iPhone 14 Pro Max Why is the iPhone still seen as the holy grail of smartphones?

[Retskrad]

After using iPhones for years, I've tried using a Pixel for a year now, and I must say, outside of AirDrop to my Mac, the Pixel is superior in almost every area. The autocorrect on the Pixel keyboard is much better, you can swipe from either side of the screen to go back in the OS (compared to iOS where you have to either touch the back button at the top left corner of the screen or use the finicky swipe left from the screen there that works half of the time), it has a functional notification system, and the material design of the UI is more modern-looking than iOS. Plus, you can have an ad blocker for YouTube and Chrome on Android is a better bowser than Safari because sites are actually optimized for it .Overall, the phone is more fun to use and smarter.

So, why is the iPhone still seen as the go-to smartphone for the masses? I don’t buy the argument that people are just sheep and buy iPhones because of the network effect. I understand why Mac and iPad are popular—they are better than the competition. But when it comes to phones, the iPhone seems to be lagging behind the Pixel. Despite this, it remains Apple's most popular product, which I find odd.

What are your thoughts on this? Why do you think the iPhone continues to dominate the market?

 

[eyoungren]

I can only speak for myself. For me it's down to iOS. I prefer iOS over Android. It took 9 months of using a Google Pixel 3a XL that stopped getting updates after Android 12 to realize that. I also realized that one of Google's problems with Android is consistency. Can you honestly say that gestures from one version of Android to the next are consistent? Add in other manufacturers who also make their own versions of Android and it gets confusing as to what gesture does what.

Perhaps some gestures are consistent, but Google tends to change gestures between versions. Apple does do that too, but rarely. And new gestures come along because something changed (hardware style, new feature, removal of old hardware, etc). But for the most part, Apple gestures have stayed the same from the first version of the OS.

I certainly appreciate the customization and flexibility that Android offers, but without consistency I'm not down for all the confusion.

Because iOS will only run on an iDevice then, that's why I choose iPhone.

 

[Iwavvns]

After using iPhones for years, I've tried using a Pixel for a year now, and I must say, outside of AirDrop to my Mac, the Pixel is superior in almost every area. The autocorrect on the Pixel keyboard is much better, you can swipe from either side of the screen to go back in the OS (compared to iOS where you have to either touch the back button at the top left corner of the screen or use the finicky swipe left from the screen there that works half of the time), it has a functional notification system, and the material design of the UI is more modern-looking than iOS. Plus, you can have an ad blocker for YouTube and Chrome on Android is a better bowser than Safari because sites are actually optimized for it .Overall, the phone is more fun to use and smarter.

So, why is the iPhone still seen as the go-to smartphone for the masses? I don’t buy the argument that people are just sheep and buy iPhones because of the network effect. I understand why Mac and iPad are popular—they are better than the competition. But when it comes to phones, the iPhone seems to be lagging behind the Pixel. Despite this, it remains Apple's most popular product, which I find odd.

What are your thoughts on this? Why do you think the iPhone continues to dominate the market?

Open your favorite search engine and search for “Google graveyard”. There you will find a list of products that google has discarded, and they do so without any warning to the people using those products. You may love android today, but there’s no guarantee it will be there next month.. if Google gets tired of it then it’s going bye-bye whether you like it or not. You might get an email or something, but think about all of the work and habit you’ve put into a certain app and then one day Google just gives up on it and won’t be developing it anymore. Think about that for a while. What is your favorite app right now? How would you feel if it just disappeared tomorrow?

Apple is more mature and intelligent than that, Apple sees what it wants and researches it. Google has no “blood, sweat and tears” invested in android the way Apple does in iOS.. google bought android, they didn’t make it themselves. Google is only into android for the money, nothing else, and the minute that money river dries up then android will end up in the Google graveyard too.. and you won’t have any warning that it’s gone.

 

[eyoungren]

Open your favorite search engine and search for “Google graveyard”. There you will find a list of products that google has discarded, and they do so without any warning to the people using those products. You may love android today, but there’s no guarantee it will be there next month.. if Google gets tired of it then it’s going bye-bye whether you like it or not. You might get an email or something, but think about all of the work and habit you’ve put into a certain app and then one day Google just gives up on it and won’t be developing it anymore. Think about that for a while. What is your favorite app right now? How would you feel if it just disappeared tomorrow?

Apple is more mature and intelligent than that, Apple sees what it wants and researches it. Google has no “blood, sweat and tears” invested in android the way Apple does in iOS.. google bought android, they didn’t make it themselves. Google is only into android for the money, nothing else, and the minute that money river dries up then android will end up in the Google graveyard too.. and you won’t have any warning that it’s gone.

