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

[eyoungren]

Why? Because
1) The Android OS is brought to us by a vendor, Alphabet/Google, whose primary business model is to collect our personal data. Apple's primary business model is to make and sell good products. That essential core difference between Android products and Apple products impact everything.
2) Apple redefined the category of what a smart phone is and has consistently provided new products at the very top of the genre.
3) As one gets more involved in using products in the Apple ecosystem, the various products interact synergistically. The Android ecosystem (to the extent that there is one) does not perform with anywhere near as much synergy.
4) Apple provides support at levels unheard of on the Android side of things.

Etc.

Yeah. OK.

1) I will continue to use my Google services (and Dropbox) on my iPhone. You see a privacy risk, I see convenience.

2) Not really caring about this. I use what I use.

3) I will stay uninvolved. I have stuff that works and Apple allows me to us it on the iPhone. Apple services are not the be all end all. At least for me.

4) Again, don't care. Especially since the last couple of times I've visited an Apple store the geniuses (?!) have been rude and insufferable. I've learned to just handle my own support and when I do have to get Apple involved I come prepared for a fight.

Wax on about how great Apple is compared to Android. I'll use what I want on whatever device I want because it works for me. And that's all I really care about - not some subjective thing about which platform does what better or not. I use what works for me.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Is it? Outside of US and forums like this one, it is not. Other brands are popular, even Nothing phone is gaining speed, especially 2(a) (plus) iPhone has stopped being innovative for some time now, and its price/value ratio is unattractive. That said I don't say it is a bad phone. It is a good smartphone, just I would not say it is a go-to smartphone.

The OP headline was:

"Why is the iPhone still seen as the holy grail of smartphones?"​

not "go-to smartphone for the masses." Even the masses buying cheapy phones still see iPhones as the Holy Grail of smartphones. Do not define best as simply meaning innovation, which said innovation may not even turn out to be long-term good, let alone best. Far more important to the definition of best are things like proven quality, reputation, support (which is virtually non-existent on most of the Android side), ecosystem, etc.

 

[fw85]

I think the main reason behind the continued success of the iPhone is the ecosystem. It's been mentioned ad nauseum, but it's true and deserves reiteration.

Very few people use only a phone and nothing else.
80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch. 64% of iPhone users also use an iPad. 60% of iPhone users use Airpods. 42% use a Mac.
This level of overlap with multiple products per customer is simply unmatched among the competition.

When Google releases a new Pixel phone, they're not just competing against the latest iPhone.
They're competing against the latest iPhone, the Apple Watch, the iPad, the Mac, the accessories, the services....
And the same goes for every other product from every other vendor.

These mainstream tech products are so refined now, that what's really going on is the battle of ecosystems. That's where the real added value lies.
Not the odd extra phone feature or two.
It has to be a compelling package of everything working seamlessly together.

The Android world is fragmented, and instead of working together, the vendors fragment it even further.
Not even giants like Samsung and Google seem to be getting the message - they produce something extra and pretend there's an ecosystem, but then it's either incomplete, some products or services are straight up bad, some integrations are half baked etc...

And until they realize what's going on, they'll slowly keep bleeding market share to Apple, as they have been for several years now.

 

[sleeptodream]

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

I don’t watch or consume any marketing (to the best of my abilities), no commercials or ads on any platform, and I’ve extensively used both Android and iOS over the years, most recently a Galaxy Z Flip4 on the Android side. So I think I’m pretty unbiased, and the winner to me is… iOS. There is just something so human about the way you interact with it, everything just feels right. It feels organic. The closest I’ve ever felt to this was with Huawei’s Android skin. I would maybe have one if they hadn’t banned them.

The iOS UI is also cleaner and simpler, which is personal preference but I like minimalist design, and I think that is a big selling point for the average consumer. Simplicity. I don’t have to use a bunch of brain power figuring out a new phone every time I get one, everything just works and it gets out of my way and let’s me get back to my life. That’s a good thing for the average person, they don’t obsess about their phones, they want something that just works, where they don’t have to look up how to do things or ask their techie friends/family for help.

