Why I’m switching from the iPhone 15 Pro Max to the S24 Ultra

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This is it, folks! It’s time to put my money where my mouth is – or, more specifically, my secondary smartphone where my primary smartphone is.

I’m already rambling. Waffling. Dancing around the subject.

Let’s cut to the chase.

I’m finally switching from the iPhone 15 Pro Max to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. And, this time, I’m doing it properly.

No, really.

This decision has left me both excited and nervous. More of the latter, to be honest.

However, I have some very good reasons for doing this, which I’ve boiled down to six in particular. The good news is that this feels like a genuine list of reasons I can no longer ignore, rather than a bunch of excuses.

Reason 1: I’ve said the S24 Ultra is the best smartphone ever

It didn’t take me long to reach this conclusion, but the S24 Ultra is the best smartphone I’ve ever owned.

I knew it was special when I first got my hands on it during CES in Las Vegas, but it wasn’t until the S24 Ultra was actually in my possession – semi-full time – that I realised just how complete this phone is.

Yes, the camera system still lags slightly behind the iPhone in terms of reliability – literally. But even the slow shutter speed issues of the past have been largely resolved. More importantly – that’s the only thing that comes to mind in terms of a black mark against this device.

It is damn near perfect.

Reason 2: Us reviewers are annoying

We are, aren’t we? As much as we joke about the whole “I’m switching to <insert name of Android smartphone here>” thing, I can imagine that it can get rather tiring for viewers.

Are we switching? Aren’t we switching? And what does ’switching’ mean, exactly?

Does anyone actually care?

I get it. The joke is pretty much rinsed to the point of being nothing more than a dried-up, mouldy old sponge. The views and engagement may be tempting (and boy have I played on that – as have many others) but there’s a limit to all of our patiences with this narrative.

Excuses about the iPhone being welded into processes, and the fact that we do actually carry around two phones are falling on deaf ears. Which is absolutely fair.

It’s time to actually switch.

Reason 3: I’ve not done it for years

Believe it or not, I’ve not always been an iPhone user.

Before I entered into the world of tech reviews, I dabbled with Android phones on a couple of occasions. The longest period I spent away from the iPhone was when I switched to the second-generation Motorola Moto G for about six months.

I enjoyed it. The sudden, relative freedom I was afforded to tweak the operating system, and the unbelievably low up-front cost of the Moto G made anything I loved about the iPhone easier to forget.

That was ten years ago, though; a decade of having relied on the iPhone ever since.

Now that it’s my job to offer buying guidance for devices like these, I really do need to prioritise another full-on switch into the unknown.

Reason 4: I need to explore Samsung’s ecosystem

Whenever I say, “Apple has the best ecosystem” I’m hit by a barrage of messages and comments that say something like, “er, no – Samsung’s ecosystem is better and you’re an idiot”.

Confession time: I’ve never tried Samsung’s ecosystem. I’ve never so much as sniffed DeX. The closest I’ve got to using two Samsung devices, interconnected, is testing the Galaxy Watch. Which isn’t very good. Sorry.

That’s another excuse, though. From what I hear, DeX really is something to behold, and I’m completely open to the fact that the Samsung ecosystem is worthy of my time.

Once again, the time has come.

Reason 5: Rob managed it

If you’re a regular listener of the Eight or Sixteen podcast, you’ll be aware that my co-host, Rob, is as much of an iPhone ‘sheep’, as I am. We both greatly value the reliability (from performance to the camera system) and the build quality of Apple’s flagship smartphone. That’s why I was stunned to hear that he had placed an order for an Honor Magic V2.

The fact this was an Android phone wasn’t the surprise – Rob usually has a Samsung ’S’ device or a Nothing phone by his side during our podcast recordings, but his latest purchase was also a foldable (previously a massive no for Rob) and he did actually switch to it, full time, from his iPhone.

The cracks are starting to appear (pun intended), but Rob has successfully transitioned from the iPhone. He’s far more a power user than I am, which means he’s had to build a variety of workarounds to mitigate the absence of the Apple ecosystem, but if he can do it…

Reason 6: I owe it to you

I really do.

I’ve been running this business for four years, and it wouldn’t exist with you – my audience. This isn’t a case of me getting unjustifiably soppy, or once again trying to swing the attention away from my big announcement – it’s the simple truth.

I’ve already covered most of this in Reason 2, but it’s worth reiterating that I’m acutely aware of the waning patience for my inability to actually act on the belief that I’ve found the best smartphone in the S24 Ultra.

There’s always the chance I might be wrong. My love of the S24 Ultra may only be surface-level. It could be just a fling. Actually living with it could be a very different thing indeed.

It’s my job to tell that story. Which is exactly what I’m going to do.

Wrapping up: am I nervous?

I should confirm that this is going to be a proper switch. Although I have two SIM cards, I’ll be placing my main SIM card (the one that has been in an iPhone for the last ten years) into the S24 Ultra.

I’ll also be moving my Whoop band to the S24 Ultra, along with the Garmin MARQ Commander. The same goes for my credit cards, and every other Bluetooth device that I use daily.

The iPhone will become my backup phone, but it’ll rarely be in my pocket.

Am I nervous? Yes. I’m going to lose the ease with which I can transfer stuff from my phone to my Mac (I think – we’ll see what the alternatives offer). That’s the kicker. But it’s also the silliest reason not to do this.

This is going to be a fascinating journey. Join me (although I mean, ‘follow me’ – unless you want to ditch your iPhone, too!).

Before you go