Are Any Phones Better Than The iPhone?

Many people are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, but alternatives are available and have become more viable in recent years. If you are in the market for a phone and/or you’re considering a move away from the iPhone, there are several phones that may be a good fit for you.

The Reasons to Choose an iPhone: 

If you have a wide range of Apple products, it makes good sense to choose an iPhone. But, those who have switched from iOS to Android and back again can attest to the superiority of IOS apps and their disappointment with Android alternatives. It’s also true that there is a greater selection of iPhone accessories outside Android flagship devices produced by larger companies. Once you go beyond the aftermarket products made for Samsung devices, you will have a diminished range of accessories for Motorola or Pixel devices. The largest iOS release brought consumers app tracking notifications with enhanced privacy controls. This gives users the capability to opt out of apps that may be tracking them via their iPhones. This was treated as a major victory for privacy campaigners and a huge setback for data harvesting companies such as Facebook. One major draw for returning iPhone users is the lack of bloatware installed on their new devices. This is equally true wherever the device is purchased and users won’t notice bloatware pre-installed when they boot up their phone for the very first time. This means no data or power siphoning apps that can be affecting the iPhone performance in the background. 

Apple iPhones get faster and more frequent updates than Android phones. An argument could be made that there is one exception, which is the Google Pixel phone. There is a correlation between the number of Android phone updates and the initial cost of the phone. Certain carriers may offer more support, but these policies can be highly variable. It is true that Android phone manufacturers have made some improvements in this area in recent years, but Apple still offers superior support. A prime example would be an iPhone XR, which still got the iOS 17 update despite being more than 5 years old. Apple offers superior retail support too. If you need to get your device serviced or you want a professional screen protector installation they are hard to match. If you have a problem with your iPhone, simply take it to an Apple store, and they will fix it for you. For many users, this peace of mind is well worth the price of admission when they are considering phone choices. 

Phones That Could Be Better for You:

An Apple iPhone may be a great fit for some, but there are a number of reasons why you may want to choose an Android phone instead. Let’s take a look at three great Android phones that offer a viable alternative:

Samsung Galaxy S24

The first thing potential buyers of this Android phone will notice is that it’s $200 cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro. It’s the same size at only 6.2”, and it has an LTPO AMOLED 2x display with a dynamic refresh rate from 1Hz to 120 Hz. At peak brightness, it’s brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro, and it’s clearly a superior display. The S24 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip, which has been optimized for these Samsung devices. As such, the processing speeds are only slightly overclocked, which promotes power efficiency. The 4,000mAh battery has a higher capacity than the iPhone 15 Pro, and it will last longer than a day. The charging speed is comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro at only 25W, but 15W and 4.5W reverse wireless charging options are available. The Galaxy S24 has a triple camera system; the main camera is 50MP. It’s supported by a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. This setup is similar to the iPhone 15 Pro, but the photos seem to be more vibrant and realistic. The entire S24 lineup has an improved color profile, which has further enhanced the image quality. One of the big selling points of the Samsung Galaxy S24 models was the addition of Galaxy AI. This suite of AI-powered tools includes Generative Edit for images, AI formatting and summarization in the Notes app, and the popular Circle to Search feature, which is also found on Google Pixel 8 phones. So, if AI tools on your smartphone are important, then a Galaxy S24 device may be the ideal phone to meet your needs. 

OnePlus 12

This brand offers unique designs and impressive specs that help it to stand out from the crowd. The OnePlus 12 is around $200 cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro, with a 6.8” LTPO AMOLED display with 510 pixels per inch and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The edges are curved for better visual immersion, but accidental touches are possible until the user gets used to their device. This Android phone is also powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, but it has either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on the storage options, which are 256GB and 512GB, respectively. The triple-lens camera system includes a 50 MP main camera, a 64 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. These cameras are backed with Hasselblad color tuning to improve accuracy and realism. The OnePlus 12 has an impressive 5,400mAh battery capacity with 80W fast charging, which rises to 100W for customers outside the U.S. Users can take a battery from flat to 100% in approximately 30 minutes if the included charger is used. The 50W wired charging and reverse wireless 10W charging are far superior to the competition. 

Google Pixel 8 Pro

The Pixel 8 Pro has a clean OS that may appeal to iOS users who are making a switch to Android. The Pixel lineup has some excellent cameras, and the Pixel 8 Pro is no exception. The triple-lens camera system includes a 50 MP main camera, a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and 48MP ultrawide camera. A 10.5MP selfie camera is available, and the photos are always true-to-life. This phone has a gorgeous 6.7” LTPO OLED display with up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by the Google Tensor G3 chip with 12GB of RAM. This is a vast improvement over the G1 and G2 chips, and there are no overheating problems. Sadly, the battery life is sub par in comparison to other Android phones, and this is strictly a one-day phone. That said, the price is comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro, but users get a little more performance for their money.