I spent a year with iPhone 14 Plus, and these 5 features destroyed my Android loyalty
Chris Brown was right when he said "These [expletive] ain't loyal" — I'm an Android fan, but iPhones are looking more voluptuous and seductive than ever. My Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra had my heart with its S-pen that lets me take on-the-fly notes as a journalist — and it doubles as a remote control, too.
The Galaxy S series arguably takes better selfies while iPhone photos will have you running to TalkSpace to mend your desiccated self esteem. However, after reviewing every iPhone model since the iPhone 12, I'm starting to free myself from Android's clutches.
Whenever I'd go back to using my daily driver, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, I'd find myself mindlessly trying to perform an iPhone-only feature, only to find myself frustrated and saying, "Oh, I forgot I'm using an Android now." These features have been so instrumental with my workflow, I'm thinking about doing the unthinkable -- jumping off the Android ship and hopping aboard the iPhone bandwagon.
Let me dive into the iOS perks that have given me wandering eye.
1. 'Copy and paste' from one iDevice to another with pinching gestures
I couldn't believe my eyes when I stumbled upon this mind-blowing perk — one you can find among our iPhone features that look like magic tricks list. Did you know that you can copy and paste from one iDevice to another by simply using a pinching gesture? I'm serious, you can literally "grab" a photo on your iPhone and "paste" it onto another iDevice, like a MacBook, for example.
I cannot tell how you often I needed to quickly zip a photo from my Galaxy S22 Ultra to my Windows laptop and there's not a single Android-to-PC method that beats Apple's Handoff feature.
It takes some time to get the hang of the gesture (i.e., pinch inward three fingers to 'copy' and pinch outward with three fingers to 'paste'), but using Handoff on my iPhone 14 Plus with my standard iPhone 14 never ceases to amaze me.
2. Unsend and edit messages
Once I send a text via Google Messages on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, that's it. There's no changing it. I can't rescind it. I can't fix any typos. There's no mercy on my soul with my Galaxy S22 Ultra.
However, thanks to a new-ish feature that launched via iOS 16, all you need to do is press and hold the offending text to rescind or edit an iMessage. You have a 15-minute window to make this happen, which I'll take because my Galaxy S22 Ultra gives me zero chances to rectify any mistakes. People deserve second chances in life!
3. NameDrop
As a tech journalist, I'm often running into incredible people who I want to keep in my social network, but there's always an awkward dance that happens before we exchange contact information.
Sometimes, I'd hand them my phone and they'd input their number (after complaining they're not familiar with Android UI.) Other times, I'd just whip out my S-pen and have them scribble their unintelligble contact details on the screen — only to find out that they write like a doctor and I can't read chickenscratch.
NameDrop, a new iOS 17 feature poised to roll out later this year to the wider public, fixes this problem. I can simply tap my iPhone with someone else's iPhone, and voila, we can swap contact details in seconds.
Plus, I can keep people's grubby fingers off my iPhone and vice versa (I'm sure people don't want my fingers all over their device either.)
4. Fun animation effects on iPhone
With an iPhone, you can make your texts more expressive with animated effects, including bubble effects, balloons, confetti, fireworks, and more.
When a friend recently announced a major milestone in her life, the "Congratulations" text I sent her didn't seem like it matched my excitement for her. At that point, I wished I used iMessage, which would have allowed me to send eye-catching animated effects, preferably fireworks and heart-eye emojis, that take up the whole screen.
5. Emergency SOS via satellite
One of the most talked about features that hit the iPhone 14 last year is Emergency SOS via satellite, which lets you connect to emeregency-service personnel in the event that you find yourself in a precarious, network-less situation. At first, I was dismissive about the feature. Not because I didn't find it to be significant, but because I felt that it was more advantageous to hikers, mountain climbers, and other adventurers who often find themselves in areas with poor reception.
However, a touching story recently came out about Emergency SOS via satellite helping a family out of the raging Maui wildfire, which made me change my mind about the "reach" of the feature. Yes, I'm a city slicker with constant access to a network, but who knows what could happen in the future? Plus, I take the NYC subway from time to time, and there's always something going awry down there and satellite connectivity may come in handy for me one day.
Bottom line
I'm this close to ditching my Android; the only thing that's holding me back is that I'm not a fan of the post-processing AI that my iPhone 14 Plus camera uses, making selfies most look unsightly.
If Apple decides to rectify this flaw, it's a wrap for Samsung. The Cupertino-based tech giant will have successfully lured me into its lair.
