Moving to iPhone After A Decade on Android

For a long time I’ve been a major supporter of the Android ecosystem, both proprietary and FOSS. So when the screen of my Pixel 6a finally gave in and broke I had to make a choice, stay on Android or switch to iOS. For the first time in a decade, I fully committed to using an iPhone. 

Now I’ve used iPhones before, just a couple of times. Once in 2015 and once in 2017, using old phones from my friends and my dad. But when I did I always found myself wanting to go back to Android. This time is different. And it has a lot to do with how the platforms and my view on tech have evolved. 

What Kept Me Off In The Past

In 2015 and 2017 the thing that kept me from wanting to jump into the iPhone world with both feet was what is called a feature gap. Whether it was the lack of organization in the Notification Center, or lack of customization on the home screen, I felt limited when I was on an iPhone. At the time I very much valued being able to tweak every part of my device, even down to the boot animation.

But as time has gone on the iPhone has evolved, and so have my needs for my device. These days the iPhone can change the home screen around just like an Android, and I realized that the boot animation on my phone isn’t really that important. What I have realized is that it’s not important the OS you run, but rather the services you choose.

The Walled Garden, And The Free Services

Apple has long been known for their “Walled Garden” ecosystem. This is all of their services that make using Apple products feel so seamless. Many people, myself at one point as well, would criticize Apple for this walled garden approach. As you cannot touch the walled garden unless you were on an Apple device. 

But my time on Android and wanting to rely on Google less lead me to find free and open source alternatives to these walled garden services. And the good news? You can use them on Apple devices too.

The main service that replaces Apple’s iCloud is called Nextcloud. Nextcloud is a self hostable service that handles a wide range of services including file storage, notes, calendar, contacts, and even online document editors (if enabled). I primarily use it for just file storage, using a service called Ente for photo storage. Ente is also self hostable, if you want to go that route.

I have still used some Apple services since moving to iPhone. Namely Apple Notes, as it syncs very well with my MacBook that does run macOS.

Where I’m Standing in the Future

Let’s not be dishonest with ourselves, iOS and iPhone are not perfect. I have things that I do not like when it comes to the iOS ecosystem. But that doesn’t stop it from just working for me and being a better option than Android, for the time being. 

Will I still want to use iPhone in the next few years? We’ll have to see. At the end of the day our phones are just tools meant to get a job done, and for me the right tool is the iPhone.