If you want a phone that will get updated for many, many years, get an iPhone. People are still using iPhone 6s models or earlier which have been left behind on major iOS updates for a couple of cycles now.

If you’re happy with what you have and have no issue with how they work in general, stick with Samsung.

Do I personally prefer an iPhone? Sure. Would I be lost forever if I switched to Samsung/Pixel/etc? Not at all.

That said, an iPhone 13 would be just fine as well. That’s what I have, and feel no need to upgrade to a 14 this year or even next, barring catastrophic damage. I fully expect this phone to last me for the next four or five years if I utterly drag my heels in updating.

Plus pretty much all google services work on iPhone. So you can just download those apps and use them with your existing accounts.

It’s entirely up to you. An iPhone will work brilliantly, but so will a regular Android phone, most likely.

Better security might be a reason.

I agree with this. I have an iPhone 12 and won't be upgrading to the 14. And I know it will be supported by the next iOS update. There is no real guessing game with iPhones. Apple supports their products a lot longer than most manufacturers. As u/dskatter said, some people are still using iPhone 6s that came out in 2015. It's just now not being supported anymore on iOS 16. 7 years of usage is like decades in tech 😊

These days, Apple products just last.

Only Google with their previous Pixel models had anything close to as much OS update availability that iPhones have. Other companies are starting to realize that longevity is something their customers actually prefer but Apple’s been there nearly from day one.

Heck, I’m using a 2016 MacBook Pro and still happy with it. It’s six years old and still runs as well as it did the day I got it. Just got left behind on major macOS updates and I know I’ll make the jump to an M1 or M2 in the next year or so…but it lasted and will still make a nice secondary machine.

Thank you for the answer!

I have heard that updates on the 14 have been minimal, but I've never had an iPhone so I wouldn't be able to tell. And the 13 is only about a 100 euros cheaper on Amazon, which, if I were to really drop that much money, a 100 euros more wouldn't make that much of a difference.

I love Samsung, but like I said they just don't seem to last a lot. My current phone overheats like crazy and loses battery so fast. Samsung has shorter phone support than Apple, and I'm wary of getting the S22 because S23 is coming out in February, but I can't wait that long. This is also my third Samsung in about 8 years (Galaxy S4 mini - Galaxy A3 2017 and now the S10e).

iPhone is tempting me with its lifespan, the camera of course, battery life, overall seamlessness. I don't know what to do lol.

The base non-Pro 14 is essentially an iPhone 13 with the 13 Pro’s processor, slightly improved cameras, crash detection and that satellite emergency communication capability.

So if any of those factors are important to you, by all means go 14! Or if you want the best damn battery in an iPhone, go for the larger 14, the Plus. Bigger screen and a massive battery. Part of me wanted to make that jump just for the battery, but I’m also happy with my 13’s battery. Plus I have an Apple MagSafe battery pack if I really need the extra boost.

It’s a big decison, especially leaping into a new ecosystem! As someone else did mention in a comment, Apple has also been very privacy/security-focused, which is another big reason I’ve stuck with them.

Whatever you end up getting, I wish you well with it! Even if it ends up being another Samsung. :D

I still have a 2016 iPhone SE for work, still being updated even though it’s stuck on ios15. I legitimately don’t know anyone with a 2016 galaxy s7, but in my company we’re almost all on SE first gen still, except the new folks who get the 2022.

I really don’t know any phone with better durability from that time or before then, both in usability in time or hardware longevity. That being said, most phones, including Androids released today are bound to stay relevant for a very long time compared to older devices, because hardware is way more mature across the board and OEMs like Samsung improved support timetables.

If you’re strapped for cash and want an iPhone, you could go with refurbs, older iPhones or the SE.

Ultimately, it depends mostly on what you want from your phone, if you’re big on hardware, you’ll get better bang for your buck in midrange or lower high range Androids. If you’re big on camera it’s premium iPhone, Pixel, Samsung S, or bust, etc.

You have a choice since you’re not bound by an ecosystem, might as well look at all your options :)

I recommended you not to buy an iPhone because it is vastly more inconvenient than an Android. iFan often boasts about the phones will be supported for many years but the new iOS is not so optimized for the old iPhones so these new versions will bring significantly more lag and more new bugs.

iOS IS EVIL because many things the iOS programming team can do but they refuse to do so they can bring inconveniences or problems to users. I meet too many inconveniences and problems that I cannot list them all even until tomorrow. With their programming ability, it is easy to program something for the convenience of people but they intentionally program something inconvenient instead to bring inconveniences and problems to people. They don't allow logical and convenient options to exist although they can make these options come to exist. Let's start with some recent inconveniences and problems: I meet problems with caps lock when typing passport number - a part of my job. Cap Lock automatically turns off when I type a number or a symbol (such as "@"). In Android or Windows, caps lock just never automatically turns off until you want to turn it off. My post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/ycgu59/which_is_a_better_or_faster_option_doublepressing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

I enable guided access to play games without the home bar hiding the screen. To exit the game, I need to quickly press the side button 3 times and type my password, then choose the “End” button to exit this guided access mode, finally, I can exit the game. When I accidentally press the side button 4 times, the screen turns off, and it is impossible to turn it back (iOS 16.1). I have to force restart my iPhone (iPhone XS Max). It is very easy to make the mistake of pressing 4 times instead of 3 times because you have to press the side button quickly.

