I’m Sorry, Apple – My 30-Day iPhone Challenge Experience

I took a 30-day iPhone challenge and put Apple to the test. Discover my honest experience, surprises, and whether I’m switching for good!

Just a few days into my iOS challenge, I started to view Apple users differently. Many describe Apple products using marketing slogans like “it just works,” as if they truly believe them. This made me wonder: does Apple offer one version of their products for the loyalists and another for the general public? My experience with the iPhone 16 Plus has been filled with unintuitive design choices, limited functionality, and some of the strangest bugs I’ve encountered in years on a supposedly finished product.

Despite these frustrations, I stuck it out for over a month, gathering insights from both personal experience and members of the community who see iOS in a more favorable light. Some of their points were valid—it turns out I really was just holding it wrong. Over time, I found several aspects of iOS that I genuinely appreciated, though others left me disappointed.

What Works Well in iOS 18

One standout feature is the App Library. While not new, it is an excellent tool for organizing the chaos of mobile apps. The ability to place icons anywhere is a welcome change. Additionally, the seamless switching between picture-in-picture and background media playback is well-designed.

Phone calls have also seen improvements. With multiple communication platforms like traditional calls, Teams, and WhatsApp, iOS unifies the interface across these apps, making it easier to manage calls, especially while driving. Consolidated call logs further enhance convenience.

Multi-widget stacks provide quick access to high-density information, making it easier to check the weather and calendar at a glance. Screenshot management has also improved significantly, allowing users to delete screenshots immediately after sharing them instead of cluttering the gallery.

Inter-device connectivity is another strong suit of iOS. Features like AirPods switching between devices and the Apple Watch unlocking without entering a PIN when the iPhone is nearby improve efficiency. Battery life is impressive, with minimal charging required over extended periods. Additionally, iOS suggests an 80% maximum charge setting to prolong battery health.

Privacy and notification management are proactive, with iOS frequently prompting users to mute or block unnecessary notifications and tracking requests. While Android offers granular controls, iOS ensures a cleaner experience by prompting users more frequently to manage their settings.

Hardware Strengths

The iPhone 16 series features an exceptional display, providing high brightness levels for outdoor use and a super-dim mode for comfortable nighttime reading. Network reception is superior, with better call and data quality compared to even high-end Android devices, making connectivity more reliable.

Where iOS Falls Short

Despite the powerful hardware, iOS can sometimes feel slow. This is not due to processing speed but rather interface decisions that introduce unnecessary delays. Animations, while aesthetically pleasing, can slow down interactions. Even enabling “Reduce Motion” and “Prefer Crossfade” does not completely eliminate these effects.

Navigating back within iOS remains inconsistent. While swiping from the left works in many places, some apps require tapping the top-left corner, others use a top-right cancel button, and some demand swiping in different directions. This lack of standardization creates confusion.

CarPlay, while generally functional, has some quirks. For instance, some media controls require using split-screen, which may not be ideal for all users. Additionally, occasional audio glitches, such as unexpected volume changes, disrupt the experience.

Volume management is another frustration. Unlike Android, where volume buttons allow adjustments to different audio categories simultaneously, iOS lacks a clear way to modify notification, media, and system volumes independently.

The keyboard on iOS also has limitations. Unlike Android keyboards that allow long-press actions to access numbers and punctuation, iOS requires additional steps, making typing less efficient. Even third-party keyboard alternatives, like SwiftKey, lack key customization features available on Android. The inability to resize the keyboard and occasional disappearance of third-party keyboards further diminish the typing experience.

Additional Frustrations

• Unlocking the phone requires swiping even after authentication, adding an unnecessary step.
• The app grid layout is fixed, making poor use of screen space on larger devices.
• Rearranging apps can be inconsistent, sometimes behaving differently depending on placement methods.
• Migrating from Android to iOS is not seamless, requiring manual logins for many services.
• Google account integration has become more complicated, with certain settings buried within different apps.
• Scrolling behavior feels artificially slowed, making interactions less responsive.

The One Fix iOS Needs

One major limitation is the inability to lock iPhones in landscape orientation. While iPads allow this, iPhones do not, which is frustrating for various use cases such as using the device as a teleprompter. A simple software update could resolve this inconsistency.

Conclusion

iOS 18 offers several refined features and a well-integrated ecosystem but also imposes restrictions that hinder usability. While Apple has made improvements in customization, efficiency, and privacy, issues like inconsistent navigation, lack of volume control flexibility, and unnecessary UI slowdowns remain barriers to an optimal experience. For those deeply embedded in Apple’s ecosystem, the benefits likely outweigh the drawbacks, but for others, iOS may still feel unnecessarily restrictive compared to Android alternatives.