I wrote before about how I was surprisingly happy with Google's Nexus 5X back in October, and how it made me realize that there was little point to also get a Windows Phone. I held on to Windows Phone for entirely too long. The surprising thing is that Android has changed a lot for the better, to the extent that I might call myself a fan. I even bought a Nexus 9 tablet, which I also adore.
But there is a strong caveat that comes with my fandom. It's gotta be pure Android. That's why I was willing to try it out, because the Google provisioned devices are free of any carrier or manufacturer stuff on top. No crapware or clever UI and OS tweaks, just the operating system. More importantly, it's updated pretty much in real time with Google's updates, so there's no waiting for the carriers or manufacturers. I think that's important too. Collectively, these conditions overcome the objections I had a few years ago, along with the significant improvements in overall UI language that they're using. It certainly helps that Google had LG and Huawei make really nice hardware. HTC did an OK job with the tablet, too (the screen being the key win).
The other consideration is that, honestly, I think the value around the competition isn't what it used to be. By that, I mean Apple's iPhone. I bought the first one, then the 3GS, before Microsoft bought my first WP. They were fantastic phones, out in front. The current iterations are also excellent, but I get hung up on two things. First, I feel like iOS hasn't really iterated in any meaningful way, especially in the context of the app launcher that provides almost no additional functionality. There is no equivalent to live tiles or widgets. The second issue is that the average iPhone is not $250 nicer than, say, my 5X. It might not be made of aluminum (that no one ever sees in a case anyway), but the camera is just as great, the screen actually has a higher pixel density, all of the same apps, for the most part, are available, and I get widgets and alternate app launchers. There's a serious premium to buy Apple, and with subsidized contracts a thing of the past, the value proposition is turned on its head.
The development story is better, for sure. Yes, I've done some experimentation with Xamarin and such, but even straight Java is easier to build with than the awful iOS native options.
I am surprised about the tablet situation. For reading and surfing, I was somewhat happy with my cheap 8" Dell Windows tablet I bought a few years ago, but even after the Windows 10 update, the browser situation still wasn't ideal. Edge is better than IE, but there's a lot of weird behavior still in terms of touching and input. Android's version of Chrome works entirely as expected, and it feels a lot faster. And of course, it also has solid, frequently updated versions of Facebook and what not. 8.9" is a little smaller than an iPad, and a little bigger than the Dell, but it's still feels like an appropriate tablet size.
I still don't think I would consider a device that wasn't commissioned by Google. I feel pretty strongly about regular updating, and you don't get that on the average Samsung device, for example. So I'm an Android fan with an asterisk. I just wish I wouldn't have waited so long.
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