With Apple having over 50% market share in Australia since 2011 and recently passing 50% in the US, what do you think Google or Android phone manufacturers need to do to win more market share?
For those who switched to iOS or never used Android, what feature would get you to switch?
Bring back HUAWEI;
and QUIRKY DESIGNS/FEATURES like the late phones from LG and HTCs;
keep more features in their phones e.g.
IR blaster, upgradeable SD slot, front+rear cam w OIS, FM radio tuner, optional removable battery;
prolong AndroidOS support/updatability
I had a P20 Pro and would very likely have ended up with another of their phones if they didn't have issues and hadn't lost access to Google Play.
The P20 Pro had great build quality, an awesome camera(for the time), and, was close enough to stock Android.
This - for me its knowledge that everything just ‘works’.
Ultimately just works depends on what you're familiar with. Just works might not even transfer between different Android phones.
My wife has the same phone but finds mine confusing as it is set up with gesture navigation.
What answer do you want, you dont seem to like anyone elses
@Clear: No problems with my Galaxy Fold.
If anything I have more issues with my IPad, especially using Onsong, though less issues using Songbook .
@Clear: No software issues or glitches. If there are any software issues or glitches, then they should be solved with a simple restart of the device. If there are more serious issues, then a store to take the phone to for further diagnosis.
@Clear: Well, it all "just works" because Apple refuse to play nice with anyone else. Imessage "just works" unless you don't have an iPhone, for example.
@pharkurnell: I'm happy with any answer. Maybe it's phrased badly, but I think familiarity with either OS is required for it to "just work." An iOS device wouldn't "just work" for me now and would take time for me to become familiar with it.
Beyond that it would be things like being easy to perform common functions, photos looking good, integration with other devices, etc.
The problem is Android’s strengths are its weaknesses. Being flexible with a wider array of choices is a strength, but some people just want something that’s as common as possible because there’s generally better testing, compatibility and consistency with something that’s very much the same as what everyone else has. People who use an iPhone can pick up any other iPhone and don’t have to relearn anything.
There’s no magic answer, what wins Apple market share could lose Android market share because they’d be alienating customers who choose them because of the things that made them different.
One of the things most likely contributing to Apple’s growth is their success in other markets, eg the watch, the iPad and increasingly the Mac. Apple makes it easy for customers of one product to use another (while being harder to use with competitor products).
The other is Apple products, at least in the phone/tablet segment (but not computer segment) tend to well outlast competitors with software support, so a quite old iPhone is very usable with a battery replacement, and still possibly faster than a flagship Android phone.
I struggle to see what android device manufacturers could do to make people switch, people generally switch because they’re unhappy, not because they think the other is that much better.
and don’t have to relearn anything.
Not true. When Apple removed the physical home button, the learning process of activating "home" was not fun. In fact, still to this day I wish there was a physical home button on my iPad. Sometimes the swipe won't register because I didn't do it right or whatever. The old home button "just worked" first time, every time.
old iPhone is…still possibly faster than a flagship Android phone.
Funny. Maybe you're forgetting that Apple was caught slowing down old phones with sneaky updates that throttled performance. They were slapped with a 25 million euro fine and forced to apologise. The crime was "deceptive commercial practice by omission".
so a quite old iPhone is very usable with a battery replacement, and still possibly faster than a flagship Android phone.
Yeah they didn’t throttle performance for phones with good batteries, so if you replaced the battery it wouldn’t be throttled. Why the kvetching?
@CommuterPolluter: Not sure what you're getting at. Apple were busted, fined, apologised for deceptive conduct, and changed their process. End of story.
Remotely slowing down someone's phone without telling them what's going on or providing options, is Bad Apple.
Why the kvetching?
The what? I don't speak old fart English sorry! ;-)
The claim that iPhone "outlasts competitors with software support" is not true and I'm contributing information to balance those claims.
I own both Android and iOS devices for many years. The Androids have been supported longer in my case. It's not just about the OS, but the web browser is important to keep updated on a phone. Android web browser apps can continue to get updates even after the OS no longer gets updated. Apple ties the web browser to its OS so can't get updates after the OS is no longer supported. This is an important difference many people don't realise.
