So long, Android…?

Among my friends and family, I am known to be a die-hard Android fan. I've always been an Android person, only used my mother‘s iPhone 6s for a short period of time when I lost my Redmi Note 4X. I did not like apple devices for a few reasons, but the biggest reason isn't the price tag, it's the software that runs on them. iOS was too restrictive and inconvenient for someone coming from PC, and interoperability between iPhones and PC was pretty poor.

Things changed for the better in recent years though, iOS and Android engineers have been adding features from the adversary in their own unique ways. For instance, QuickShare was introduced to allow Android users to share files, just like AirDrop. Similarly, App Library was added to iOS, allowing users to keep only essential apps on the home screen. Google Wallet has also become more user-friendly, and Octopus Card, a popular payment method for offline small transactions and public transit in Hong Kong, is now available to Android users. To me, it seems as though they've reached feature parity, almost.

But I still never thought of using Apple devices. Because Android still works, and I still had my gripes about the way file management works on iOS devices. Then Google announced they are going to restrict side loading capability in Android devices. This wasn't very surprising as Google has been trying to crack down on "illegal" apps, specifically Adblockers and Revanced(an app that allows ads in the YouTube app be removed without subscribing to YouTube premium).

This comes off as a declaration of war to Android fans to me, some power users like me stayed with Android mainly because of the freedom we had to install apps not on the Play Store. Without the ability to side load apps, Android is pretty much a watered down version of iOS to us. iOS also has the benefit of being a tightly integrated platform and thus offers much better user experience than the fragmented Android devices - the so called “OS” most vendors install on devices they release merely tries to copy the aesthetics of iOS, and often fall behind in security patches and feature updates.

I thought it's finally time to reevaluate the usability of Apple devices and bought a new iPad Mini - for media consumption as well as playing mobile games on the go. I have a Galaxy tab S8 and a Galaxy tab A9. The S8 was too unwieldy when I try to use it on the bus, or when I want to control it single-handedly. The A9‘s dimensions was perfect but the chips on helm was too weak for playing any demanding games, Helio G99 is just an entry level chip, what more can I ask for? I went back and forth entertaining the idea of getting a new iPad. I already gave the weaker A9 to my grandma, and the S8 is powerful enough for my needs, do I really need yet another tablet in my arsenal?

The final answer was of course "YES". Otherwise I wouldn't have bought the slab I am typing on now. Moving from Android to iOS is fairly straightforward, iOS is intuitive in some way. I got to say, the official selection of apps are all more useful and polished than Google's offerings. The reminders and notes apps are way better than Google's tasks and keep notes. Apps and system was also one of the many reasons I decided to get an iPad instead of an Alldocube iPlay 70 Ultra or Xiaomi Pad Mini - They are capable mini Android tablets with enough performance for daily use and gaming, but the software that's on them are unreliable, possibly insecure even. I don't want to replace my Galaxy Tab S8 with these two. The only thing I am unhappy about is how fast the iPad Mini's battery drains, but that's not really an issue, because I can always charge it with the power bank in my backpack.

I am now considering getting an iPhone as my next handset. But I have not decided yet. I hate how much Apple and Google tries to spy our lives, Apple may look more benevolent, but deep down it is just as evil as Google if you think of the sensitive data it collects on us. And Apple has the ulterior motive to pretend security issues do not exist or to intentionally stall the process of fixing to please the You-Know-Who government. It is not conspiracy, it is still unfixed.