I don’t want to switch from Android to iPhone because Apple’s ecosystem is too good

To make the most of an iPhone, I’d have to use an Apple computer, like a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro. And that’s the source of my problem.

Apple

There are plenty of iPhone users who use Windows 10 computers. And there’s no problem with that. I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. 

But here’s an opinion: If you want to make the most of the iPhone and the large amounts of money you spent on it, your best bet is to use other Apple devices like a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro to complete the ecosystem. Otherwise, your iPhone is just like any other smartphone — a vehicle for apps that takes a few photos sometimes.

That’s how I feel about my old iPad Mini 2, which I got when I was entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem. Without things like iMessage and FaceTime, my iPad Mini 2 is just an expensive screen that plays Netflix videos. I could have bought an Android tablet that costs hundreds less at the time that does the same thing. 

With Apple’s stuff, the key differentiator is the ecosystem. Apple devices work so well with one another with little bits and features like AirDrop, iMessage, and FaceTime on macOS; unlocking a Mac laptop with an Apple Watch; or auto-pairing and finding lost AirPods. 

And then, there are the Apple Stores and the hubs they’ve become as places you can go when you’re not sure about something or when something goes wrong. I personally don’t agree with Apple’s device-repair ideology, but at least the Apple Store is something, some physical place that a lot of Apple customers can go to talk to a human, face to face, in times of confusion and despair. That’s huge. I once had my cracked iPhone 6S Plus screen repaired at an Apple Store free, out of warranty. I’ll always remember that.

It’s frankly amazing that so many other companies haven’t seen physical locations like the Apple Store as a worthwhile investment. If they did, there would be more Microsoft stores, Google stores, Samsung stores, and so on. 

But nay, keep me away from Apple’s temptation.