In my life, there were as many as three stages of attachment to Apple technology. The first – when I bought an iPad, the second – when I moved from Android to iPhone, and the third – when he abandoned the PC in favor of the Mac. Perhaps, I got a stronger foothold on apple devices only when I subscribed to most of the company’s proprietary services. So what? I had no intention of going anywhere else, and my iPhones, iPads and Macs, which I periodically updated, made me very happy for many years in a row. The last such purchase was the iPad Air 4, which I bought right on February 24, and then I thought that it would probably be better to buy Huawei after all.
As much as I love Apple technology, however convenient it may be, I have to admit that this company has treated me and millions of others like me in the worst possible way. She not only betrayed the trust of her users, but actually staged a real diversion against us, first banning direct payments in the App Store, and then turning off Apple Pay in Russia.
Should I buy an iPhone now?
Why this is so important, I think no one needs to explain. After all, in addition to the obvious convenience contactless payment, Apple Pay was a regular feature of any modern iPhone, for which we also paid. And Apple simply decided unilaterally and without prior notice to cut the capabilities of its devices, which is directly contrary to the law.
As a result, those who had the imprudence to spend hundreds of thousands of rubles on Apple technology, literally left with nothing. No, in Cupertino, of course, they have not blocked our devices at all, have not banned their activation, and have not even turned off the App Store. But, firstly, the existing prohibitions are already enough for dissatisfaction, and, secondly, as they say, it’s not over yet. According to rumors, Apple is discussing the possibility of introducing further restrictions against Russian users.
Naturally, in such scenarios buy something from Apple today is extremely reckless for several reasons:
- First, in this way we still express Apple supportwhich has already demonstrated that it wanted to spit on us;
- Secondly, we obviously overpay, and not so much because of the growth of the dollar, but because of the disabling of some functions like Apple Pay;
- Thirdly, the possible introduction of further restrictions and the risk of complete shutdown iPhone and other devices hangs over us like a sword of Damocles.
Android smartphones – obviously not a way out of the situation. In the end, because access to Google Play for owners of devices sold in Russia was also limited, and the likelihood blocking Google Mobile Services nothing less than disabling the App Store and the iPhone itself. Therefore, we need smartphones that will have the openness and functionality of Android, but at the same time remain free of Google services that can be forced to turn off.
Which is better: Android or iPhone
Android smartphones without Google services in Russia, unlike China, there are not very many, and good Android smartphones without Google services can generally be counted on the fingers. Naturally, we are talking about Huawei devices, which continue to be in the top sales in the Russian market. Their manufacturer was able not only to abandon Google Mobile Serivices and replace them with their own counterpart, but also to withstand the onslaught of US sanctions.
For us, this resilience is of decisive importance. There are also several reasons for this:
Due to the sanctions, Huawei was forced to create its own AppGallery app store, which today can be considered one of the most successful and popular after Google Play. Almost all the same applications are available there as in the catalog of the search giant, with the exception of the software of American developers who are prohibited from cooperating with Huawei.
Because in AppGallery there are no popular apps, Huawei has developed its own APK file aggregator called Petal Search. You can read more about it at this link. But, in short, it allows you to find and quickly install the program of any developer, including American studios like WhatsApp, Snapchat, YouTube, etc. no limits.
The very fact that Huawei devices were not forcibly shut down speaks less of Google’s mercy than of the Chinese company’s ability to resist it. After all, as you know, Android smartphone manufacturers can make any changes to Android, which means that if the original OS assembly had a mechanism for forced blocking of devices, Huawei most likely removed it from there.
Which Huawei smartphone is better
But Huawei smartphones are still Android smartphones with all their advantages. For example, contactless payment still works here. True, not through Google Pay, but through MirPay and SberPay. But from a practical point of view, the name of the service you pay for does not matter at all. The main thing that can pay by phone and you don’t need to carry a card with you.
Huawei does not have the widest assortment for a Chinese manufacturer, but there are still plenty to choose from. It offers both frankly inexpensive devices and top-end flagships on high-performance hardware and with the most advanced technological features. What is it worth foldable Huawei P50 Pocketwhich costs about the same as the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Here are a few models that are really not ashamed to purchase:
What exactly to take, of course, is up to you to decide. However, even buying the cheapest smartphone, you are guaranteed not to break off, because Huawei even entry-level devices support fast charging, work amazingly fast and without lags thanks to their own EMUI firmware, and the level of photo and video shooting of branded devices can really compete with modern iPhones. So keep it up.