Android and iOS: From Differentiation to Convergence

Android and iOS, once fierce competitors, are becoming more and more like twins. Closed hardware, closed software ecosystem, design convergence and lack of personalized customization were once Apple's iconic features, but over the years, Android has gradually adopted these features. Let's take a look at the "iPhoneization" path of Android.

Android's "Wild West" era is gone

When Android first came out, it was in sharp contrast with Apple's iOS. Apple is closed source, while Android is open source. You can't easily unlock or jailbreak your iPhone, but you can root Android in seconds. When personalized customization on iOS is limited to rearranging icons, Android gives us the key to the "kingdom".

Sideloading applications, modification culture, easy access to the Play Store by independent developers, and applications that can be linked to other applications to build complex automation, as well as bold and experimental hardware concepts, making Android the "Linux" of the mobile phone industry (Android is built on the Linux kernel).

Around Android's openness and empowerment capabilities, a thriving community has been formed, which is unmatched by iOS and its closed ecosystem. Enthusiasts share resources and help each other on online forums. It was an era full of rebellion and passion.

However, it's all gone by. Almost all manufacturers lock in their hardware. You can't unlock the bootloader on most phones, and even if you manage to root your phone, it will almost certainly break banking apps and DRM-protected apps like Netflix. Android phones come with a feature called "Play Integrity API" which tells the app to "Don't trust this user" if the user roots or unlocks the phone.

Most of the communities surrounding Android modifications have died. There were fewer and fewer custom ROMs that could keep your phone running after the official manufacturer stopped supporting. Google is now also trying to cancel the sideload (more on that later).

OnePlus is a typical example of this transformation. The original OnePlus phone was a "flagship killer" that was powered by Cyanogen OS (based on the popular custom ROM CyanogenMod). It delivers on its promise because it does offer killer features at an affordable price. OnePlus encourages modifications and tweaks, which has won it many power users. The forum is always full of OnePlus discussions and resources.

OnePlus phones have little pre-installed software; it is easy to unlock and supports custom recovery options. Eventually, OnePlus merged with Chinese smartphone brand Oppo, and Oppo's customized Android skin (ColorOS) eroded OxygenOS. Then there is bootloader locking, more pre-installed software, missing software updates, and Apple-style ecosystem locking. Now it is almost impossible to unlock and root these phones.

The end of super personalized customization and adjustment

Full control of the phone hardware can bring customization and modification to the extreme. At that time, you can replace the phone's default firmware with a custom version of the Android operating system. These custom ROMs will have features that mainstream Android does not have. You can create snapshot backups of your entire phone, restore everything, and even include the layout of the home screen app.

Take CyanogenMod as an example. I used to have a Samsung Galaxy Europa that ran Android 2.2 (codenamed Android Froyo) with Samsung's TouchWiz skin installed on it. Officially, you can't upgrade the phone to Android Froyo afterward.

When Android Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.4) appeared, Samsung had already stopped supporting my phone. I really want to experience it, but as a cash-strapped middle school student, I can’t afford a brand new phone. So I did what anyone in my situation would do at the time: I rooted my phone and installed CyanogenMod (custom ROM based on Android ICS 4.4).

I remember the first time I saw the CyanogenMod splash screen on my old phone, I was so excited. In this way, my phone has Android ICS, and many features that the official Android 4.4 doesn't even have. CyanogenMod introduced custom application permissions before mainstream Android. It allows you to have granular control over the data and hardware that the app can access, just like you get on modern Android phones. It even has a kill switch that revokes Internet access to any app.

You can natively customize anything about the UI—fonts, icons, status bars, notification bars, lock screens, animations, widgets, remapping hardware keys, and more. On top of that, it made my old phone run much faster than on Samsung's Android version.

Even if you don't replace the entire operating system, you can use tools like Xposed to customize native firmware in a modular way. You can overclock or down the CPU, freeze the app to save battery life, reduce pre-installed software, and keep your phone like new long after the manufacturer stops support.

This spirit is total autonomy, as administrator-level access makes Android feel like a canvas, not just an operating system. I know Android is more perfect and powerful than ever, but it feels like it is curated rather than customized.

"iPhoneization" of Android hardware

This happened in a decade, so it’s easy to overlook, but our phones have lost a lot of features. Each smartphone used to have a reliable, universal headphone jack, an inexpensive, expandable microSD card slot, replaceable battery, FM radio chip and physical SIM card slot.

