Do not consider the hype – this Android cellphone will not assist Apple merchandise for lengthy

Regardless of being in tech information, I do not comply with China’s home smartphone market too intently. Lots of the telephones launched there’ll by no means attain the US or Canada, until maybe they’re imported by diehards, in order that they’re principally irrelevant to my viewers. One thing that caught my eye, although, was information about Vivo’s subsequent book-style foldable, the X Fold 5. An organization product supervisor not too long ago introduced that the cellphone will assist quite a lot of Apple applied sciences — together with the Apple Watch, which is often locked to iPhone possession, even when you purchase a mobile mannequin.

So what’s Vivo promising, and the way does this end-run round Apple’s walled backyard work? Particulars are mild in the mean time, however one factor’s for certain — do not count on Vivo to get away with this for lengthy until it is aware of one thing we do not about Apple’s plans.

How does the Vivo X Fold 5 work with Apple merchandise?

A pile of secrets and techniques

Based on the product supervisor, Han Boxiao, Apple Watch customers will be capable to see calls and texts from a paired X Fold 5. Shared imagery suggests that folks will be capable to reply calls from their Watch, but it surely’s much less clear if you’ll reply to texts. That is presumably the case — simply unconfirmed to date.

Vivo can also be promising that well being metrics from a Watch will be synced with the corporate’s well being app. Usually, the wearable depends on Apple’s HealthKit framework for syncing with each first- and third-party apps, so there have to be a software program workaround for extracting HealthKit knowledge.

Past the Apple Watch, Vivo is integrating iCloud into the X Fold 5’s file administration system. It is even promising some Continuity-style options for Mac house owners, corresponding to distant management, and the power to deal with their cellphone as an prolonged show. That second possibility is especially attention-grabbing, since Apple’s native equal — Sidecar — solely enables you to use an iPad, not an iPhone.

Boxiao lastly mentions assist for AirPods. It is already doable to pair AirPods with Android telephones, however on this case Vivo is supposedly delivering “the unique smoothness of the Apple ecosystem,” relatively than simply primary voice and playback features. Native Apple gadgets take pleasure in features like automated supply switching tied to your Apple Account.

As you could have gathered, Vivo has but to clarify the way it’s pulling any of this off. That is what leads me to suppose these options will likely be short-lived, given Apple’s insurance policies and observe file.

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Why the X Fold 5 will not be Apple-friendly for lengthy

The clock is ticking

For starters, the Apple Watch is supposed to be an iPhone halo system, and definitely operates that manner. Although individuals have managed to pair Watches with Android telephones prior to now — one thing Vivo’s seemingly constructing off of — that course of has all the time been convoluted, restricted, and unsupported by Apple. Historically, you’ve got wanted a cellular-equipped Watch, plus an iPhone for preliminary setup. Even as soon as a Watch is paired with an Android cellphone, many options might not work, amongst them SMS messaging and well being sync — two issues Vivo says it is bringing to the desk. I am not assured Vivo can ship on its guarantees, a lot much less in a manner that allows you to skip an iPhone totally.

It is impossible that Vivo has partnered with Apple. The X Fold 5 may launch as quickly as the top of June 2025, and but there was no point out of Android compatibility throughout Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9. The corporate does are likely to downplay its assist of Android with some merchandise, corresponding to Beats headphones and Apple Music, but it surely would not fully conceal one thing this vital, particularly if the purpose was to promote extra Apple Watches.

If something, Apple will in all probability do all it could actually to discourage Android customers from getting rival-supported Watch pairing, because the product retains individuals locked into its ecosystem. The Apple Watch is just not solely tightly built-in with iPhone options in a manner different smartwatches aren’t allowed, however creates a sunk-cost dilemma — when you’ve simply purchased an $800 Apple Watch Extremely 2, you are in all probability going to make your subsequent cellphone improve one other iPhone to keep away from the expense of changing two gadgets directly.

Apple may nicely attempt to sabotage something Vivo does that goes towards its norms. There’s robust precedent — the perfect lately being Beeper, which in 2023 managed to convey iMessage to Android telephones, just for Apple to intentionally break that performance on its finish. To at the present time, Apple contains many options in iMessage chats which can be meant to discourage you from switching to Android — and even having fun with group chats with Android customers, since a few of these options will not work if an Android consumer is current.

There is probably not a lot the corporate can do concerning the X Fold 5’s iCloud integration. Whereas there aren’t native Android apps for iCloud Drive or Images, these providers can all the time be accessed by way of the online — so all Vivo wants is a few form of bridge software program that you simply signal into along with your Apple Account.

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Might Vivo get the greenlight anyway?

Some closing ideas

Vivo / Pocket-lint

If there’s any likelihood of Vivo getting away with its plans, it lies in three issues. First is that Vivo is predicated in China — whereas Apple has its personal presence within the nation, it will in all probability be an uphill battle to get native courts to take motion. I am not that conversant in the Chinese language authorized system, however I do know that the nation is stuffed with merchandise that work round Western mental property. My very own Chinese language-made electrical unicycle is predicated off ideas initially patented by Segway.

Second, there is probably not any technical means Apple may use to undermine Vivo’s efforts. It’d attempt updating the HealthKit and iCloud frameworks, or plugging holes in watchOS, however these concepts are purely hypothetical for the second. It won’t even be definitely worth the sources, so far as Apple’s involved — X Fold 5 customers are solely going to get crippled variations of the options obtainable to iPhone house owners. There’s nonetheless a cause to go all-in on the Apple ecosystem, assuming you possibly can afford it.

Lastly, Apple won’t wish to be seen pushing the matter too exhausting. It is already below hearth for anti-competitive practices in North America and Europe, together with its remedy of the Apple Watch. Broader Android compatibility may even be inevitable some day, irrespective of how exhausting the corporate is keen to battle.

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