How I decide upon what mobile technology to buy:
I weigh up on its longevity and maintainability (especially limited timeframe items like the battery) as I do not upgrade 'for the sake of it'.
Does it simplify or complicate my life? Prior to the advent of smartphones, I used to carry around an electronic dictionary, a foreign phrase translator, a calculator, a personal mpg player, a map and that's just for starters, so the answer to that is a resounding 'simplify'.
DOES IT WORK WELL AS A PHONE? I.e. holds it's charge for several days if I don't use it for anything else, doesn't drop a call just because I am in a car/train, does it have loads of adverse publicity of "you aren't holding it right" just to make a call (OK I admit it, that was a bit of a low blow/easy target!) -nope.
If I decide to get a bit 'tricky' with it by dabbling with open source (which I tend not to but it's nice to have the option) is it easy to go back to a 'bare metal' install -yup.
Are there lots of alternatives that all work the same way but have differing options for their capabilities (
(such as camera resolution) - yup.
Can you easily dabble with code (using an open source IDE that can actually emulate your smartphone environment) to experiment at writing your own apps? -yup
This is why I am pro-android and anti-apple.
Apple is for techno-pseuds like Stephen Fry who have (a) more money than sense and (b) no clue as to why everyone else with any technological nous whatsoever hates them.