I am loving the current competition between Apple, Android, and to a very minor part Windows 10 mobile - legal/patent wars notwithstanding (absolutely detest that patents being used to stifle instead of encourage innovation, especially for basic functions of computers that have been around for years).
Let's start off then: I'm an Android person. Before iUsers switch off or rant etc., I do like a lot of things about the iPhones, especially the ease-of-use and call quality. I am not so keen on how closed the iEco-system is, and the lack of control you have over what is basically a computer that can also make phone calls. If I buy something I want to be able to play with it and use as much of its functionality as possible - not artificially limited by how the manufacturer thinks it should be used.
How many people have used a telephone directory as a doorstop, step or furniture prop? How would you feel if the publicists actively tried to stop you doing this in your own home?
I don't like restrictive labels - on anything. They automatically limit what people think items are capable of, can be used for and what they can do for before anything has even been considered. Think 'Chasing Amy' - the scene where Alyssa finally decides to date Holden because she realises her self-imposed label has unintentionally restricted her choice, when it was put in place to do the exact opposite.I will admit there is a large number of people where iPhones are going to the be their best choice; those who want a sturdy smartphone but have no intention of tweaking it or using it outside the intended parameters as set by the Apple overlords, they would benefit from its simplicity. Or for the interoperability if they already have a Mac based system.
However I like to play...
My first Android phone was the HTC Desire - very quickly replaced by the Desire HD (solely to get more space for Apps, even if Android 2.2 had just come out allowing App2SD). I spent a couple of months playing with it, changing the look and feel over and over. Then I decided to take a plunge and not only root the phone, but install CyanogenMod on it as well, and I never looked back.
The initial root was more nerve-wracking than my first BIOS upgrade, I thought I'd killed it at least twice. This was well before the one-click solutions were available. After installing CM7 I checked round other launchers, widgets and anything to try and get the phone to look like it still had Sense, before realising that the options now available could make it look better, neater and so much faster.
I since upgraded to a Galaxy Note, and rooted it on the first day (now nice and easy to do - but I stayed on Stock ROM for 18 months or so). This is a far better PDA and gadget than the Desire range, but a little worse for phone calls. As I don't really text, and my calls are normally quick and infrequent, these attributes match exactly where my priorities lie on using smart-phones.
It was for the time a media beast - combined with a USB OTG cable, and suitable adaptors it was turned into a micro PC connected to a TV (before Chromecast or smart TVs were a thing).
I'm ran it on the Nightmare DirtyUnicorn ROM (which uses Asylum stuffs). I have gone through (in approximate order) CyanogenMod, Parandroid, PAC ROM, Omni Rom, Team Asylum Omni Rom and DirtyUnicorn variant of the Team Asylum Omni Rom.
I then went to a rooted HTC One M8, using the Venom Rom.
Since then I have moved onto the CAT S60, a decent mid-range ruggedised phone with a couple of gimmicky toys (like a built in thermal camera!).
RIght now I'm on Google's Pixel 2 XL, beta OS builds. I haven't rooted this phone as I like using mobile banking apps and playing Ingress & PoGo (8089 0342 2715 if anyone wants to add); none of which work on an non-rooted phone without a lot of hassle each time there's a minor OS update.
Favourite few apps: