Inspired by my good buddy AJ’s recent post on this very subject, I thought I, too, would share why I’m so loyal to my Apple devices, particularly in the smartphone sphere.

In simple terms, it comes down to “it got to me first, so I’ve stuck with it.” It’s as straightforward as that. The first bona fide “smartphone” I ever had was my original iPhone, and since acquiring that I’ve been through a 3G, a 4 and now a 4S. I have no desire whatsoever to switch to Android because my iOS devices have done everything I needed them to. And it’s not as if I’m a “casual” user — I know my stuff about tech, and my iPhone is in almost constant use nearly every day. And yet in all that time, I have never once banged my head against the supposed restrictiveness of the platform which supporters of Android do so love to point out.

Now, this isn’t an anti-Android rant. I’m very aware that Android works as a platform for those who have chosen to be loyal to it. But I have never used an Android phone. Perhaps I’d like it if I did. Perhaps I’d change my opinion on iOS if I did. But the thing is, I don’t feel like I need to. Because to me, personally, Android sounds like a giant pain in the arse. Homescreen widgets? Battery life management? Flashing ROMs? Rooting? No thanks. For me, all I need is a phone which neatly displays my apps on my homescreen, allows me to access my personal data, email, the Web, Twitter, Facebook, G+, WordPress and all that gubbins, and occasionally play games. I’m not sure what benefit I’d get from the openness that Android offers. Customisability? Perhaps — but again, not something I feel is necessary for the way I use the phone. A fancy homescreen is all very well, but the neat and ordered rows that iOS’ Springboard offers mean that I can always quickly find what I’m looking for. My time isn’t so precious that I need to see the weather at all times on the home screen — I’m quite happy to open up the Weather app.

You see, perhaps partly as a result of my upbringing, constantly surrounded by computers and technology, I’ve grown to take the attitude that as a user, I’m the one that can adapt to new platforms and new combinations of features. If something comes along and has a new feature, I learn how to use it. If something else comes along and has a different feature set, including some absences from the first device, I adapt, and find alternative ways to do things — or, in some cases, consider whether I really needed that functionality in the first place. For just one example: MIDI ringtones on old Nokias? Fun for a little while, until I realised that any time I was in public I would typically mute the phone anyway, making them largely redundant. I haven’t missed them since entering the iPhone age. Likewise, when the iPhone drew criticism for not offering copy and paste functionality, I couldn’t see what the fuss was about. Past phones that I had used featured limited copy and paste capabilities, but I rarely, if ever, used it. As such, it was another feature I didn’t miss on the iPhone. Now it’s there, I do occasionally use it, but I could certainly live without it if necessary.

This isn’t making excuses for Apple — it’s explaining the way I think. For some people, features the iPhone doesn’t have are deal-breakers. And that’s fine — Android’s out there to give you what you’re looking for, as is BlackBerry and any number of feature phones. But for me? I’m comfortable with iOS, and happy to stay where I am. It does what I need, it adds new features at a regular enough rate to keep things interesting and exciting, and I’m never short of something new to experiment with thanks to the popularity of the App Store.