This post is the yang to @joen’s yin. He’s a heavy Android user switching to the iPhone and taking notes so I’ll do the opposite. (You should follow his blog)
The last Android device I used as my main phone was the original Drooooooooid. And it was awesome. It had a physical keyboard, robot sounds, and one kickass boot screen. However, after switching to the iPhone, I’ve had zero desire to go back. After the Droid, almost everything on the iPhone felt very polished and high quality in comparison and has remained that way. I do love the Apple ecosystem and just how nicely devices play together.
Android has come quite a ways since I used it. I plan to fully dive in for at least a few months to see just how much it has improved as a cohesive part of the Google ecosystem (which I still like).
I haven’t totally been kept in the dark in terms of using Android devices. I purchased a Nexus 7 (the V1 where the screen would melt off) and used it heavily as a tablet as long as it remained functional (not long). I also use a Nexus 4 in my day job to test apps and sites on and Android device. That said, these brief experiences aren’t a great way to really get a feel of the ins/out of a device and it’s design patterns.
To pretty much directly quote @joen (with some key changes):
Starting today I’m an Android user. No, I wouldn’t call this a switch — call it a “soak test”. I fully expect to switch back to iOS — I’m actually eyeing an iPhone 6. That is, unless the experience of investing myself fully in the Moto X is so compelling that I have no desire to go back, which is entirely possible. I won’t know unless I give it a proper test. Since I’m in the fortunate position to be able to make this switch, there’s no good reason not to. I’ll be using my black and mahogany Moto X 2014 testing device. I don’t expect to be impressed by the camera. I expect to enjoy a bit of jank-free fluidness of the OS, even if I expect to turn off extraneous animation. I’m curious how I’ll enjoy the homescreen and its lack of customizability compared to iOS, and I can’t wait to see if the sliding keyboards in the Play Store are as good as better than they are on iOS. I should have some experiences to share on this blog in a month or so. Let me know any apps you want me to try!