When you think of Android, you think open-source, right? And when you think of Apple, you think walled-garden. That’s long been Apple’s defining characteristic. It’s a double-edged sword that, depending on who you ask, might leave users satisfied or dissatisfied. It’s primarily the reason why most iPhone users also buy almost every other Apple product.
The reason for this is that when you buy into the Apple ecosystem, everything works seamlessly. No more digging through the settings just to get a particular feature to work. However, that only works if your friends or colleagues also buy into the Apple ecosystem.
In recent years, with all the heat that Apple has been taking from the European Union (EU), the walls are beginning to show cracks. First, it started with Google’s strides in cross-platform compatibility with Pixel devices. Now, Samsung has also been making moves to bridge the gap.
Samsung Expands the Bridge
Samsung phones’ ability to AirDrop files to iPhones and iPads started out with the recently launched flagship Galaxy S26 Series. Through the Quick Share app, S26 users can send files directly to iPhones and iPads without needing the other party to install a third-party app.
In an effort to double down on that feature, Samsung is now expanding its net to include the following phones:
- Galaxy S25 Series
- Galaxy S24 Series
- Galaxy S23 Series
- Galaxy S22 Series
- Galaxy Z Fold 7
And instead of baking it into the whole OS, users of the aforementioned phones can avail of the feature through an update for the Quick Share app.
The Catch
Although Samsung is rolling out the updates on the series I mentioned, the feature can sometimes be hit-or-miss. Users have reported seeing the update, even going as far as seeing the option to “Share with Apple devices,” but finding it non-functional.
Samsung seems to be flipping the switch gradually, activating it not just on the app side but also on the server side of things. So, make of that what you will.
Is the Walled Garden Finally Falling?
The Samsung AirDrop feature comes after a series of industry shifts aimed at interoperability, with the biggest being RCS adoption. RCS, or Rich Communication Services, brings high-res media and read receipts to green-bubble chats, meaning no more “Green vs. Blue” battle.
The changes also led to Google and Samsung merging “Nearby Share” and “Quick Share” into one brand to better compete with AirDrop. Because of that, Google has been aggressive in marketing its cross-platform compatibility to lure iPhone users away from iOS.
Why This Matters
The wall is still there, no doubt about that. But these changes are slowly chipping away at that walled garden approach. If this continues, the incentive to stay in a single ecosystem collapses, opening the floodgates for Android phones.
Regardless, there are still plenty of features in which Apple has a monopoly, including Apple Watch integration and iCloud Keychain, most of which keep users hooked to the ecosystem. Not to mention the quality with which it is implemented. Sure, Android phone companies have achieved a lot in the last few years, but their implementation sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.
It’ll be exciting to see what other features Android phone companies will implement to chip away at Apple’s notorious walled garden.