— A Long Detour Before Clicking “Buy”
Reading time: about 5 minutes
Who this article is for
- People curious about iPhones, but feeling “Isn’t it too late now?”
- Long-time Android users whose hearts are starting to wobble
- Anyone in their 50s who feels it’s getting harder to try new things
- Those who overthink gadget choices because they really don’t want to fail
Conclusion
”If you’re stuck, sometimes it’s okay to just try.”
I Was Satisfied. But Something Started to Bug Me.
To be honest, I had no major complaints about my Pixel 7a.
It was fast, smooth, and worked perfectly with Google services.
For the first time, I thought,
“So this is what a truly cost-effective smartphone feels like.”
…And yet.
Every time I used Suica.
Every time I scanned my My Number card.
A small thought kept lingering in my head:
“Wouldn’t an iPhone feel… more reassuring?”
Let me be clear—
Pixel handles Suica and ID just fine.
This wasn’t about performance.
But the way Face ID unlocks instantly,
and authentication flows so smoothly afterward—
somehow gave me a sense of security.
It just felt good.
Yes, it’s completely a matter of preference. (Laughs)
”Why It Took So Long to Decide”
That said, I couldn’t just buy one immediately.
In your 50s, “What if I regret it?” comes before “Let’s do it.”
That youthful “Eh, whatever!” courage doesn’t show up so easily anymore.
For me, smartphones are replaced every two years,
with resale value always in mind.
My Pixel was only about a year and a half old.
Wait until next May?
Or jump now?
After a lot of overthinking, I arrived at one simple conclusion:
“If I’m going to keep worrying, I might as well try it.”
So I chose the iPhone 17 (standard model, released September 2025).
Why not the Pro?
The camera is good enough as is,
and more importantly—lighter is better.
My wrists and shoulders in their 50s don’t lie. (Laughs)
The Biggest Fear: Data Transfer
Honestly, I had resisted iPhones for years.
- The ecosystem lock-in
- Less customization
- Feeling like a hostage (okay, maybe exaggerating a bit)
But my biggest fear was data transfer.
Especially LINE.
“What if all my chat history disappears?”
That part scared me the most.
In reality?
Using Apple’s transfer app was almost disappointingly easy.
I carefully backed up LINE,
held my breath while proceeding—
and everything transferred successfully.
…Probably. (Laughs)
Did I verify every single detail?
Not really.
At some point, you just say,
“Well, it’ll be fine,”
and move on.
And honestly, I thought:
“So this is what I was so worried about?”
A Long and Winding Smartphone Journey
Looking back, my smartphone history is… messy.
First, a cheap Chinese phone under $100.
I don’t even remember the name—
or rather, I couldn’t read it.
The manual’s Japanese was questionable,
battery life was terrible, performance unstable.
I assumed, “This is just how smartphones are.”
Then came arrows.
Very user-friendly.
Too friendly.
It felt like a kind but overbearing supervisor.
Next was AQUOS.
Amazing battery life—
I thought I’d found the answer.
But somehow, it didn’t click.
Back to cheap phones.
“Low price is justice,” I told myself.
Still unhappy.
Back to AQUOS again.
Then finally… Pixel 7a.
For the first time, I thought:
“This is good.”
Yes—way too much wandering. (Laughs)
The Turning Point: Buying a Mac
During all that wandering, I started blogging
and bought a Mac (M2) for writing.
Looking back,
that decision quietly changed everything.
Mac × Pixel vs Mac × iPhone
Living Apart vs Living Together
You only really understand this once you try it.
Mac × Pixel is like
“Great relationship, but living separately.”
- Transfer photos via Google Photos
- Upload, wait, download
- Copy & paste doesn’t flow naturally between devices
Mac × iPhone feels like
“Already living together.”
- AirDrop transfers photos and videos instantly
- No quality loss
- Clipboard sharing
- Notes, passwords, Safari—everything syncs seamlessly
The first time I used AirDrop, I honestly thought:
“Wait… what just happened? Is this magic?”
And it’s free.
That’s when it clicked:
“Okay… this really is a different world.”
Selling the Pixel (A Trust-Building Middle-Aged Man)
The Pixel 7a?
This is the best time to sell it.
Next year, it’ll be three years old.
Value only goes down from here.
So, off to Mercari it goes.
Carefully written profile—no robotic tone.
Profile icon: my Shiba Inu, Momiji.
Yes,
I’m a middle-aged man desperately building trust. (Laughs)
Final Thoughts
I still don’t know which choice is objectively “correct.”
Pure practicality?
Pixel might suit me better.
But in my 50s, I’ve realized something:
Less regret comes from trying
than from endlessly wondering “what if.”
Hesitating isn’t bad.
But hesitating forever gets tiring—
and honestly, time isn’t infinite anymore.
If you’re struggling with a smartphone choice right now,
you don’t have to force a decision.
Try both.
Or step back for a while.
Find the tool that fits your pace.
That’s probably enough.
A Small Preview
Next up, I’ll write an honest review
after using the iPhone 17 for one month.
Plenty of moments like:
“This is convenient, but honestly… Pixel did this better.”
Expect a lot of Android-user complaints. (Laughs)
Drop by again if you feel like it.
See you.
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