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It’s officially a year since I became an Apple user. Now, as an Apple blogger, it felt like the right time to reflect on the experience as I come from a unique perspective.
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Android has always been my phone of choice. I bought into the stigma that Apple was overpriced and found them unattainable. As someone who has looked into their products, I have never owned one myself. I have hardly ever been exposed to Apple devices.
When I bought my first smartphone on a budget as a college student, I was impressed by the camera and size of the Samsung Galaxy range. The small stature and boxiness of the iPhone had really put me off. At the time I had an Android tablet, so I felt comfortable staying in the Android family. Also, every non-smartphone I’d owned before had been Samsung; and these devices had been good to me.
However, that all changed last year when I first became an Apple user.
Reasons to switch to Apple products
In July 2021, I found myself at my local Verizon store in dire need of an upgrade. My current phone at the time was a Samsung Galaxy S7 that I bought in 2016. That made my phone five years old when I finally upgraded. While contemplating an iPhone in 2016, I had to buy my S7 in a hurry and wasn’t ready to make that switch just yet.
Over time I got tired of how slow the S7 had gotten and was ready for a faster and more modern device. YouTube became the source of knowledge when it came to researching phones. When I looked at the iPhone 12, I had finally found an iPhone that I thought looked good and met my desire for a simple user interface.
The iPhone sealed the deal
When I was at Verizon, I went through all the offers with the wonderful sales rep to find the right package for me. We settled on a purple iPhone 12, which gave me a special deal to get an Apple Watch SE too. What also drove me to the iPhone was the fact that I had an interview at my local Apple Store hours later. Fun fact, the very first call I answered on my very first iPhone was from Apple themselves!
A month later I started working as a specialist in the Apple Store. You’re probably thinking; How did someone with no experience with Apple products get a job at Apple? What probably helped is my previous experience in the hospitality industry. The Apple Store is more about your people skills than your Apple knowledge. It also didn’t hurt that I’m a former Walt Disney World employee and the hiring manager is a huge Disney fan.
iOS a culture shock for this first Apple user
Going from Android to iPhone felt like a complete culture shock. Navigating iOS felt like I was in foreign territory. However, I really got over it and started enjoying my new iPhone while finding it so easy to use.
One thing I particularly miss about Android is a little flashing light that alerts me to a notification when my phone is in sleep mode. Even a year later, I still expect a blinking light to tell me to check my phone.
Benefits as a user of Apple products
iPhone is that simple. Its simplicity is so appealing that over the past year I’ve persuaded several family members to switch to Apple as well. The integration of all my Apple devices is exquisite; I never thought an ecosystem of devices could coordinate so well. Don’t make me start on the Mac either!
After a year I know the ins and outs of my iPhone and have loved the experience. In seven years at Samsung Galaxies I could barely make a call on some days. Now it’s been a relief for me to have a phone that doesn’t complicate things for me and is fun to use.
products I use
Apple products I’ve purchased in the past year include (thanks to the Apple Store discount):
Would I go back to Android?
I would definitely use Android again. There is no specific reason for this; Maybe I just miss the Samsung brand? I know people love the advanced customization features that Androids offer; I don’t really care. When it comes to computing, I would absolutely go back to Windows as my main hub. I actually still have my HP laptop and love having both a Windows and Mac computer.
My future as an Apple user
I’ve been pretty happy in my one year as an Apple enthusiast so far. But there are a few things I would like to change in my second year.
Ideally, I’d like to work with an iPad, which offers more of a Mac-like experience. While I love the iPad, depending on what you do, it could be awful to work on. I use the iPad (9th gen) which is a fantastic tablet but not a machine for heavy multitaskers.
Another thing I’m looking forward to in my future as an Apple user is becoming more familiar with the camera. Since the iPhone’s camera has become a game changer, I need to know how to take really good photos. If there are any iPhone camera fans out there, I’d appreciate some advice.
When did you first become an Apple user? I’m curious to know what brought YOU to Apple devices? Let me know in the comments!
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