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iPhone Usage Fading Among College Students?

macduke

macduke

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jun 27, 2007
13,678
21,166
Today in Design Communication class my friend mentioned how there was a new Christmas-themed Angry Birds game on Android, and we started chatting about it. This other girl starting complaining how it wouldn't run on her model of Android very well (can't remember what model) and how they were going to make a special version for her phone. I then made a comment about how developers have reported that they are frustrated with Android because of the fragmentation of hardware and how they are hesitant to develop for the platform because of all the extra work involved to test their software on so many devices. That's when everything blew apart. These Android fanboys came out of nowhere in class and started bashing the crap out of iPhone. They cited one app that works better on Android (voice recognition something or another, can't remember the name) as proof that Android apps are superior. I then showed them Unreal engine running on iPhone, and that new Rage game, but they said that "Games don't matter, they just run down the battery really fast", though I haven't noticed. But that's not what this post is about. It was the class conversation.

Just about everyone in class has an Android phone except me! When did this happen? Most people had iPhones last semester. What makes this even more peculiar is the fact that everyone in class right now is using a Macbook or Macbook Pro. Everyone. And they couldn't understand what I was saying when I was comparing Android to Windows, and how Android is just the OS and that each device has a different manufacturer, like Windows.

So is iPhone usage fading among college students? I'm not sure, but from what I can tell, it seems to be. Apple is still doing ok, but Android is coming up fast, and will likely knock them out of first place sometime next year. Apple should be at least somewhat concerned about this, as they have always been strong in popularity with younger people. Losing this core could be a bad thing, especially since these same people will have a lot of purchasing power in the coming years. However, this can only benefit us iOS users, as Apple will be pressured to keep innovating. Voice API, better notifications, and refreshed UI graphics / design tweaks are likely for iOS 5.0, among other improvements and maybe even things we have yet to think of.

So what have you guys noticed? Is iPhone usage dropping on your college campus, or is this an anomaly? I really don't trust Google, so I'm hoping it is! And on some devices it's so buggy. I would hate to have to switch to Android someday just because it took over (though highly unlikely).
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

I see the opposite. I see more iPhones than ever....though second most are android phones.
 
I know lots of iPhone users and lots of Blackberry users, but I can only think of one person I know who has an Android phone (and two Palm users...).

I'm in Canada, though, so that might change things a bit. I don't think we have the same range of selection of Android devices the USA does, and the iPhone is available from all major carriers here, so the situations aren't quite as parallel.

However, I do wonder what it says about Android when the iPhone is widely available. In the US, if you want a good smartphone and don't want to be on AT&T, you're pretty much stuck with Android. In Canada, you can get an iPhone on any major carrier...
 
I am in a program with a lot of international students, and the level of blackberry usage is HUGE. I think there are two other people in my class of 50 with iPhones, and probably 35+ have blackberry's.
 
LOL @ the myth of no iOS fragmentation. Sure... there may be fewer different devices, but the same issues manifest themselves for developers when contenting with old & new iOS devices.
 
wct097 said:
LOL @ the myth of no iOS fragmentation. Sure... there may be fewer different devices, but the same issues manifest themselves for developers when contenting with old & new iOS devices.
Click to expand...

2-3 almost identical platforms is a lot easier than the multitude of android phones out there. Though Apple might start seeing some problems when peoples 3Gs, 2Gs, and original touches and iPads stop "Just working" with everything.
 
I think iPhone users in this forum worry too much about who will be #1 next year. Just get the phone you like and be happy with it. Who cares who is #1 and #2?

Me personally wouldnt get a Blackberry but my Wife likes hers and dont like a touchscreen period. Loved my iPhone, and also love my Andriod.
 
Of my college-aged friends only three or four use Android. The rest all have iPhones, Blackberrys or dumbphones.
 
I see barely any iphones in my campus. All I see are blackberries and android phones.

probably 10:3:1 (blackberry, android to iphone ratio). but then again..I go to school @ University of Waterloo so probably that's why :p

Also, I see a boatload of macs nowadays, and it irks me. majority of the new adopters just like it cos "oh man, i love my mac, it looks awesome, but uhm how do i burn a CD? and how does safari work?". Makes me rage how the majority of people just like it because it looks pretty and are dumb as hell when it comes to using their laptop. <------Totally unrelated sidenote lol
 
Remember, in the United States only AT&T carries the iPhone. Android is offered everywhere. Imagine where the iPhone would be today if it were offered on Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

I would argue that many (not all...or even the majority), but many would be on the iPhone and NOT on Android. Once sucked into the Apple environment, it would be difficult to jump ship to another platform.

The reality is the iPhone is growing in global population. This is a key statistic for domestic users as well. Not only that, but in time...all carriers will eventually carry the iPhone. When that date gets here, more iPhones will replace Androids than the other way around.

For these reasons, I don't see any long-term slippage for the iPhone. With all that said, I feel compelled to say...who really cares? To be honest, when I drive my Dodge truck around, I don't wonder about Ford or Chevy taking more shares away from other Dodge owners. I say if people want the Android...good on em' iPhone users will never have to worry about the platform going away because of its mass presence already.

Apple rarely releases new hardware/software unless it is perfected (no company is perfect). For this reason, Apple understands the consumer expects its products to just work. This is why many of us are willing to wait for basic features on the iPhone to come to fruition because we expect Apple to perfect those features somewhere down the line. When they do, we all continue to benefit (at the same time)...making very happy customers.

Cosmo
 
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I live just three miles from the university. Mac laptops are the platform of choice for computers. Android is the platform of choice for smartphones.

The irony is we have a very large Apple Store on Campus as well as a huge Apple Retail Store in the mall just two blocks from school. Why Android is the preferred phone, especially by computer science students is a fascinating testimony to the universal appeal created by Google.

A distant second is Blackberry. The only iPhones to be seen are in the hands of the tween grammar school girls.

I must admit as much as I used to largely prefer my iPhone 4, between the fragile glass & antennagate, I prefer my Droid X with it's spacious screen and clearly superior phone.
 
I go to a 100% Mac school where about 88% of kids have Macs, being as its a little Preppy about 50% have iPhones, 50% of that is iPhone 4's. the other 50% of phones its probably 60/40 blackberry/android respectively
 
I work at a university help desk here in VA and can say that iPhone is the #1 smart phone. Blackberry has to be second. Android is third and quickly over taking Blackberry for sure. The first two years I was there, it was 90% iPhone for most of the students. This was 2008/2009. Android has started to crop up in the past year.

As for computer use - 70% PC and 30% Mac for the students. Same for the faculty and staff. Each year more and more Mac's show up.
 
I imagine most of it would have to do with the service in your area. I would think that in an area where Verizon offers the best coverage, you would see mainly Android. In my area, AT&T offers the best coverage, and I have yet to even see anyone with an Android phone, but I know dozens of people with iPhones.

Also, the whole Android vs. iPhone discussion is about as lame as the Mac vs. PC discussion.
 
I go to Auburn, and I'd say that of the majority of people with smartphones are using and iPhone. I'm not exactly sure as to the reason why, but I think it has to do with the service. For example, the other day, my friend, who is on Sprint, had no service when I had full bars. I think that Verizon does pretty well down here, but I know for sure that there are definitely more AT&T users here. On gamedays, when everyone is trying to use their phones, the people with AT&T phones can't get any service because so many people are using their phones at the same time, whereas the people with Verizon have no problem whatsoever.
 
Hell, a ton of people at my high school use iPhones and iPod Touches to keep organized, so it's actually growing amongst high school students, although I do not know about college.
 
im starting to see more droids.. probably because its on so many carriers
 
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