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I’ve been buying Apple products since 1983—always among the first to grab the latest gear. For decades, Apple meant innovation, and I stayed loyal because the difference between them and everyone else was clear. But over the years, that edge has dulled. These days, I’m still using an iPhone 12 Max and older versions of just about everything else—and honestly, I’m not even in a hurry to upgrade.

When the original HomePod launched, I bought ten of them. I’ve got nine still running. Back then, Siri could actually answer questions. Now? It’s become a joke. Siri has gotten worse—significantly worse—in the last three or four years, and the software across the board feels like it’s running on fumes. The one thing keeping me tied to the ecosystem is the Apple Watch and how well it works with the iPhone.

Tim Cook’s Apple isn’t about leading anymore—it’s waiting around for other companies to innovate, so that they have something to copy or purchase. It was a good run while it lasted. 🫡
I can relate. My first Apple product was an iPod in 2007. Now I use an iPhone 13 mini. Apple Watch 5 and iPad Air 4.

The only thing keeping me with Apple is Mac OS. I don’t want to use anything else and using an android phone with a Mac won’t be fun.
 
I wonder what would happen if Chinese smartphones were not banned in the US? Would they crash iPhone sales too? I hear Chinese smartphones are extremely good nowadays (but I can't try them here in the US). This looks similar to what is happening with EVs.
 
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For me, it’s hard to imagine leaving the Apple ecosystem. The way my iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch work together makes me appreciate just how well the systems are designed and integrated — for the most part.

If privacy weren’t a priority for me (like the 80% of people using Chromium-based browsers), if I had a tighter budget, less interest in tech details, less networking devices and hardware, and no friends or family using Apple devices, I might feel differently. And yes, during these Trump days, Apple’s image in Europe isn’t as appealing to me either. But all in all, Apple still seems to offer a good balance of privacy, usability, and long-term reliability.

What really sets Apple apart for me, though, is its ability to consistently deliver for decades. In places like China, we see a lot of competition and fragmentation — many companies try, but still few seem to have the resources to succeed on the same complex scale time and time again. We'll see.

And if the marginal conditions I mentioned simply do not exist for most customers in China or have not developed sustainably, then I can certainly understand the Chinese!
 
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I wonder what would happen if Chinese smartphones were not banned in the US? Would they crash iPhone sales too? I hear Chinese smartphones are extremely good nowadays (but I can't try them here in the US). This looks similar to what is happening with EVs.

I would have probably still using the Huawei phone. The reason I switched to iphone 12 pro is because the P20 Pro is no longer receiving any security updates and phone is 2+ years old.
 
Well we know you dont work in the aviation industry or international sharemarkets to name two.
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I think yes.

In the US the trend is the iPhone.

How is a Chinese brand gonna become trendy is an iPhone already is the trend. Maybe hypothetically.?

Because trends among teenagers famously never change?

The current younger generation may stick with the iPhone as they grow older or they may not. I wouldn't expect a massive shift one way or another to be honest, but never say never.

The next cohort, on the other hand, may actively shun anything that's trendy among their predecessors.
 
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I wonder what would happen if Chinese smartphones were not banned in the US? Would they crash iPhone sales too? I hear Chinese smartphones are extremely good nowadays (but I can't try them here in the US). This looks similar to what is happening with EVs.

I’d buy a midrange phone from China in a heartbeat. I’d also head straight to the bank for one of those sweet Chinese EVs.

I think the competition would result in better iPhones.
 
When I see tourist from China nine out of 10, they have an Apple iPhone. When I see them shopping in electric stores etc. They’re buying Apple devices. Pretty strange that that they say that the usage is going down for iPhone to China. But that’s because they’re buying from another countries and bringing them back. How many times I’ve seen Chinese person buying more than five iPhones on time. This is nothing new in Japan
 
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I think yes.

In the US the trend is the iPhone.

How is a Chinese brand gonna become trendy is an iPhone already is the trend. Maybe hypothetically.?
iPhones were trendy a decade ago. It's not a trend anymore and, even if it was, all trends are transitory (by definition).
 
That's a weird top comment to distract from the numerous reasons someone might be fed up with Apple, the USA, or simply found a better product for them

Care to offer anything more than an influential suggestion?
Since the 19th century, starting with Japan, several Asian countries have based an important part of their industrial success on copying the West (without whom the world would still be living in the Middle Ages). Sometimes legally, sometimes questionably. The process is usually as follows: first they discover, observe, and study attentively, second they produce cheap imitations, third they increase their quality progressively, fourth they try to equal and even surpass Western standards. This is comparable to the traditional Asian student of martial arts (or other techniques) striving to learn from his master and ultimately attain his level to become the new master. Notwithstanding its legitimate innovations (from medieval ink and cannon powder to the latest technologies), China for the last decades has invested massively in sophisticated spying, hacking, secret copyright infringements, unfairness towards foreign investors, selective application of laws, and other dubious practices to advance its economy and commercial interests, viewing this as justified compensation for two centuries of humiliation from the "Western devils". I say "its", because in that type of dictature there is no real separation between government and companies, especially the larger ones. What remains to be seen is whether the current negotiations between the US and China will reduce those kinds of practices, which I doubt very much. Beijing might pretend it caves in on this or that particular practice, only to immediately find other astute ways to abuse the West and keep avoiding the establishment of a real level playing field.
 
Wow, American bourbon in Canada. The United States is doomed!!!!!

We don't think we're going to destroy the US economy nor do we want to.

Because we can't vote to change anything in DC, we have to send a message via other means. For many of us that's voting with our wallets.

I would like things to be the way they were in the past. I used to travel to the US quite often and chose your country for a number of special occasions including my honeymoon, anniversaries and milestone birthdays. There's a long list of American places on my bucket list.

But as long as there's a threat to annex my country, as long as my neighbours are being arrested at the border, I will not set foot in the USA.

I have also adjusted my purchasing to avoid American products where reasonable alternatives exist. I'm not fanatical about it, I still eat California lettuce and have a paid iCloud account, but small changes by many people do add up.
 
Not surprising when local hardware is being pushed by the government.
The huawei devices on offer are actually pretty good in comparison with the competition.

There is nothing wrong with governments pushing for there products to be sold
 
Indeed... And strongly "encouraged" by the Chinese government to purchase Chinese mobile phones. And if you work for the Chinese government it is mandated.

As a result, it's no surprise that iPhone sales are sliding in China. That was predicted more than a year ago in light of Chinese government new policies.
Samsung sell more than Apple in china

China might in courage local individuals to purchase local products
However it’s not correct to say they are inferior to Apple’s offerings
 
I think yes.

In the US the trend is the iPhone.

How is a Chinese brand gonna become trendy is an iPhone already is the trend. Maybe hypothetically.?
Because if huawei was on sale more people would then buy there products because they are actually pretty decent offerings
Compared with the competition
 
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