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Abstract

ion</h2><p id="e9d1">One thing you try to ignore once you are in the ecosystem, is the innovation that is happening outside of your world. I started to get into tech, and I just saw that even older phones already had wireless fast charging, better cameras, better screens. Why was it that I was paying so much more, for a less better phone compared to Apple’s competitors ? The temptation grew even more.</p><h2 id="6781">3. Limitations</h2><p id="5e37">As my interest for tech started to grow, I also saw more possibilities and also more limitations. I was that geek in class that got everyone hooked with new beta editions of the newest iOS operating systems and if you wanted to jailbreak (open up your iPhone for more functions) your iPhone I was your guy.</p><p id="c689">A lot of features that I enabled through jailbreaking were just there on Android devices (customisation, kill open apps). I also sometimes wanted to download apps from other websites, that was possible on an Android! Apple is a quite closed system, not a lot is possible if you want to look further than the things that are given to you. So… I looked further.</p><figure id="1a5c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*ntLp-hh_lfPYMiQPO-5tPw.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/nl-nl/@sebastian?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels">Sebastian Voortman</a> on <a href="https://www.pexels.com/nl-nl/foto/backpack-blij-blond-haar-blonde-haren-214574/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels">Pexels</a></figcaption></figure><p id="8205">I broke with my best friend Apple, a friend I was close with for years. My first phone was from Apple and up until that point I never cheated on her. To be fair there were no AirPods or HomePods back then, so the obstacles were not that high. I only had to say goodbye to the familiar interface, the synced music calendars and photo albums and just the easy functionality.</p><p id="21f0">I liked my new friend, he was not that expensive to spend time with, the quality rose significantly and the possibilities were endless. Now a few years have passed, but a lot has changed in these years. I start to think back to how life was with my old Apple products. Everything was so simple, everything just worked, and that is what I am starting to miss. I am slowly longing back to that cozy ecosystem again.</p><figure id="bcd4"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*TkQ6qfhmDbz9ot4G"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@punttim?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Tim Gouw</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_med

Options

ium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2 id="583c">1. Apple picked up the pace</h2><p id="876e">If you now look at the newest iPhones and the newest Android flagships, there are little differences anymore. Wireless charging is basically the standard everywhere, screen quality is always on point no matter where you go and the same goes for overall performances. Rumour has it, that even the iPhone will have a <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/iphone-12-might-be-the-last-apple-device-with-this-iconic-piece-of-tech">USB-C charging port in the future</a>. This all is starting to set the bar a bit lower for me to start looking back to what Apple is doing.</p><h2 id="d5ae">2. Products make the ecosystem worth it again</h2><p id="aa3c">I have the feeling when I left apple, the ecosystem started to lose its value. With a bit more clicks I could sync my mail and calendar across devices after all and having syncred webbrowsers is fun, but not totally necessary and life changing. But now, with the breakthrough of Smart Home devices, Apple TV + and easy-to-connect-wireless headphones that compete with other audio-brands, it is starting to make the ecosystem more attractive again.</p><h2 id="0c4c">3. Differences are too small for the hassle</h2><p id="0ef3">And lastly, the innovations between all the different Android devices starting to look so similar and minimal. It is almost not worth the hassle anymore of comparing tens of new devices when looking for a new phone. In that sense, I am quite jealous of people within the Apple ecosystem.</p><p id="370c">The thinking process of Apple users, stuck within the ecosystem, must look a bit like this (correct me if I’m wrong):</p><blockquote id="69ef"><p>“I need to replace my iPhone 7? Ah well, I just get an iPhone X”.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="c553"><p>“A new tablet? Why don’t I just take an iPad?”</p></blockquote><blockquote id="a615"><p>“Wireless headphones? The AirPods are the perfect fit”.</p></blockquote><p id="14d6">Job done, little options, no stress, and the differences in quality compared to other competitors is minimal.</p><p id="06ca">Of course, being this stuck in the ecosystem of one company is as dangerous as it sounds, but I kind of like the idea. Still I don’t think I am convinced enough to go back, it all comes down right now on pricing and freedom. I still like to be able to break free from the regular boundaries that a phone gives me, to tweak stuff on my phone. iPhones just don’t offer that for me…. yet.</p><p id="a14f">What do you think? Are you also thinking of changing to Apple, or are you already a proud resident within the ecosystem? Let me know, I love to hear other experiences.</p></article></body>

An Apple Paradox

I got out of the Apple Ecosystem

And I want to get back in again

Actually a part of me wants to dive back into the warm, comfy and functional ecosystem of one of the biggest tech companies. Even though I don’t have an iPhone for a few years now, I still appreciate what Apple creates. The products look sleek and sexy, Apple is kinda secure with your data and the brand strategy is on point (diversity, inclusive for the disabled/disadvantaged + it is so functional even your grandfather can use it). Yes Tim Cook is doing a pretty good job. Still I wanted to step out of the ecosystem

Ecosystem — A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

— Lexico

I assume you are well aware of what is meant with the Apple ecosystem. In short, all Apple products can cooperate really well with each other because their operating systems are intertwined. E.g. if you read a news article on your iPhone you can switch to you iPad with ease and read further from where you started. Everything is in sync, your calendar, mail, music, contacts, you name it.

