INTEGRATION vs. FRAGMENTATION
The fandroids can scream all they want about that "not mattering anymore" but it does. When less than TWENTY percent of the hardware for Android even has ACCESS to the latest version of the OS (4.4.4 I believe), it's a telling statistic.
You could literally buy the "latest and greatest" Android phone today, and within a few months be wondering whether or not you would even be GETTING the latest update, let alone worrying whether or not it is "intentionally slowing your phone down".
Having hundreds of handsets all running different versions of the OS means developers have to decide who to write for. That doesn't matter? Okie dokie.
Then you have resale, hardware quality, SERVICE (when was the last time you walked into the Samsung store with a problem, met with a Savant, and walked out with a working phone??? You didn't. You shipped your phone off and crossed your fingers you'd see it back before the NEW Galaxy was announced)... not to mention that it plays nice with iTunes, AppleTV, thousands of accessories and cars... the list just goes ON AND ON...
Look, the Android platform has come a LONG way from the crapfest it began as. That's great. GFT (good for them). I'll just stay with what works thank you. No sense in hoping something stays the latest and greatest when I can just buy an iPhone and KNOW it will be for at least the next year, then sell it and get the next one (usually making a profit, even if that is lessening).
Android just isn't there yet. Even with it's 64GB of RAM and 18" screen. It just doesn't stack up.