For the past two years, my primary device has been a rotation of Android flagships from Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Honor. My last serious stint with an iPhone was more than two years ago. Recently, feeling a need for a change, I decided to switch back, drawn by the attractive price of the new iPhone Air. To be honest, when I held the iPhone again, I expected a wave of nostalgia, a feeling of “finally, I’m back.” After all, for many, the iPhone still represents the gold standard of smartphone experience.

 

 

The Feel of the iPhone Air Reminds Me of Android from a Decade Ago

First, a point of praise: the iPhone Air feels fantastic in hand. At 5.64mm thick and 165g, it’s a rare return to a thin and light design in the iPhone lineup. After getting used to flagships weighing over 200g with massive camera modules, the first impression of the iPhone Air isn't about its power, but its incredible lightness. It’s a feeling I haven’t had in years. This design choice is what won me over; it reminds you that thin and light is an experience in itself, something hard to find elsewhere today. Of course, this sleekness comes with sacrifices, such as a smaller battery and a single-camera system. But for someone who carries two phones, these trade-offs are negligible.

 

 

Sacrificing for Thinness, But the System Experience is Consistent

Despite the hardware compromises, the system experience is on par with the latest iPhone 17 Pro. Returning to iOS, I can still appreciate its strengths. The animations are incredibly smooth and natural, whether you’re navigating back, switching apps, or unlocking the screen. The genius of iOS has always been its ability to make system operations feel seamless and coherent. However, this time, I no longer feel a significant generational gap between the iPhone and Android. Today’s Android flagships are just as fluid. Furthermore, the once-unique “Dynamic Island” has been widely adopted by Android manufacturers like OPPO, Xiaomi, and vivo, who now offer similar real-time status notifications. The primary difference is that iOS has broader and more consistent app support for this feature.

In the Age of AI, the iPhone is Lagging Seriously Behind

The biggest realization after returning to the iPhone is how little has changed. While some may appreciate the stability, iOS feels stagnant, especially in the age of AI. Apple has been talking about Apple Intelligence for years, but its rollout has been painfully slow. Meanwhile, Android flagships have deeply integrated AI into their systems. On my Android phone, I can instantly translate text on-screen, circle an object to search for it, or have the system summarize an article, a chat history, or a webpage and save it as a structured note. These AI features save more than just a few seconds; they eliminate the tedious friction of constantly switching between apps. My muscle memory is now trained for these conveniences, and I find myself missing them on the iPhone.

 

 

Conclusion: The iPhone is Good Enough, But It Won't Be My Main Phone

Another old problem that feels more pronounced now is iOS's inability to handle aggressive pop-up ads in many apps, particularly the “shake-to-open” ads that redirect you to e-commerce platforms. While the fault lies with app developers, Android manufacturers have implemented effective, localized solutions to block these intrusive ads and manage clipboard access more intelligently without constantly interrupting the user. The iPhone, in contrast, often feels detached from these real-world user frustrations. While the Apple ecosystem—the seamless integration between MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods—remains a powerful and unmatched advantage, the iPhone as a standalone device has lost much of its unique appeal.

 

 

If you were to ask me today to choose between an iPhone and an Android flagship at the same price point for a single primary device, my recommendation would lean more towards Android than it did two years ago. Android flagships now offer far superior camera versatility, significantly faster charging, and more advanced AI capabilities. It’s not that the iPhone has become a bad phone; it’s just that it is no longer the *only* good phone. The iPhone used to be the default answer, but today, it’s just one of the choices on the test.