I pre-ordered a Samsung Galaxy S4 last spring, after listening to my wife talk about how much happier she was with an S3 than an iPhone 4. There were a few things I thought Android was doing better for smartphones and after spending some time in the store with various devices, I went with an S4.

I had a bit of a learning curve, but the phone worked pretty well for me. After spending a bit of time with the S4, I wrote about some impressions of Android v iOS. These were based on the way I use the phone, and how the two mobile OSes worked for me. I dove in wholeheartedly, abandoning my iPhone 4S to a desk drawer and only using the S4. I didn’t even use my iPad much.

However a few things were annoying me about Android. I’ll write about those, but it came to me one day as I was packing up my iPad to trade it in. Target was giving me $200 (an amazing deal) and my plan was to upgrade to a Nexus 7 or other small Android tablet. I primarily use the tablet while cooking for recipies or entertainment.  As I played with a few of them in various stores, I realized that I missed the ease and smooth operation of iOS. I decided to trade up for an iPad Mini instead of an Android and realized that I like iOS better.

The original fine print I’d gotten from my carrier noted that I couldn’t switch devices on my account for 6 months with the S4, but the day after 6 months were up, I brought my fully charged iPhone 4S into a store and switched it back as the active device on my account.

There was definitely an adjustment as I had to change the way I did a few things. After a couple weeks back on iOS, I still look for the “back” button at times, it’s a bit slower for some tasks, and the screen feels much smaller. Overall, however, I’m happier with the iOS device.

I’m not implying that iOS is better than Android. That’s a highly subjective choice, but given the way I use my phone  (and tablet), I prefer iOS.

These thoughts continue with these posts:

• Android Annoyances