Apple's Popularity With Gen Z Poses Challenges for Android

[bluecoast]

Yeah. When you look at the stats we actually have a high percentage of iphone users. Always at least 50%. Latest stats say 52% but iMessage is just not a thing. Everyone is on WhatsApp. The only person I use iMessage with is my mum. All the other iphone users I communicate with it’s via WhatsApp.

Yeah, that tallies with my experience - WhatsApp is the 'lingua franca' of group messaging in the UK (which I'm left out of as I don't like Meta!).

So it's funny when I read accounts such as in the source article from the US where 'no one wants to be the green bubble in a iMessage group messaging thread'...

...I think that most iPhone users in the UK don't even know that iMessage group chat is a thing (as per above, they just use WhatsApp for that).

And as you say, similar to you and your mum, the blue bubble is just something that appears when you message a friend/relative who happens to have an iPhone too - it's not something that people actively look to do.

 

[SmugMaverick]

In the UK the only time I get an iMessage is some form of official notification eg a delivery.

Yep, haven't used it for years because it sucks and WhatsApp lets everyone have group chats and we don't give a sh*t what phone you use.

How lazy do you have to be to not download a free app that's so much better like telegram, WhatsApp, line etc

Imagine hating someone for having a green bubble, just because you need to feel superior in some way. 😂

America 🤣

 

[Warped9]

Imagine hating someone for having a green bubble, just because you need to feel superior in some way. 😂

America 🤣

To paraphase: “Why work so hard if all you end up with is equal with the other guy?”
—Archie Bunker.

 

[Danfango]

Weird one this. UK here. iMessage died for me in the last 2 years other than within my family. Everyone who had an iPhone before the pandemic broke it, lost it or decided to change and got an Android because the prices here are quite frankly insane and everyone is broke. On top of that the mobile phone companies here are pushing for 36 month contracts and that means the average person is going to be stuck with a knackered phone for the last 18 months.

Everyone I know had iPhones on contract or paid for up front in 2019.

In 2023 it's Android and it's usually the cheaper handsets from Amazon etc and they are on monthly fixed SIMs like Giffgaff. I'm now the odd one out.

Now I'm sitting here, despite my signature line, writing this on my Windows desktop with WhatsApp running on it...

 

[webkit]

Gen X here.
If I had money, I would consider moving to iphones for one reason alone. I am sick, sick and tired of buying an android phone, to only have support for one or two versions of the OS. I find it despicable. Depending on when you bought any particular model (not just released, but perhaps you waited few months or even a year), you might get less than a year of OS upgrades, perhaps even just up to the PREVIOUS official version.

Seriously, I am so sick of this that if I ever have money again I am switching to iphones.

Android phones with the greatest number of OS updates are Samsung (most now get four years), Google Pixel (three years), and I believe certain OnePlus models get four years. As with all phones, including iPhone, the clock starts when the phone was launched. For example, Apple still sells new iPhone 12 phones but they will likely only get around three more years of updates.

 

[ksgant]

This is in spite of the fact that the average selling price of an iPhone is almost three times that of an Android device.

Which Android device are we talking about? The price of a high-end iPhone compares rather well with high-end Android phones. They DO sell cheaper iPhones, you know?

Who wrote this article? This is the same tired BS that we saw for years with Macs. "Why buy an expensive Mac when you can get a $300 PC with a printer thrown in too?" You're not comparing the same thing. Macbook Pros are comparable to the other high-end Laptops out there. Would it make much sense to compare a $3000 Razer Blade 16 to a $999 Macbook Air? Where's the outrage with that? No no, people always want to put some ultra decked out Macbook Pro and then compare it to something like an Asus Chromebook for $300 or whatever to show how "overpriced" Macs are.

Now, we see it being perpetuated with iPhones now. You do know you can get a brand new iPhone for as low as $450, yes? Let's compare that price to a Samsung S23...

 

[star-affinity]

This seems more like a societal problem than something Apple should be punished for.