The irony here that I have found is that Google's versions of their apps (the ones they continue to make and update) work better on iOS. So that's another reason I continue to use iOS. Because I use Google's services and they work better on iPhone than they do on Android. SMH!

 

[Iwavvns]

The irony here that I have found is that Google's versions of their apps (the ones they continue to make and update) work better on iOS. So that's another reason I continue to use iOS. Because I use Google's services and they work better on iPhone than they do on Android. SMH!

Yes, there is definitely an advantage in controlling the hardware AND the software. Google can’t do that on android devices except for the pixel phones.

I owned a Pixel 4 and Pixel 5A.. some of the best hardware I had ever seen in phones outside of Apple products. The only downside to using the pixels was the hamster wheel they call android.

 

[nburwell]

For me, I just prefer iOS over Android. I have played around with various Pixel phones over the years and they do have their advantages over iOS (ie. Notifications). But I’ve been with iOS since the iPhone launched. It plays nice with my iPad, Apple Watch and MacBook Air.

I’m not one to bash friends who use Android; competition is good. But iPhone and iOS works best for me and my needs.

 

[coffeemilktea]

Google Pixels are great phones — at least when they work fine and nothing is going wrong — but the rest of Android can be a confusing mess of different manufacturers with different visions of how phones should work, different implementations of features, and different schedules for when (or even if) your phone will get the latest software update.

By contrast, the iPhone is easy and straightforward and uncomplicated, and it fits neatly into a really nice ecosystem of Apple products.

Also, most app developers prioritize iOS, partly because of its popularity, and partly because it's easier to develop software for. As a result, the iPhone versions of most apps are better than what you'd get on Android.

 

[eyoungren]

It plays nice with my iPad, Apple Watch and MacBook Air.

It does, but the caveat here is only if you are using more modern hardware.

In 2012 when I got the iPhone 5, I was very happy and all set to enter the Apple ecosystem. But my primary Mac in 2012 was a PowerBook G4. And with Lightning, that was the year Apple cut off the PowerPC version of iTunes from syncing with Lightning based devices.

With no way to sync my brand new iPhone to my Mac, I had to find and use alternative (and cross platform) methods. That turned out to be Google services - which work on the iPhone. With the exception then of iMessages (and even that is minimal use) I don't use Apple's services. So, integration with iPad, MBA, etc tends to not be any sort of thing for me.

My older Macs are still capable of using iMessage and that's a particular driver for upgrades/updates using stuff like OCLP to make 2008-2009 era Macs run Mojave, Catalina and Monterey. But it works.

Lots of people (including you it seems) are attracted to Apple because of the integration of services. That's just never been a particularly big reason for me.

 

[winxmac]

Photo and video output is way better on iOS than android, even when using the flagship android phones...

Photos and videos from iPhone XS are way better than Galaxy S10

android also usually oversaturates the color while iOS tends for the more natural or realistic, WYSIWYG

Also, apps on iOS are way better than their android counterpart...

Facebook has the navigation bar or menu on the bottom on iOS while it is still at the top on android...

 

[now i see it]

I wouldn’t say that the iPhone is the “holy grail“ of smartphones.
It’s more like some people prefer Ford vehicles while others prefer Chevrolet.
Some people like chocolate chip cookies while others prefer Oreos.
The aura around iPhone has been built up by hype. Personally I use one because I’m too lazy to change and I don’t want to get involved with Google.

 

[Iwavvns]

Google Pixels are great phones — at least when they work fine and nothing is going wrong — but the rest of Android can be a confusing mess of different manufacturers with different visions of how phones should work, different implementations of features, and different schedules for when (or even if) your phone will get the latest software update.

That is known as “too many cooks in the kitchen”.. and Android itself suffers from that as well. I have found things within Android where there is no Back button and some of the screens within Google services are still light mode when the rest of Android has been set to dark mode.

I had the first Android phone, the htc G1, and it felt like everything worked with everything else. These days Android just feels like it was made by too many developers that don’t know how to collaborate.

 

[spcopsmac21]

Open your favorite search engine and search for “Google graveyard”. There you will find a list of products that google has discarded, and they do so without any warning to the people using those products. You may love android today, but there’s no guarantee it will be there next month.. if Google gets tired of it then it’s going bye-bye whether you like it or not. You might get an email or something, but think about all of the work and habit you’ve put into a certain app and then one day Google just gives up on it and won’t be developing it anymore. Think about that for a while. What is your favorite app right now? How would you feel if it just disappeared tomorrow?