@cerealJay: Apple fanboys will literally try to justify anything Apple does.
Then they get offended when people describe them as "cult-like"
@cerealJay: 11/10 lmao.
GG - android gets 'browser updates' after the OS itself is cut off in 2-3 years, meanwhile iphone gets full OS updates (inclusive of the included apps, which unlike android, aren't all total cancer) for 5-7 years…on what planet is this a positive for android lol
Each to their own I guess, if people are happy stuck on windows 95 but with the latest version of internet explorer still available lmao
all total cancer
App developers commonly make both Android and iOS apps, but according to you all Android apps are cancer. lol
OS itself is cut off in 2-3 years
You realise the phone keeps working right? You've been brainwashed if you believe OS updates are the glue that holds your phone together.
We don't buy phones for the unknown software features of future updates, that would be dumb. Often the updates are boring anyway… "more emoticons" lol thanks I really needed more emoticons. You've been told that updates are important because the manufacturer wants you to buy their latest phone to replace your "broken" phone that gets no more updates.
Apple recently allowed ad-blockers in Safari for the first time. Down comes the update for my iPhone 6s. Android browsers had ad blockers for literally years - with or without OS updates. Get the picture? Tying the browser with OS sucks. The web browser is an app that runs inside an OS, there is no reason to enforce a dependency with the OS unless there's a non-technical agenda at play.
Each to their own I guess
Not sure what you mean. I own both Apple and Android devices, and they both suck in their own ways.
@cerealJay: Yes, I know all that, it doesn’t change anything.
While I did miss Touch ID it didn’t take 5 seconds to get use to swipe up never met anyone that had a problem with the literal one change of any significance. No one is saying it’s static, it’s just less difference than between Android models. They still even sell a phone with a home button!
And the battery fiasco, the main issue was they didn’t tell anyone that was how they were handling the fact that their undersized batteries when aged were no long able to power the device. And there’s the rub, I’m not defending them, I’m explaining why they hold the dominant market position. Things people don’t know is happening doesn’t hurt the market position. You have to rely on brand damage, and that's generally (and perhaps unfortunately) worse in theory than reality.
@[Deactivated]: Yeh I'm not really interested in the parent topic about market share. I'm more about the little details I see people using to support their arguments.
I own both. I like both. But I will never be loyal to either one. Tech giants don't deserve loyalty. They deserve scrutiny and holding to account every day. We don't need to skull their koolaid and repeat it everywhere as gospel. "Just work" catch-phrases etc really don't help. Look how long it took Apple to allow a USB hard drive to be plugged into an iPad. Just didn't work for so so long.
@cerealJay: I agree.
I honestly don't think most people care though, it's not until people run up against the limitations that they notice and most people have extremely modest use cases and zero energy to devote to holding any company accountable.
But it doesn't? Need to reboot my work iPhone all the time, when no reception turn on airplane mode on and off etc…
That’s a shame - have had nothing but smooth ride for mine and all the other office members phones.
The oldest on site is iPhone 12 , so I guess that’s part of it too
Everything just works if you call bugs features. ;)
I do hear this point brought up a lot, but don't most high-end Android devices also 'just work'? Sure, different manufacturers will have different UIs, shortcuts, etc. but that only matters if you're going from one manufacturer to another (eg. POCO to Samsung).
It's kinda confusing that Samsung Androids have two apps for everything, the regular Android/Google app and then a Samsung version, which requires a Samsung account on top of your Google account.
Yeah, I have seen such things with my previous Sony and LG phones. This isn't by any means for all phones though, my current POCO X3 Pro didn't come with any duplicate apps. I wouldn't expect any Pixel phones to have them either.
@CrispyChrispy: I've had 3 generations of the Moto G, and have had a vanilla android experience on each. Have recently shifted to a tough phone with near vanilla android OS, couldn't be happier.
If the Moto G had stayed with some of the ISO water resistance specs and Gorilla Glass that was on some of their earlier phones, would have stayed. Other half has a new Moto G and is quite happy with it.
Plus side, saves $$$, does what we want phones to do. Reasonable photo quality, smooth browsing experience, etc. Neither of us use phones for gaming which may be important for others.
