iPhone market share as a percentage of installed base is rising. They’re selling fewer new phones because the old ones last longer. This is good for consumers. We’re keeping the phones longer, spending less on upgrading them and making less waste.
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Android Bosses iPhone in Smartphone Activation Market Share
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If flagships were 400 a pop (which is what they are worth to me), I would buy one every year.
New iPhone activations are down to a low not seen in the U.S. smartphone market for the last six years, according to a new Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report.
While CIRP notes that Apple's installed smartphone base is higher than recorded activations, the figures show its share of new iPhone activations fell from 40% to 33% over the past year, suggesting a shift away from the higher market shares Apple enjoyed in previous years.
Historically, around the time when competitors like Blackberry and Windows phones were more prevalent, iPhone's activation share hovered around one-third. This increased steadily until the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when various factors contributed to a spike in activations. However, Apple's iPhone share appears to have reverted to its long-term average, with two out of three new smartphone activations now from Android devices.
CIRP suggests the decline is due to the increased price of modern smartphones as well as better durability. While innovation has slowed, there has been a shift from two-year subsidized purchases to more transparent buying plans, which has prompted consumers to hold onto their devices for longer. This trend appears to impact iPhone sales more significantly than those of Android devices, suggesting Apple may need to adjust its strategy to regain market momentum.
The report covers a 12-month period ending each quarter and includes data from CIRP's quarterly survey of mobile phone customers. The aim of this approach is to remove the seasonal spikes typically associated with new device launches and holiday sales, providing a clearer view of ongoing trends, according to the firm.
Article Link: Android Bosses iPhone in Smartphone Activation Market Share
It's only a matter of time before they get a big downturn in sales across every product line, no Steve Jobs to save them this time. I was purchasing iPhones every year too up until the 13 Pro Max too. They are now deploying the same shameless tactics across Macs and iPads, nickel and timing customers.
I have shifted back to Windows as I am actually getting what I should be for the money I am paying. A top end PC will still destroy anything Apple can offer in terms of M series chips currently. I was pleasantly surprised that Windows is actually a lot better than when I last used it in 2004.
They have alienated long term customers like myself with their poor business ethics. I was happy to spend my £4000 elsewhere on a decent desktop.
I have kept with the iPhone as a lot of friends and family use them but recently I am very tempted to make the move over to a top end Android phone as well.
But also a very true fact.
In business its always price, end of story. They're pricing themselves into oblivion and customers are starting to notice the nickel and diming strategies they have employed.
Agree with everything and I am pretty much the same. Recently came back over to Windows and with a few Apple products thrown in.
One thing I will add is that Tim Cook is responsible for allowing dividends to be paid to shareholders again which means they are always wanting more profit and allowing them to drive the direction of the company. Under Steve Jobs he never paid any dividends from the time he came back until his death. He kept all the money in the bank for R&D and products.
Paying dividends was like one of the first things Tim Cook did when he took over. You could see his intentions from day one.
Also 2017 is when the customer value for money spent plummeted. The release of the iPhone X saw a £450 increase over the 7 Plus which it replaced. There was no justification for this increase and prices have just gone up from there ever since.
I've been amazed how well Windows 11 runs and how the whole feel of the OS has improved since I last used it in 2004.
Maybe people have just realized they can use their iPhones for longer. Especially when they buy them at full neverlocked price
I think it would mess up Apple’s supply chain.
While each model may seem like it contains only incremental improvements compared to the previous year, the people upgrading may very well be holding on to phones that are 3-4 years old. As such, they don’t really care that the iPhone 15 only has a handful of new features over the iPhone 14. They care that it has 3-4 years of cumulative upgrades from their current iPhone 11 or 12. This is the one bugbear I have with many iPhone reviews. The writers assume the user in question is upgrading annually; most aren’t.
At the same time, you don’t want a situation where there is massive pent up demand for a new iPhone every 2 years, followed by cooling demand for the next 1.5 years. That’s a lot of wasted manufacturing capacity and a ton of volatility in Apple’s earnings.
From a demand perspective, there’s probably enough users ready and willing to upgrade every year to justify releasing a new phone annually.
Before they started making 4 different models of iPhone a year they only released one version of iPhone. It contained all the latest features and build quality. Customers previously never had to make any sacrifices when it came to iPhone.
Now they split models by features just to scam their customers of more money.
