What is the Best Phone for an Author to get?

Short Answer: The Best Phone an Author can get is The Best iPhone model they can afford

Figure out your Budget. Get the best iPhone Model you can afford

Longer Answer: Just read through the entire post

What do we mean by Best Phone for an Author to get?

A phone is a critical tool in your Tool Box. It can greatly help your career as an author. It should cover the following functions very well

1. Provide you with a variety of high quality Apps (phone applications) to make your life as an Author easier
2. Be very good at the core phone functions (making calls, video calls, email, browsing)
3. Help you to do research. Quality of Browser and Quality of Apps are important
4. Save ideas and story elements
5. Associated functions such as music, white noise, taking voice notes, taking photos, etc. which help with your research and/or help you focus on work
6. Save you time and money by doing its job well
7. Not cause any headaches

An iPhone is the best phone for most of these areas. Be sure to get the best one you can afford, as that will allow it to last 3 to 6 years

Why iPhone over Android?

Android has the following advantages over iPhone

1. It is usually cheaper. If you cannot afford any iPhone at all, then Android is the only choice
2. It allows you to upload phone apps from anywhere (not just from one store)
3. You might prefer Google Apps and the Android ecosystem, or already be a part of it and not want to leave
4. If you are very focused on tech specs, then an Android phone for the same price will have higher tech specs than the corresponding iPhone. Note: We warn very strongly against doing this, as tech specs have very little relevance to the quality of your experience with your phone
5.  Apps in general are cheaper or free on Android, as they usually make their money from advertising

iPhone has the following advantages over Android

1. It is much higher quality in hardware and software
2. Apps are much better quality
3. There is a much wider variety of apps for Authors. Apple generally specializes in making products for creators and the App ecosystem reflects that
4. The Basic Apps such as browser, email, notes, voice notes, etc work much better on iPhone
5.  It has much better build quality and will last longer – although that is somewhat offset by ‘forced obsolescence’ i.e. Apple designs products so that they don’t last too long and need to be updated every 2 to 4 years
6. Apple were the first ebookstore to offer a 70% cut to authors. This forced Amazon to change from 35% cut for authors to 70% cut for authors. Might as well support the company that does a better job of caring about Authors
7. iBooks is a much more important bookstore than Google Play Books

We are holding back from stating the obvious – If you are an author, there is very little reason to pick an Android phone over an iPhone

Creator Mindset vs Consumer Mindset

An iPhone with its focus on quality and CREATING things will help you develop more of a Creator Mindset

An Android phone with its focus on consumption and free and cheap apps will focus more on distractions and take you away from writing

Please see our Post on Creator Mindset for more

What if you Love Android and/or Hate Apple?

Then you should pick whatever makes you happy

How important is getting the Right Phone?

Incredibly important

1. Make no mistake, the Right Phone can make you more productive, put you in a better mindset, and help you create better books and more books
2. Most of the most interesting software, is now being made for iPhone first. Some of it is only being made for iPhone
3. Your phone is with you everywhere. This allows you to capture ideas any time and add to your book anywhere and at any time
4. Even when working on your computer or laptop, you can still use your Phone for other tasks
5. Your phone lets you carry your books and your writing and your references with you everywhere

We are moving more and more towards a scenario where everything an author needs to do can be done on their phone. You need to make sure you have the best possible device and at the moment it is the Apple iPhone