Prior to Albright's appointment, none of the judges in the Western District wanted patent cases. They openly and repeatedly said so. Patent cases were unreasonably slow in the district, and the judges essentially said "we don't like or want these types of cases."
As a former patent litigator, Albright wanted to make clear that the Western District now has a judge who welcomes those cases, as opposed to shunning them. It's also his area of expertise, and attorneys frequently complain that most judges are ill-equipped to conduct patent cases due to the specialization of that area the law.
The notion that Albright is a "patent troll" friend is incorrect. The clients he has represented are all there in public court filings. He has represented big tech (including Facebook). He has represented pharma companies. He has represented small companies. He has been on both the plaintiff and defendant side. I believe that most attorneys do not consider him to be pro "patent troll."
Apple is the primary litigant that wants to transfer out of Texas courts. The judge is only part of the reason. They also really want California juries.