Agreed, this is confusing. My first step of a new Android device it to clean this up as much as possible:
Calendar is an annoying one as it can't be disabled. I think this is likely my last Samsung device and I will likely look at a Pixel next.
Hide Bixby
This isn't an android thing, it's a Samsung thing. Get something with pure android. It just works with no annoying bloatware, double apps etc.
@brendanm: Pixel apparently is more pure Android, problem for OPs question is the average punter and virtually every teen does not want a Pixel.
@brendanm: Yeah - bit of a typo there. Last Android device I bought is Samsung. Choice came down to S20FE or a Pixel 5. I choose the better specs/price which was probably a mistake.
I've used a Nokia 2.3 and a custom rom on a Samsung Note 3. Software wise, stock Android is what I want which is why a Pixel will likely be next.
@ihfree: And therein lies the problem. Android has wayyy to much shit to customize and mess around with for your average user.
Most people just want a product that works reliably and consistently out of the box.
Not layers of settings, duplicated apps, 3rd party software just to get the device to a 'nice' level of functionality.
Android is great for people who like a high level of customization, Apple is the opposite end of the spectrum.
And therein lies the problem.
Not really. Samsung bloatware is the cause of duplicate apps, not Android.
@cerealJay: When you look at Android market share between manufacturers, sadly that is the Android that most users experience is from Samsung.
@ihfree: how can you type this whole comment out and wonder what Android can do to win more market share?
@jrowls: I have my own opinions but curious to hear from others. I've also never owned an iPhone and have minimal experience with iOS.
I also assume the majority of users don't care as much as me about these things.
@FrugalDealHunter: iOS, Android(Pixel/Android One) and Samsung all "just work" for most users now.
Samsung Android bloatware tidy up is an optional activity.
I tried to help my parents settings up some smart home stuff with google on their android phones, because they couldn't figure it out. Having ok google to play music to certain speakers and stuff. Experience was absolutely horrific. Nothing intuitive, 10 different apps to do different things, didn't work the same across their 2 different phones, couldn't set a certain device as default for unknown reason…2 hours of headache with a less than ideal solution for something that takes 5 seconds to set up on iphone and 'just works'…
I have a note 20 ultra for work development so not like I haven't used semi-decent androids either…and that thing is ridiculously offensive. Completely outrageous behaviours like telling me to log in to use the keyboard which is apparently an app, getting harassed by some bixby nonsense, what a joke. Lol
edit: oh yeah, and neither of their phones can be updated to android 12, on was stuck at 10, the other 9 and from 2017/2018. Actually this is an extremely major factor - iphones remain supported literally for many years longer
iphones remain supported literally for many years longer
The poor sods who bought an iPhone 5c in 2013 beg to differ. Support lasted from iOS7 to iOS10, just 3 years. Or the iPad 3rd gen, just 4 years.
The problem with Apple devices is the Safari web browser is tied to the OS updates, unlike Android. So when updates stop, you get no more Safari updates. This matters, as a big change happened on the web around 2016, making a lot of websites simply not work anymore in Safari on iPad 3rd gen. The change was related to a newer way of writing javascript called "ES6".
Android devices can keep getting browser updates after the OS updates end. Apple devices cannot.
Android devices can keep getting browser updates after the OS updates end. Apple devices cannot.
This is true. I have a 2013 Sony Xperia Z that somehow still works and Google Chrome looks almost exactly the same as my 2021 POCO X3 Pro's iteration of Chrome, though it did stop updating maybe 1 and a half years ago. One is Android Jellybean, the other Android 12.
The poor sods who bought an iPhone 5c in 2013 beg to differ.
Absolute lmao, you can point to two devices and this solidifies your point, does it? Only two devices on Apple's entire line-up is the same as basically 95% of Android devices barely getting 2-3 years support? Ha
Absolute lmao
Glad you're amused, but I think you're missing the other point I made. Once Apple stops giving your phone OS updates, your web browser (Safari) will not get updates either.
On Android, the OS is not tied to the web browser. OS updates can stop but your web browser will keep getting updates for a long time. Further more, you can install different web browsers on Android, but on iOS you can have any browser you want as long as it uses Apple's webkit engine! In other words, you can't have any browser you want on iPhone.
This.
