Whenever I spend a lot of time writing about a product or service that competes directly with something from Microsoft, I start to get complaints. Complaints that perhaps, in this case, I should rename this site to the "SuperSite for iPhone" or whatever. That's not happening. But things are changing, of course, and you can embrace that change or be swept aside. Microsoft is embracing change, and so I am, and my coverage of rival platforms, products and services will continue. But with regards to the iPhone 6 Plus specifically, you need not worry: I prefer the Lumia 1520 to this admittedly fine device. And I prefer—and will continue to use—Windows Phone.
These preferences become more obvious each day I use the iPhone 6 Plus. And again, to be clear, this is a wonderful smart phone, or a terrific phablet if you prefer that term. I will have no issues recommending the iPhone 6 Plus, and highly, to anyone who prefers its vast app and content ecosystems, its stunning design, and its tight integration of software and hardware. It has a fantastic camera. And it is a wonderful device on which to run Microsoft apps and to connect to Microsoft's excellent consumer and business services.
It is also not for me.
And that's OK. I'm not sure if I've ever expressed this before, but I once sat back in stunned silence when I saw a tweet from a respected tech writer I know and like quite a bit that stated that the hardest thing he did was try and put himself in the shoes of others so that he could fairly review a product. Folks, let me state this plainly: I do not find that difficult at all. I can very easily separate my own needs and wants from what I feel are the general needs and wants of consumers, tech enthusiasts, and other audiences.
And I can and am doing so with the iPhone 6 Plus right now. This is a wonderful smart phone. Wonderful. And it is not for me.
But what I'm not going to do is trash the iPhone 6 Plus—or any other product or service—simply because I will not personally use it regularly going forward. I will not engage in some weird form of partisan warfare aimed at undercutting products not made by Microsoft or its partners. And I will continue using rival products and services. As I have since I started writing about Microsoft 20 years ago.
I just traveled to the IT/Dev Connections show in Las Vegas, for example, with a MacBook Air so that I could continue writing my in-progress series about running Windows and Windows apps on the Mac. This triggered some raised eyebrows and explicit questions from fellow attendees. But I'm not "switching" to the Mac. (Indeed, it was running Windows 8.1 in Boot Camp.) And I'll almost certainly never bring the Air with me on another trip. As I explained in one of those articles, I have very specific work-related reasons for owning that MacBook. It doesn't mean I've stepped off a cliff.
And so it is with the iPhone 6 Plus. I'd normally not mention this so early, and I feel like I shouldn't even have to even explain this. But I sense the growing troubles, read the nervous emails and comments, and understand where people are coming from. What if Paul—arguably the world's first Windows Phone user outside of Microsoft, and the author of the first Windows Phone book—actually ... switched (back) to iPhone?
What if.
Here's the deal. I need to use a variety of devices regularly. I need to test Microsoft's solutions on these devices, and I need to experience and write about what Apple, Google, Amazon and other companies are doing on these devices too. But when push comes to shove, when confronted by that desert island question—i.e. "if you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one smart phone..."—the answer is simple. Lumia 1520. Windows Phone.
That could change. I mean, obviously that will change. It's possible that a future Lumia—the Lumia 830, perhaps, or a coming flagship—could alter my preferences. And it's even possible that future advances to Android and/or iOS and specific new rival devices could push me towards a different future. That's life. But today? Foreseeable future? Windows Phone.
So relax, please. This thing is bigger than all of us. The iPhone 6/6 Plus are important. They're popular devices. They're excellent handsets. I'm going to write about them. I'm going to use them. It's OK.
But I keep looking over at the Lumia 1520. Don't worry, big guy. I miss you.
