a few reasons: I know I'll get product support for the entire life of the phone. I will always be able to update to the latest software. The OS feels a lot more polished, refined, and smoother than android phones that I have used in the past. It works seamlessly with my Apple TV and MacBook, the apps available are generally higher quality, receive updates faster, and some of the specific ones I use are not available on android (foreflight). The camera outperforms other androids that I have used.