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Switching from Android to iPhone

The screen of my OnePlus 3 is coming off, the software updates stopped in 2019 and I need to get a new phone.

Right on cue, Apple releases the iPhone SE. Those who know me wouldn't be mistaken in their assumption that I'm not going to consider an iPhone. This time, however, is different.

TLDR; Security updates

I'm one of those, who has always recommended Android over iPhone. My reasons were simple:
  1. Android is based on Linux and is Open Source.
  2. It has more features.
  3. One can easily sideload apps.
  4. One can easily customize it.
  5. Backup to a PC is easier.
I would then go futher and say that one should go for Google Pixel, OnePlus and Samsung over other Android vendors because of Software updates. It is increasingly more important to keep the OS on our phones updated.

So, let's look at the reasons for my recommendations over the years and see if they still hold true.

1. Android is based on Linux and is Open Source. Technically True, but practically False
Let me explain.

AOSP exists[3]. What we get in our phones is not AOSP. We get customized versions(distros?) that OEMs build specifically for their device. So, unless the OEM updates their version, the OS on our devices doesn't get updated. This usually stops within 2 years (3 if you are lucky).

This is very different from how linux works. Linux has packages/libraries that are updated as soon as the code is fixed in the repositories. It takes hours or just a couple of days before major security issues are fixed on your device. You can keep updating your packages/libraries as long as your hardware can run them.

In contrast, after a major security fix, updates on Android take months.
Custom ROMs are good options to keep up with the latest software updates, but only a few OEMs provide the source code for these to work well. PostMarketOS should fix many of these issues[2], but that has no support from OEMs.

There are many reasons for this. Chip manufacturers rarely provide software updates for older chips. They also don't share source code, but binary blobs that need to be worked around and tested against hardware. In the end, the result is, Android is not the same experience as Linux, a fact, which has become increasingly disappointing to me.

2. It has more features. True
3. One can easily sideload apps. True
4. One can easily customize it. True
5. Backup to a PC is easier. True


Why then am I considering an iPhone? All (almost) of these statements are still true. It's because my priorities have shifted.
I no longer fidget with my phone trying out different features and finding faster ways to do things. I've settled into a few features I need from my phone: calls, email, sms, web browsing, reddit and whatsapp.
So, I no longer need to sideload apps or use extra features; customization actually gets in the way of efficiency; and most disappointingly Android, the way it runs on phones, is not Linux.

I think a lot of it is to do with the fact that my Linux-on-phones dreams were dashed. I'd love to carry around a device in my pocket that does the same things my desktop does. Truth is, it doesn't.

Also, the insistence of Android phone manufacturers in copying Apple in superficial ways, instead of what would be useful, has driven away my emotional attachment to Android.
They copy irritating stuff like the removal of a headphone jack, and adding notches to the screen (yes a hole-punch is still a notch), however, they can't even fathom that security updates would help more.



So, let's look at what iPhones do better.

Software updates
Apple has had consistently good software updates for most of their phones[1].
The first iPhone and iPhone3G had 3 years.
iPhone 3Gs, 4 and 5C had 4 years.
iPhone 5s had 6 years. This was most probably an exception
The rest had about 5 years.
These updates are increasingly important, not for features, but for security.

Hardware
iPhone hardware is consistently good compared to Android's hardware quality, which in most cases, is a function of price.
However, even flagship phones like pixels keep having hardware issues. The Android OEM world can have good hardware (Samsung) or good software (Google), rarely do they both come together in one device (sort of like OnePlus).

Privacy stance
This one is a bonus and I know it is mostly talk, but Apple's public privacy stance needs to be supported. Apple is trying (at least in marketing) to differentiate itself from Android manufacturers, by focussing on protecting the privacy of it's users.
It has a long way to go before reality catches up with marketing, but even shining a light on the issue is commendable at this stage.

Today, my choices for a good phone that'll last are:
  • iPhone - about 4 to 5 years
  • Pixel 3/3a - 1 to 2 more years
  • Pixel 4/4a - 2 to 3 years
  • Oneplus 8/8 pro - 2 to 3 years
  • Samsung - 2 years

The choice is obvious.


References:
1. https://www.imore.com/apples-continual-software-support-iphones-major-reason-theyre-popular
2. https://postmarketos.org/
3. https://source.android.com/

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