As an avid Android user I often wonder how anyone can choose another platform for their personal device on a daily basis. I fully realize that people have different tastes, and want something I might not, or need something I might not care so much about. I often poke fun at people with iPhones, Windows Phones and BlackBerrys. However, this has always been in jest and never meant to belittle anyone or their choices. Despite my lack of understanding, I have always believed that multiple platforms are a good idea as they drive change thereby bettering the experience for all users.
Last night I attended a party at my sister’s house, an annual event in honor of her late husband. Throughout the course of the night there were upwards of 60 people in her tiny duplex, all with different types of devices. I had an opportunity to get to know one of these people very well through a stimulating conversation on the subject of smartphones. This lady, we’ll call her Diane, was telling me she had bought an HTC One just two months ago and loved almost everything about it. The one thing she didn’t like was the non-tactile interaction with the keyboard and the inconsistencies in writing legible material. She sold it for a BlackBerry Q10.
I asked her about how she likes it and what she misses about Android. Diane told me she doesn’t miss that much about Android itself but, aside from the keyboard issue, the HTC One was the best phone she had ever had. Naturally Boom sound was one of her favorite things. This is what brought me to write about this experience. She opened my eyes a little wider that night as I became more aware of how any one person can want something that seems to me to be inadequate. The way I look at buying a phone now is more like buying a car. When you shop for a vehicle you obviously consider things like mileage and looks, but the biggest deciding factor has to be, is it comfortable for you? Does it fit like a glove?
If not, then you keep looking until you find something that gives you that pleasurable experience behind the wheel.
Looking for a new phone should be the same way. If your needs include a physical keyboard and you choose Blackberry, then you have made the correct choice for yourself, as long as that’s what you truly want. When Alex Hernandez informed me he was switching to iPhone from a four-year experience with Android, I poked fun but fully understood his choice based on a need for change. At my sister’s party I saw many different devices and everyone seemed happy with what they had. Nobody was ridiculing anyone else for their choice. Some people did envy others for what they had but didn’t seem at all disappointed with their own devices.
The last thing I want to point out is that there were three people, including myself, with an HTC One.
Almost everyone I talked to agreed that it was one of, if not the, best Android phones ever made. Some of these people made other choices for a variety of reasons but still agreed on how great the One is.
I showed Diane the difference between the Sense keyboard and the Google keyboard and let her and another Blackberry user try it out. I also showed them voice typing. They were both blown away at how accurate the keyboard was and Diane then said, “If I had known about this I might have kept it.”
She did end the conversation with how she doesn’t regret her decision though. In the end, as long as she’s happy with her choice, it was the right choice.
Enjoy what you have or get something you want!
Photo Credits Crackberry and TechoBuffalo
Last Updated on February 17, 2014.