If they returned to this single iPhone model for example, you would be getting the 15 Pro Max at the base iPhone 15 price point which currently starts at £799.
1) Notifications are not as good on iOS. Calling them a joke is childish.
2) I make my homescreen my own on iOS. I do not know what you’re
talking about here.
3) I prefer WebKit but this is once again personal preference.
4) File management is equal on both in my opinion.
5) I never cared about or desired a back button. It is redundant. Once again that is my opinion.
Nobody is captive to an ecosystem. That has always been an absurd claim. You have not achieved freedom with your phone. You have achieved phone ownership with your phone. The bottom line is everything you feel about your android is opinion. It is no different for how everyone else feels about their things. Thanks much for sharing things you like. Just remember that is all they are.
Apple has reached great heights before, then verged on bankruptcy.
What made them reach that low point? Exactly the same sales tactics they are using today.
They are already failing in China with a 20% drop in sales, India isn't much better for them. Both countries are extremely price sensitive.
They've now milked the EU countries to a point where consumers have had enough.
Under Steve Jobs Apple paid zero dividends to its shareholders. So he never worked to satisfy the shareholders. Tim Cook paid dividends within a year of him becoming CEO, opening the door for greed and pushing their need for large profits over the core values of the company which is great products.
Steve's mantra was great products at reasonable prices. Said it himself in an interview you can look it up on YouTube. He even points out high overpriced products as the reason Apple failed after he left.
Just shows the different mindset between him and Tim Cook. Tim Cook could never have built Apple he is hanging on the coattails of Steve Jobs legacy.
Having been a PC and Mac guy for decades I share this sentiment. These days, macOS (to me) is more a pain to use than Windows. macOS is full of nags to install or sign up for services/subscriptions/bloatware. Trying to force updates on me, heavy-handedly pushing you into their AppStore, further locking you into their eco system etc.
This particularly makes me laugh, being from Apple themselves a long time ago and where they are now.
I'm inclined to disagree - different platforms have different ways of getting you stuck to them. It just so happens that iOS is 'stickier' than Android is.
For example, I am (more or less happily?) stuck to iOS because of things like iMessage, Find my People, and iCloud's password manager. Granted, I could switch from all of these independently, but at great inconvenience and to the displeasure of my family.
There's less friction moving to iOS from Android because Google treats iOS as a first-class customer. As soon as you switch, though, iOS gets it's teeth into you.
Though, all of this is a distinctly American issue.
But at the time you were getting a truly revolutionary product. The entire smartphone market today stems from that device. When I bought the first iPhone in 2007 I didn't feel I was being robbed of my money like I am today.
Serious question, what features people use daily on Android that are missing in iOS ?
lot of my friends say i can install any ROM i want, i can slide load apps, but most people don't caee or have time for these.
Funny, Apple's reputation from day one has been that its devices are more expensive than the competition, because they are seen as more "premium." So though you say it's "always price, end of story," clearly it is not. People who buy Apple devices rather than HPs, Dells, Samsungs, Motorolas or Googles are willing to bite the bullet and pay more, because they feel they get more. It's been that way for decades.
If you want a cheaper device, you shop elsewhere. Apple doesn't play in the same sandbox as the brands aimed at price-sensitive shoppers.
The S24 Ultra blows away the iPhone 15 Pro Max in design and AI. Hopefully Apple can improve the design significantly and make the iPhone smart for once.
The only two things I miss about Android...
1. Google Assistant is far more useful in answering questions. Siri is only good for googling stuff. (This may change with AI implementation in IOS18.. we will see).
2. Android's notification system is far superior.
I still much prefer IOS, but I do miss those things from Android.
It's an indication of sales. iPhone might enjoy having a high market share (especially in the US), but I'm sure they'd prefer to be selling more phones.
1. I dont understand the people who upgrade their phones every year. You should be able to get at least 3-4 years out of your phone.
2. At this point, what more innovation can be expected from an iPhone (or any smartphone, for that matter)? That period of major advances in the early years of these phones is over, and now we are at a plateau because the phones are pretty damn good for most people's usage. I doubt there's any reasonable demand that couldn't be met by some phone on the market.
2. At this point, what more innovation can be expected from an iPhone (or any smartphone, for that matter)? That period of major advances in the early years of these phones is over, and now we are at a plateau because the phones are pretty damn good for most people's usage. I doubt there's any reasonable demand that couldn't be met by some phone on the market.