Android for older people who aren't tech savvy & are budget conscious (cheaper devices etc) are a burden to support, I've spent weeks of my life supporting a parent with android devices. I'm very familiar with android and have had pixels since they came out (after giving up on bloated Samsung's) but every other week there is some problem because they've tapped some popup or ad or something else that seems to be much more common on the android platform which holds her device at ransom and is a pain in the A to remove remotely by instruction.
The environment or ecosystem seems fraught with more danger for those who are unaware, but sometimes there is only so much that can be taught to some people and only so much they can remember.
The ongoing issues with remote accessibility with apps like TV and similar for phones (tablet support is much better) are also a burden to remotely troubleshoot and get working.
Hoping a move to iOS will make life easier given the simplicity of operation for the majority of functions, the fact that things "just work" so easily is also a win.
Things might have changed, but Apple just released the first update that didn’t work on phones as much as 7 year’s old and still the latest software runs on devices over 5 years old. All eligible devices had the update available on release day and things like that greatly simplify third party software updates too, you can test your software on a handful of devices and get a representative sample of half the market, while you’d likely pick a few newer android devices and get a lot less of a representative sample.
Ultimately there’s a lot of phones that do the basics well, it’s when people fall into edge cases they swap in one direction or another.
It’s the 5 year old iOS device’s people are hanging onto propping up their market share, not the flagships. And when they upgrade to a new phone it’s damn near identical, no matter which one they choose.
Lol. Then why does Apple continue to tout a better processor every year? TBH, you can do pretty much the same shit on a iphone 8 to an iphone 14 bar the better camera and the KNOWN planned obsolescence from their bloatware code.
At least with Android, you are allowed to do much more power user things that takes use of more computing power, RAM and all (eg. running Samsung Desktop Experience or running some console emulators). You can't even do that with a closed locked in environment like iOS.
stop trying to copy apple and bring back features like headphone jacks, start innovating.
there isn't much difference these days, depends if you prefer apple or google. iOS feels more polished than android, but android has a little bit more customisability.
"start innovating" but requests old tech back lol
The old tech is useful but there's limited incentive when they can milk customers.
Foldable displays are an innovation. But yeah, I'd like to see the 3.5mm jack, IR blaster, microsd card slot and dual sim on flagships, user replaceable batteries and other parts. More durable components would be amazing. Ten years ago I didn't bother with a case. Timely device updates would be nice too.
The reason most of those items no longer exist is so the phones can be submersible in water and not ingress water.
@Lichen6420: That's where the innovation should come in. I mainly see it as an issue for the battery.
I had a Sony xperia Z2 which ticked most of the boxes and was water resistant to a point. It had a dedicated camera button too!
@MrThing: It's actually pretty good having a water resistant phone. I had water poured into my phone's USB port by a toddler.
I'm careful anyway but for accidents it's well worth it
The reason most of those items no longer exist is so the phones can be submersible in water and not ingress water.
This is bullshit.
My Xperia 1iii has a headphone jack and is waterproof. I wash it in the sink almost daily.
We've had waterproof phones with headphone jacks and no flaps since the Xperia XZ in 2016. Possibly even earlier with the LG V30? (My V40 is similarly waterproof).
Apple removed the jack after they bought out Beats Audio, because they wanted to sell more phones. And the try-hard android OEMs copied that.
Not mutualy exclusive
it's a separate statement to the headphone jack comment. innovate, rather than just copying apple.
I wouldn't call it innovating so much but more of "stop removing/disallowing features".
Everything I loved about Android has been nerfed or removed. Play store policies are garbage for devs when you want to create something cool, it has to be "whitelisted" by Google rather than letting users decide if they want it or not.
This leads to devs having to list useful apps on alternate app stores. eg. Call recording apps aren't allowed to read contact details or phone number of the call, breaks on Android 9, not allowed to use workarounds like accessibility API even if its technically possible.
Why on earth would you want to used wired headphones in 2022?
pros of wired headphones:
cheaper
better sound quality
lighter (don't need batteries)
don't need to charge them
last longer (you can't replace batteries in a lot of wireless headphones, especially the earphones)
cons:
wires
the only aspect wireless headphones beat wired in is lack of wires.
Some wireless headphones also feature ANC, which is hard to gind on wired models.