Even when I paste a word to my dictionary app to browse the meaning of this word, iOS still ask me "do you allow to paste from this source?" because of "security purpose". Even when you want to paste things you still cannot do it freely. If you fear so much about trivial things such as copy-paste some words, then you should not drive cars because it can make you die:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/yidvdr/how_do_i_turn_off_allowing_paste_on_ios_it/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Even when I want to download a free app, Apple wants people to double-click the side button to avoid accidentally clicking the download button wrongly. But if Apple cares so much about how people may accidentally click anything wrongly, then why does in their iPad OS, Apple has put the three dots button on the upper part of the screen of many apps that make people click wrongly all the time? (many apps, not all apps have the “three dots” button, and I use an iPad mini). So every time I click some buttons on the upper part of the screen of an app, I accidentally click their three dots button and the multitasking menu appears to interrupt my job. Even when I try not to click the three dots button but click something slightly below it, the multitasking menu still appears, it is like evil Apple intentionally place a trap to interrupt my job. When people report this inconvenience to Apple, Apple makes it even more inconvenient by removing the function to disable the three dots button in their new iOS (no one can switch back to the older version of iOS once they updated to the new version of iOS). It made me frustrated, it is like Apple is intentionally evil. You can watch these videos to know:

https://www.reddit.com/r/iPadOS/comments/q9wftw/i_really_hate_these_3_dots_when_i_touch_brush_or/

https://youtu.be/Bby02C518xA

That is why I think Craig Federighi is satanically evil. Many things that he (and his software team that work under his command) can do but he just doesn’t do it so that users will get so many inconveniences. His decisions are so blatantly illogical, which brought so much discomfort and so many inconveniences for users. Even when I typed this comment, I still get inconveniences because I cannot move the cursor to the middle of a word to fix my spelling mistakes (in Android, if I click to the middle of a word, the cursor will be there, in iOS, I have to slide the cursor to the middle of a word). The problem is, when I slide the cursor to the middle of a word, the entire Reddit pages slide. I don’t know if your newer iPhones got this or not but my iPhone XS Max got this problem. This is my problem (with the video):

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphonehelp/comments/y8l9nz/i_met_this_problem_when_trying_to_correct_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

I am so tired of iOS. To be precise, I am so tired of Craig Federighi’s evil tricks that make my life much slower and much more inconvenient. Why did he replace the old good cursor mechanism (the cursor will be on any place you touch, even in the middle of a word) with the new worse mechanism (much slower to type, much more difficult to type, and much more inconvenient)? Craig Federighi is PURE EVIL. Maybe he is a Satanist. There are thousands of other problems I meet with this Satanist’s iOS. For example: https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/y746af/why_doesnt_apple_allow_a_logical_option_related/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf ---> clearly evil

In games, why didn’t they make the home bar disappear (the notch or dynamic island already took some area off the screen, and now the home bar as well)? Why did they have to make the home bar take the area of the screen? Why didn’t Apple make a logical option which my post mentioned? (make the home bar disappear, one swipe to make it reappear, and one more swipe to quit the game). Apple can do it but they don’t. This is because Craig Federighi is evil. Of course, there is another option to hide the home bar, but when you hide it, your game will be out by just one swipe from the bottom. Moreover, when I took pictures with my camera, then opened Photo apps, Apple let these camera pictures be mixed with thousands of pictures I downloaded from tens of apps. There is no “Camera” album, “Camera” category, or “Camera” folder. YOU HAVE TO SEARCH FOR YOUR CAMERA PICTURES BY YOURSELF. WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST CREATE AN ALBUM OR A MEDIA CATEGORY FOR CAMERA PICTURES SO THAT I CAN EASILY GET MY CAMERA PICTURES? ---> this is because Craig Federighi is satanically evil.

Cannot change the snooze time of the alarm. Yeah, I bought an iphone recently and this little things are starting to annoy me a lot! I feel I'm being ordered to do as they like instead of being free to choose.

A good way to reduce costs on a new iphone is to use the Apple Certified Refurbished store. You can easily save 15-20% on what is basically a new phone direct from Apple. There seem to be quite a few available at the moment.