And iOS always has my back, I don’t have to do anything special or download extra apps to get everything to sync. iCloud does everything with just one login, and only one company to worry about my data with (who I personally trust much MUCH more than Google, since their business model is built on hardware and actual services, not on selling user data and ads)

None of these reasons has anything to do with their advertising/marketing. I honestly think most of their ads are pretty cringe tbh (like almost all ads)

 

[Analog Kid]

iPhone has over 70% market share when you consider any price point above mid range.

That's not "the masses".

 

[eyoungren]

I think the main reason behind the continued success of the iPhone is the ecosystem. It's been mentioned ad nauseum, but it's true and deserves reiteration.

Very few people use only a phone and nothing else.
80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch. 64% of iPhone users also use an iPad. 60% of iPhone users use Airpods. 42% use a Mac.
This level of overlap with multiple products per customer is simply unmatched among the competition.

When Google releases a new Pixel phone, they're not just competing against the latest iPhone.
They're competing against the latest iPhone, the Apple Watch, the iPad, the Mac, the accessories, the services....
And the same goes for every other product from every other vendor.

These mainstream tech products are so refined now, that what's really going on is the battle of ecosystems. That's where the real added value lies.
Not the odd extra phone feature or two.
It has to be a compelling package of everything working seamlessly together.

The Android world is fragmented, and instead of working together, the vendors fragment it even further.
Not even giants like Samsung and Google seem to be getting the message - they produce something extra and pretend there's an ecosystem, but then it's either incomplete, some products or services are straight up bad, some integrations are half baked etc...

And until they realize what's going on, they'll slowly keep bleeding market share to Apple, as they have been for several years now.

So what's your take on using Google services (ecosystem) on an iPhone while shunning most of Apple's services (ecosystem) on the same iPhone?

That's what I do. And I get the benefit of a cross-platform ecosystem on Apple hardware.

 

[Analog Kid]

The global stats for >$600 phones tell you that once someone can afford an iPhone, they very much just get an iPhone.

I think the main reason behind the continued success of the iPhone is the ecosystem. It's been mentioned ad nauseum, but it's true and deserves reiteration.

Very few people use only a phone and nothing else.
80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch. 64% of iPhone users also use an iPad. 60% of iPhone users use Airpods. 42% use a Mac.
This level of overlap with multiple products per customer is simply unmatched among the competition.

It's a phone in an ecosystem that some people happen to like more than other phones or ecosystems.

Yes, it's the ecosystem. This is also why people are more likely to prefer iPhone if they are able to afford more devices that participate in that ecosystem.

 

[eyoungren]

And iOS always has my back, I don’t have to do anything special or download extra apps to get everything to sync. iCloud does everything with just one login, and only one company to worry about my data with (who I personally trust much MUCH more than Google, since their business model is built on hardware and actual services, not on selling user data and ads)

And when you move to an Android? That's what I like about Google's services. It makes it so I'm not trapped in Apple's ecosystem when I want to use a different device or a device that is no longer supported by Apple.

 

[Digital Dude]

In my opinion, the iPhone physical build quality is superior to all other current phones on the market. Notwithstanding, iOS lags behind the Pixel/google operating system. If Google were to drop the bloatware, its popularity would jump considerably. 😐

 

[eyoungren]

Yes, it's the ecosystem. This is also why people are more likely to prefer iPhone if they are able to afford more devices that participate in that ecosystem.

I have approximately 20 or so Macs, perhaps around 5 or so can actually use Apple's services because they are sufficiently new enough to do so. But Google's services? Cross platform and it works on PowerPC Macs, old Snow Leopard only Intel Macs and my PCs.

I do use Apple's services, but their ecosystem is not why I use Apple.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Above $600, its global market share is over 70%, so definitely not limited to the US.

In Eastern Europe there's barely any, and even in countries with official presence, it's often like 1 or 2 stores in the entire country.
I'm not saying it's a major reason, just something that contributed to an overall lack of presence and support. An official Apple store still provides more and better services than a 3rd party reseller.
Random anecdote - there is like 20 dedicated Samsung stores in my city, 0 Apple stores.

