I keep reading this is “a US issue”. It isn’t and it isn’t just iMessage. In Japan, walk up and down the crowds in the subway and an astounding majority of people have an iPhone. Most people are using Line to message. There’s more to it than blue text bubbles.
Japanese are really loyal to iPhones in all ways. In Hong Kong many people have an iPhone personally (something around 40%), but for company-subsidized phones, almost 100% are Android (excluding Apple Store)
In Europe 66% of smarthphone users have an Android . And as someone who lives in Europe I can say that I only rarely see Iphones.
Thats mainly beacuse most people watch reviews and look at the specs. And lot of people feel that Apple is too expensive and you can get similar specs for 3/4 or half the price.
Samsung and Google phones drop so hard in price in the EU 1 year after release that you can get them for a half the price of an Iphone.
Over the years Apple has fixed a lot of the annoyances that Android users had with iOS, and meanwhile Google has locked down Android, implemented measures to prevent rooting/customization, made all their apps a constant A/B/C/D test controlled by server-side flags that constantly rearrange your UIs and prevent the ability to sideload specific app versions, been less generous with the free service offerings, and repeatedly shut down, re-launch, re-brand, and overhaul all their apps and services.
I miss the rooting/jailbreaking days it was fun to learn how the software and hardware functioned in unison with each other why side loads would or wouldn’t work. And honestly most the stuff that people consider cool or just take for granted on the iPhone now or only available through jailbreaks on the earlier models!
That is so true!!! Constant ui changes in google apps are fucking infuriating. One day for 24 hours I even had COMPLETELY missing watch later playlist on YouTube and I use it all the time.
Yeah this is one of my biggest issues with Google overall: they’re wildly inconsistent. Apple’s apps mostly stay the same, FaceTime is just FaceTime and has been forever. Google on the other hand changes which app they’re pushing in any given category like every couple of years and it’s incredibly annoying. Every time I check back in it’s like the apps are either designed in a totally different way, called something different out of nowhere, or totally deprecated and replaced with another app.
I got tired of all that treatment after years and years of using different types of Android devices. The update scenario didn’t help either, even though Samsung has done massive strides to improve in that aspect.
Samsung totally ignores their low end phones. In fact, if you’re on Android, expect one, maybe two OS updates in your phone’s lifetime before you have to replace it.
Google has locked down Android, implemented measures to prevent rooting/customization
Believe it or not, this is something that kept me from switching to Android at a time a few years back when my Apple products were beginning to bore me.
I absolutely hate Samsung’s UI and Pixel battery life is horrible, custom ROMs used to fix most of this, without it, I’ll never consider switching.
Google has locked down Android, implemented measures to prevent rooting/customization
True that, especially with Samsung. The last time I read, Samsung has some sort of “e-fuse” in their security chip that destroys itself if you install an unauthorised OS version and voids your warranty, blocks Samsung Pay, and blocks their “Secure Folder” feature. At least Samsung has Goodlock. Which is blocked from running on my phone (a Samsung M52, so it is faster than newer Samsungs that support Goodlock).
made all their apps a constant A/B/C/D test controlled by server-side flags that constantly rearrange your UIs and prevent the ability to sideload specific app versions
Is this specific to Google’s implementation of the Android UI? This isn’t an issue on my Samsung.
been less generous with the free service offerings, and repeatedly shut down, re-launch, re-brand, and overhaul all their apps and services.
True that, that’s why the only Google services I use (besides ones my university requires) are YT, Gmail, Maps, and Play Store.
Is this specific to Google’s implementation of the Android UI? This isn’t an issue on my Samsung besides it blocking older apps due to system architecture issues.
I’m referring to the Google apps themselves (Google Play, Gmail, YouTube, etc). They enable/disable UIs based on server-side flags, it happens on all devices regardless of manufacturer.
I watched a video recently which also said that reasons for Android losing ground to Apple is that the products have become more like each other. Android used to be seen as the cheap alternative to the expensive iPhone. But nowadays flagship Androids are just as expensive, if not moreso, than flagship iPhones. Apple also offer a much cheaper version of the iPhone which is comparable in price to low-to-mid-level Androids. Not to mention the fact that the longer OS support of Apple means that buying a cheap second-hand iPhone is easier and easier.
