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At first I bought Android because it was cheaper, but then I bought an iPhone.

Haven't looked back.

Android is too closed, you need to send all your data to Google.

Except when it's too open, when you're on your own to find an App that works, to do what iOS does for itself. Like sending texts and making calls through the computer.

Android is too closed??? Android is too open???

These statements are contradictory.

For what it's worth, I:

a) Have no problem sending Google my data (it's going somewhere no matter what device you use). I find Google's services to be superior to Apple's as well.

b) Never have a problem finding an app that works. The Google Play Store is well-stocked (for my needs, at least).

c) Have no problems sending texts from my S4 (or my wife's Note 3). I use the apps that came with the phone, and communicate with my mother's and son's iPhones without issues.

d) Cannot speak to the computer calls thing, since I use the phone for that (either mobile of landline).

But if your happy with iPhone as is, you're happy with iPhone.

I like to customize my device and be somewhat platform agnostic (Win vs Mac vs Linux), so Apple's device is out on that front.
 
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It's not that Google directly bothers us with spam, it's the idea of it. I don't feel comfortable with Google making money off of the data they get from me. Apple's philosophy is how I wish more companies were. Your private information is your private information!
Pretty obvious you haven't read Apple's privacy policy. First thing you should do is understand what Apple considers private information. I'm willing to bet a lot of things you think are private are not private according to Apple. Those things are used to serve you ads... just like Google.
 
Apple is too locked down for me on all fronts (design, compatibility, etc).

Windows is not there yet, but interesting things are happening.

Android is the more pragmatic and flexible platform of the three, at least currently.

Even with an all-Apple ecosystem at home (ipads, Appletvs, 3 Macs), I and the wife switched to Android 2 years ago and haven't looked back.

It's not even just about being locked down which is annoying but ios' UI has gotten stale and isn't as thought out as it used to be. Features just seem to be added ad hoc and not in logical way to make the users experience more efficient. The two tabs on notification screen, all open apps view, auto arranging icons to the top left of the screen. etc. It feels dated. Just because ios 7 made it look different like a winterboard theme, it really didn't change much and has just become more clunky to navigate. It's too bad because I'd really prefer to have an iPhone but after using android over the last couple years it's UI is just more efficient, maybe not as easy to first learn but once you do you can do things more quickly and efficiently. I hoping there is a major os overhaul when the iphone 7 comes out.
 
Android is too closed??? Android is too open???

These statements are contradictory.

For what it's worth, I:

a) Have no problem sending Google my data (it's going somewhere no matter what device you use). I find Google's services to be superior to Apple's as well.

b) Never have a problem finding an app that works. The Google Play Store is well-stocked (for my needs, at least).

c) Have no problems sending texts from my S4 (or my wife's Note 3). I use the apps that came with the phone, and communicate with my mother's and son's iPhones without issues.

d) Cannot speak to the computer calls thing, since I use the phone for that (either mobile of landline).

But if your happy with iPhone as is, you're happy with iPhone.

I like to customize my device and be somewhat platform agnostic (Win vs Mac vs Linux), so Apple's device is out on that front.

a) I have

b) With crappy "let's learn to program" apps, let's be real...

c) That's not stock Android, isn't it. Those phones cost as much as the iPhone, so it's a matter of personal preference.

d) Great! I use either my Mac, or my iPad, or my Apple Watch, whichever is closer.
 
Makes a lot of sense since there are more Android phones to choose from over Apple. The average consumer won't have fanboy bias in choosing a new device.
Sometimes a free phone and tablet trumps having a great phone or tablet even if the freebies are crap.
 
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Don't get confused with percentages. With Android's higher market share, a similar percentage of switchers means more users switching to iOS.
 
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The sample set is waaaaaay to small for an accurate analysis.

4000 people surveyed out of millions of phones sold?

They should be embarrassed to publish with such a small set of data.
If it's a well randomized sample, that should be more than enough.
 
It would be interesting to see rates of switching since October of 2014. 2013 is pretty irrelevant data.
 
Their privacy policy states:
"Our automated systems analyze your content (including e-mails) to provide you personally relevant product features, such as customized search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection."

I feel oppressed over time Google blocks my spam.
 
