*This blog originally appeared on Service Assurance Daily.

Author admits to a little Android envy.

I think Henry Blodget of Business Insider read my mind recently. We both seem to be having doubts over the next iPhone and whether it will be truly buzz-worthy. I’ve been waiting for the next version of the iPhone – which everyone assumes will be called iPhone 5 – for quite some time. I am eligible to upgrade from my iPhone 4 on my current plan, but of course, I’m waiting for Apple’s latest and greatest.

But, a funny thing happened while I was waiting. I’ve started to notice and admire a few Android-based phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3. It’s not necessarily the OS, but the thin design and big glossy screen. By comparison, my iPhone 4 seems, dare I say it, dated.  As Blodget says, the Samsung makes people’s jaws drop and “feels like a next-generation phone.”

This isn’t to say the iPhone can’t recapture the magic and won’t sell millions of devices. Apple just has to trot out a few new features to do ship mass quantities. The problem, as Blodget points out, is that many of the “leaked” photos of the allegedly new iPhone look too much like the current iPhone. And the one before that. It’s not enough to steal the wow back from Samsung and others.

If Apple’s next release is similar to the upgrade from the iPhone 4 to the 4S, I’m wondering if I will follow the upgrade path or jump ship all together. My investment in iPhone apps and the wider iOS ecosystem – I’ve got an iPad too, plus my wife is on the iPhone, so we can iMessage/FaceTime easily – might help sway the decision in Apple’s favor no matter what it releases. Still, I can’t believe my head is actually having that debate.

The one thing I know I don’t want Apple to do: Change the dock connector. I like having a seemingly universal charger plug for my phone that my wife and friends with iDevices can use too.

Are you hoping for more from the next iPhone release or have you already jumped ship? Tweet your answer to @jmeserve or comment below.