I switched to a Google Pixel 5 a year ago, and it's been my favorite phone I've ever owned since the original iPhone. Notification handling, input detection, call screen, the universal back gesture, USB C, and other small elements have made this phone vastly preferable to any iPhone I have ever owned. Android on Pixel is seriously incredible software that makes my phone just work, which is what I want after tinkering on computers all day.
And yet I'm going back to iOS when the next iPhone launches due to iMessage. I hate it, and I don't want to. But the simple fact of the matter is, I have become somewhat of a social pariah in my circles with people constantly making remarks about how I break their group chats. People refuse to download a platform agnostic messaging app. Women have made judgements toward me, which does not help as a single man.
I genuinely don't think anyone means to behave in such an elitist/condescending way because many of these people are those I know well and who I would consider great people. It's this bizarre tribalistic and subconscious pattern of behavior that the overwhelming majority of people around me in the social circles I engage with all exhibit.
It all seems so dumb when everyone could download an app like Signal and be done with this, and it feels extra annoying that I'm supporting Apple by buying their phone that is expensive, and in my opinion, has worse software despite the fact that they have created this issue entirely. Yet it's not a hill I want to die on. Hopefully Android tablets improve, and I can get one of those to replace the lost functionality by moving back to iOS.
A large thing I'll miss about Android is that I never spent a single dollar on an App despite having all my needs taken care of, largely thanks to F-droid. Not looking forward to reverting to figuring out which iOS apps won't pull the rug out from under me and switch to subscription based models in basic apps like podcast players and calendars. On the bright side, there are many beautifully made apps by indie developers on iOS that are lacking on Android, and I'm happy to pay for if they support single payment models.