My wife has been using a Samsung Replenish (low-end Android device on Sprint) for quite a while. Since July, however, she has begun having serious memory storage issues to the point where updates will no longer load. She had been hinting at an iPhone as her replacement phone the upgrade eligibility kicks in next April. I thought we were both eligible for upgrades next April. However, when I logged into my Sprint account to change an option I was surprised to see a notice appear stating I was currently eligible for an upgrade on my line! I called my nearest Sprint retail store to confirm the website was correct…it was. I could pass along my like-new iPhone 4S to my wife and get the latest and greatest gadget. But which would it be? The iPhone 5 with it’s 4″ screen? The #1 selling Samsung Galaxy S III? Maybe get in on the ground floor with a new Windows Phone 8 device?
I decided it was time for a BIG change. I bought the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. With its 5.5″ screen, this is one heck of a big phone. I thought it through and decided this was the right purchase, despite the fact it runs an Android operating system. Here’s why:
1. The new Lightning connector. I’m not crazy about changing all my cables and docks. The Note 2 uses a standard micro-USB cord, which I already have plenty of from various other devices.
2. Other iOS devices. I still have my iPad and I have my daughter’s 4th generation iPod touch (which I inherited when we bought her an iPhone for her last upgrade). These 2 devices will keep me current in the iOS eco-system. I even restored my iPhone backup onto the iPod Touch and it’s like nothing has changed.
3. Features. I’m not going to lie. The Note 2, and Galaxy S III for that matter, have some pretty awesome features. I think the S-Pen is going to be a productivity powerhouse. I’ve tried using a stylus with my iPad during meetings, but it just doesn’t work well. The large, eraser-like end isn’t responsive or accurate. But the S-Pen works incredibly well.
4. Size matters. The upgrade to a 4″ screen for the iPhone 5 was nice. But the even larger screen of the Note 2 fits my uses better. It’s primary use is for organization and data (I don’t actually talk on the phone much). Since Sprint still offers unlimited data plans, it made sense to get a device that can take advantage of this feature.
This is a similar set-up that Kevin Tofel decided upon recently. Make no mistake, I still appreciate Apple products. But you must choose the proper tool rather than solely considering brand. For many, a 5.5″ screen would just be too big. But for me, I’m hoping it will be the one device to rule them all!