But as I mentioned, language, features etc being the other important factors.

Young people will find a way to get an iPhone if it means annoying their parents until they buy them one, or buy it from any sort of disposable income at their hands, whether they can afford it or not.

I'm somewhere at the older end of Gen Z - perhaps you're underestimating just how much young people won't be caught dead holding an Android phone - yes, even a potentially more expensive one.

If you're from an older gen in a circle of people of your age, this trend may be escaping you a bit, but it's absolutely true and statistically proven at this point.

For younger people their phone is often their main computing device and iPhone together with the entire Apple ecosystem is just too attractive, cool, status-signaling of an offer to pass up. Even if it means splurging their last cash on it.

It’s very different in Western Europe to Eastern Europe. Plenty of young people 20’s use Android phones and they are more popular than iPhones generally. My generation 40+ tend to use iPhones because they are more familiar and easier to use on the whole. There is nothing factual about young people not being ‘caught dead’ with Android phones, that’s either something you’ve made up or selective in the poorer parts of Eastern Europe where iPhones are rarer due to lesser wages and cost of living.

 

[b-dogg]

iPhone user for last 16 years. Strongly tempted to move to Pixel 9 if it adds Qi2 / MagSafe support. The only hardware feature I would miss from iPhone on the daily. The price and feature set of a Pixel 8a for example are hard to ignore. The experience of stock Android on Pixel is super snappy and the commitment to 5-7 years of software support by Google is confidence inspiring. The price of iPhone hardware is getting harder and harder to swallow / justify.

 

[webkit]

1) The Android OS is brought to us by a vendor, Alphabet/Google, whose primary business model is to collect our personal data.

Most people don't seem to care much as Android, Google Chrome, Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, YT, etc. are the top players (at least globally) in their respective categories.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

That's not "the masses"

iPhone has over 70% market share when you consider any price point above mid range.

You say

That's not "the masses"

but the point is that by owning the high end as described by fw85, Apple is perceived as the Holy Grail which was the OP query.

 

[Analog Kid]

I have approximately 20 or so Macs, perhaps around 5 or so can actually use Apple's services because they are sufficiently new enough to do so. But Google's services? Cross platform and it works on PowerPC Macs, old Snow Leopard only Intel Macs and my PCs.

I do use Apple's services, but their ecosystem is not why I use Apple.

I very much enjoy what you've shared about all you do with your older machines and how you keep them setup and running but, and please take this in the best possible way, I don't think you qualify as typical.

Ecosystem is more than search engine and map. By ecosystem I mean the collection of hardware devices and the software that makes them work together and makes them all feel familiar once you're familiar with one. If you have a phone, then maybe you like iOS or maybe you like Android. But I think what tilts the scales is if you have a laptop, phone, watch, tablet and headphones. More people with those things use non-Apple than Apple, for sure, but I think the more someone participates in that ecosystem the more they tilt toward iPhone.

The ecosystem is also a philosophy of design, so the more someone values privacy or ease of use (for example if you would rather have basic decisions made for you rather than broad configurability) the more likely they are to tilt toward the Apple ecosystem and the iPhone within it.

Despite the counterexamples, when trying to understand the behaviors of large groups of people one must generalize and generally I believe this to be true.

 

[Analog Kid]

You say

but the point is that by owning the high end as described by fw85, Apple is perceived as the Holy Grail which was the OP query.

I say that's not the masses because the OP asked:

why is the iPhone still seen as the go-to smartphone for the masses?

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

The answer to both of those questions is "it isn't and it doesn't".

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Most people don't seem to care much as Android, Google Chrome, Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, YT, etc. are the top players (at least globally) in their respective categories.

Agreed most people don't seem to care much, but some do and many are aware, even if they accept Google constantly mining their personal info. IMO Apple gains Holy Grail perception credibility by not mining personal data - - even among those folks who do end up with an Android product (usually because of perceived value).

