On choosing an Android phone over an Apple phone
Android vs Apple. That's the choice and I kind of hate it. I wish there were a viable 3rd choice but in my research there didn't seem to be one that I felt I could live with. The requirement that eliminates the Linux phones as a daily driver is access to a viable app store. More on that in a minute.
As the title suggests, I've chosen to go with Android. Specifically, I just ordered a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. It will replace my iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The problem with Apple
First and foremost, Apple is a big tech company who has a fiduciary responsibility to its share holders to maximize profits. They are not champions of privacy and freedom. They want to make as much money off their customers as possible. Fine.
There was a time when I honestly believed that Apple was a champion of privacy, freedom and of liberal democracy though. Looking back, it feels pretty naive of me. But in August of 2021, the illusion was broken by Apple's plans to scan user photos for banned content. As someone who cared more than the average person about privacy, I felt betrayed and I wanted to stop using their products but I couldn't because every piece of technology I owned and used was Apple. I was very locked into the Apple ecosystem. I vowed to break out of their walled garden and to never be locked into a single platform to such a degree again.
Thus, resisting vendor lock-in is a priority so that I always have the option to choose. Apple actively and aggressively tries to trap you in their walled garden. They do not make much, if any effort to make their products interoperable with non-Apple devices. Want to message your friends on iMessage? Buy an iPhone! Want iMessage on your computer? Buy a mac! Want to use Firefox on your phone? Well, too bad! Here's Safari, skinned like Firefox but with no add-in support for blocking ads.
But Google is bad too?
Yeah, I acknowledge that Google is also a big tech company with a fiduciary responsibility to its share holders to maximize profits. But at least I feel like I'm able to use my phone how I want. I'm able to install Syncthing and have it work reliably to sync files on my local network. I can configure Signal to be my default messaging app. I can install and use a real version of Firefox. I can install and use alternate app stores like F-Droid. Hell, I can even install alternate operating systems on the thing!
What about privacy? Google must be among the worst when it comes to surveillance capitalism. Well, I don't rely on many Google services. I do use Google Maps, but no Google Mail, Google Photos or Google Drive. I'll disable the cloud sync stuff and fiddle with all the privacy settings I care about.
Then, I'll accept that I can't be perfect. I must accept that good enough is good enough. I care about privacy and I'll do everything I can, short of abstaining from the use of technology, but I don't think phones or the Internet is private. By using our phones and the Internet, we're leaving a trail and we can't be perfectly private while doing so. I think that's true if using an Android phone or an Apple phone.
Why not a Linux phone though?
I'm really interested in using a Linux phone. I'm sure I'll buy one to try out and use around the house but when I'm leaving the house, I want to feel confident I can navigate the world in 2025. Yeah, I do mean literally being able to navigate using a real maps app but I also mean being able to install apps to accomplish things like paying for parking in the city.
From my research, it seems the Linux phones are not yet ready to be reliable daily drivers but I would like to try them out for myself. Maybe when it's time to upgrade the Pixel, a Linux phone will be a viable option? One can hope.
Conclusion
In summary, an Android phone gives me a lot more choice than the iPhone and I feel I can mitigate the privacy concerns of having Google in my pocket.
What are the important factors for you in your choice of pocket computer?