This isn’t about the iPhone 5S being the best phone ever. There are a lot of excellent phones now, and it’s great that we have so much to choose from. Before I made my decision, I did a lot of research, which I suggest everyone should do. I decided to stick with Apple for three main reasons.

Familiarity: I have to admit the task of switching everything over to a new system wasn’t appealing. Also, I’ve spent a lot of money on apps, money I’m not in the mood to or able to spend again. It’s true that I’m very deep into the Apple ecosystem, so deep that something spectacularly different needs to come along to get me to leave.

Multiple iDevices: In addition to my iPhone, I also have an iPad, and my mother’s iPhone is linked to my account, so when I buy an app, I can use it on three devices. Yes, most apps are cheap, but if I decide to purchase a more expensive app that I can use on multiple devices, then the purchase is worth it because I can use it on my iPhone and my iPad.

Purchase price: Since I planned to stay with my carrier, I didn’t have to worry about paying the off-contract price for any phone. Then one weekend, Best Buy had a sale. A great sale. Because of the sale and getting an open-boxed item (box opened, but device never used), I bought my iPhone 5S for the grand total (including tax) of $121.21.

So far, I really like the iPhone 5S. It’s quicker and sleeker than my 4S (I have a tradition of only buying the S models; my first iPhone was the 3GS), and iOS 7 does work best on the new iPhones. I like the size and feel of the phone in my hand. The only feature that doesn’t impress me is the Touch ID. I can never remember what part of my thumb will unlock my phone. One feature that is a good improvement is the camera. The 5S does take slightly better pictures than my old phone. And the good news – iMessage finally works!

This isn’t about Apple products being better than Android or Windows phones. The market has changed drastically in the past few years, and I’m happy that I had so many quality phones to choose from. My decision was based on what was best for me and my current needs. Don’t let anyone, including me, be the only reason why you buy a certain smartphone. Look around, decide what your needs are, and go from there.