 

[eyoungren]

I very much enjoy what you've shared about all you do with your older machines and how you keep them setup and running but, and please take this in the best possible way, I don't think you qualify as typical.

ROTLMFAO!!!!!!!!

No worries about that! I have been told my entire life I am not normal by a lot of people, and many here have said the same. Yeah, I'm not normal. Part of it is because I reject rejection. That is, someone tells me no and if I can't see a good reason as to why, I proceed to either prove them wrong or 'take' what they are denying me. With technology that usually becomes some sort of workaround.

But yeah, even my sister has pointedly told me over the years that I am NOT normal!

Ecosystem is more than search engine and map. By ecosystem I mean the collection of hardware devices and the software that makes them work together and makes them all feel familiar once you're familiar with one. If you have a phone, then maybe you like iOS or maybe you like Android. But I think what tilts the scales is if you have a laptop, phone, watch, tablet and headphones. More people with those things use non-Apple than Apple, for sure, but I think the more someone participates in that ecosystem the more they tilt toward iPhone.

The ecosystem is also a philosophy of design, so the more someone values privacy or ease of use (for example if you would rather have basic decisions made for you rather than broad configurability) the more likely they are to tilt toward the Apple ecosystem and the iPhone within it.

Despite the counterexamples, when trying to understand the behaviors of large groups of people one must generalize, and generally I believe this to be true.

I will just say that I prefer Mac and that my current phone is an iPhone 11 Pro Max. I prefer iOS and MacOS (with some exceptions). But I wish to do with my hardware what I wish to do with it and being bound solely to Apple's services limits me. Other people, the normal type I should say, aren't like me so what you're saying applies.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I say that's not the masses because the OP asked:




The answer to both of those questions is "it isn't and it doesn't".

Of course folks can change the question from the OP and get different answers. As to the headline OP query, Apple owns the high end, and as such is perceived as the Holy Grail by the masses.

 

[Analog Kid]

Of course folks can change the question from the OP and get different answers. As to the headline OP query, Apple owns the high end, and as such is perceived as the Holy Grail by the masses.

Headlines are clickbait. There was a lot of text below it that explained the question in more detail.

For what it's worth, I also don't think iPhone is a holy grail, I think Apple's ecosystem is-- which is what I said in my original post. As with everything Apple, if you look at the trees you can find better examples than each, but Apple assembles an enviable forrest.

 

[h.gilbert]

80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch.

Is that really true? Just from my experience with friends and family that number is way lower, less than half probably.

 

[Analog Kid]

please take this in the best possible way, I don't think you qualify as typical.

Yeah, I'm not normal. Part of it is because I reject rejection.

That's the reason I chose my words carefully... 😉

"Morrigan starts punching me in the side, yelling at me saying 'Why can't you be normal?!'. And old Miss. Brownell wrapped Morrigan on her shin rudely with her cane and said 'He is normal, what you meant to say is average.' That's education!"
--Utah Phillips

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Very few people use only a phone and nothing else.
80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch. 64% of iPhone users also use an iPad. 60% of iPhone users use Airpods. 42% use a Mac.
This level of overlap with multiple products per customer is simply unmatched among the competition.

80%?? Naaaa....Not a chance in hell that's correct.

I'm going to need to see some stats on that Apple Watch bit.. I would say 50% do, on the high end. I see a lot of Apple Watches, but the majority I know with an iPhone don't wear any watch.

 

[webkit]

Very few people use only a phone and nothing else.
80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch. 64% of iPhone users also use an iPad. 60% of iPhone users use Airpods. 42% use a Mac.

Where are you getting these percentages from? For example, I don't believe "80% of iPhone users also use an Apple Watch." I think it's more like 80% of iPhone users that use some sort of smartwatch, use an Apple Watch. That's very different than what you stated.

 

[eyoungren]

That's the reason I chose my words carefully... 😉

No worries. When I said that I was meaning a certain type of other person and not you. I'll just leave it at that before I get off-topic.