Staffer Sees Social Benefits of Switching to iPhone

It is nearly impossible to survive as a high schooler at Shawnee Mission East with an Android phone. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way. I struggled through life for nine months carrying an Android phone in my pocket.

The decision to switch to an Android phone was one that I pondered for several months. At the time, I was sporting an iPhone 4S, and I was tired of it. I was enticed by Android because of their customizability, variety of phones and simply because it was different. I had grown tired of the all too similar look of iPhones, and its monotonous layout.

In December of 2015, I decided to take the jump from iPhone to Android. I was initially very content with my decision. I was finally able to make my phone my own, without any limitations from Big Brother Apple.

But, it all went downhill from there. My friends started complaining that my texts were green instead of the familiar blue. I could no longer be added to iMessage group chats and had to resort to GroupMe instead. Any pictures I wanted to send over text were compressed into a lower quality, and were rendered illegible on the receiving end.

The regret continued to build upon itself when, after just three months of owning the phone, the battery started deteriorating at a rapid rate. By noon everyday, my phone would be down to 35 percent with only moderate use. And to add insult to injury, none of my classmates would have a Micro-USB cord that I could borrow to charge up.

After enduring months of constant reminders about my mistake, I finally started researching how much it would cost to ditch the Android and switch back to iPhone. With some begging and convincing, my parents eventually gave in and helped me switch back.

I finally felt reconnected with my friends and family after activating my iPhone 7. No longer do I have to worry about my battery dying by noon, being out of contact with my friends or struggling to find a way to charge my phone at school. To everyone reading this: resist the temptation to switch to an Android phone. It was quite possibly the longest nine months I have ever had to endure, and in the end it wasn’t worth it. iPhones have their flaws, but believe me, they will never outweigh the issues that Androids have.