Before you switch to an iPhone, read this
We here in the Android community have seen many of our members break off and go to Apple. But how is this happening? Is Apple actually doing something right? Find out what is causing this to happen and what can be done to start turning the trend around.
The iPhone's prestige allure
There is a prestige factor with the iPhone that even I – an Android enthusiast – must acknowledge. Almost all of my friends have one; it's a fashion statement. But many owners don't seem to know how to get the most out of it – and I'm often asked why I don't own one.
If someone wants a bland but nevertheless seamless smartphone experience, then the iPhone is temping. But that's all there is too it. It's a shallow device, but that’s why marketing efforts are so important for Apple. The device can't really do that much, but the brand power can do a whole lot.
Perception is powerful and marketing efforts have so far been effective for Apple
But Apple's public persona does not fit with the company's actions. Apple is a bully in the American market, suing Samsung over unjustified claims. This tactic has been successful so far, keeping a major potential competitor, Xiaomi, out of Apple's way in the US. Apple is keeping desirable devices out of the market to maintain its grip. This has not hurt the brand yet but the upcoming Supreme Court case might put a dent in its image.
Android flagships are getting their bearings
Flagship Android devices are becoming more fashionable than geeky, directly competing with the iPhone. Manufacturers are making more devices that appeal to style and not just specs. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is sleek and this device is in vogue.
Most Android brands with a premium flagship are aiming for fashionable devices. But the companies cannot only focus on the devices. They also have to improve their brand images. That's how Apple has done so well but it's also how it can be beaten. Android devices are already better and if their brands have the same prestige as Apple, it's only a matter of time before the iPhone is pushed out of the market. Live by the logo, die by the logo.
Don’t focus on the battles, concentrate on the war
This is a long-term perception battle. Android devices are better, but we need to let the market do its work. Over time, Apple’s upward trend will reverse; it’s inevitable. We can’t let setbacks or bad years dismay us. That’s how we lose the perception fight. If we think Apple can’t be beaten, then it has already won. This is damaging. We need to approach treat it as it is: a paper tiger.
Wars aren’t won by crying over every lost battle. The Android vs Apple fight is for the long haul. Instead of focusing on the fights that we don't win, focus on the war, which will be won. The good news is the trend is just starting to reverse, but perception is ever powerful.
So, if you're actually thinking of getting an iPhone, you need to ask yourself, how much does brand image factor into your temptation? Don't let marketing sway you, overcome perception and think independently.
What do you say to someone who is thinking of switching to the iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
Only one word: CHOICE.
Android is innovative and always looking to enhance the obviously over saturated smartphone market. Apple wants to create reliability and trustworthy device. I work for a cellular carrier which are constantly sending me new phones every month or so, believe me there is always some issue with a Android device. They run great until you plug a bunch of apps into the device and then you start to see some issues. With the exception of the Nexus 6P, I loved that phone, however, the call quality was horrible on the device and I couldn't ever have a decent signal. I jumped to the iPhone 6S Plus and oh my am I impressed. It's been so long since I haven't had to ham factory reset a device and find some way to preserve the battery life in a device. I don't have to do any of this with the iPhone. Yeah it's boring and you can't customize it, but it's sacrifice my friends. You want a reliable device that works, sacrifice the customizing and heavy specs. You want to have a power house device then sacrifice the reliability of the important parts of a phone!
Motorola proved with their Moto G and E series that with proper execution you can have a great phone experience without top end specs.
Apple has been sending the exact same message for years, they just charge more for it.
But you forget to mention what Apple does right. Don't get me wrong, I've been an Android user for years, but even I know when to give Apple their justice.
For example, iOS updates. They are not hindered by carrier like Android devices are. Not to mention the fact that since there isn't a million different specs to worry about, even a 5 year old iPhone can still get most of the features in new updates.
Another thing to think about is that because their isn't a huge spec sheet to try to follow, almost all apps in the Apple store will work on almost any iDevice.
Then there's the proven security. Unlike Android which has its security features defaulted off, iDevice security features are on straight out of the box.
Another thing Androids cant do out of the box, full backups. With an iPhone just plug it into your computer, load up iTunes and you can backup your phone. With Android, you need to root your phone first, which usually means you have to wipe your phone BEFORE you can create a backup because to root most androids you have to crack the bootloader.
