My First Smartphone
My first smartphone was a Nokia E62. I got it in 2007 as a gift from a friend after my (now old-fashioned) Samsung phone was stolen on a beach in Tanzania. I remember how excited I was for that phone, which I could surf the web on! I was also especially fond of the QWERTY keyboard and the spacious 64MB memory card. Even after I moved on to a new shiny device, I used it when travelling to install a local SIM card. The last time I used it was in 2010 on a trip to Mauritania, but friends used it when they visited me for at least a couple of years after that. I just charged the phone and take a trip down memory lane by looking at old SMS messages and stored emails!
In Love with iPhone
When I moved to Japan in 2009, I was seduced by the new and shiny iPhone 3GS. Softbank had a package with unlimited data and it seemed like a no-brainer to purchase that contract. I was so dependent on that phone in Japan. Knowing very little of the local language, I took that phone with me everywhere for translation. In my close-knit group with two other ladies that first year, we texted each other constantly. I think it was necessary for our sanity because so Japan was so foreign to all of us. Although we had all travelled to places where we didn’t speak the local language, Japan was more isolating because we couldn’t even recognize letters. I’ve stuck with the Apple ecosystem for years. I did buy a Windows laptop in 2012, which I still use sometimes. I’ve thought about getting an Android phone on many occasions to familiarize myself to that system, but I didn’t want to lose the convenience of multiple devices in the Apple ecosystem.
Taking the First Step to Android
I finally took the first step. On Cyber Monday, I purchased an Essential Phone on sale, but I had to wait until January for a friend to bring it to me from the US. I opened the box and admired the design, and it sat on my shelf for over a month. I was apprehensive. After years with the iPhone, I know how it works and we have a smooth relationship. I know that it would take a while to get comfortable with Android. My excuse was that I needed a chunk of time to set up my device to match my iPhone.
Making The Leap from iPhone
I was pushed into making the leap because of a trip planned to London in February. I wanted to travel with a phone that could last a whole day. My iPhone 6 went from 100% to 40% in the 30 mins it took to go from home to the gym. I mostly communicated by iMessage with the friend that I was travelling with, so I even tried to change my battery. That was not to be because of the battery shortage. There was no choice…
Setting Up the Essential Phone
I pulled out the Essential phone, and set it up about 1.5 weeks before my trip, installing my initial apps. For me, the essential apps are 1Password, Whatsapp, an RSS feed reader, SugarWOD, Zen Planner, Endomondo, Google Maps and a Podcast player. So far, so good, but I was still going around with two phones so I needed to do more set up.
In the next wave, I installed Evernote, IDOS (Prague transportation app), Skype, Words with Friends, Boggle and my Baha’i apps. I switched from 1Password to LastPass so I had to transfer all my passwords. I was still carrying two phones.
One week before my trip, I installed my banking app, Quartz, FB messenger, OverDrive, Ultimate Ears (for my UE Boom speaker), Twitter, some fitness apps and all the Google apps that I use, and stopped carrying my iPhone around.
A few days before my trip, I added CityMaps2Go, and TripAdvisor. During the trip, I added Clue, Linkedin and Snapchat. I have a few other miscellaneous apps installed, and this week I added a free weather app and Headspace.
First Impressions
I plan to write a more detailed post about the opportunities and challenges of the switch. I’m trying to be open-minded and experience the Essential phone as it is instead of constantly comparing it to the iPhone, but it’s hard not to compare. I definitely miss being able to do AirDrop between Apple devices and iMessage. However, I also use WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, which has worked for everyone that I used to use iMessage with, so perhaps it’s no real loss. By switching from the Apple ecosystem for the Android (Google) ecosystem, I’ve added some variety to my life. It forces me to learn a new interface and I figure that’s good for the health of my brain!