There are also some thoughtful designs that make life easier, such as notification LED lights, dedicated camera shutter buttons, or infrared transmitters (turning your phone into a remote control for a TV, air conditioning or audio system).

Manufacturers realize that if they cancel the port, they can sell more accessories, and that waterproof phones are cheaper without a removable battery. Today's Android phones are just sealed tablets with USB-C ports.

Android phones were also very easy to repair. You can pry the back panel with your fingernails and hot-swappable the battery. Similarly, you can change the camera, screen, buttons, charging ports, headphone jacks, and even the entire display. You only need a little technical knowledge and a small screwdriver. The community I mentioned earlier will provide you with all the resources you need for your phone repair and DIY modification.

To fix today's Android phones, you need years of training and dedicated tools. The phone is sealed and has a non-modular design, making it impossible to replace a single damaged component without replacing other components.

Manufacturers like Samsung are vigorously promoting "authorized repairs" in the style of Apple, and will restrict or disable features if they detect unauthorized repairs. Samsung even forced the repair shop to "disassemble" mobile phones with after-sales parts installed (not purchased by Samsung). Imagine sending your phone to a repair shop and coming back only to find it ruined.

Copy and paste design

The first smartphone I bought with my own money was the Huawei Y9s. It's special because it doesn't have ugly notches or holes in the display like every smartphone on the market today. The front camera is mounted on a pop-up module, giving you a completely undisturbed screen. Is it not practical? Yes. Did it end up breaking after four years of wear? So. But it is undoubtedly great and remains my favorite phone ever. There are also various modules.

Remember LG Wing? I've tested it recently in a used mobile phone store. It has a second display that can be rotated into a T-shaped shape. You can watch YouTube on one screen and scroll comments on another screen.

My cousin has a Samsung Beam. It looks like a regular phone, but it has a working projector built in. They even have a Samsung camera phone, which is actually a digital camera that pretends to be an Android phone.

HTC has released a phone that has a 3D camera and a 3D display for viewing 3D pictures. Sony has made a PlayStation Android phone, which has a slide-out gamepad. Then there are modular phones such as the Moto Z, Google's concept phones "Project Ara" and the LG G5. You can hot-swappable components (camera, battery, DAC) like Lego blocks and assemble your phone.

Android manufacturers take risks, even if risks don’t always bring rewards. This is brilliant.

Today, every Android phone is just a shiny tablet with a bunch of oversized camera lenses on the back. They all look the same and feel so old, even the same materials that make them.

On the back you'll see an ugly camera bulge, shaped and sized like a stove, which is true on every phone. If they continue to grow at this rate, we will soon use them as phone stands. Hey, there's finally a new feature! Then you turn it over and you will find another eye-bumping punch or notch that seeps into an otherwise gorgeous display.

Speaking of the display, I miss my little phone. Every smartphone today comes with a huge and bulky screen. The just-released Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen. The second phone I bought with my own money was a cheap Huawei P8 Lite. It has a 5-inch screen that fits perfectly in my palm and I can touch the four corners of the display with my thumb. It's small and beautiful. Please let us bring our cell phone back.

Google is increasing the difficulty of sideloading applications

One thing you can always show off to iOS fans is the ability to sideload any app on Android. As long as you can get the APK archive, you can install it on your phone. More importantly, you don't even have to rely on the Google Play Store to get your apps, as you can install dozens of alternative app stores that are available for Android users. Some of them offer purely open source, free applications. Google saw this and said, "Enough" and is now taking practical measures to weaken the sideloading capabilities on Android.

The Google Play Integrity API I mentioned earlier now forces Android users to reinstall sideloaded apps from the Google Play Store. However, at least so far, it depends on whether the developer wants to include this integrity check in their applications.

I don't want to exaggerate it and make it sound like Google's goal is to disable sideload completely. That said, there is a worrying pattern here, as Google is clearly working to get the Play Store to centrally control Android app distribution. It's already very difficult to cancel an Android phone with Google services because many of the apps we use every day rely on Google services to function properly. More and more warnings, increasingly stringent restrictions, and more hidden settings are emerging in the release of every Android version.

This will effectively make Android a closed garden for Google, making the operating system more refined and unified than it is now. For us, this means fewer options and fewer customization options.

Android has lost what initially made it unique. We geeks and enthusiasts have been so excited about the openness and freedom it offers. I don't remember the last time I was excited about a new Android version, phone or software. If I want to use iOS, I will buy an iPhone directly.

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