Couple that with the fact that, as you say, Androids are becoming less customisable while iPhones are becoming more customisable, and all the reasons that people used to choose Android are becoming less and less true and/or relevant.
Also removing the microSD slot from the flagship phones.
I used to laugh at how the Apple was the only manufacturer that forced you to pay $200 for every $15 worth of storage. Not much to laugh about anymore since Android flagships keep insisting on copying & pasting Apple’s militant anti-consumerism.
implemented measures to prevent rooting/customization
This part isn’t true. Google Pixels (just like Nexus) are the only Androids out there (other than Fairphone) that allow you to sign and re-lock the bootloader after installing Calyx or Graphene. And you can even install Graphene using webUSB now.
That said, I agree on the rest. While Apple was adding CardDAV and CalDAV, true NFC support, shortcuts, and SMB, Androids were dumbing-down its interface, and removing the 3.5mm jack and the dedicated fingerprint scanners.
Now iPhones have USB C, and iOS will be getting sideloading. All I have left to miss is the back button, notification panel, GBoard, and ability to turn off blocking animations.
Android alienated its power users to (fail) to court iPhone users, while Apple successfully did the opposite, courting power users. It’s worse recent sins are removing force-touch and the SIM slot.
The problem in the US, especially K-12, is the dominance of iMessage in all forms of groupchat. Teens use iMessage in the US just like people use Line in Japan, WhatsApp in EU, etc.
It’s a social class issue; the lowest end new Androids are about $50, the cheapest new iPhones are $430.
I keep reading this is “a US issue”. It isn’t and it isn’t just iMessage. In Japan, walk up and down the crowds in the subway and an astounding majority of people have an iPhone. Most people are using Line to message. There’s more to it than blue text bubbles.
Worldwide 71% of smartphone users have an Android
In Europe 66% of smarthphone users have an Android . And as someone who lives in Europe I can say that I only rarely see Iphones.
A lot of people feel that Apple is too expensive and you can get similar specs for 3/4 or half the price.
Samsung and Google phones drop so hard in price in the EU 1 year after release that you can get them for a half the price of an Iphone.
While Iphones don’t have huge price drops after release
People like to upvote opinions but fact disprove it. Pixels market share going up a LOT and iPhone is going down. Try again
Can confirm. Living in Japan and using iphone right now. Even for company-subsidized work phones, they will be iphones most of the time.
Japanese are really loyal to iPhones in all ways. In Hong Kong many people have an iPhone personally (something around 40%), but for company-subsidized phones, almost 100% are Android (excluding Apple Store)
Worldwide 71% of smartphone users have an Android
In Europe 66% of smarthphone users have an Android . And as someone who lives in Europe I can say that I only rarely see Iphones.
Thats mainly beacuse most people watch reviews and look at the specs. And lot of people feel that Apple is too expensive and you can get similar specs for 3/4 or half the price.
Samsung and Google phones drop so hard in price in the EU 1 year after release that you can get them for a half the price of an Iphone.
Over the years Apple has fixed a lot of the annoyances that Android users had with iOS, and meanwhile Google has locked down Android, implemented measures to prevent rooting/customization, made all their apps a constant A/B/C/D test controlled by server-side flags that constantly rearrange your UIs and prevent the ability to sideload specific app versions, been less generous with the free service offerings, and repeatedly shut down, re-launch, re-brand, and overhaul all their apps and services.
Google does a pretty good job at selling iPhones.
Honestly, as much as I am split with the impending sideloading, it’s one of the few things I still miss about Android.
I miss the rooting/jailbreaking days it was fun to learn how the software and hardware functioned in unison with each other why side loads would or wouldn’t work. And honestly most the stuff that people consider cool or just take for granted on the iPhone now or only available through jailbreaks on the earlier models!
