Apple's Smartphone Market Share Surge Continues through December on iPhone 4S Strength

[Rodimus Prime]

..

C'mon now; is there really any other reason? Anything besides the typical "I like open source".

Open? Yeah, try it. Windows Mobile 4-6.x did the hacking thing better though. Least you didn't have to know UNIX cmds.

I do not think either will win in the end. There will always be the ones that appreciate whatever either side does.

By your logic people only go iPhone because they do not like Android and not on the merits of iOS.
I went Android because I like to customize my UI and how I interact with it. My home screens are setup exactly how I like it. I like having multiple choices to do the same thing. Add to this item I care about function over looks.
I used to use blackberry and it was very highly setup and customized to how I wanted. My theme was busier than most people's anf was full of how I wanted it.

Each os has its own merits and drawbacks and you choose which one you want.

 

[mckinley318]

I agree

For somebody who spends 2+ hours a day driving to/from work and communicates mainly via text message, Siri is -not- a gimmick.

This is just one example, but your opinion is not fact. There are many people (myself included) for whom Siri is the killer feature that made them buy the product. I was prepared to hunker down and get another year out of my 3GS until I saw this feature.

I emphatically second that! Prior to Siri being purchased buy apple for exclusive use on the 4S, i used the app version, which didn't include the female personality with a voice, almost on a daily basis. I found that it was more intuitive when compared against competing voice-activated assistants and it proved to be part of my daily digest. So as for it being a gimmick, I believe that comment falls under the category of opinion and should be presented as such. Thanks all.

 

[mckinley318]

Right on!

C'mon now; is there really any other reason? Anything besides the typical "I like open source".

Open? Yeah, try it. Windows Mobile 4-6.x did the hacking thing better though. Least you didn't have to know UNIX cmds.

I do not think either will win in the end. There will always be the ones that appreciate whatever either side does.

Seriously! It's like they miss the point of convenience, intuitiveness and ease of use. No, they'd rather tout, "I like open source" or any number of insane counter intuitive jibber-jabber about what technology is supposed to afford you. When you buy a car, do you want to like say, "hey look, I can add my own exhaust manifolds!" Or do you want it to work like a charm and provide all the creature comforts and convenience to help you through this journey called life. I swear, i believe more kids buy androids as shiny new toys to tinker around with, while we adults purchase a phone with purpose. We don't have the time nor the inclination to play surgeon with our phones or hack into it, as if that makes us cool. We need a beautifully rendered device that's powerful capable and complete. The world needs a captain, and I bet he has an iPhone.

 

[SandynJosh]

Poor BlackBerry.

...and poor WinMo7 that didn't even earn a place on the chart, unless it's that black line at the bottom.

It's interesting that once Verizon and Sprint got the iPhone the demand for any one of the 50+ Android phones has fallen dramatically. Only Samsung with their knockoff iPhone is doing well with Android, and even they have deviated from the Google Android path with a version 2.3 variant.

Well, that's how the Android fractures.

 

[SandynJosh]

Seriously! It's like they miss the point of convenience, intuitiveness and ease of use. No, they'd rather tout, "I like open source" or any number of insane counter intuitive jibber-jabber about what technology is supposed to afford you. When you buy a car, do you want to like say, "hey look, I can add my own exhaust manifolds!" Or do you want it to work like a charm and provide all the creature comforts and convenience to help you through this journey called life. I swear, i believe more kids buy androids as shiny new toys to tinker around with, while we adults purchase a phone with purpose.

With Android exploits surging 76% last year, and expected to be worse in 2012, the kiddies will have a lot of opportunity to tinker with their toys.

We [adults] don't have the time nor the inclination to play surgeon with our phones or hack into it, as if that makes us cool. We need a beautifully rendered device that's powerful capable and complete. The world needs a captain, and I bet he has an iPhone.

With all the 50+ versions of Andriod phones out there, in all the various form factors, with slider keyboards and removable batteries and 4G LTE and "true Flash" and "real multitasking," you'd think at least one of them could manage to be nearly as compelling as the 4S.

Instead, the only one doing anywhere a respectable job is the Samsung that is an iPhone copy with a tricked out Android variant to mimic iOS.

 

[samcraig]

With all the 50+ versions of Andriod phones out there, in all the various form factors, with slider keyboards and removable batteries and 4G LTE and "true Flash" and "real multitasking," you'd think at least one of them could manage to be nearly as compelling as the 4S.

I hear what you're saying. But maybe that's just not that important (for the consumer anyway). Several might be as compelling or even MORE compelling than the iPhone. But with Android - people have choices in form factors and specs. For one Android phone to grab marketshare like the iPhone is pretty unrealistic no matter how you slice it. Not when there's so much competition within the platform.

Also - as a consumer - it would be an interesting marketplace if Apple has - say - 45 percent marketshare with the iPhone; Samsung had similar marketshare for say - the Galaxy S2 and then every other manufacturer/etc was trying to survive on 10% marketshare.

We'd see less choices and less manufactures surviving in that scenario. It just wouldn't be profitable.

 

[firewood]

With all the 50+ versions of Andriod phones out there, in all the various form factors, with slider keyboards and removable batteries and 4G LTE and "true Flash" and "real multitasking," you'd think at least one of them could manage to be nearly as compelling as the 4S.

Or what it might say is that Android users are so different from one another and vary so much in personal taste that no one product appeals to more than a fraction of them.

 

[SandynJosh]

Or what it might say is that Android users are so different from one another and vary so much in personal taste that no one product appeals to more than a fraction of them.

That could be true, but then that doesn't explain why the Samsung iPhone wannabe is so popular compared to the rest of the Android herd. Maybe the answer lies in having taste vs. no taste.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

That could be true, but then that doesn't explain why the Samsung iPhone wannabe is so popular compared to the rest of the Android herd. Maybe the answer lies in having taste vs. no taste.

Have you even used an Android phone. Even touchwiz which yes is the closest to iOS is very far removed from it. The only part that is even like iOS is the App Draw which OMG scroll horizontally oh and their are 4 icons on the bottom. But that is it. Guess what look at all the big 3rd party launchers and hell even look at things my Motola. You have 4 icons that can be used on any home screen.

Top that off you can install launchers on there that change the launcher so you never even have to see it. I am a fan of ADW EX. Go Launcher Pro is another popular one that I know a lot of people like. Btw those 3rd party launchers most of them give you the choice if you want to go vertical or Horizontal. I personally choose vertical scrolling for phones.

All in all calling the Samsung Galaxy a iPhone copy is pretty far from the truth and anyone who has really used the phone and owned it knows how much FUD is in that statement as well.

 

[twoodcc]

That is very impressive. The only problem is that apple's share will go down again before the next iPhone is released

 

[JPIndustrie]

When you buy a car, do you want to like say, "hey look, I can add my own exhaust manifolds!" Or do you want it to work like a charm and provide all the creature comforts and convenience to help you through this journey called life.

Very very true, however Ironic for me at least; I just purchased one of the cars specifically designed to have exhaust manifolds added - a '11 Ford Mustang GT 5.0. However your point is completely valid for 99% of regular drivers who happen to need a powerful, beautiful cell phone.

Honestly, i really hope both platforms prosper. That is what is best for the consumer. Different approaches to the same idea, if it works for you - more power to you my friends.