Because everything works so well with each other, it gets naturally quite hard to get out of there. I did it for a few reasons.

1. The price tag of being in the ecosystem

When I was rocking my tech collection with an iPhone and iPad I did not have that much of an income. Hence, replacing older iPhones with newer ones were big expenses for me, but I still wanted the newest tech.

On top of that, whenever a charging cable broke (which was quite often) I had to replace it with a quite costy new lightning cable. Buying cheaper ones from online stores didn’t help that much because they were unlicensed and therefore garbage. I recognised that all the other Android phones all had the same, relatively cheap, universal charging cables. Charging cables I had plenty of at home as well, the temptation of leaving my iPhone started.

2. Innovation

One thing you try to ignore once you are in the ecosystem, is the innovation that is happening outside of your world. I started to get into tech, and I just saw that even older phones already had wireless fast charging, better cameras, better screens. Why was it that I was paying so much more, for a less better phone compared to Apple’s competitors ? The temptation grew even more.

3. Limitations

As my interest for tech started to grow, I also saw more possibilities and also more limitations. I was that geek in class that got everyone hooked with new beta editions of the newest iOS operating systems and if you wanted to jailbreak (open up your iPhone for more functions) your iPhone I was your guy.

A lot of features that I enabled through jailbreaking were just there on Android devices (customisation, kill open apps). I also sometimes wanted to download apps from other websites, that was possible on an Android! Apple is a quite closed system, not a lot is possible if you want to look further than the things that are given to you. So… I looked further.

I broke with my best friend Apple, a friend I was close with for years. My first phone was from Apple and up until that point I never cheated on her. To be fair there were no AirPods or HomePods back then, so the obstacles were not that high. I only had to say goodbye to the familiar interface, the synced music calendars and photo albums and just the easy functionality.

I liked my new friend, he was not that expensive to spend time with, the quality rose significantly and the possibilities were endless. Now a few years have passed, but a lot has changed in these years. I start to think back to how life was with my old Apple products. Everything was so simple, everything just worked, and that is what I am starting to miss. I am slowly longing back to that cozy ecosystem again.

1. Apple picked up the pace

If you now look at the newest iPhones and the newest Android flagships, there are little differences anymore. Wireless charging is basically the standard everywhere, screen quality is always on point no matter where you go and the same goes for overall performances. Rumour has it, that even the iPhone will have a USB-C charging port in the future. This all is starting to set the bar a bit lower for me to start looking back to what Apple is doing.

2. Products make the ecosystem worth it again

I have the feeling when I left apple, the ecosystem started to lose its value. With a bit more clicks I could sync my mail and calendar across devices after all and having syncred webbrowsers is fun, but not totally necessary and life changing. But now, with the breakthrough of Smart Home devices, Apple TV + and easy-to-connect-wireless headphones that compete with other audio-brands, it is starting to make the ecosystem more attractive again.

3. Differences are too small for the hassle

And lastly, the innovations between all the different Android devices starting to look so similar and minimal. It is almost not worth the hassle anymore of comparing tens of new devices when looking for a new phone. In that sense, I am quite jealous of people within the Apple ecosystem.

The thinking process of Apple users, stuck within the ecosystem, must look a bit like this (correct me if I’m wrong):

“I need to replace my iPhone 7? Ah well, I just get an iPhone X”.

“A new tablet? Why don’t I just take an iPad?”

“Wireless headphones? The AirPods are the perfect fit”.

Job done, little options, no stress, and the differences in quality compared to other competitors is minimal.

Of course, being this stuck in the ecosystem of one company is as dangerous as it sounds, but I kind of like the idea. Still I don’t think I am convinced enough to go back, it all comes down right now on pricing and freedom. I still like to be able to break free from the regular boundaries that a phone gives me, to tweak stuff on my phone. iPhones just don’t offer that for me…. yet.

What do you think? Are you also thinking of changing to Apple, or are you already a proud resident within the ecosystem? Let me know, I love to hear other experiences.