Aren't we looking at some wired mix-up of percentages here? As Android obviously got a much larger market share, making so that there are several Android phones sold per iOS phone. Shouldn't this mean that X percentage lost for Android due to their higher market share equals more people compared to having the same X percentage lost for iOS?

Just like when stupid people start to compare how many Mac OS X users have upgraded to Mavericks, compared to how many Windows users have upgraded to Windows 8? They claim that Apples high percentage means ****, because even though it's a high percentage the total numbers of users who have upgraded are still less than the numbers who have upgraded to Windows 8 due to the fact that there are only hundred of millions Mac OS X users on the marked, compared to the billion Windows users.


Does it really make much sense to compare percentages directly like this when you are comparing someone whom got 20% market share, to someone whom got almost 80%? Doesn't that make the whole comparison flawed by design? Apple could still see a higher amount of Android users switching to iOS than ever before, while Android is still loosing a lower percentage of users compared to iOS due to the fact that Android got millions upon millions more users to take from making the actual percentage numbers smaller?


One also have to take into account the fact that Android have replaced cheap "feature phones", people who do not want or need a smartphone are still getting Android these days without adding any kind of value to Google, their Play Store or developers due to the fact that these users will never use any kind of Google Account, never connect it to the Internet and never use it as a actual smartphone so all the sales numbers of these really low-end devices is not really adding any value to Androids market share in any meaningful way. But you won't see many people purchasing a iPhone without the goal of using it as a smartphone and creating a Apple ID to get access to App Store on their new iOS devices.

Secondly you also need to consider the fact that many iOS users will most likely purchase a Android phone at some point. Not because they are switching from iOS to Android, but because they are going on a holiday and don't want to bring their expensive phone, or perhaps they want a secondary devices that they can use while they are out getting drunk and whatnot. Almost everyone will grab some cheap Android phone in many use cases and those will still count as one devices towards Androids market share, even though the users might actually be iOS users with iPhones and not Android users.
 
What really happens when you send all your data to Google? Do they call you at home in the evening? Do they solicite you? Do they send you emails? Just what does Google do with your data that bothers you? Please let me know.

I have several friends who have experienced almost that very thing. In one case they used Google's free Wi-Fi signal in an area. That service pinpointed their location and they started getting targeted ads. If this was just different listings during a web search or even banner ads during a web browse, that would have been expected. However, a phone call from a solicitor and then three emails attempting to sell products is crossing a line to me. This person was visiting a business with a very specialized service and these ads could only have known to target my friend due to Google or due to this business. He spoke with the business and they had actually received many complaints about the very same thing from other clients. They were actually trying to find some way of blocking the Google signal so that people wouldn't have the issue.

Now take that and imagine if it wasn't just a random Wi-Fi hotspot, but it was your phone that is always connected. Google's collection of user data is not anything new.

In terms of what specifically they do to bother someone, I guess everyone's version of "bother" is different. But why should I pick a company where I have to make that distinction? With Apple, the privacy policy is very clear and favors me and my privacy over making money on collecting information about me. I am not someone who covers my head with tin foil or worries about using eWallets. I probably even border on the line of "devil-may-care" in terms of personal privacy. But even for someone like me, I know that Google's "privacy" policies are more intrusive than I would like and are designed to feed their largest revenue stream.
 
So, the study says:
  • Android users are more loyal
  • Most first-time users go Android
  • There are more users switching from iOS, than to iOS
Yet... Apple sells more iPhone than ever. For years (or at least since July 2013), they have been beating their previous year sales both in units, but also in revenue$.

Makes all the sense this "study"!

How come people are fleeing iOS, if Apple sells more phones?

Is there any more (really unsuccessful) companies selling iOS devices besides Apple?

At this rate, Apple better use their money, buy 100% of AAPL stock, and let them play their media manipulation game between themselves.

Isn't it just because of the fact that the market is growing? Lots of people are switching from iOS to Android and vice versa, yet they're both growing, because of the overall growth in the market, right?
 
The sample set is waaaaaay to small for an accurate analysis.

4000 people surveyed out of millions of phones sold?

They should be embarrassed to publish with such a small set of data.
That's actually a statistically meaningful survey size, and then some.
 
b.c it would make too much sense to compare samsung, htc, etc to apple.....
It's an OS comparison, not a brand comparison. You're looking for a different analysis.

