Android vs Apple
I know this is like asking which is better a Chevy or Ford. But my android phone is on its last legs. I have had android phones since the beginning and they have served me well. But my kids think I...
Forum Discussion
Although I'm a long time Apple user, for cell phones I've always gone with Android until recently. I switched to the iPhone SE 2020 version. There are differences between Android and IOS, but I've managed to find all the apps I want and I'm getting used to the iPhone user interface.
One of the reasons I think Android phones are cheaper is that they're typically engineered for optimal use on a single provider's network. You can move some phones between say AT&T and T-Mobile, but when you dig into the details you typically find that your limited to only certain features, bands and frequencies. And over time the carriers drop some of the less used features and/or reuse some of their bands and frequencies for newer technologies making your older phone less and less capable.
The selling points for me on the new iPhone is that it basically covers all the carriers in a single model, something even Apple wasn't doing in the past. So since I bought it outright and it's unlocked, I can switch to any carrier I want to whenever I want. The other feature is that it is a dual-SIM phone, so I can have two phone numbers on two different carriers - nice for traveling especially outside of the Continental US or for trying out different service providers. Sometimes the roaming partner for your carrier doesn't have the best coverage in place you might be, so being able to get an in-country service plan for a short period of time is a nice option.
The only downside that I saw with the iPhone SE is that it doesn't support the upcoming 5G capabilities, but I figure it will take a few years before that's built out enough to really be useful outside of major metro areas. (Side note, the three cell tower companies are trying to build out the necessary towers for 5G and their stock prices are showing it too.) Plus the older 4G LTE will be supported for quite some time into the future.
But $400 for a cell phone was a big pill to swallow as I generally don't go over about $150 and keep it for two years. I've always done pre-paid, no contract service plans and bring my own phone so being able to switch service provides was a big plus for me. There are some deals one can find on the new iPhone SE and it may be possible to get one for about $200 on a contract that can be terminated after a few months though.
One of the reasons I think Android phones are cheaper is that they're typically engineered for optimal use on a single provider's network. You can move some phones between say AT&T and T-Mobile, but when you dig into the details you typically find that your limited to only certain features, bands and frequencies. And over time the carriers drop some of the less used features and/or reuse some of their bands and frequencies for newer technologies making your older phone less and less capable.
The selling points for me on the new iPhone is that it basically covers all the carriers in a single model, something even Apple wasn't doing in the past. So since I bought it outright and it's unlocked, I can switch to any carrier I want to whenever I want. The other feature is that it is a dual-SIM phone, so I can have two phone numbers on two different carriers - nice for traveling especially outside of the Continental US or for trying out different service providers. Sometimes the roaming partner for your carrier doesn't have the best coverage in place you might be, so being able to get an in-country service plan for a short period of time is a nice option.
The only downside that I saw with the iPhone SE is that it doesn't support the upcoming 5G capabilities, but I figure it will take a few years before that's built out enough to really be useful outside of major metro areas. (Side note, the three cell tower companies are trying to build out the necessary towers for 5G and their stock prices are showing it too.) Plus the older 4G LTE will be supported for quite some time into the future.
But $400 for a cell phone was a big pill to swallow as I generally don't go over about $150 and keep it for two years. I've always done pre-paid, no contract service plans and bring my own phone so being able to switch service provides was a big plus for me. There are some deals one can find on the new iPhone SE and it may be possible to get one for about $200 on a contract that can be terminated after a few months though.
