The dream of an iPhone running Android is real

Android and iOS fans are known to occasionally disagree when it comes to their choice of mobile OS. Earlier this year, developer Nick Lee finally saw a way to end these years of conflict, designing a solution that allowed an iOS device to dual-boot into Android by means of a custom case. The case, which contained an enclosed circuit board running a modified version of Android Marshmallow, combined with an app that allowed the iPhone to boot the Android OS.

Now, Chinese company Haimawan has taken it a step further, with the launch of their MESUIT case. Like Lee’s earlier version, it houses hardware that runs a MESUIT-skinned version of the Android OS, and uses a custom built app to allow the iPhone to display it. The MESUIT also adds an external battery (either 1,700mAh or 2,500mAh) and an additional 16GB of storage space in the enclosure. The case also contains a second Nano SIM slot meant to allow ease of use with the Android OS. The MESUIT however, does lack some features that Lee’s homebuilt case offered, with no SD card, HDMI, or full-size USB ports.

But while Lee’s case was an interesting project, Haimawan’s MESUIT case is a commercial product, and is available for sale in China from Haimawan subsidiary Jijia’s website for ¥999.00 (approximately $150) the iPhone 6 / 6S model, or ¥1099.00 (approximately $165) for the larger iPhone 6 Plus / 6S Plus. Haimawan has not yet announced if the MESUIT will be available outside of China.