Apple is more mature and intelligent than that, Apple sees what it wants and researches it. Google has no “blood, sweat and tears” invested in android the way Apple does in iOS.. google bought android, they didn’t make it themselves. Google is only into android for the money, nothing else, and the minute that money river dries up then android will end up in the Google graveyard too.. and you won’t have any warning that it’s gone.

Android is going to be around for a very long time.

😅🤣🤣

 

[cateye]

The aura around iPhone has been built up by hype.

Otherwise known as marketing. Apple is great at many things, but it is an unparalleled master at the manipulation that is marketing.

There's nothing wrong with iPhones. They're great products and I've enjoyed every one I've owned, including my current 13 Pro which has been my favorite out of all of them. But holy grail? Come on now. The level of emotion people invest in Apple products is absurd. They're tools and technology, nothing more. Use what you like. Twee opinions about why the iPhone is better or why Android is better or why Android is worse strike me as a lot of "you should value what I value because it makes me feel better about my decisions."

Don't be a fan of corporations, because they're not fans of you, only your money. Including Apple.

 

[h.gilbert]

I can only speak for myself. For me it's down to iOS. I prefer iOS over Android. It took 9 months of using a Google Pixel 3a XL that stopped getting updates after Android 12 to realize that. I also realized that one of Google's problems with Android is consistency. Can you honestly say that gestures from one version of Android to the next are consistent? Add in other manufacturers who also make their own versions of Android and it gets confusing as to what gesture does what.

Perhaps some gestures are consistent, but Google tends to change gestures between versions. Apple does do that too, but rarely. And new gestures come along because something changed (hardware style, new feature, removal of old hardware, etc). But for the most part, Apple gestures have stayed the same from the first version of the OS.

I certainly appreciate the customization and flexibility that Android offers, but without consistency I'm not down for all the confusion.

Because iOS will only run on an iDevice then, that's why I choose iPhone.

Gestures are very consistent between Android versions and different phones. I've switched between Xiaomi, Pixel, and Samsung over the years and they all have the same basic gestures - swipe in from either side to go back, swipe up from bottom for task manager/home screen. Universal back gesture is one of the reasons I can't go back to iPhone. Using friend's iPhones feels clumsy.

But back to the question, I think because the first iPhone was so good everyone just assumes the default smartphone is iPhone. I remember my friends having the first iPhone and how much better it was than anything Android/Windows/whatever was around that time.

 

[Arran]

After using iPhones for years, I've tried using a Pixel for a year now, …

Why do you think the iPhone continues to dominate the market?

Inertia and investment in the ecosystem

Changing phone is almost like changing countries. Unless theres a really good reason to uproot and move, why waste time even thinking about it?

Why did you decide to try Android?

 

[klasma]

Why do you think the iPhone continues to dominate the market?

It only dominates the market in the US (and Japan?), and it’s mostly because of Apple’s company image (marketing) and network effects.

 

[PsykX]

The irony here that I have found is that Google's versions of their apps (the ones they continue to make and update) work better on iOS.

Yes, this is also my conclusion, and AFAIK it's always been the case.

In fact, this is true for most apps.
When they're available natively on Android and iOS, the iOS version usually provides much better quality, and when they're just a web app, they're much more responsive on iOS.

 

[ignatius345]

Open your favorite search engine and search for “Google graveyard”. There you will find a list of products that google has discarded, and they do so without any warning to the people using those products. You may love android today, but there’s no guarantee it will be there next month.. if Google gets tired of it then it’s going bye-bye whether you like it or not. You might get an email or something, but think about all of the work and habit you’ve put into a certain app and then one day Google just gives up on it and won’t be developing it anymore. Think about that for a while. What is your favorite app right now? How would you feel if it just disappeared tomorrow?

Apple is more mature and intelligent than that, Apple sees what it wants and researches it. Google has no “blood, sweat and tears” invested in android the way Apple does in iOS.. google bought android, they didn’t make it themselves. Google is only into android for the money, nothing else, and the minute that money river dries up then android will end up in the Google graveyard too.. and you won’t have any warning that it’s gone.

Ars Technica has a great rundown of Google's absolutely unhinged history of creating, merging, spinning off and killing their messaging apps, one after another, for decades 🤣

A decade and a half of instability: The history of Google messaging apps

Sixteen years after the launch of Google Talk, Google messaging is still a mess.

arstechnica.com

And it's like this across huge swaths of their product portfolio.