@AwesomeAndrew: true, but that and a lack of wires is not enough to outweigh the cons of wireless, in my opinion.
"the only aspect wireless headphones beat wired in is lack of wires."
which is a massive advantage, completely overshadowing any advantage of wired headphones, to me at least
I think “cheaper” wired ones don’t provide the “better sound quality” you suggest.
The charging is a moot point because you charge your phone each night along with other things.
Are they really lighter? The wires themselves would probably be heavier than any batteries inside.
I like wired headphones, but unless I am listening to master records on tidal (even then, the phone is not the best device to do so), there is no benefit to wired headphones listening to anything on my phone.
I think “cheaper” wired ones don’t provide the “better sound quality” you suggest.
they do.. unless you're talking about the airplane earphones. you can get great quality for 40 - 60 dollars, it's not audiophile, but it's much better than bluetooth.
The charging is a moot point because you charge your phone each night along with other things.
i don't charge my phone each night. depending on the earphone / headphone, you would need to charge it twice or more per day, especially for the earphones, as the batteries are so small.
Are they really lighter? The wires themselves would probably be heavier than any batteries inside.
koss ksc75 / koss porta pros are the lightest headphones i've ever used, including the wires, the best part is that the sound quality is amazing, especially when you consider how little they cost.
there is no benefit to wired headphones listening to anything on my phone.
i disagree, i am not an audiophile, my daily driver headset is a $120 gaming headset, but when i use my bluetooth headphones, i definitely notice the drop in quality, it's not a huge difference, but it's annoying if you are used to the higher quality sound from wired.
as for tidal, i vaguely recall some controversy surrounding their supposed master records, TL;DR is that they are not exactly what they are claimed to be
Absolutely zero chance you can tell the sound quality difference between wired and wireless headphones sorry.
@[Deactivated]: The difference you're noticing is probably down to the difference between the gaming headset and your Bluetooth headset. ANC Bluetooth headphones can also emphasise bass. Which models of headphone out of curiosity?
If you got a wired set of headphones and connected them to a quality Bluetooth receiver, I doubt you'd be able to pick the difference without A/B listening.
I personally would like to connect headphones to a phone for at home listening but it isn't a huge loss. The majority of use is when a wire would be an inconvenience.
@[Deactivated]: Perfect hearing actually just passed a spirometry test with flying colours. There is no difference at all, any perceived difference is psychosomatic.
Perfect hearing actually just passed a spirometry test with flying colours.
Spirometry (meaning the measuring of breath) is the most common of the pulmonary function tests (PFTs). It measures lung function, specifically the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. Spirometry is helpful in assessing breathing patterns that identify conditions such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and COPD. It is also helpful as part of a system of health surveillance, in which breathing patterns are measured over time.[1]
Spirometry generates pneumotachographs, which are charts that plot the volume and flow of air coming in and out of the lungs from one inhalation and one exhalation.
i am not sure that you are a trustworthy source on this subject, or any subject..
There is no difference at all, any perceived difference is psychosomatic.
incorrect
@[Deactivated]: Oops meant to type audiometry.
Oh also there is absolutely no way you can tell the difference. Sorry to break it to you. Enjoy your wires though!
@Daz91: sure.
it's fine if you can't hear the difference, but that doesn't mean the difference doesn't exist. anyone with half decent hearing can hear the difference in quality, you think everyone would be buying wired headphones if they didn't sound better? no one buys wireless headphones because they sound better, because they don't, they sound worse. you're wrong.
I would want all versions of Android to work the same way. I used a Samsung phone for a couple of months from a family member when I killed my iPhone. At some point I wanted to turn on the hotspot, and I couldn't figure out where it was in the settings so I looked up how to do it. The steps involved tapping a button that did not exist in the menu. I found other lists of steps that were different, but every time it came to a screen that was not the same on my phone. It was incredibly frustrating. On iPhone you don't even need to look anything up - you go into settings and there's a "hotspot" item in the first menu in the first screen you see (no need to scroll down to find it). On the phone I was borrowing, it turned out you had to hold your finger for several seconds on an option which did not even look like an option, it looked like a label like other labels that were just labels and not buttons. It also wasn't even a label that was anything to do with hotspotting. How anyone would think to hold their finger on a random label is beyond me. It would take hours to try holding your finger over everything in the settings just in case they do something!! Super unintuitive interface. The last time I had to look anything up for the iPhone it was to clear cache and cookies in Safari, but everything else I have ever had to do I have found just by going to where it feels like it should be. Like a supermarket where you are looking for some random particular item but it has a feeling of belonging with other things and you can work out what aisle to look in.
