I've done a lot of iOS dev, and have a great many iOS devices on my desk to test with. I've personally used an iPhone for years. Recently I got a Samsung Gala

I've done a lot of iOS dev, and have a great many iOS devices on my desk to test with. I've personally used an iPhone for years. Recently I got a Samsung Galaxy S2, as well, and I can safely say I'd recommend the iPhone to non-technical users every time. (I'm looking at you, mom and dad.) The iOS interface is a lot simpler, easier to use, more straightforward, and more self-consistent. The device is physically tough, relatively inexpensive for the older models, and well-curated. And the home screen scrolls more smoothly than on the S2. You cannot do any wrong for the most part. Which is a restriction that I hate. For me, myself, personally, it's clear: the Galaxy S2 kicks the iPhone's ass into the dirt and leaves it lifeless in an expanding pool of gray smoke. I shook off iOS like a wet paper sack. But this is because I love geeky devices that aren't afraid to show me their underbellies. Oh, and it does. You can use the built-in file manager to browse /sdcard/Android/data/! Hell, you can probably even delete stuff in there! What normal user would want to do that? I don't even want to do that, but I'm so happy I can! Merely the abstraction between the Apps screens and the Home screens is more than most people want to deal with--but I love it! Sure there're plenty of things to complain about (why is the ringtone set in the Settings, but the texttone set in the Messages app?) but the raw power of the thing more than makes up for these shortcomings. For me. My long-winded point is this: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We cannot properly rate these devices outside the context of the person using it. If you agree with the criteria put forth as superior in any particular review, it could very well be the device you're looking for.