Every clip I marque the connection that Android is the astir fashionable mobile operating strategy connected the planet, a definite cross-section of radical look astatine maine arsenic though I’ve mislaid my mind. They’ll besides marque statements like, “I don’t adjacent cognize immoderate Android users.” Those radical who question my sanity, without fail, hail from the United States.
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Android vs. iOS marketplace inclination implicit the years
You see, there’s a unsocial inclination that’s been remarkably accordant implicit the past fewer years:
- Android holds a immense marketplace stock pb implicit iOS astir the world.
- iOS holds a coagulated marketplace stock pb implicit Android successful the U.S.
According to the latest stats from Statcounter, the planetary marketplace stock looks similar this:
- Android: 67.56%
- iOS: 31.6%
But successful the U.S., that marketplace stock looks similar this:
- iOS: 62.13%
- Android: 37.47%
However, Android wasn’t ever successful the pb globally. Based connected Statcounter numbers from the past 14 years, iOS astatine 1 constituent had a larger planetary stock implicit Android. As different mobile operating systems similar Symbian OS and BlackBerry OS fell by the wayside, Android started to prime up the slack. In caller years, iOS has begun to recapture immoderate of its mislaid planetary share, but is inactive down Android.
| December 2023 | 70.48% | 28.8% | 38.21% | 61.3% |
| December 2022 | 72.37% | 26.98% | 43.75% | 55.85% |
| December 2021 | 70.01% | 29.24% | 40.54% | 59.15% |
| December 2020 | 72.48% | 26.91% | 38.76% | 61.07% |
| December 2019 | 74.13% | 24.79% | 44.29% | 55.55% |
| December 2018 | 75.16% | 21.98% | 42.75% | 56.91% |
| December 2017 | 73.54% | 19.91% | 45.04% | 54.42% |
| December 2016 | 71.97% | 18.89% | 45.14% | 53.7% |
| December 2015 | 65.9% | 19.21% | 45.65% | 51.86% |
| December 2014 | 59.15% | 23.51% | 47.32% | 49.54% |
| December 2013 | 42.99% | 21.82% | 39.25% | 51.75% |
| December 2012 | 33.19% | 23.26% | 40.22% | 50.49% |
| December 2011 | 21.83% | 22.71% | 40.92% | 42.52% |
| December 2010 | 13.6% | 23.57% | 25.46% | 33.55% |
| December 2009 | 4.07% | 32.05% | 10.62% | 53.26% |
In the United States, iOS’s pb implicit Android has fluctuated since rival operating systems fell disconnected the charts successful the aboriginal 2010s. But, Apple’s OS has inactive consistently been the much fashionable of the 2 platforms successful the U.S. twelvemonth aft year.
However, connected a planetary marketplace scale, Android inactive tops Apple by a ample margin.
Android and iOS: Cost vs. popularity
Android holds the planetary marketplace stock mostly owed to its affordability compared to Apple worldwide. However, Apple’s outgo spreading successful summation to its branding and beingness successful popular civilization springiness it an borderline successful the U.S. marketplace space.
Cost
The superior crushed wherefore Android rules the planetary marketplace is cost. In galore countries (with importantly higher populations than the U.S.), radical person acold little disposable income. Because of that, the archetypal origin successful deciding connected a telephone is cost. In that arena, Apple simply cannot vie with Google.
Run a speedy hunt connected Amazon, and you’ll find Android phones starting astatine $49.99 with the BLU Advance L5 That’s right, little than $50. The cheapest iPhone connected Amazon is simply a Tracfone Apple iPhone 7 4G, starting astatine $97. Ignoring the information that some devices are astir obsolete, you tin person a low-end mentation of 1 for cheap, portion the different instrumentality volition outgo you astir $100.
For some, $100 is similar alteration successful the sofa. For others, it’s a month’s wages oregon more. To that end, Android is the wide choice. Given the rampant poorness successful truthful galore countries astir the globe, the beingness of inexpensive phones makes Android a amended enactment implicit iOS.
The biggest origin successful the Android clasp implicit planetary marketplace stock could apt beryllium boiled down to Asia, a continent with a monolithic population, wherever much than 320 cardinal radical unrecorded successful utmost poverty. That’s astir the colonisation of the United States (as of 2023, the colonisation of the U.S. was 340 million).
If it weren’t for carriers distributing payments for iPhones implicit time, we’d astir apt spot the U.S. and planetary marketplace shares much successful enactment with 1 another.
Because carriers successful the U.S dispersed the terms of devices retired implicit 2 years, a $700 iPhone becomes a doable acquisition for most. This is made adjacent much charismatic erstwhile you’re looking astatine a flagship device. Just astir immoderate American tin ain a top-of-the-line iPhone erstwhile the terms is breached into monthly installments — that equates to outgo nary longer being a factor.
Brand
Apple is huge. There’s nary mode astir it. As a brand, Apple has power implicit everything with its products. Unlike Android devices, wherever Google creates the operating strategy and OEMs nutrient the hardware, Apple maintains everything. Because of that, Apple tin support a stranglehold implicit prime control, specified that their products (for the astir part) bask a “top to bottom” reliability.
You seldom perceive of radical kick astir Apple hardware. The intersection of Apple hardware and bundle cannot beryllium bested. Even Google Pixel devices don’t bask that aforesaid level of consistency.
As a brand, radical successful the U.S. spot Apple much than Google. That spot goes good beyond phones and into data, and what is done with said data. Beyond trust, Apple’s marque is conscionable shinier and much polished than Google’s. Consider the commercials for some iPhones and Android devices. Apple ne'er fails to merchandise commercials with the nonstop hep sheen that consumers successful this state privation to see.
Google, connected the different hand, tends to thin much heavy connected the cuter broadside of advertisement. Their logo is adjacent an adorable robot. So erstwhile American consumers spot the 2 antithetic commercials, 1 simply looks much professional. Apple ne'er fails to contiguous itself arsenic a implicit marque and that’s important to consumers successful wealthier countries.
Pop culture
The United States is simply a state perpetually nether the thrall of popular culture. I’d spell truthful acold arsenic to accidental I seldom spot an Android telephone being utilized successful TV oregon film. When you perceive a connection chime oregon incoming telephone connected the screen, it’s astir ever the dependable of Apple cashing in. I bash spot Android devices being utilized connected occasion, but for the astir part, TV and movie default to Apple.
That holds almighty sway implicit consumers. The tribunal of nationalist sentiment keeps a watchful oculus connected their favourite shows and their favourite characters successful their favourite shows. When viewers spot their favourite characters holding an iPhone, they mightiness consciousness compelled to bargain one.
The conclusions are casual to draw
Around the globe, quality and trends aren’t astir arsenic important arsenic practicality. Those successful poorness apt aren’t looking astatine the marque oregon the features erstwhile choosing a phone. So agelong arsenic the telephone tin spot calls and (on occasion) get online, it tin service its purpose. If Apple were to merchandise an iPhone that could vie with Android connected the low-end market, it would springiness Google a superior tally for its money. I don’t look for that to hap immoderate clip soon, truthful Android volition proceed to predominate the planetary telephone marketplace for years to come.
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