I imagine a high number of switchers to Android are not consciously "switching to Android", but rather they are price sensitive and have found a way of paying much less per month by not upgrading to the latest iPhone. For example the Nexus 6 on Google's MVNO plan. That is one compelling reason to switch to Android. It almost has me considering it. The obvious other examples are the free Android phones on Metro PCS etc. If you are not particularly discerning about technology and you can save $30 a month by switching, why not?
Not necessarily. You can get iPhones and other flagships on MVNO's as well. Not just lower and mid level phones. Buy your phone outright and pay $55 a month for 10GB of data and unlimited blah, blah, blah. People switch for a number of reasons; for a combination of a number of reasons. Not sure how you unconsciously switch though. I have iPhone. I'm switching to Android or Windows. I have Android. I'm switching to iPhone of BB. Fairly conscious decisions to me.
 
Wow. This is nearly two years worth of data and includes the much-ballyhooed iPhone 6. Apple's spin indicates a LOT more Android switchers than this survey. But then, how much profit are the Android vendors making compared to Apple? And I wouldn't doubt that sales associates at the mobile companies don't push Apple products too heavily; they probably get a higher commission for Android phones.
Sorry but what profit got to do with anything, it's about how happy users are with their choice of handset. This profit thing seems to be the default get out of jail card used when any survey suggests Android is doing well in something, I'm sick of it... Unless you are a major share holder, profit means nothing to the average Joe..
 
I have several friends who have experienced almost that very thing. In one case they used Google's free Wi-Fi signal in an area. That service pinpointed their location and they started getting targeted ads. If this was just different listings during a web search or even banner ads during a web browse, that would have been expected. However, a phone call from a solicitor and then three emails attempting to sell products is crossing a line to me. This person was visiting a business with a very specialized service and these ads could only have known to target my friend due to Google or due to this business. He spoke with the business and they had actually received many complaints about the very same thing from other clients. They were actually trying to find some way of blocking the Google signal so that people wouldn't have the issue.

Now take that and imagine if it wasn't just a random Wi-Fi hotspot, but it was your phone that is always connected. Google's collection of user data is not anything new.

In terms of what specifically they do to bother someone, I guess everyone's version of "bother" is different. But why should I pick a company where I have to make that distinction? With Apple, the privacy policy is very clear and favors me and my privacy over making money on collecting information about me. I am not someone who covers my head with tin foil or worries about using eWallets. I probably even border on the line of "devil-may-care" in terms of personal privacy. But even for someone like me, I know that Google's "privacy" policies are more intrusive than I would like and are designed to feed their largest revenue stream.

Google somehow pulled the Wifi user's phone number and e-mail address, and gave those to solicitors? Without wanting to cast aspersions on your friends -- I am skeptical.

Also, I feel like the burden is on those raising alarms about Google's policies/practices to point to concrete examples of Google's collection of personal data, which cannot be turned off; or, for data which flows back to Google from any Android phone (as it does from any iPhone to Apple), the specific ways in which Google treats this data differently than Apple does. I'm happy to be convinced that Google is less protective of users' privacy than Apple, but I'd like actual information; all I see on these forums is vague accusations. (I posted a question upthread, with a link to Google's "Activity Controls" page, but it has gone unanswered.)
 
At first I bought Android because it was cheaper, but then I bought an iPhone.

Haven't looked back.

Android is too closed, you need to send all your data to Google to have "the good things" like Google Now, which is useless anyway...

Except when it's too open, when you're on your own to find an App that works, to do what iOS does for itself. Like sending texts and making calls through the computer.
There is so much wrong here I don't know where to start..
 
Aren't we looking at some wired mix-up of percentages here? As Android obviously got a much larger market share, making so that there are several Android phones sold per iOS phone. Shouldn't this mean that X percentage lost for Android due to their higher market share equals more people compared to having the same X percentage lost for iOS?

Just like when stupid people start to compare how many Mac OS X users have upgraded to Mavericks, compared to how many Windows users have upgraded to Windows 8? They claim that Apples high percentage means ****, because even though it's a high percentage the total numbers of users who have upgraded are still less than the numbers who have upgraded to Windows 8 due to the fact that there are only hundred of millions Mac OS X users on the marked, compared to the billion Windows users.


