It’s June now, which means that I’ve officially been using my Moto X as my daily driver for about 3 months at this point, with the HTC One (M8) as a recent addition because of my 30-Day Challenge. Before that, I was rather keen on trying out Windows Phone 8, and even just last year I was pretty stuck on iOS using my iPhone 4s for the first half of the year. But I’ve been using Android (primarily) for about a year now, and I’m starting to get that itch to switch platforms... again.
Sometimes I’m not sure why I can’t pledge allegiance to a certain platform. I just can’t. Too many changes happen within each one over time that make them a better candidate than the last. I was head over heels for iOS when Android had been giving me problem after problem for two years or so at that point, and when BlackBerry just didn’t seem to cut it when it came to my needs. After a while, and especially after iOS 7 was introduced, I found iOS to be stale. I kept reading about all of the changes coming to Android, and eventually decided to switch back with either the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One (M7). Eventually, I ended up with the M7.
But that was last July, and it’s been almost a year since I made the switch. I’m getting the craving to switch to something else again. Windows Phone 8 wasn’t bad, and it’s gotten even better with 8.1, but it’s still not quite what I’m looking for. iOS 7 is still hideous to look at (in my opinion) and BlackBerry 10 is, despite their efforts, still not my cup of tea. So for now I have to choose which one entertains me the most, which happens to be Android.
That doesn’t mean that itch to switch isn’t still waiting to be scratched - it is.
I can’t explain why switching platforms gives me such a satisfaction. Perhaps it’s when an OS has grown too stale, or maybe just being able to toy with something different for a while, being able to start over fresh with something. And with new software always comes new hardware, so there’s always that to look forward to (sometimes).
There’s also a bit of a hassle when it comes to switching platforms though, and sometimes that is what keeps me from actually switching so often. At this point I’ve come to the conclusion that, for the most part, iOS and Android share the same applications across the board; of course, if I want the same application from another platform I have to purchase it again. That can be a bummer. Other times the applications simply don’t exist on the native market, which means you may or may not be able to get it or something like it. So there’s always that to look forward to. Or not.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I will probably never be loyal to one platform or another. I like (and dislike) them all for different reasons, which is probably a good thing when you’re interested in this industry. It tends to keep things interesting and fresh.
Readers, what are your thoughts on the various mobile platforms we have offered to us? Do you switch platforms often as well, or do you tend to stick with one over others? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Image via Geeks Laboratory, iMore