Yeah. I agree. It was just my knee jerk reaction. But sure it makes me sad that’s the way it is. I like and dislike things with both Android and iOS just like I think some things are better in Windows and other things are better handled in macOS.

The lack of nuance and need for people to belong to a group (us vs them mentality) can sometimes be pretty disturbing I think.

 

[Warped9]

Which Android device are we talking about? The price of a high-end iPhone compares rather well with high-end Android phones. They DO sell cheaper iPhones, you know?

Who wrote this article? This is the same tired BS that we saw for years with Macs. "Why buy an expensive Mac when you can get a $300 PC with a printer thrown in too?" You're not comparing the same thing. Macbook Pros are comparable to the other high-end Laptops out there. Would it make much sense to compare a $3000 Razer Blade 16 to a $999 Macbook Air? Where's the outrage with that? No no, people always want to put some ultra decked out Macbook Pro and then compare it to something like an Asus Chromebook for $300 or whatever to show how "overpriced" Macs are.

Now, we see it being perpetuated with iPhones now. You do know you can get a brand new iPhone for as low as $450, yes? Let's compare that price to a Samsung S23...

I see this often. It’s a form of reverse snobbery mixed in with a dose of ignorance. Or as was said when I once sold cars: some know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

 

[dandyryan]

Yep, haven't used it for years because it sucks and WhatsApp lets everyone have group chats and we don't give a sh*t what phone you use.

How lazy do you have to be to not download a free app that's so much better like telegram, WhatsApp, line etc

Imagine hating someone for having a green bubble, just because you need to feel superior in some way. 😂

America 🤣

here comes the non-americans thinking their comments on an article about young americans carry any credence

no need to feel superior. just dont want my group chats absolutely slaughtered by the greenies. it's even more embarrassing when you realize some of them willingly paid $1000+ for an android and want to continue ruining group chats for everyone.

 

[zorinlynx]

here comes the non-americans thinking their comments on an article about young americans carry any credence

no need to feel superior. just dont want my group chats absolutely slaughtered by the greenies. it's even more embarrassing when you realize some of them willingly paid $1000+ for an android and want to continue ruining group chats for everyone.

My general contacts circle is about 50/50 Android and iOS, so this never happens to me. We all just use a different app (Telegram) because it works for everyone.

I'm amazed you got into a situation where there's few enough Android users that it becomes a problem!

 

[PrecisionGem]

And your dinosaur ways should apply to the rest of the world why? I totally get the live in a cabin teach your kids how to fish thing and I don't disagree with it. But at the same time the world has moved on.

So lets see, I can ditch my iPhone for a full camera setup, then post my kids sporting events images to my website whenever I want to share them, ok check. Your anecdotal rustic experiences don't match up with how most users use their phones and technology today. Plus putting pictures up on your website? Doesn't that totally take the social aspect out of them? Wouldn't you rather just show the pictures to the other people in person? Hmm, it seems like some technology is good, but some technology is bad.

The website is for my business and the pictures are of my product, and the type of pictures and quality would not be possible with an iPhone. I would think if you were taking pictures of your kids playing sports, a dedicated camera with a proper lens would be much better than a phone. I don’t see photographers on the sidelines of a football game using iPhones.
i wonder how many people think…. ‘ oh god here comes more pictures of spin docs kids playing…. Enough already!”

 

[Cartossin]

My 11 year old says every other kid in school has an iPhone and that iPhones are the best. It gives me hope for the new generation.

 

[webkit]

Which Android device are we talking about? The price of a high-end iPhone compares rather well with high-end Android phones. They DO sell cheaper iPhones, you know?

The article is specifically talking about overall average selling prices. In the U.S., for example, you can buy new unlocked Android smartphones for around $100 or ones that can retail for over $2,000. New unlocked iPhones retail for $429 to $1,599. However, the AVERAGE iPhone selling price is nearly three times (according to the article) that of the AVERAGE Android phone selling price. Most sources seem to put the average iPhone price at around $900 or so compared to an average Android price of about 1/3 that amount. There is a large market for new lower end phones (under $400) that Apple simply doesn’t go after.

