Aside from a couple years on Sprint's WiMAX network with an HTC EVO and later, an Samsung S3, I've always been an iPhone iOS kind of guy. After all, I have two iMac computers in my house and a MacBook Pro portable. I've never liked the fact that Apple seemed to be well behind the Google Android manufacturers as far as new innovations. I also did not like the fact that Apple seems to enjoy ignoring industry standard connections in favor of creating their own proprietary technology. Eliminating the 3.5mm headset jack and replacing it with a lightning jack makes it not possible to charge your iPhone while listening to your headphones. Duh! I also liked the biometric fingerprint unlocking and the Home button. I had been sitting on my iPhone 6S+ because, aside from the lame bezel and mediocre battery, it was a pretty good phone. There were more downsides than upsides for me to even consider moving to an iPhone 7 or 8 series. That meant going large and getting the iPhone X.
My main concern about the iPhone X was cost. Apple raved about the strength of the new glass casing during their launch. Initial reports showed that this was nowhere near as durable as Apple claimed. To make matters worse, Apple jacked the repair costs as well as the cost for Apple Care Plus to $199.99. Getting one of these devices without the added protection of Apple care Plus and a good case was not an option. Assuming that I got the "cheap" model with 64GB, my cost was looking to be $1230 plus tax. That's a lot of money for an iPhone, especially one that doesn't have my 3.5mm jack, biometrics, or T-Mobile's newest 600mHZ support.
After comparing features with the iPhone X, I realized that the S8+ would give me the same iPhone X experience for a fraction of the price. Apple had claimed that it was not possible to Waterproof their device without doing away with the industry standard 3.5mm headset plug. Wrong! Samsung Waterproofed their S8+ and it still has the jack. It also still has the biometric fingerprint unlock feature. It has facial recognition like the iPhone X but I doubt it works as well. I far prefer the IRIS recognition feature exclusively offered on this device.
I asked my SmartPhone repair technician whether he had any Android or iPhone demos that might interest me. He had just taken back a Samsung S8+ from someone who didn't like the keyboard and large size. I wanted as large a screen as I could fit in my pocket. I knew from past experiences that Samsung's keyboard was pretty heinous. I also knew that it's easy to make Google's amazing "G-Board" my new default keyboard which I did. This thing even blows the doors off Apple's for ease of use. Do I miss SIRI? Hell no! I gave up SIRI but gained Google Assistant, Bixby, Cortana and Alexa. I have a "whole team" of virtual assistants. If one doesn't get it right the first time, I use another.
What all of this means is this... If you want a great experience right out of the box, the iPhone is the best choice. If you are willing to spend the extra time needed to optimize a deluxe android model like my S8+, it's well worth it. It seems like you can do a lot more by voice with these options than SIRI.
Now the best news... Most carriers are running BOGO deals on the Samsung 8 series. T-Mobile's ends pretty soon. Anyone who buys and activates a new unlimited line of service can get a second device for FREE. For Business users, T-Mobile is also offering a $100 per line port-in credit on top of their BOGO deal. Ask me for details.
After comparing features with the iPhone X, I realized that the S8+ would give me the same iPhone X experience for a fraction of the price. Apple had claimed that it was not possible to Waterproof their device without doing away with the industry standard 3.5mm headset plug. Wrong! Samsung Waterproofed their S8+ and it still has the jack. It also still has the biometric fingerprint unlock feature. It has facial recognition like the iPhone X but I doubt it works as well. I far prefer the IRIS recognition feature exclusively offered on this device.
I asked my SmartPhone repair technician whether he had any Android or iPhone demos that might interest me. He had just taken back a Samsung S8+ from someone who didn't like the keyboard and large size. I wanted as large a screen as I could fit in my pocket. I knew from past experiences that Samsung's keyboard was pretty heinous. I also knew that it's easy to make Google's amazing "G-Board" my new default keyboard which I did. This thing even blows the doors off Apple's for ease of use. Do I miss SIRI? Hell no! I gave up SIRI but gained Google Assistant, Bixby, Cortana and Alexa. I have a "whole team" of virtual assistants. If one doesn't get it right the first time, I use another.
What all of this means is this... If you want a great experience right out of the box, the iPhone is the best choice. If you are willing to spend the extra time needed to optimize a deluxe android model like my S8+, it's well worth it. It seems like you can do a lot more by voice with these options than SIRI.
Now the best news... Most carriers are running BOGO deals on the Samsung 8 series. T-Mobile's ends pretty soon. Anyone who buys and activates a new unlimited line of service can get a second device for FREE. For Business users, T-Mobile is also offering a $100 per line port-in credit on top of their BOGO deal. Ask me for details.
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