I’m one of those “unswitchables” targeted by Google

Nov 28, 2018 09:49 GMT  ·  By

If you’ve been following the tech news lately, you probably heard about a marketing campaign launched by Google and called “Unswitchables.”

As you can easily figure out just by reading its name, the idea behind Unswitchables is to highlight how a number of mobile phone customers, most of them long-time iPhone users, end up moving to the Google Pixel 3 after trying out the device for a total of three weeks.

While we’re not going to discuss the cringy ads once again because we already did this yesterday when I reported about Google’s marketing promo, the idea behind this experiment, which the search giant swears it wasn’t staged, is quite interesting.

Apple has long bragged about its loyal user base, and several surveys conducted in the last few years confirmed that most iPhone customers are very likely to stick with the brand for their next purchase.

So simply asking someone who’s been using an iPhone for many years to try out the Google Pixel and then convince them to switch is something that you don’t see happening too often.

Google, however, says this is what happened in the case of the said ads because after using the Pixel 3 for three weeks, iPhone fans ended up loving it. And they loved it so much that they eventually decided to ditch their iPhones and embrace Android entirely.

Since I’m a tech writer and reviewer, I use several devices on a daily basis, including both iPhone and Android phones. My daily drivers are the iPhone XS and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

And because I found Google’s idea quite intriguing, I decided to try out the experiment myself. After reviewing the Google Pixel earlier this month, I think this device deserves a try, so why not switching to it full time for the next three weeks and see how this is going.

The whole thing is going to work just like Google said in its commercials. Basically, I’ll be using the Google Pixel 3 as my one and only smartphone, replacing the iPhone XS for everything I do, including here work stuff, personal things like chatting, browsing, and phone calls, as well as taking photos in my free time. I’ll also switch assistants full-time and replace CarPlay with Android Auto for my commuting.

In fact, switching to Android Auto is one of the parts I’m most excited about, mostly because I still think CarPlay isn’t as refined as it should be. Truth be told, Apple has made significant improvements lately by allowing third-party navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze, but the way they work still leaves a lot to be desired.

This is going to be my gear for the next three weeks: Pixel 3 and Google case
This is going to be my gear for the next three weeks: Pixel 3 and Google case

Waze occasionally crashes and stops looking for alternative routes, while CarPlay itself uses a layer-based system that automatically gets you back to the home screen when you’re at a traffic light and using your phone.

Needless to say, this will also be an interesting experiment that will help me highlight just how much Android has evolved lately to be able to fully replace iOS for long-time Apple users.

One of the things that Apple users hate the most about Android is the high complexity of the operating system, and switching to the stock Android offered by Google could be a nightmare for many. Samsung, for instance, has tackled this concern with its own customized Android version, but on the Pixel 3 you get the raw Android experience as clean as it’s supposed to be.

I’ll be posting updates about my experience with the Google Pixel 3 every Friday, and after three weeks, I’ll finally be able to make a final decision and figure out if I’m unswitchable or not.

UPDATE (after one week): I still think I'm unswitchable.

UPDATE (after two weeks): Still unswitchable, but loving the Pixel a bit more.

UPDATE (after three weeks): I'm unswitchable.

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Google Pixel 3
This is going to be my gear for the next three weeks: Pixel 3 and Google case
Open gallery