Don't Get Trapped by the Ecosystem

THE STORY

Ever since they have been around, the question for many has been: Android or iOS? I faced that question several times, and as a person following the trends of the technology world, I collected enough information to want both.

Back in 2012, I purchased my first smartphone – Samsung Galaxy Ace. It was just at the edge of the boom – at least in the area, I grew up. It held up well enough for a bit between my peers and coming from a simpler – although a touch screen – phone, I was overwhelmed by the possibilities. That may have been the detriment to my relationship with the operating system eventually. Running Android Froyo and later updating to Gingerbread, I peaked much sooner than I would have appreciated. Above that, what the poor device was put through thanks to the possibilities and my endless experiments. It didn’t stand much of a chance. If it was not a game that didn’t run as smoothly as I would have wished, it was a launcher that made using the handset a hell. Custom lock screens, fake fingerprint apps and much more. I would get into anything, trying things that only made my life more difficult. I started big and didn’t give the phone a chance to do its thing. Towards the end, I became discouraged by my daily experience. The extensive usage of a teenager with the strain and expectations lead to me looking for something else.

At the time, I knew nothing about the importance of my Google account, passwords, and the internet. I went headfirst into it, and although it is not necessarily related to this article, I still wanted to include the beginning. So, it is clear where I am coming from.

My classmates, who were usually better off financially, started getting more interesting phones. The shine of my tired Ace dimmed. It wasn’t my that versus the one HTC Wildfire S anymore. I was out of the competition, gradually learning to hate the system, and although I somehow admire Samsung to this day, I knew I wanted to get out. New versions of Android were rolling through, but I never believed they fixed the problems I caused to the testing guineapig. There was not that much to choose from anyway. Android phones I could get behind were way too expensive, and it is not difficult to imagine that the situation with the iPhone 4s, “for some reason,” was similar. Despite its release date. Even the Blackberry phones were out of reach – if they were on my radar at all. The choice was more straightforward than I perhaps would have wished; Nokia and its legendary deal with Microsoft. A friend of mine got the brand new 520, and he was not the only one. The company was running a campaign with O2 at that time, so this low-mid ranger started popping up everywhere. And people loved it. The colours, the system, unlike the others. A new shot for Nokia to catch a breath and be the legend it deserved to be.

I was one of them - one of the admirers. The system was interesting, the design innovative, and most importantly, it was running much faster. I remember comparing the time it took my Ace to open the gallery while my friend was already long scrolling through numerous images. That brought up another thing. I always struggled with the capacity of the Ace – both RAM and ROM. Considering my circumstances, the next step was painfully obvious, but I knew I wouldn’t satisfy my needs and ego with the basic 520. I wanted a proper phone. Big, powerful – with a selfie camera, although I never really used it. It took some savings and summer jobs, but then finally. Right when I was about to leave my hometown for high school, I made it. I got a brand-new laptop and the Nokia Lumia 1320. Ready to conquer the big city with my equipment.

Despite what people say and how the Windows Mobile operating system used to be ridiculed, I liked it. I loved it at the time, and still, I would probably install a launcher that replicates it well enough. There was something to the simplicity yet freedom the tiles gave me. It was the first time when I grasped the sense of a smartphone a little more. I saw that it is more than just access to endless fun and social media. I set up my Outlook account, and this time remembered to keep the details.

In the end, I didn’t get to spend that much time with the Lumia 1320 as, due to mechanical failures, I returned it. By the time I got my money back, the brand “Nokia” was no longer making smartphones. It was Microsoft Lumia 640XL LTE that filled my palm – and more, thanks to its size – next. It wasn’t much of a change. The phone was similar, and although having a better camera, I soon realised the 1320 was essentially higher in the pyramid. The 640 lacked the build quality and some equipment too. I didn’t mind it, though. I was too focused on the big event; Windows 10 Mobile. We are now talking about the year 2015, and me anxiously checking for updates in the phone settings. Then it came - alongside the new Lumia 950 and 950XL. The initial reviews were mixed, but the system looked fresh and modern. Soon enough, although it didn’t feel like that at the time, I got my update downloading too.

I loved it. Of course, I did. However, issues started appearing quickly as well. Both hardware and software started showing that Microsoft didn’t think this through all that much. Also, thanks to an iPad I borrowed for the time my Lumia spent in the hospital, i got the taste of iOS. Gradually, I was getting less and less happy with the phone and started looking around again. After comparing it to guess what, an iPhone 4s, that managed to run smoother, I was especially disheartened. I remember exactly where I decided to buy a new phone; I was driving our robust family Seat Alhambra through the city, following the GPS on my phone. However, in the middle – literally - of Prague, the app decided to crash. The app, the phone, everything went down, and I was left stranded. It wasn’t the first time - and granted, it wasn’t even about me not knowing what turn to take and which lane to pick. It was the fact that I couldn’t rely on the device when I needed it.

My time with Lumia showed me one significant thing, which finally brings me to what this article is about – it showed me how the integration of cloud services makes life easier. I still have photos from the Lumia 640 in the same folder on One Drive.

