Upon switching from an iPhone to Android, CEO Chetan Mahajan discovered significant price differences for the same apps. He found a data transfer tool cost 13 times more on Apple’s App Store.
When Chetan Mahajan, Founder and CEO of The Mavericks, decided to switch from his iPhone to an Android, he expected a smooth transition. What he didn’t expect was a 20-day struggle — and a shocking discovery about how much extra Apple users actually pay for the same apps.
In a candid LinkedIn post that’s now gone viral, Mahajan shared how moving his WhatsApp chat history nearly pushed him to give up. “Ten failed attempts, multiple iCloud backups, two phones in my pocket, and countless factory resets later, I was ready to give up,” he wrote.
The Big Price Shock
Generative AI eventually came to his rescue, recommending a tool called MobileTrans to transfer his WhatsApp data. The app worked — but came at a price. Mahajan paid Rs 2,499 per month for it on the Apple App Store.
Days later, curiosity led him to check the same app on Android. The cost? Just Rs 186.
“Same app, same experience, 13x difference,” Mahajan wrote, summarising his disbelief.
It didn’t stop there. YouTube Premium, he noticed, cost Rs 389 on Apple and Rs 299 elsewhere. The more he looked, the more he realised he’d been paying 30% more for the same experience — not for better features, but simply for being on the Apple ecosystem.
“Transparency Is Underrated”
The discovery led Mahajan to reflect on something deeper. “Transparency is so underrated — whether in tech, business, or relationships,” he said, adding that true trust comes from knowing what you’re paying for and why.
Switching to Android, he said, made him feel “seen for who I really am, not a type defined by a device, but a user, a consumer, a person with choice.”
While Mahajan still uses his iPad, MacBook, and AirPods, he admitted that the emotional connection he once had with Apple products isn’t the same anymore.
“Freedom isn’t about the phone you hold; it’s about being treated fairly for what you’re worth,” he concluded.
His post has since struck a chord with thousands of users online, many echoing his sentiment about the “Apple tax”, the hidden markup iPhone users often pay on app subscriptions.