Poll: Would you buy the iPhone 17 if it ran Android?

The iPhone 17 series is one of Apple’s most ambitious releases in recent years. It includes notable upgrades to the base iPhone 17, a new design for the iPhone 17 Pro, and an all-new iPhone Air that feels great in your hand. If Apple’s current delivery times are any indication, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro are off to a great start, delivering great upgrades for older iPhone users. Those of us using an Android flagship probably won’t be moving to the iPhone 17 series, partly because of our loyalty to Android. But what if the iPhone 17 series ran Android instead of iOS? Would you consider buying one instead of a flagship from Samsung or Google?

For the sake of this discussion, we’ll assume that the iPhone 17 series’ hardware (and its performance) remains unchanged even if it runs Android. That means users will still get access to the Apple A19 and A19 Pro SoCs, which are among the fastest smartphone processors. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is here to give it some competition, but if history is any indication, the A17 Pro will likely maintain its lead. For Android users looking for pure, breakthrough performance, this hypothetical Android-based iPhone 17 Pro would be the ideal phone to buy. The iPhone 17 series also starts with 256GB of storage, which should help justify the price compared to its Android peers.

Although Apple is several years late, the iPhone 17’s 120Hz display is impressive, especially considering it has the same specs as the iPhone 17 Pro. While Apple could push for a higher refresh rate or resolution for the 17 series, the current specs are somewhere between practicality and overkill for most users.

Then there’s the camera, which we have to assume would perform just as well on Android as it does on iOS. All rear cameras in the iPhone 17 series are now 48MP sensors. Current Android flagships, especially from Chinese OEMs, come with much better hardware, and flagships expected to arrive in the near future will push the boundaries even further. For photos, Android flagships from Chinese OEMs lead the charge, but this hypothetical iPhone 17 Pro on Android would still be one of the best for video recording and social media use.

You could say that people buy an iPhone mainly because of iOS, and that there are already much better phones that run Android. However, the iPhone is not completely defined by iOS; Apple also excels in other areas, such as customer experience, after-sales service and brand equity. The popularity of iPhones has also led to a thriving accessory ecosystem for the iPhone, unmatched by anything on the Android side. This hypothetical iPhone 17 running Android would also continue to benefit from these features.

To spice up the discussion, we assume that the Android-based iPhone 17 would also benefit from exclusive iOS features like iMessage – a feature that won’t be available to its Android counterparts. After all, it would still be an Apple product. We also assume that it would fit very well into Apple’s existing hardware and software ecosystem, allowing you to use an Apple Watch, for example. This advantage would again not be available to its Android colleagues. To keep things fair, ecosystem-exclusive features from other Android OEMs wouldn’t be available on this iPhone either. Therefore, don’t expect to use Pixel’s AI goodies here or Samsung’s ecosystem.

We also assume that the Android version of the iPhone 17 series would be priced the same as the actual iPhone 17 series. That means the iPhone 17 with Android would start at $829, and the iPhone 17 Pro with Android would start at $1,099.

So, would you buy an iPhone 17 if it ran Android? Which phone from the series would you consider at the existing prices? What feature would be most attractive to you in a hypothetical Android-based iPhone 17, aside from the operating system? If you weren’t switching to the Android-based iPhone 17, what would be your reasons? For context, what is your current phone? Vote in the poll above and let us know more in the comments below!