This is a tough choice for me. After having the Note 7 since it was released, I will be returning it after I get my iPhone 7plus delivered. I still feel as if each decision has its own set of significant compromises though. But here are some of my reasons why I chose the ip over the N7. Who knows if I'll not like the ip7 and will end up going back to the n7, or maybe googles next phone. But these are just my thoughts at this moment in time. I do hope this thread stays constructive and doesn't degenerate into "Samsung sucks". I'm always amazed that the person typing something like that doesn't realize how moronic they sound, but I guess that's why they are moronic.
Carrier interference/late updates: My Note 7 is missing key features such as Samsung cloud and caller ID because Verizon would rather I pay them a monthly fee. This is unacceptable and if Samsung doesn't have the balls to curtail this sort of ridiculousness then they don't deserve my money. Verizon also completely changed around how the settings are, they are totally different than touchwiz. Bloatware is an issue, although I don't mind it that much, but still an issue. Probably the most onerous are being shackled to the carrier for updates. Having an update release 8 freakin months after Google releases it is absolutely unacceptable.
Lag: Yes I said it, no I'm not making it up or exaggerating. My Note 7 lags. How do I describe lag? It's just random slowdowns in actions. The best way to describe it is like a windows computer with not enough RAM, sometimes it's smooth and other times things just slowdown. It rarely affects functionality, mainly being annoying.
Messaging: Messaging is a JOKE on Android. Although samsungs messenger app isn' terrible, actually it's quite decent. Hangouts is a complete joke. Surprisingly Verizon Messenger is actually very good, so a weird positive point there for bloatware. But none of these come close to imessage in sheer simplicity. If Google can't get messaging right, if they can't stop releasing multiple half baked messaging apps, then they don't deserve my eyeballs.
Security: Seeing how hard Apple fought to not release a backdoor to its OS really impressed me. I don't plan on committing a crime on my phone, but it's good to know that at least Apple has my back as in this world you never know what may happen.
Information gathering: Apple, as a hardware company, has much less need of my personal information. I'm sure they gather plenty of it, but I just have more faith in them than Google for keeping my information private.
mute switch: I love the mute switch on the iPhone. I'm sick and tired of hitting my volume buttons by accident and turning off mute, then having my phone ring at the most inopportune times.
customer service: Well I don't really need to expound on samsungs customer service, we all know it varies from barely acceptable to atrocious. There is no physical store you can simply walk into with your issues. Their screen replacement cost is substantially more than Apple's. You have to send your phone in and wait weeks to get it repaired. In my experience when you call you get someone from a foreign country often with a thick accent which is annoying (no I'm not racist so don't try to play that card). Of course you can fall back on the carriers, and this has worked well for me in the past. But will you have an issue if you didn't buy the phone from them? I'm not sure, I haven't but others have stated they have. I'd rather not have to wonder.
Now with that said there are many compromises to having Apple as well, these factored in my decision:
Widgets: Without a doubt widgets are what sets Android as an awesome OS. The ability to see at a glance an incredible amount of information is irreplaceable. iOS widgets are nowhere near Android widgets in functionality. But I do see iOS catching up slowly, they finally have widgets at least. But still I will dearly miss my Android widgets.
UI: I find Android to have a superior UI. Firstly iOS' way of just regurgitating pages of similar looking icons is terrible. No I'm not going to type in the search bar to find my app, sometimes I don't know the name, other times typing may just be inconvenient. In virtually every other OS in existence for any other device, pc, tablet, smartphone, etc there is someway to arrange your desktop for quick information. Whether it's live tiles on windows, widgets on android, a taskbar in windows, everyone has moved past where you just have icons. Apple has improved here with folders, their action pulldown, their widgets page, etc so I'm hopeful they will continue to improve. But as it stands today Android is still vastly superior.
Walled garden: Apple goes to great lengths to keep you in its software and hardware walled garden. No USB-C, proprietary chip in the airpods, etc.
Bezels: Yeah this is a huge compromise. The bezels on the iPhone belong in 2012, I can't believe how massive they are. To think that the Note 7 has a larger screen in a substantially smaller phone is nuts. This is one area where I'll constantly be reminded of my decision.
Hardware: Sure the ip7 runs rings around the n7 in sheer horsepower, but for day to day stuff and reality who cares. Ignoring the lag on the note 7 for a minute, because that's due to poor optimization of touchwiz and not a lack of modern hardware, once things get going they are both quite comparable. But Apple is really behind in other hardware issues. Screen to body ratio, screen resolution, AMOLED, always on display, VR functionality, wireless charging, etc. We take some of these features for granted until we go back to an iPhone.