I use an iPhone 4S at the moment. I had a Sony Xperia Z previously.
Sony Xperia Z
Big. Very, very big. That said the phone is really nice to use. The stock Sony keyboard did nothing for me; I much prefer Google Keyboard on the Play Store. The layout is still different from that of the iPhone but it is intuitive enough that you'll still get onto it quickly. The benefit of Google Keyboard is that it's available on all handsets, meaning the layout is the same across all devices provided you have it installed. I don't use many apps, but one that really stands out in my head is Flow, for Reddit. I'm of the belief that even the 'Holy Grail' of iOS Reddit apps, Alien Blue, is far surpassed by Flow. Battery was another great thing on the Xperia Z. Simply put, you'll make it through a day even with a good bit of usage. Even on a day starting at about 7AM and ending at roughly midnight, I would have 50-60% of the battery left. I had the phone run out once, and that was after I tried to get it to run out of battery.
You might wonder why I don't have the Z anymore. I gave it to my mum on account of her poor eyesight - I figured a massive 5" display would beat the S3 Mini she had been using beforehand. The screen is not perfect, I'll admit, but apparently the Z1 and Z2 screens are better. The viewing angles for the original Z are fairly weak and some colors don't really 'pop' the way you expect them to. I remember the Twitter blue didn't have the same visual punch that it did on other phones, even those with inferior specifications.
The camera on the Z seemed decent, but was wasted on me. I don't need 13MP because I am not a great photographer. I'm not even a good photographer though it's something I want to improve upon. I never really gave it much of a work-out, whether the front or rear camera.
iPhone 4S
It's a black 64GB model, the two requirements I had for an iPhone. The Xperia Z came with 16GB internal and a MicroSD slot, which I liked. The iPhone has 56GB of usable storage at any one time, so is more than sufficient for a phone. I can store most of my music on it, and for me that's a big deal. I'm one of those people who will decide they want to hear a certain song right at that moment in time... and naturally, it's not normally on the device. There's no point in me telling you stuff about the apps for the simple reason you've been on the platform longer than I have, and likely know more apps than I do. Tweetbot, though... man it's nice. It costs a bit of money but it makes Twitter a joy to use. Alien Blue exists, so that's good, even if Flow does a better job in my opinion.
Battery is an interesting point on the 4S. It has a lower capacity battery than the Xperia Z did, but I feel like iOS is more optimized to take advantage of the battery. The iPhone comes back from a similar length day with about the same amount of battery as the Xperia Z. I have to assume this is due to optimization that has been done rather than a change in my usage patterns, since they're about the same. Bottom line is that I like the iPhone, but I also like the larger screen size of the Xperia Z.
Operating Systems
No longer matter beyond the ecosystem you like more. Android can do everything a normal user wants, as can iOS. You can do more to mess around with an Android device but not everyone wants to go that far. Rooting, ROMs, etc. are definitely a minority interest but if you have the desire to tweak a device then they can be fun to work with, to find the one offering the best of everything you want. If you don't want that you don't have to get it either, but I disabled all the animations on every Android device I've ever owned. I find them extraneous; on iOS I feel the same way, but I can't really get rid of some of them since I believe they're needed to mask the loading the device is doing.
Yes, you'll notice lag when you're on an Android phone. You've likely also noted lag on the iOS device. I know I have, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. As long as I can get where I want to be quickly, I'm content.
Choice
If you felt the 4S would continue to function, it's possible to replace parts. That's one thing in the iPhone's favor. There are so many of them sold that you can always get replacement parts, and they're mostly modular, meaning you can rip one apart and replacements if they go wrong. The battery is a particularly simple swap, and all you need are a set of fingers and screwdrivers. I'm surprised by the battery in the phone I have but I'm not sure what the actual condition is like, since the phone was second-hand when I got it.
I'd be tempted to suggest a low-end Android device like the Moto G, just so you can keep the 4S and decide which one you prefer from a usage standpoint. After all, you're asking before the release of a new iPhone and if you suddenly decide you want to stick to the Apple system, you're going to have made a fair dent in your wallet by buying a flagship you don't like. Plus, Motorola's phone is close to stock. Sony's build of Android are also relatively stock - there are changes, but they're not as extensive as HTC's or Samsung's. Samsung has a skin over Android called TouchWiz, and most people hate it. If you fancy the Galaxy line of phones, apparently a ROM will completely overhaul them. But if TouchWiz feels fine to you, you may as well stick with it.
Either system is pretty fantastic nowadays. Have fun making a choice.
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