Why So Late? Wedding! (Not Mine!)

OK.  I apologize again, but between being out of town two weeks ago and preparing for, and taking part in, a wedding, my mind hasn't been on this blog.  But I'm back for now.

Today I would like to make a confession:  I like Apple products.  I always have.

That's not a surprise to anyone who knows me.  I am an avowed Apple preferer.  (Is that even a word?)  But as of today, I am going to give many people coronaries, or at least dirty drawers after this announcement:  I may buy an Android phone next.

I will wait until you have all calmed down.  Okay?  Let me explain.

I currently own an iPhone 4s.  I like it a lot, but it is time to move on.  The iPhone 5 has been out for awhile, and the next incarnation of this phone is on its way.  But the rumors about the next iPhone have me checking out the competition.  It isn't that the next iPhone won't be cool.  It will be just as cool as the 5.  And therein lies the problem.  Apple has thrived upon innovation.  The kind of innovation where people would go to the Apple announcement events and go "ooh" and "ahhh" over the surprises that Jobs had in store for us.  But now Apple seems to have lost its way, at least temporarily.

The company recently announced iOS7, and there appear to be some good things about it, but the majority seems to be cosmetic.  Oh, Siri will gain some more voices and will learn to pronounce strange words, but one writer described it as when Windows changed to Vista.  He said that when the big change is that the borders have gone slightly transparent, there's more look than innovation.  I have to agree with that.  Sure, iOS7 looks nice, and I'm okay with the clearer icons.  But what else is there?  On top of that, the new iPhone is rumored to have a fingerprint sensor (very cool for password avoidance), more speed, and better battery life.  Cool, certainly.  But innovative?  Enough for me to plunk down another $300 on the latest and greatest?  I'm not so sure.

I have looked at phones like the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active, and am impressed with some of the features there.  Sure, there are many things that the iPhone does better, but $100 - $200 better?  Yes, I would hate to lose the games and such that I already have, but would it hurt me that much?

I'm not sure what the future holds for Apple.  An iWatch perhaps?  Apple Glass?  Something no one has even imagined, perhaps.  But seriously, is the iPhone 5s or 6 or whatever it is being called going to be enough bells and whistles-y to make me drop a chunk of change on it?  We'll see.  But for now, I have to go pick my friends off the floor after the opening announcement.  I won't even mention the Galaxy tablet that looks nice.