Now, we see it being perpetuated with iPhones now. You do know you can get a brand new iPhone for as low as $450, yes? Let's compare that price to a Samsung S23...

Sure, and you can get a new unlocked Motorola Moto G Power for $120. Let's compare that to the price of even the cheapest new iPhone.

 

[compwiz1202]

I’m not surprised. A lot of younger people do not like the more open nature of Android or even PC operating systems for that matter.

The ? is what changed? I used to love to tinker and try differemt things. One of the reasons I went to the Flip side. Apple is just candy bar candy bar candy phones. FaceID was the last thing exciting for me on X. Dynamic Island is just a different way to get notifications.

 

[compwiz1202]

Which Android device are we talking about? The price of a high-end iPhone compares rather well with high-end Android phones. They DO sell cheaper iPhones, you know?

Who wrote this article? This is the same tired BS that we saw for years with Macs. "Why buy an expensive Mac when you can get a $300 PC with a printer thrown in too?" You're not comparing the same thing. Macbook Pros are comparable to the other high-end Laptops out there. Would it make much sense to compare a $3000 Razer Blade 16 to a $999 Macbook Air? Where's the outrage with that? No no, people always want to put some ultra decked out Macbook Pro and then compare it to something like an Asus Chromebook for $300 or whatever to show how "overpriced" Macs are.

Now, we see it being perpetuated with iPhones now. You do know you can get a brand new iPhone for as low as $450, yes? Let's compare that price to a Samsung S23...

The good and bad thing about Android/PC is the range of prices. You can get something working for your needs that isn't garbage in the mid tiers. I would never use stuff at the bottom though. That's the thing I don't like about MacBooks. The biggest screen is locked behins overkill specs and pricing. I'm hoping the MBA15 is just a 13 with the 15 screen at $200 More. If they add too much it was just cost in the Pro Range. I can get a 17" screen PC for sub $1k that does what I need and has lasted a while.

 

[BMox81]

I do think that the family aspect is a key thing. As someone mentioned, there is the hand me down factor - it's what my families have done for quite some time now. My niece is getting a passed down iPhone 8 for her 11th birthday as she's going to secondary school in September. My sister in law didn't hesitate in giving her said 8 because she and her husband both have iPhones and so can use find my and Family sharing. I imagine I'll do the same for my daughter in a few years.

 

[whatdu]

I find it somewhat disingenuous to frame Apple vs Samsung for sales numbers of their accessories but then point to Android for the average price of phone. Samsung operates in budget categories, but also operates at the ultra premium level exceeding even apple for smartphone prices.

 

[fourthtunz]

Haha thanks! The thickness in my pocket doesn't bother me at all and I prefer it over how wide the iPhone 12 Pro Max is in my pocket. The Z Fold 4 is more comfortable in my pocket and in my hand. I only dropped my Z Fold 3 once and I haven't dropped my Z Fold 4 yet (knock on wood) since I got it on launch day last August. It is just easier to hold, for me anyway. The Fold 4 isn't quite as tall as the Z Fold 3 was, which is nice. I think it could be a tad shorter but not by much. I really have no complaints. Mark my words, if Apple comes out with a foldable like the Z Fold, it is going to sell like hotcakes and a lot of people on here are going to immediately change their tunes about foldable phones

Maybe people like the idea of the foldable phone but Apple doesn't make one.
Its more money and doesn't work with IOS so that's it for a lot of us.
So yes, you may be right when apple does it more may sign on.

 

[fourthtunz]

All of use here are part of the “problem”.
We love-hate Apple but end up giving our money for the same mediocre user experience year after year.
Suuuuuuuper mediocre!. The
Text editor is rubbish compared to Android, Siri has been a joke since 10 years ago or more, calendar app is also a joke, dial pad is offensive, Safari is the worst of all browsers (please try other browsers and DO compare objectively), photos app does not work AT ALL to identify new faces, etc. More RAM is basic expectation to compete vs Android at the same or lower price.

