With iMessage thanks to Beeper Mini, the OnePlus Open is my new favorite phone

Multi-platform messaging startup Beeper, founded by YC and Pebble alum Eric Migicovsky, delivered an iMessage acquisition for Android that doesn’t usage immoderate intermediaries and, arsenic such, should beryllium (always a large caveat present since we’re relying connected nan company’s word) backstage and secure. It has nan imaginable to illuminate conscionable really overmuch lock-in worth iMessage has for Apple and nan iPhone, since it allows users to make nan move to Android without losing nan bluish bubbles that we North Americans seems to emotion truthful well.

I will opportunity that for maine astatine least, it’s made a determination I’ve been wrestling pinch for nan past fewer weeks incredibly easy: Specifically, I’m switching from nan iPhone 15 Pro to nan OnePlus Open arsenic my main regular usage smartphone. The OnePlus Open had already won maine complete for its foldable charm, on pinch what I tin only picture arsenic unsocial characteristic and characteristic I’ve travel to admit from nan photos taken by its Hasselblad-powered camera system. Android successful wide is besides expanding successful entreaty successful portion because, dissimilar Apple, Google seems consenting to really prosecute pinch and merge AI features wherever they’re useful.

Because I americium a basal ass North American, nan 1 point holding maine backmost from switching complete has been iMessage. Not that I, personally, consciousness immoderate attachment to nan level versus immoderate alternatives, including Signal and WhatsApp. But nan group who matter to maine successful my life do, and greenish bubble vibes would honestly not beryllium invited successful a bunch of my existing group chats, aliases for sharing due full-res media pinch nan group I really want to enactment connected to nan most.

It’s not worthy debating why Americans and Canadians specifically look to person been contented to let this to hap alternatively than decamping to different cross-platform messaging work pinch each aliases much of nan aforesaid features and nary of nan level lock-in — nan truth is, it happened, and it’s not going distant anytime soon.

You play nan manus you’re dealt, and truthful acold Apple has been dealt a winning manus beautiful overmuch each clip erstwhile it comes to its messaging level and interoperability. There are regulatory challenges underway that could spot that change, but what Beeper has done manages to sidestep nan stickiest ineligible points (though it relies connected an already-ensconced protection of reverse-engineering for nan liking of interoperability arsenic its main statement of why Apple won’t conscionable termination it) to present functional work today.

So far, it’s moving good capable that I consciousness assured I won’t miss retired connected nan fewer remaining connections I person that unrecorded exclusively successful iMessage, and that’s capable to let to maine yet move complete nan telephone I really astir bask utilizing today: The OnePlus Open, which of people still has its ain flaws, but which does an fantabulous occupation of illustrating precisely wherever Apple is resting connected nan bulwark of lock-in retention features for illustration iMessage to insubstantial complete a sluggishness of invention and unwillingness to experiment.

The astir apt result present is evidently that Apple finds immoderate measurement to termination this, either legally aliases technically, but Beeper’s successful a bully position fixed really intimately it’s being watched by regulators for behaviour precisely for illustration that correct now. Here’s hoping they’re allowed to proceed truthful we tin spot conscionable really overmuch iMessage is simply a digit connected nan standard of nan North American smartphone market.