Almost a year ago I wrote about making the switch from iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone. I thought I would write a follow-up article about how the switch went and other observations.
I am still happy with the choice I made and cannot see myself ever switching back to an iPhone unless Apple all of a sudden make their phones less limited. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a solid phone, but there have been caveats.
Although performance is still great, the phone is rather unstable at times because of a combination of the operating system, rogue applications and the extra plethora of services Samsung add into the fray. The latest Kit-Kat Android update introduced a few issues with touch screen responsiveness that comes down to the GPS functionality.
The phone tends to run out of memory quite quickly. You get into the habit of forcefully closing open applications every so often to prevent the phone slowing down and becoming unresponsive.
As predicted in my original post, the crappy plastic backing was the first thing to degrade on the phone. Just from being put in and taken out of my pocket, the Samsung letters on the back have disappeared. It hasn’t cracked, besides the letters the backing has survived.
The plastic frame around the phone where the front meets the back has partially degraded though. It’s not overly noticeable, but I noticed it. Because it’s plastic, it has just worn. For a phone barely a year old, it’s a little disheartening.
In terms of applications for the phone, there isn’t really an app you can’t get on Android. Once upon a time it was common for iOS to get an app and Android not to get it at all, it’s all changed and you can get the same apps as your iSheep counterparts can.
I would probably go for a different Android phone next time. I was initially considering the HTC One, but expandable memory was a deal breaker for me. If the S6 increases the build quality, I’ll probably buy one.
As I said, I am happy with the choice I’ve made and am officially an Android convert.