What makes an iphone worthwhile is long term support - easily 5 years, high quality manufacturing, a consistent app experience, and features that work reliably. You don't miss out on a lot with it used in isolation. Airdrop is really good, but there are other solutions.

That said I wouldn't break the bank for a phone and always get what you can afford.

There are plenty of reasons to get an iPhone. I have one and don't use iMessage as everyone here uses whatsapp.

I too am on iPhone. Do most of the people you know that use android phones, use WhatsApp for messaging? If so, you won’t have to worry about the messages not syncing up. WhatsApp works really well on iPhone.

I don't think that's available in my country, although it sounds nice.

I have savings and I can afford the 14 without making a huge dent, but where I live it's a lot of money and I guess I'm trying to see if spending that amount would be justified.

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Yes, we all use whatsapp, but I guess I feel like I would be losing on certain features. But at the end of the day it's just texting lol

I think the most important thing for me would be that it's a good phone that would last me at least 4 years. I also don't think I would go older than the 13 because of how long it would be supported. I've watched so many YouTube videos and I'm even more lost lol

“Satanically evil” kinda makes me dismiss this massively tl;dr post as a long unstable rant.

Thank you so much, you've been very helpful! 14 Plus is definitely out of the question because it's too big for me. I was in a tech store the other day and the regular 14 (and 13) are only a tiny bit bigger than my current phone, which is great. I guess I'll do some more "research" on differences between 13 and 14, although most people seem to agree that changing from 13 to 14 makes no sense, while for someone who never had an iPhone it's either or.

Yeah, I honestly think you’ll be happy with either! The main difference is that extra GPU from the 13 Pro they brought over to the 14. It’s definitely not a leap like the Pro is in terms of display, for example.

Best of luck to you! And…I really wouldn’t put much stock in that guy who commented and keeps calling iOS “satanically evil,” they seem just a little bit unstable. :)

I just got a 14 Pro Max, I don't have many contacts (I move too much) and none of them use an iPhone anyway, I have a couple of apps to keep in touch with people. Depending which region I’m in determines the most popular app…

Most people just use those apps and Android, I only receive spam via iMessage.

The iPhone stands on its own just fine

Electronic devices are not investments. They are consumer goods. Any decent phone will last several years. The vast majority of people upgrade because they want the latest and greatest, not because their phones no longer work.

There’s no reason to jump to iPhone, because flagships offer similar performance overall of it’s pricepoint. iPhone advantages above Android:

• Tight integration of hardware and software: quality native apps with great integration to compliment itns features
• Reliable and consistent software updates for 5-6 years
• Consistent performance, because Apple designed it’s hard and software. Not a reskin from an already existing operating system.

Android advantages over iOS: (high end)

• Cutting edge technology
• More camera features, better zoom.
• Open operating system, customisable UI
• Better display technology

I am a firm iPhone user, but I see both have their weaknesses aswell. The weakness will only show itself if you have it as a daily driver. The decision is in your camp, opinions have no value - user experience does. Bottomline: if you’re content about Android, there’s no real reason to swap out for an iPhone. If you’re open minded, and looking for something different, then it’s interesting to run to the nearest store and demo it. To experience.

I don’t know what the return policy is where you live, here in the states we have 14 days to try out an iPhone. If you have such a return policy, advise you get one and if you like it, keep it if you don’t send it back before the time is up.

Imo yes. You’re not only getting superior software support but you’re also getting a new experience with iOS & there’s nothing wrong with changing it up

I love Android but all the Samsungs I've used just don't last long. And I'm not really interested in other Android phones. I guess all the advantages of iPhones you mentioned seem like they make the phone kind of... superior? In the long run

Well my first Samsung (Galaxy S4 mini) broke down after two years (it was a very buggy line-up), then I had Galaxy A3 2017, which had only 16 gigs of storage and it effectively became unusable after about 3 years because I couldn't move any apps to my SD card and I'd already removed everything that was non essential. And the battery was shit. My current phone overheats constantly and needs to be charged 2 times a day, and it will not receive Android 13 and it will stop being supported with security updates sometime next year. I've only had it for 2 yrs 7 months. I guess it would be an investment for me if it's a good phone and it can be safely and effectively used for many years (at least 4).

I think I can only do that if I get it through a 2 year plan with my carrier.

To me iPhones are the best, but that’s based on my own user experience and satisfaction. If you do decide to take the leap, do it with an open mind. And let it settle, because iOS feels different. I won’t say iPhones are the best for everyone, but they’re definitely very good. The same way other flagships are very good. If you’re open to new, go for it. ;) Haha

It’s not an investment.

But, if you can afford an iPhone and you want an iPhone and you need a phone, get one. Who actually cares what any one around you has?

Yeah if you want one, I don’t see why not. If you don’t live in the US you don’t really need to worry about iMessage anyways, I guess. SMS works as needed and it’s fine. WhatsApp works well, as does Signal.