(You could also subtitle this post "What I think Samsung needs to do to get their shit together.")
So I had an iPad mini, sold it, and went to the Galaxy Note 8 tablet, which I loved. Perfect size, Android, Samsung- the perfect combination for me. Until I broke the screen. I could just pay to get the screen fixed, but being a gadget girl I like to buy new phones yearly, and new computers every couple of years, and I saw this as an opportunity to get something new. Despite being a die-hard Samsung and Android fan I am seriously considering going back to the iPad mini, for several reasons.
1) Software updates. I prefer Android to Apple's iOS hands down. I love my widgets, multi-window capabilities (is that a Samsung only thing?), and more. But what really sucks is how each phone manufacturer, and then even each mobile carrier dictates when a phone gets the newest update-- if at all. So my Soror Brandi who has the same phone as I do, the awesome Galaxy S5, could get the next update weeks prior to me, or weeks later. And someone with a different phone may not get it at all, even if their phone is a relatively new model. I think this is an issue for a lot of Android users and may be the main thing that makes some of us leave. Google needs to put its foot down and come up with a way for everyone to be able to get the new updates at the same time. I understand that some older phones may not always be able to be updated, but for the phones who have the specifications necessary, everybody should get them, and there should be one release date. This is something that apple is doing right.
2) Accessories! I'm an indecisive girl who loves to shop and loves to accessorize her gadgets. I have two very colorful Otterbox cases for my Galaxy S5, and for the defender case I can buy different parts and mix and match and the idea of doing that makes my heart sing. Let's face it, when looking for accessories, it may be easy to find exactly what you want (or even what you didn't even KNOW you wanted) for Apple products, or even for the more popular Samsung phones like the Note or S series phones. But try to find an Otterbox in a cute color for a Galaxy Note 8 or Galaxy S 8.4 and things get interesting.
In my head I have worked out that the reason for this is because Samsung just has too many damn products! If you count size variations Samsung has released more than 5 tablets in the past 12 months. It would be easier for accessory makers to provide a wider variety of styles and colors if they were working with 2 tablets instead of 10. What I think Samsung should do instead of trying to make 92098347 versions of everything is remember that quality counts more than quantity. Keep the Note and S phone lines, and maybe have one less expensive entry-level option, keep the Galaxy S tablet line because the screens are awesome and then throw in the S pen to give it the capabilities of the Note tablets, and again maybe offer one less expensive option. With out all those devices to keep up with maybe accessory makers can offer more choices for Samsung (and other companies with Android phones but let's face it, I currently don't care about those) devices.
3) Variety. This reason isn't anything Samsung or anyone else can change, just a personal quirk. As much as I love Android and Samsung, currently I have most of the same apps on my phone and my tablet. It seems as though I have my home screens set up in a similar matter on both devices. It makes it feel like a giant version of my phone and I kind of just want something different. I couldn't ever go to the iPhone but I think going back to the iPad mini may give me the change I need.
Wait! I was about to publish this post when I thought of a 4th reason. Bloatware! Even iOS devices come with some apps pre-installed. It's generally stuff folks really use-- Facetime, iTunes, etc. Well Android manufacturers tend to take that way too far. There are apps on my phone and tablet that I never use like Flipboard, but unless I choose to root the device (Apple users-- think jailbreak) I can't delete them. Being able to hide them on my S5 has made things a little easier but they are just sitting there taking up space on my phone. At some point these manufacturers have got to stop this!
So as I get ready to replace my broken tablet, this gadget girl may be switching back to the ipad.