Does it really make much sense to compare percentages directly like this when you are comparing someone whom got 20% market share, to someone whom got almost 80%? Doesn't that make the whole comparison flawed by design? Apple could still see a higher amount of Android users switching to iOS than ever before, while Android is still loosing a lower percentage of users compared to iOS due to the fact that Android got millions upon millions more users to take from making the actual percentage numbers smaller?


One also have to take into account the fact that Android have replaced cheap "feature phones", people who do not want or need a smartphone are still getting Android these days without adding any kind of value to Google, their Play Store or developers due to the fact that these users will never use any kind of Google Account, never connect it to the Internet and never use it as a actual smartphone so all the sales numbers of these really low-end devices is not really adding any value to Androids market share in any meaningful way. But you won't see many people purchasing a iPhone without the goal of using it as a smartphone and creating a Apple ID to get access to App Store on their new iOS devices.

Secondly you also need to consider the fact that many iOS users will most likely purchase a Android phone at some point. Not because they are switching from iOS to Android, but because they are going on a holiday and don't want to bring their expensive phone, or perhaps they want a secondary devices that they can use while they are out getting drunk and whatnot. Almost everyone will grab some cheap Android phone in many use cases and those will still count as one devices towards Androids market share, even though the users might actually be iOS users with iPhones and not Android users.
This is a classic example of a post going off the rails. Your first 3 paragraphs are okay. The last two are, putting it kindly, lacking logic and facts.
 
This:

"Customers have needs, wants and nice-to-haves and traditional business models fulfil these for their customers. Google offers its customers needs, wants, and nice-to-haves for free. In return, whether knowingly or not, users create data whilst using Google services and products which creates information that is listed in the Google Search Engine; advertisement is then tailored based on the content delivered."

https://sites.google.com/site/net205apples/google-business-model

Among other things.

And I was just going to answer the original question with "possess it."
 
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What really happens when you send all your data to Google? Do they call you at home in the evening? Do they solicite you? Do they send you emails? Just what does Google do with your data that bothers you? Please let me know.
What I do is send copies of all my emails at 10pm. To Google hq, it's painless really..
 
My long-time Android friends--always fighting their phones, rebooting, unable to reach 5pm without a dead battery, unable to use my favorite apps at all, burning money on a new one every year when the software updates stop coming or the plastic shell cracks--all LOVE them. They assume iPhone has those same problems AND worse, and would never think of switching to evil Apple. They are using no Android-specific benefits (hacking the OS etc.) but they swallow Samsung's ads and blog troll-bait like it's gospel. So they spend way more than I do, and get far less, and think I'm crazy.

It reminds me of the days when Windows users would not consider a Mac specifically BECAUSE Windows was so awful: it made them afraid to switch because they believed the problems were the same on "all computers," and Windows was baffling enough. Why switch to a Mac, unfamiliar and therefore impossible to figure out, AND keep the same malware and crashes as Windows? (In their minds.)

I don't think the Mac situation is the same. I think that Macs had distinct advantages over Win PCs (Macs are Win PCs too) and in many ways still do. A Mac still has functionality and security built in that is still superior to Windows (trackpad, multitouch implementation, Spaces, UNIX foundation are a few examples). It used to be that they were easy to access internally and upgrade and expand, but even that is going the way of the Buffalo. Thus my last Mac was a 2012 MBP.

In my case, my phone is a more personal device, and as such I like to personalize it. I want control over it, how it looks, be able to access battery (just because you never know), expand storage, have access to the file system, be less proprietary in general, etc. In other words, I want a pocket-PC.

You can't get that level of customization with Apple. If you don't like the look of iOS, you're stuck. If you bought a low-storage device, you're stuck. If you want to access the filesystem for whatever reason, you're stuck. The list goes on and on.

That's not to say that people are wrong to choose Apple. I was perfectly content for years in the walled garden, when my tastes and Apple's were aligned. If that's the case for you, then you are right to choose them.

But for me, between the soldering of RAM, proprietary SSDs, the killing of the 17" MBP, and iOS 7's /Yosemite's UI design language, Apple blasted our tastes waaaay out of alignment.

So I chose Android around 2 years ago and have been happy since.

I think that your statement is reversed: that many Apple users think that Android is wrought with problems and are afraid to give it a whirl.

I know I was, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I was wrong. Android is just as capable, and in many ways, more so than iOS. So you don't need to stay with Apple out of fear, you should stay because it "tastes" good. :)
 
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