Yep. Jailbreakers got us the first app store. Before that, Jobs wanted every “app” to be a webapp :(
Don’t forget the selling of your data.
they are not selling your data, that would be dumb
That is so true!!! Constant ui changes in google apps are fucking infuriating. One day for 24 hours I even had COMPLETELY missing watch later playlist on YouTube and I use it all the time.
Yeah this is one of my biggest issues with Google overall: they’re wildly inconsistent. Apple’s apps mostly stay the same, FaceTime is just FaceTime and has been forever. Google on the other hand changes which app they’re pushing in any given category like every couple of years and it’s incredibly annoying. Every time I check back in it’s like the apps are either designed in a totally different way, called something different out of nowhere, or totally deprecated and replaced with another app.
I got tired of all that treatment after years and years of using different types of Android devices. The update scenario didn’t help either, even though Samsung has done massive strides to improve in that aspect.
Samsung totally ignores their low end phones. In fact, if you’re on Android, expect one, maybe two OS updates in your phone’s lifetime before you have to replace it.
Believe it or not, this is something that kept me from switching to Android at a time a few years back when my Apple products were beginning to bore me.
I absolutely hate Samsung’s UI and Pixel battery life is horrible, custom ROMs used to fix most of this, without it, I’ll never consider switching.
True that, especially with Samsung. The last time I read, Samsung has some sort of “e-fuse” in their security chip that destroys itself if you install an unauthorised OS version and voids your warranty, blocks Samsung Pay, and blocks their “Secure Folder” feature. At least Samsung has Goodlock. Which is blocked from running on my phone (a Samsung M52, so it is faster than newer Samsungs that support Goodlock).
Is this specific to Google’s implementation of the Android UI? This isn’t an issue on my Samsung.
True that, that’s why the only Google services I use (besides ones my university requires) are YT, Gmail, Maps, and Play Store.
I’m referring to the Google apps themselves (Google Play, Gmail, YouTube, etc). They enable/disable UIs based on server-side flags, it happens on all devices regardless of manufacturer.
I watched a video recently which also said that reasons for Android losing ground to Apple is that the products have become more like each other. Android used to be seen as the cheap alternative to the expensive iPhone. But nowadays flagship Androids are just as expensive, if not moreso, than flagship iPhones. Apple also offer a much cheaper version of the iPhone which is comparable in price to low-to-mid-level Androids. Not to mention the fact that the longer OS support of Apple means that buying a cheap second-hand iPhone is easier and easier.
Couple that with the fact that, as you say, Androids are becoming less customisable while iPhones are becoming more customisable, and all the reasons that people used to choose Android are becoming less and less true and/or relevant.
What? You can root pixel phones, nothing is locked down on androids
Also removing the microSD slot from the flagship phones.
I used to laugh at how the Apple was the only manufacturer that forced you to pay $200 for every $15 worth of storage. Not much to laugh about anymore since Android flagships keep insisting on copying & pasting Apple’s militant anti-consumerism.
This part isn’t true. Google Pixels (just like Nexus) are the only Androids out there (other than Fairphone) that allow you to sign and re-lock the bootloader after installing Calyx or Graphene. And you can even install Graphene using webUSB now.
That said, I agree on the rest. While Apple was adding CardDAV and CalDAV, true NFC support, shortcuts, and SMB, Androids were dumbing-down its interface, and removing the 3.5mm jack and the dedicated fingerprint scanners.
Now iPhones have USB C, and iOS will be getting sideloading. All I have left to miss is the back button, notification panel, GBoard, and ability to turn off blocking animations.
Android alienated its power users to (fail) to court iPhone users, while Apple successfully did the opposite, courting power users. It’s worse recent sins are removing force-touch and the SIM slot.
Same in Paris
The problem in the US, especially K-12, is the dominance of iMessage in all forms of groupchat. Teens use iMessage in the US just like people use Line in Japan, WhatsApp in EU, etc.
It’s a social class issue; the lowest end new Androids are about $50, the cheapest new iPhones are $430.
As of November 2022 India had 1.2bn cell phone users and 600MM smart phone users.
The combined population of the US and Japan (total, not just cell phone users) is ~455MM.