 

[Cirillo Gherardo]

As a developer, I've used every device under the sun. Nothing even remotely compares to iPhone, or iOS. Android is a pile of hot garbage. I'm not sure why some people are unable to tell the difference. Even my wife who is only modestly tech savvy has a personal iPhone and a work Android and finds Android to be an unusable POS. She's not wrong. It truly is an unusable POS.

 

[eyoungren]

Gestures are very consistent between Android versions and different phones. I've switched between Xiaomi, Pixel, and Samsung over the years and they all have the same basic gestures - swipe in from either side to go back, swipe up from bottom for task manager/home screen. Universal back gesture is one of the reasons I can't go back to iPhone. Using friend's iPhones feels clumsy.

But back to the question, I think because the first iPhone was so good everyone just assumes the default smartphone is iPhone. I remember my friends having the first iPhone and how much better it was than anything Android/Windows/whatever was around that time.

When I got my Pixel 3a XL, I believe it came with Android 10. That was May 2020. The reason I mentioned consistency was because there was some new feature Android 10 had that Google had just introduced and it had a certain gesture.

Android 11 came along and Google changed the gesture for that feature. Android 12 came along and it changed again - because some new Android 12 feature got the Android 11 gesture. I'd have to think about it and go back and look it up as 2021 was three years ago.

In any case, that impression is what stuck with me.

 

[eyoungren]

Inertia and investment in the ecosystem

Changing phone is almost like changing countries. Unless theres a really good reason to uproot and move, why waste time even thinking about it?

Not really. Unless, as you said you're in the ecosystem.

I use Google services. IMAP for email and the Google and Apple transfer apps brought SMS over both times I used them. My photos are all on Dropbox as the Dropbox app uploads new photos whenever I take one. Lastly, nothing important is stored on my phones for long. It's always removed or backed up. Sensitive conversations are dealt with in person. No logs, no pics, nothing but the other person's word for anything if that even matters.

I could switch to Android right now and then switch back and not lose anything.

So, what all this comes down to is as you said - inertia and investment. And that's a choice. A lot of people like to keep all their eggs in one basket. I prefer not to do that because when I wish to leave I don't want to be 'changing countries'. I'm not in to giving one company complete and total control over all my data.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

As a developer, I've used every device under the sun. Nothing even remotely compares to iPhone, or iOS. Android is a pile of hot garbage. I'm not sure why some people are unable to tell the difference. Even my wife who is only modestly tech savvy has a personal iPhone and a work Android and finds Android to be an unusable POS. She's not wrong. It truly is an unusable POS.

What tosh, Droid isn’t as polished as iOS but it’s a perfectly useable OS

 

[G5isAlive]

I'm honest enough to admit that I dont know if you are right or wrong about Pixel superiority. It very well could be. But I bought into the Apple ecosystem decades ago and have stayed in it ever since. I maintain my equipment so there is no issue with trying to integrate my 2012 Mac. But I like that my computers, my iPads, my phone, my AirPods, and my watch all communicate to make my life easier.

I have a top of the line Samsung pad that was given to me, and about 5 pc laptops and towers that I evaluated for the company. So I am not completely ignorant. I prefer my Mac to PC and my iPad to Samsung. Maybe I might prefer Pixel over iPhone, but not enough to make me switch my ecosystems.

 

[john123]

I don’t buy the argument that people are just sheep and buy iPhones because of the network effect.

Network effect ≠ sheep. It’s a real thing. And network effects apply to perceived value. Small differentiators can make a big difference to some people. You mentioned one yourself (AirDrop). Another in the iMessage protocol. There are many others.

Also, don’t neglect switching costs in the classic definition either. Whether it’s a matter of know-how or effort or just being risk-averse, they all are types of switching costs.

Lastly, there are ecosystem effects. That issue has been beaten to death so I won’t add anything on it here.

Do you care about these things yourself personally? Probably not — otherwise you wouldn’t have written the post. But you asked why the iPhone is the preferred device by many. The arguments you made about the relative merits of the platforms and devices are only a tiny fraction of the calculus.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

It only dominates the market in the US (and Japan?), and it’s mostly because of Apple’s company image (marketing) and network effects.

Canada and Japan have a higher iOS marketshare than the US, and several countries have a >50% iOS marketshare: Switzerland (57%), Taiwan (57%), Sweden (56%), Iceland (53%), the United Kingdom (52%).

Holy Grail, though? Come on.... The iPhone is a great phone, but it's not the only one. My wife is a loyal Pixel user, and has been for years and her Pixel 8 is fantastic...She had a Pixel 2 until earlier this year.