It was 2017, and the time came for me to try the exclusivity of Apple. Thanks to an offer, I was able to pick between a Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7. A sweet decision to be making. My experience, although inaccurate, with Android pointed me towards the iPhone. That’s where I discovered how they want us to be. How do companies make us pay for a phone and then for more and more that comes – or should come - with it. And we happily do.

Since the iPhone 7 had a good camera, a system that ran smoothly and a ROM of 128GB, I was keen on storing things. My Spotify playlists grew to 60GB in the meantime, and I was running out of space fairly quickly. ROM wasn’t the problem this time, though. It was iCloud and the room Apple gave me for free that was constantly hanging at the edge. The emails and notifications. The tedious evenings dealing with the unreliable browser version of iCloud accessible through Windows. It showed me that I refuse to get trapped. By anybody.

I don’t want to rely on Apple to provide me with everything I like – I don’t want to adjust my expectations and needs to what they decide is good for me. I am not going to lie. I spent a lot of time with the phone, only changed it in 2020, and am keen on remembering owning it. However, I got bored. I always do - want the newest things. But there was something about the system and the almost offensive simplicity that started getting on my nerves soon. I am back to Android after all the years, and I don’t love it. It’s far from perfect. But it gives me space to experiment and pick things I like both in the software and hardware aspects of the devices.

THE POINT

The change. That is the daunting part. How will I get my photos, how will I get my contacts, what will I do with all the simple things I got used to and transfer them to my new device when they don’t share the operating system, more likely their manufacturers try to prevent me from switching. This recent change made me appreciate my early days with Microsoft even more. Perhaps from this standpoint, it is better than their attempt on biting a piece of the smartphone market failed. They have no stakes in it now. They are not trying to side with either. Microsoft wants to be available everywhere. It is them and other third-party developers who want to provide you with the best service. So you have a reason to pick them over the obvious choices of the default apps.

I never struggled with my emails because I never used the default iOS Apple Mail app. I started using Outlook for all my emails, which eliminated using the Gmail app altogether. For notes shared with people, I use Keep Notes. For my task list, I use To Do, which seamlessly synchronizes with my laptop. For photos and their backup, I have been using MEGA.nz for ages. Ever since I refused (could not afford) to pay Apple the fee, they ask for extending iCloud. Again. The difference in convenience is barely noticeable. With 50GB of free storage and automatic camera backups, I never needed to pay anything or had issues finding an old image. The obvious advantage of using Mega over iCloud is its accessibility. It is there. On Windows and Android. Available.

The same goes for iMessage and Airdrop. I never really used either of these, as I do not own a MacBook, and here in Europe, it is much easier to use WhatsApp or simple texts rather than trying to pick who uses an iPhone. However, even those obvious choices as WhatsApp – although transferring my backup of this app between systems caused some wrinkles - make it possible to take advantage of both camps when they have what I want more. And if I don’t wish to log into OneDrive every time, I need to share a file between my phone and laptop, Snapdrop.nz is a simple and somewhat funny solution to this.

I didn’t want to write this to convince anybody. I am far past that dedication to fighting with people over what phone they use. I have tried them, and they all have something the others do better and vice-versa. I merely wanted to explain that there don’t need to be sacrifices as big. To avoid getting trapped in the hands of one company, it does not take much. Perhaps I am lucky I may be spoiled, too picky or haven’t seen enough yet. But for now, I choose to avoid devoting my money, information, and time to a single ecosystem. I have proven that I can build my household of apps and processes that work. Even as smoothly as what the big guys provide. And on top of that, I keep my freedom of choice.

THE CONCLUSION

I do not upgrade my smartphone all that often – I had the iPhone 7 for three years, and now, after a year with my Realme X50 Pro 5G, I look at other phones but know a change would not be justifiable.

Then how did I do the switch?

There’s no science behind it, and everybody would likely figure that on their own. The point is to think of it early enough.

I disable any default backup for photos that the system is offering. Backing up contacts and setting with Google is a good idea, but the main contributor to full storages – videos and images, I want them to be elsewhere. That is easily solved by downloading the Mega app from the store and allowing it to backup images directly.

In terms of another apps: Microsoft’s To Do is available across all the platforms. Including macOS. So is Google’s Keep Notes. WhatsApp and its transfers are always a bit tricky. I used the Wazzap Migrator. For a small one-time fee, it saved me from losing my iPhone conversations. It may not be capable of the same thing from Android to iPhone, but I am certain, there are other apps to deal with the issue – I just haven’t gotten the chance to try them yet. Lastly, the web-based Snapdrop will be there for you anywhere you go. So, you don’t need to give up convenience when having a MacBook and an Android phone.

As you can see, the whole portion describing how to do it is not that long. Granted, even that may feel like too much for some – convenience always wins, and nobody will give you things as clean as default. But it is not for the now. It is a preparation for the future - to maintain flexibility. And again, as stated, I am not trying to convince people to stop using Apple and Google services. Microsoft, too, is a big corporation loving to share personal data, and after all, most of the software companies have our privacy in the palms of their hands. We just have to trust them. But I like choosing whom do I give what – and preventing one giant to own everything.