I agree which all of that. The iPhone works and is more secure.
It also plays with all of my other Apple products.
Also airdrop works between all of them which is something that you need
another app or may not work at all with android?
Yep lots for apple to work on, not ready to switch yet though.

 

[fourthtunz]

Nobody thinks nor claims it's a flex. It's simply a direct rebuttal to the notion that their decision is income based. As for the ruining everyone's group chat comment I'm not sure how to respond to that. I mean, you're the one who sent your friend an old fashioned SMS message. It's Apple that provided you with a messaging app that is not capable of communication with other devices. Apple also deliberately uses higher compression than carriers require for SMS pictures to give the illusion that outside phones have poor picture quality. I think it's odd that people would demand that everyone they know buy a phone from a single company rather than demand that single company provide an open solution.

In the end this is a good thing though. Only a company approaching a monopoly position could produce a closed messaging system and still have people eating it up. As they get closer to that red line we'll start seeing action being taken by governments from around the world. If you think the current actions being taken by the US, UK, EU or Japan are a lot, just wait.

From what I understand Apple is not the only part of this problem.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I think worldwide, the iMessage lock-in is vastly less of an issue when it comes to pressure to buy certain handsets like it is in the USA. Reason: users outside the USA tend to use third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, Facebook Messenger and a few others. And these apps tend to be hardware agnostic, unlike iMessage for iOS and RCS for Android.

 

[fourthtunz]

Gen X here.
If I had money, I would consider moving to iphones for one reason alone. I am sick, sick and tired of buying an android phone, to only have support for one or two versions of the OS. I find it despicable. Depending on when you bought any particular model (not just released, but perhaps you waited few months or even a year), you might get less than a year of OS upgrades, perhaps even just up to the PREVIOUS official version.

Seriously, I am so sick of this that if I ever have money again I am switching to iphones.

This is what my friends with android phones tell me. The the folks on here act like all phones are the same.
I get that android is more ubiquitous and more customizable and have some feature that are not on iPhones.
iPhones have longer support, are more reliable, work better with other hardware, better resale
and better security. This is why many of us stay on iPhone AND Mac.
I am glad that we have competition though!

 

[fourthtunz]

Yep, haven't used it for years because it sucks and WhatsApp lets everyone have group chats and we don't give a sh*t what phone you use.

How lazy do you have to be to not download a free app that's so much better like telegram, WhatsApp, line etc

Imagine hating someone for having a green bubble, just because you need to feel superior in some way. 😂

America 🤣

I will use WhatsApp when I travel to Italy just so I don't have to pay for a European plan.
But those apps are not as locked down as secure and iMessage.
maybe that doesn't matter to you? I'm over 50 and I don't care what people use.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Yep, haven't used it for years because it sucks and WhatsApp lets everyone have group chats and we don't give a sh*t what phone you use.

How lazy do you have to be to not download a free app that's so much better like telegram, WhatsApp, line etc

Imagine hating someone for having a green bubble, just because you need to feel superior in some way. 😂

America 🤣

Yeah I just don’t get the iMessage thing. I used the iPhone from 2009-2012 and then from 2014 until now. iMessage was just never a thing for me. I started using WhatsApp in 2010 and I’ve always used it no matter what platform I was on.

 

[eatrains]

Weird one this. UK here. iMessage died for me in the last 2 years other than within my family. Everyone who had an iPhone before the pandemic broke it, lost it or decided to change and got an Android because the prices here are quite frankly insane and everyone is broke. On top of that the mobile phone companies here are pushing for 36 month contracts and that means the average person is going to be stuck with a knackered phone for the last 18 months.

Everyone I know had iPhones on contract or paid for up front in 2019.

In 2023 it's Android and it's usually the cheaper handsets from Amazon etc and they are on monthly fixed SIMs like Giffgaff. I'm now the odd one out.

Now I'm sitting here, despite my signature line, writing this on my Windows desktop with WhatsApp running on it...

Everyone is broke so they decided to buy a new phone?