I’ve heard more than once. Why didn’t you choose an iPhone? If you’re trying to choose a phone, I’ve got a few reasons to consider choosing an Android based phone, or a Windows 7 phone, over the iPhone (iOS).

Before I get started, I want to say this… the iPhone is a great phone and many, many people love theirs. But just because a phone is popular doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for everyone. Here’s why an Android phone was a better choice for me. Many of these apply to Windows 7 phones as well.

1. No Apple ecosystem. Apple products are known for being "easy," but that’s partly because they only play nicely with each other. That’s changing, but I didn’t want to be locked into the Apple ecosystem.
2. Options. I wanted to choose the phone that had the best features for my lifestyle and I’m stubborn enough that I don’t like it when other people try to prescribe those for me.
3. Larger screen. Yeah, I wanted a bigger screen than the iPhone has and many of the Android/Windows 7 options have them.
4. A back button. This may sound like a small thing, but it’s one of my biggest pet peeves about Apple mobile products. There is no way to go back. I don’t know why, but it drives me crazy on my iPad.
5. SWYPE. Ok, I actually wanted a hard keyboard, but you end up trading off other specs and I wasn’t willing to do that. SWYPE allows you to "type" by swiping a finger over the on-screen keyboard. Very cool.
6. Google Maps with turn-by-turn voice directions. Built in. Siri is a cool trick, but Android phones had voice recognition for a year or more before it came along. I say, "Navigate to Target" (or wherever) and my phone finds the closest target and proceeds to navigate me there using verbal directions. I love that. I have a completely up-to-date GPS with me wherever I go. It even has a traffic overlay.
7. Free apps. I get a free Android app every day from Amazon. Some of them have turned out to be my favorite apps on my device.

There are a number of reasons why I specifically chose the Droid Razr Maxx, but since many are specific to the phone (or the brand), I’ll save those for that review and just think of them as "options." I hope that if you’re thinking of buying a new phone, this can help you decide which way you want to go. These things are important to me, but they may not be for you.

Related posts:

How to Choose the Right Smartphone for You And Apple iPhone 5 is… iPhone 4S Dress Up Your iPhone for Halloween… or Just for Kicks When GMail and Google Services Won’t Sync on Your Android Phone–How To TiVo Streaming Comes to Android HTC Announces the HTC Rhyme–Style and Substance? When Android Isn’t Just Android Kyocera Hydro Elite Makes Android Accessible