Don't believe the hype: Switching between iPhone and Android is quite easy.
I should know — I've been writing about technology for the past five years, and I've switched among a dozen different smartphones in that time. Whether I'm using an iPhone or an Android phone, everything comes with me.
I never lose a contact, and my calendar switches seamlessly. Even my notes come with me!
Here's how I do it:
The answer to your problems is Google — not Android, but Google.
If you're a devout user of Apple services — Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Maps, etc. — it can be difficult to transfer to Android.
But even if you're not looking to move to Android, there's a good reason to stop using Apple's services: They lock you into Apple devices.
You can, of course, continue using Apple's services, but adding a few Google tie-ins can free your life from being viewable on only Apple's hardware.
Take, for instance, Google Contacts — if you have a Gmail account, you already have a Google Contacts account. You have a Gmail account, right? Come on.
By simply backing up your iPhone's contacts to Google, those valuable numbers are now available on any device you wish to use. You can even edit the list on the web.
As an additional bonus, it offers a second backup method for your contacts list just in case something happens to your phone's backup file.
By using Google as my primary ecosystem, my digital life goes with me wherever I do.
I use Google Chrome on my computer (a MacBook Air) and my phone (a Google Pixel). By logging in with my Google account, I have full access, on any device, to all my bookmarks and saved passwords and every other convenience that comes with modern, customizable web browsers.
I use Google Keep as my primary notes app. I add notes to it on my phone, and they show up instantly on the web version of Google Keep. My notes come with me to any device I'm using, just like my contacts (Google Contacts) and my photos (Google Photos) and my email (Gmail).
I could be using an iPhone X, an iPad Mini, a Samsung Galaxy S9, or whatever else — it doesn't matter. I no longer consider the difficulty of switching devices, because it no longer exists. I move my SIM card to the new device, log in to Google services, and I'm good to go.
If I were using iCloud, Maps, Contacts, and Apple's other "ecosystem" hooks, switching devices would be far less easy — it would make much more sense for me to just get another iPhone, even though I have no interest in spending $1,000 on a phone without a headphone jack. It's that lack of flexibility in Apple's approach that pushes me away.
I use Android phones primarily nowadays, but I used iPhones for years. I use whatever phone is best, regardless of operating system or manufacturer.
Apple makes incredibly nice phones. I've owned and loved the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 4, the iPhone 5, the iPhone 6, and I briefly used an iPhone 7 as my main phone. (I didn't love it.)
Google also makes incredibly nice phones. I've used and loved several Google Nexus phones, and the Google Pixel I'm using is as close to perfect as it gets for me.
I'm typing this on a MacBook Air, which I consider the best laptop in existence. I like Apple hardware a lot! But I also like my TCL television, and my Sonos speakers, and my Xbox One — I kinda don't care even a little bit who makes the product, as long as it's great.
In the case of using Google's services over Apple's, Google simply makes a stronger argument by offering a better product. It's great whether you're an Apple devotee or an Android superfan or, more likely, just a person looking to easily manage their digital life.
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