Why do I move to Android after over 5 years of iOS

Background

Let's get a little background first. I’ve been an Android OS enthusiast since 2013. My first real smartphone was an Android (although I did get an iPod Touch first, but it doesn't qualify as a phone, so...). The beauty of Android is that it gives you unlimited control over the software. You paid for the hardware, so you should be able to squeeze every bit of control out of that piece of hardware, right? Android used to be incredibly fun for a teenager growing up at that time like me. Staying up all night, trying to upgrade my Android from version 2.3.2 to 2.3.3 was a fun experience for me. I learned a lot about Linux and the Android Kernel during that time, to the point that I was able to build a distribution for my phone, and even create one myself.

Then, the dark days of Android came. Manufacturers tried to make their phones more secure by implementing more security measures (locked bootloaders, not releasing kernel source code, or delaying it). The worst part of this situation was that their custom Android firmware was not perfect. Unless you used their flagship devices, which received regular updates, your phone's bugs would remain for years. I decided to try the iPhone, and the peace of mind of not having to spend time configuring my device kept me happy for years. Sometimes, I missed the old days and got a Pixel device to mess with, but other than that, I had no intention of leaving the iPhone, mainly because I was deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem.

The Apple Ecosystem

To be honest, this is the main reason that kept me using the iPhone. I can't live without it. At first, you get the iPhone, and basic tasks are done quickly on it. Then, when it comes to choosing a laptop, suddenly you want the MacBook—not only for its fancy design but also for its seamless usability with the iPhone. Shared clipboard? Check. Import photos and use the iPhone camera directly on the Mac? Check. Receiving messages and calls directly while working on the Mac? Check. Heck, Apple even decided to mirror the iPhone to the Mac with upcoming updates. So, you get a lot of perks when you decide to stay with the MacBook.

How about getting a bigger iPhone, a.k.a. the iPad? Well, it can become a second monitor for your MacBook if you want it to (although I never realistically use this feature for my workflow, it looks cool when you're in a cafe). And more stuff keeps coming your way: Apple Watch, AirPods... To the point that you can't live without them.

Not only does the hardware do its job, but other small "synchronized" applications get you as well. Your notes are synced across devices without needing to purchase a subscription from Evernote. Your photos are also synced thanks to iCloud. Even your passwords are safe-kept by Apple. It's designed so that you will stay with the iPhone forever, and I was no exception. At one time, I looked at my list of Apple devices I owned and wondered to myself how much I had spent on those devices.

The "Fold" Experiment

Foldable phones have been a major turning point in my view of how phones should be. I can no longer carry an iPad Mini and an iPhone with me all the time; instead, I could just get a foldable phone, well, in theory.

I decided to get my first foldable phone, the Samsung Z Fold 2, as a secondary phone. I wanted to see how much I liked it before deciding to move everything back to Android. It was a disaster. The phone was not usable at all for me. The outer screen, which promised to replace the iPhone, had a very weird aspect ratio. The worst part was that the keyboard couldn't be typed properly on the outer screen at all. I ended up using the inner screen if I wanted to type anything. Imagine lying in bed, trying to reply to a message, and you can't even type correctly. This could be solved using a swipe keyboard, but the swipe keyboard support for Vietnamese was terrible at that time. I ended up selling the phone ASAP and decided to stay with the iPhone for a little longer.

Fast forward to 2023, I decided to revisit the foldable phone with the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3. It was nearly a perfect phone; everything was top-notch quality with the Leica-tuned camera. The hinge was good, and the phone was usable with both the inner and outer screens. Everything was almost perfect except for the software. It was never meant to be released globally, so everything was in Chinese. With a few modifications, it ran a custom ROM and worked well with Google Services and other apps. However, one thing that always bothered me was the delay in notifications. They would be really delayed because of how MIUI or later HyperOS worked. It aggressively managed memory to maximize battery life, deciding which apps to close and which to keep. Despite a lot of effort to modify these settings, there was still some delay, making it not really usable for me.

The Pixel Fold

I was so sure that I wouldn't ever touch Android again until I tried the Pixel Fold. It was perfect in almost every way. Of course, don't get me wrong, it still had some hiccups here and there, but the same is true for the iPhone. Every device has its bugs.

The outer screen is so usable that I almost forgot about the inner screen. The battery life is as expected—nothing outstanding, but adequate. The only thing I wish could be better is the modem, which gets really hot when using 4G/LTE. Other than that, the performance, the camera—everything was done right.

Software-wise, Google holds the crown for the best Android experience. It's not a surprise since they created Android, but the little things they crafted are so well done and blended seamlessly. You get features like detecting background songs to adjust the phone's volume to match the environment. Everything is so smooth that, in my opinion, it rivals the iPhone.

However, I still haven't transitioned 100% to Android for several reasons:

1. My friends are mostly iPhone users, so iMessage is still needed to communicate with them. For that, I set up my Mac Mini to run BlueBubbles. It's easy to set up since everything is managed by the application; you just need to spin it up on your Mac, and you're good to go. However, as of writing this post, Apple has fixed the phone number enrollment on Android, so using a phone number as an iMessage contact is no longer possible.
2. The same situation applies to iCloud. I use iCloud+ Custom Domain to map my domain with iCloud Mail. It's a cheap option with unlimited custom domains for a very low monthly price. So, for that reason, I still maintain my iCloud+ subscription and set up Thunderbird (on Windows) and K-9 Mail (on Android) to receive emails from iCloud.
3. One more feature that could benefit crypto users is the ability to directly connect your Ledger to your Android without needing a Bluetooth Ledger. That wasn't possible before with my iPhone, even with a USB-C connector.

What's Next

So far, I'm pretty happy with the device. Although I still miss some features like shared clipboard (I'm sure I will find a solution for this soon enough), I think it's already good enough to replace the iPhone for now. I'm looking forward to seeing what Google will bring to the Pixel Fold 2. Hopefully, they'll keep using the same aspect ratio as the current Pixel Fold.