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iPhone Usage Fading Among College Students?

wirelessmacuser said:
Why Android is the preferred phone, especially by computer science students is a fascinating testimony to the universal appeal created by Google.
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The openness of Android for development/hacking compared to iOS would be a big reason why CS students would be using them. That + Java (the language used to write for Android) is often taught in first/second year CS (certainly in the UK).

(Speaking as someone who recently graduated CS and a large development part of my dissertation was an Android app).
 
To tell you the truth I actually see the opposite.

In my University last year I saw all types of phones, ranging from Smartphones to the old dumb phones, and no one seemed to really care about the iPhone.

I came to class this year and BAM. I haven't met a single person without an iPhone. It's like craziness. I remember the days where even my proff would ask me what kind of phone I had (iPhone 3GS) he hadn't even heard of the thing.

And then yesterday he showed me the Ozzy Concert he recorded using his iPhone 4. Like WTF?

This is in Canada though, and the only good Android phone in my province is the Captivate. And with the wide availability of the iPhone 4, seems everyone including myself now has an iPhone 4.
 
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.
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I honestly find it a bit comedic to try to compare iOS and Android in terms of fragmentation.

iOS runs on what, 6 devices if you count the Apple TV. When it comes to those six devices there are really only a handful of major differences between the revisions. Compare this to Android and I bet if you look at a major carrier like Verizon or Sprint, there are probably close to six new Android devices released in the last few months. Not to mention every carrier and device maker modifies the OS to suit their own crapware.

I remember having a TMobile myTouch 3G and I constantly ran into apps in the Marketplace that I was unable to run. After less than 6 months of owning it, TMobile stopped releasing firmware updates, which meant I was forever stuck on 1.5 or 1.6. Even after I upgraded to a Cyanogen custom firmware to get on 2.0 or 2.1 (whichever was the current version at the time), half the apps I would download would still crap out.
 
So, you mean T-mobile stopped supporting upgrades for a phone more than a year after they released it?

The horror :rolleyes:
 
What I have noticed in the UK is that practically every student in my year now owns a "smartphone"!! I got my 3G in 2008 and iPhone's were very rare. In the UK though so many networks now sell the iPhone I think the majority of people now consider it when they're eligible for an upgrade. I am planning to sell my sim-free iPhone 4 after Christmas and hopefully we'll have a new revision of the iPad by then. Will probably move to Blackberry or Android for a phone to keep mobile internet but this will become less important for me if I own an iPad.
 
Other elements yet to be discussed are the progressiveness, & demographics of the College. Here in Southern CA where change is freely embraced, iPhones are a fad that no longer is current.

Android has captured the imagination and admiration of thousands of open minded students. Hence it's meteoric rise. Users impressed with the way an Android phone can be customized so easily have spread the word and it's showing as Verizon reaps the rewards of their stellar marketing campaign. So too has Sprint with it's wildly popular EVO. Forward thinking intelligent students are embracing Android with a vengeance.
 
about two years ago iPhone dominated on the campus I teach at...now I see more staff and students with Android thingamabobs...I think this is due to the fact that two years ago Iphone had NO real competetion other than blackberry...
 
Yeah there is a lot of iPhone hate here too. While i have seen more iPhone's then Droids, it seems like even half of the iPhone users are hating the iPhone. Kinda weird hearing someone saying that Android rules, when they have a iP4 in their hands...

rikbrown said:
The openness of Android for development/hacking compared to iOS would be a big reason why CS students would be using them. That + Java (the language used to write for Android) is often taught in first/second year CS (certainly in the UK).

(Speaking as someone who recently graduated CS and a large development part of my dissertation was an Android app).
Click to expand...
It's the same in the states, although my programming classes are about even between iPhones and Android phones.
 
The most obvious reason would be that it's about price. With a lot of Android based phones being offered for $0.01 how can a student not jump on that opportunity? Hmmm $0.01 and sign a two year contract or $258 (16GB iP4 plus 9.75% tax) plus a two year contract.
 
Orion126 said:
The most obvious reason would be that it's about price.
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Amongst the uniformed, this is a popular yet unproven myth.

In major metropolitan cities with sky high tuitions, well heeled students carry overpriced MacBook Pros, drive expensive cars, and have plenty of disposable income. Public data reveals these facts.

In the university town I live in there's hardly a used car in sight. Starbucks is booming, and packed with students flush with cash.
 
I think it all depends on where you live too. Some carriers have better coverage than others.

I live in SoCal, and iPhones is no longer a fad, it's a norm. At some point, when everybody has one, the marketshare will shrink. Think of the Nintendo Wii. It sold like crazy, but now that everybody has one, Xbox 360's are outselling it now. Once you reach the top, eventually there is a decline. Nobody can stay on top forever. Cell phones is similar to pop artists in music where you can become yesterday's favorite in a heart beat. Even the Motorola RAZR had a decent run before flip phones became obsolete because of touchscreens.

Of course, not saying iPhone sales are shrinking. The year of 2010 has been a banner year for Apple. But eventually, this industry deals with trends and iPhone no longer is the fresh face in the game. People do want change and variety. I guess it is like buying a new car. After your lease is up, do you really want the same manufacturer and color again? Some of the new Android users are expatriates of BB or iPhone. But going back to my first point, it could all depend on location. Then from that point, maybe people already got their "iPhone fix" during the last three years and want to try something new in their next contract. Perhaps staying locked into an iPhone contract for a minimum of 4 years is too much. An iPod touch/iPad helps resolve any iOS withdrawals.
 
KingHuds said:
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.
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You do realize Android 2.1 and 2.2 is on over 80% of Android handsets according to the lastest study, right?
 
10:1 BlackBerry to iPhone on my campus. Seeing an Android is about as rare as seeing an external antenna.
 
I retired my Nexus One. I'll give Gingerbread a try once Google starts sending out the OTA updates, but it still amazes me that people (Verizon customers aside) actually like and willingly use Android.
 
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