I never thought this day would come. Seriously. If you had told me a year ago that Id be tapping this article out on a Samsung Galaxy S25, sipping my coffee while my old iPhone 16e gathers dust in a drawer, Id have laughed and called you a traitor. After 18 years in Apples warm, minimalist embrace, Ive crossed over.And you know what? Im not looking in the rear-view mirror.Let me rewind a bit. I got my first iPhone back in 2007 the original iPhone. That sleek little brick of touchscreen magic blew my mind and hooked me instantly. From there, it was a steady progression through every model from the 3G to the 5S, from the glorious iPhone X to my most recent companion, the 16e.I bought into the whole ecosystem: MacBook, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch, HomePods, the whole enchilada. I was the consummate Apple guy. You know the type.But then something started to shift. Tiny cracks in the veneer. A little lag here and a little deja vu there. Truth be told, the latest iPhones werent feeling that exciting anymore. Each keynote felt more like a software update announcement with a $1,200 price tag. Dont get me wrong the 16e is a beautiful device. Polished, reliable, familiar. Maybe too familiar.Then, along came the Galaxy S25 Ultra.Curious About Android? Heres What ChangedI wasnt shopping for a new phone. I was browsing. You know how it goes a little late-night YouTube rabbit hole, some tech reviews, a sprinkle of Reddit threads, and boom: Im watching a Galaxy S25 Ultra unboxing video and thinking, wait a minute, this thing looks fantastic.I told myself Id just test it out. For work, I said. So I can understand Android better, I rationalized. Famous last words.First Impressions: The S25 Ultra Feels FreshIll admit it unboxing the S25 gave me a rush I hadnt felt in years. That matte finish, the curved edge-to-edge display, the titanium trim, and the in-display fingerprint reader all just screamed fresh. The 6.6-inch dynamic AMOLED display with the new Infinite Vivid refresh rate made even my iPhone 16e look a little dated and dont get me started on the camera array; more on that later. The setup I experienced was surprisingly smooth. Samsungs Smart Switch tool pulled over most of my data without a hitch. It even ported my messages and photos better than I expected. I thought Id feel a pang of regret holding my iPhone one last time. But nope I felt like I was upgrading, not downgrading.How One UI 7 Made Me Reconsider AndroidI know that was my biggest hesitation, too. Id always equated Android with clunky UI, weird app behavior, and that general off-brand feeling. But One UI 7 on the S25 is honestly fantastic. Its clean, customizable, and weirdly intuitive. The new gesture navigation is smoother than iOS, and the level of control I have over notifications, widgets, and home screen layout is just next level.Also and this is a big one Im not constantly being nudged to buy into another Apple service. No Apple TV+, no iCloud storage nags, no Fitness+ reminders. Just my phone, the way I want it.The S25 Ultras Camera Leaves iPhone 16e BehindLets talk cameras. The iPhone 16es camera is good. Great, even. But the Galaxy S25 Ultras triple-lens setup is on a different planet. The new 200MP primary sensor, enhanced by Samsungs AI-enhanced image processing, takes ridiculously crisp photos day, night, moving, still, whatever. The low-light performance is unreal.And that 10x periscope zoom? Chefs kiss. Im snapping moon shots, candid street photos, and insane close-ups that I never even attempted with my iPhone.Samsungs editing suite, which has been built into the gallery app, also deserves a significant shoutout. Its like having half of Lightrooms functionality in your pocket, minus the learning curve.AI Features That Really Made a DifferenceIve been skeptical of all the AI hype especially since Apples been talking about a big game but delivering tiny tweaks. But the Galaxy S25s onboard Galaxy AI is no gimmick. It translates live calls in real-time (yes, seriously), rewrites messages in different tones (think Grammarly on steroids), and even generates summaries of long PDFs Id otherwise never read.The result: Im using AI features day to day. Not just showing them off at parties.The S25 Ultra Crushes Battery AnxietyAnother pain point for me with the iPhone was battery life. The 16e held up okay, but it never wowed me. The S25, on the other hand, is a battery beast. I get nearly two full days on a charge with moderate use, and when I do plug in, its a 65W fast-charging thoroughbred, going from 0% to 80% in about 25 minutes. I dont even think about battery anxiety anymore.Wireless PowerShare is another low-key perk. I charge my earbuds and even my smartwatch on my phone like a sci-fi wizard.The Samsung Ecosystem Won Me OverYeah, Ill miss airdropping stuff between my Mac and iPhone. But you know what? Samsungs ecosystem has grown. My Galaxy Tab syncs beautifully with the S25. My Galaxy Buds Pro sounds amazing and switches seamlessly between devices. Even my Windows laptop plays nice with Samsung Flow. I also didnt expect to fall in love with Samsung DeX the desktop mode that essentially turns my phone into a mini PC when connected to a monitor. Its surprisingly useful for work on the go.What I Miss About Apple and What I DontOkay, I wont pretend there arent a few things I miss. iMessage is a glaring one. That seamless blue bubble experience is hard to beat, especially if your whole social circle lives there. But honestly? I havent felt left out between WhatsApp, Signal, and RCS. Ive written about this problem before, and Apples refusal to completely open up the iMessage API so smartphone messaging can work on Windows drives me bonkers.The other thing I miss: AirDrop. Its just so incredibly convenient. Samsungs Quick Share is fine, but its still a step behind Apples polish.Still, those are relatively minor trade-offs in the scheme of things. The freedom, customization, power, and sheer fun of using the S25 Ultra outweigh them.Why I Finally Left Apple for SamsungUltimately, it wasnt about specs, brand loyalty, or a single killer feature. It was about rediscovering joy on my phone. After nearly two decades with Apple, things had just gotten too predictable. Too polished. Too safe.Samsung brought back that spark the feeling that your phone is a window into the future, not just a rectangle of diminishing returns.Am I done with Apple forever? Apple may lure me back when they introduce foldable phones (which intrigue me for various reasons), but thats not rumored to happen until 2027. Not to mention that Samsung has already had some very cool foldable phones for several years, so I might go down that route at some point.In technology, like the name of that James Bond movie when Sean Connery returned to his signature character, Id never say never. But for now, Im fully Team Galaxy. And honestly? It feels pretty good, and I dont have regrets.