I would want all versions of Android to work the same way
Maybe stick with the same manufacturer?
Likely it's just because you're familiar with it. When I upgraded from a Samsung phone to another one, I knew exactly where the hotspot was(just pull down the notification menu)
I might be familiar with it now, but I never looked up any steps apart from the one thing I mentioned, everything else was where you would guess it to be
There's also the option of third party launchers to maintain consistency.
Scroll down from the notification bar and you have hotspot right there. Tap to turn on and long press for the hotspot settings. The quick notification bar is customisable so you can add and remove what you want.
I've found this to be the case for pretty much all brands Android 10+. These days brands are more consistent with how Google wants it to be thankfully.
This is my phone for hotspot (pure android):
That's it.
Not on the phone I had
Was probably some ridiculous Samsung with a bunch of garbage added to it, or some Chinese thing? Try a pixel and see what you think. Similar to apple stuff, it just works, with no weird add ons.
@brendanm: Quite possibly a Samsung thing.
My S21 doesn't have it there by default, however it is easily added if i wanted to.
@brendanm: Pixels are great, currently have one and have had 3 others.
That said updates break things far more often on Pixels than any other phone I've had.
Current update to 13 has broken wireless charging and has done on a lot of other devices so I read.
Past updates have caused a lot of issues mostly around charging with various cables suddenly not working, not working with chargers and battery banks as well as functional stuff broken. Updates later the same hardware works fine again.
While they're the pick of the android litter they're still not as reliable as my iPhones have been.
@91rs: Pixels were great. I'm regretting buying my P6P at launch. I really tried to like it, but man is this thing buggy af.
@brendanm: Samsung S22 pull down menu then again to expand it and hotspot icon there.
I've had issues finding certain settings in iPad/iPhone when had to use them, neither is perfect.
Android One was a winning idea but for some reason support was pulled from the program.
My current phone is an Android One Xaomi and I dont think there will be Android One options when I eventually upgrade.
Why do they need to? Both OS can co-exist perfectly fine to offer choice to consumers. Pick whichever one you prefer and works best for you.
A decline is market share is generally a concerning thing.
I'm all for choice - in fact, it would be great to have more options beyond the current duopoly.
There's not a huge issue if Android became dominant, it's open source and free, so there's no real way to cause issues.
The problem is only for GMS stuff, like Google Maps and the Play Store where the alternatives are not as good. That being said, they do exist and the barrier for entry is pretty low.
Australia and america are tiny markets
What is the market share of android and apple in asia?
I think ull find its the opposite of wealthy 1st world western nations.
They’re reasonably large markets in $$$ terms. Once you get to the cheap non English speaking market the ability to customize things makes a big difference and plus for more open source OSes, especially since Google and Apple’s apps might not be their default choices due to cultural and even political reasons.
Effectively much of what is Android in parts of Asia isn’t readily identifiable as Android. Android was definitely the go to choice at the lower end of the market for a while though.
Ultimately having a competitive market here, rather than globally does matter to us, as unique localized Apps only get built for platforms with reasonable market share here. The market is still plenty competitive between the big two, though it’s actually even bigger in iOS’s favor if you look at traffic stats on websites, indicating devices actually being used as smartphones. It’s almost irrelevant what devices people use in non English speaking countries from the perspective of an English speaking consumer. It might make an academic difference, or a difference to Apple’s bottom line, but it doesn’t really impact you directly the way market share in the Australia or the US does.
The US has the third most smartphone users after China and India…
This is the joy of choice. If android works for you, buy it, if apple works for you, buy it. Easy.
If android works for you, buy it, if apple works for you, buy it. Easy.
You forgot to add and shut the heck up about it afterwards
Nothing. For most people, they don’t need all the functions of android and would rather their phone just “work”