iPhone user reveals why he could only stand 24 hours with the Nexus 5

Seamus Condron’s article on PC Magazine is an interesting read. It details his time with the Nexus 5 and explains why he dropped it and went back to the iPhone 5 after only 24 hours. Picking a phone is a very personal choice, which is why Condron’s article on the Nexus 5 doesn’t apply to everyone. But those who have spent a lot of time with an iPhone will related to Condron’s experience.

Like most mobile phone shoppers, Condron was tempted to jump to an Android phone because of its lower price and larger screen. Though the cash savings was undoubtedly nice, the hardware was not quite what he bargained for. In his day with the Nexus 5, Condron re-discovered the little niceties that make the iPhone tops in many people’s book.

Though he wanted a bigger screen, Condron discovered that bigger is not always better. The iPhone’s smaller size actually makes the phone incredibly easy to use with one hand. For many, it’s this ease-of-use that beats out more screen real estate.

I also wanted a bigger screen, and I got one. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a bigger hand. I realized that sad truth when I tried to stretch my thumb across the phone to reach touch controls in the upper-left corner of the screen. Now I understand why Apple made the iPhone 5 longer but not wider.

Another small thing is the look and feel of iOS and its apps, which are more polished than its Android counterpart.

For one, it seems some of the third-party app icons on the Nexus are degraded, which I venture to guess is the fault of the app makers. That said, the app design of some of my favorites seem considerably less elegant than on iOS 7 and fonts also look bigger than necessary. In the end, I think the uniformity of iOS 7′s interface design strongly influences how I feel about how things look on the screen.

There are few things like Google Now that Condron liked about Android, but like many iPhone owners, he preferred the comfortable, homey feel of iOS. Have you ever switched to an Android device? What did you think of Apple’s biggest competitor?