Not an iPhone 5 Review

The web is full of long, detailed, professionally written reviews of the iPhone 5. You don't need me to write another so here instead I present my reasons for favouring Apple's ecosystem over those of their rivals. You may disagree, preferring the "open" Android or the "business oriented" Blackberry, but hear my arguments first.

I have several Apple products: a 32Gb iPhone for everyday telephony and computing; a 64Gb iPad for mobile content creation and consumption; a 13" MacBook Air for use as a "proper" computer; an AirPort Extreme for wifi; an Apple TV for media viewing and an iPod Touch and iPad for the wife. This hardware is supported by an iTunes collection (all our music, most of our TV shows, quite a few films, a growing number of books), iTunes Match and iCloud. In short, we use Apple for most of our computing needs.

There are several advantages to this arrangement that might not be readily apparent to customers of more ad-hoc solutions:

1. It keeps improving. Whatever you might think of Apple, it is undeniable that their products (both software and hardware) improve each year. New features and enhancements to existing features are rolled out in regular upgrade cycles and older hardware isn't abandoned as soon as it has left the shop. This is a big deal; it gives you a degree of security when buying your hardware because you can expect all but the most cutting-edge new features to be added to your kit as they are released.
2. It works well together as a team. Even before iCloud it was possible to share data (media, contacts, email etc.) between devices and these functions have grown much easier to use over the last year as iCloud has developed. Moving data from one device to another to allow it to be shared with friends or family is easy, quick and reliable.
3. The hardware is supported by a large (and rapidly growing) collection of media and apps. The app stores for iOS and OS X carry huge numbers of applications and although the system might not be perfect, it's pretty good for all but the most advanced users (who will, by definition, be able to work around any restrictions to achieve their desired affects). 
4. It is reliable and well supported. Apple's manufacturing quality and after-sales support are renowned. Product support is easily obtained by simply walking into the nearest Apple store and asking for help. 

This network of products and services is something that any of Apple's larger competitors could replicate and some, notably Amazon and Google, are trying hard. They might succeed, eventually, but Apple has a good lead and shows no signs of slowing. You might be able to obtain the same advantages with a group of devices and services from several different companies but, for now, Apple is the only company with this mix of philosophies and services. When reliability, ease of operation and security are important, this makes choosing Apple a no-brainer.