True yeah
I have an Android phone. I'm a geeky sixth grader and everyone in my class has a frikkin iPhone 5s. They're all pressuring me to get one, but f*ck them, no way am I dealing with the uncustomisable and grounded piece of software iOS is. I keep telling everyone that if their phones ran Android without proper optimisation, they would suck. Seriously, dual-core 1.5 GHz Apple A7s vs Snapdragon 820s and Mediatek Helio X25s? No way, no HELL way am I turning to Apple.
I managed to convince my brother who was a hardcore apple fan to switch to android. He owned an iphone 6, traded it for a galaxy s7 and loves it very much.
As much as I'm a convinced Android lover, this article does the device itself (iPhone) no justice. I'm not talking about Apple's terrible policy, I'm talking about a brilliant piece of hardware. The iPhone is an incredibly (and unbeaten in that field) crafted device, it's only iOS and Apple itself that sucks. I had a substitute iPhone for a few months, waiting for my new Android device. What pissed me off MOST was that you basically can't operate an iPhone without being glued to (the TERRIBLE piece of shit software that is) iTunes. That's a real joke. And you didn't mention that joke in your article at all. That's actually the #1 reason to not turn to iPhone.
Hi Ingo, thank you for the comment. I agree with you on everything except for your assertion that the iPhone is unbeaten in design. Check out our comparison with the Galaxy S7:
https://www.androidpit.com/samsung-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s-comparison
Agreed. iTunes is the worst. That being said, my wife's iPhone 6 runs smoother, faster, and longer than my Galaxy S6.
Funny thing about that iTunes......
Tell me about any Android phone that can be fully backed up straight out of the box. No rooting, no jailbreak.
My iPhone is fully backed up both on the cloud and on my computer without me having to bypass any core element of the operating system.
ios never hang.I think only this is enough for it.
Boy this has turned into one giant fan boy fight on both sides. I like android because of it's flexibility and adaptability. You can get phones with Micro SD support and removable batteries. Plus there is such a wide selection of styles price ranges, there is something for everyone. Some have talked about call reception being better with Apple. All I can say when on the boat returning from offshore my S3 will pick up signal miles before and IPhone will.
Android phones having more ram is a invalid argument .. IOS ram management is superb
Agreed completely. My iPhone 5s runs smoother than my friend's S5
its funny how they find all these security exploits in android that never actually cause real world problems. Every update apple has some outrageous issue. the trick to bypassing the lock screen. The 1978 bricking issue , a few years back when everyone's alarm didn't go off on new year's day so many more. I swear every release of IOS has a lock screen bug. now that apple had to release 4 updates to fix their last update. you gotta wonder if they should take a page from androids handbook, I mean honestly they have a manageable about of phones to test probably all sitting at their HQ gotta wonder whats going on over there, when android releases a update it is being installed on devices they don't even know about and they don't have so many issues.
it takes a great hacker days to find an android exploit.. It takes a teen in the back seat of a mini van on a road trip to find IOS exploit.
The last sentence, you nailed it.
No offense, but there are thousands of "cracked" Android apps that prove it is easier to exploit the Android system. Even if your phone is not rooted, you can install apps cracked by other "exploiters"
I have a great winning arguement "if you want to be part of a brainless comunity who pick a phone because its fashion or its all people have it just because, then go ahead be part of that comunity of lambs who dont know what to do with the money". i know its a little ofensive to some people, however they are using android phones and loving it
wasn't really anything in this article that would change my mind. right now I'm torn between the Note 6 and the iPhone 7. Happy to hear a lit of Pros and Cons about it. No fan boy crap, convince me on is better then the other. I know realistically it can't be done as we know nothing about either phone, so happy to hear the pros and cons based on existing phone...
Had an Iphone 3gs, HTC raider, Samsung Note 2 and Note 4.
Hi Mike. I appreciate your concern and I would like to help you. I don't want you to pay for a logo. I want you to have a device that is priced fairly and performs well. I suggest you read these comparison articles to get a good idea of what the current Apple bestseller – the iPhone 6s – is matched up against in the Android market:
https://www.androidpit.com/samsung-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s-comparison
https://www.androidpit.com/xiaomi-mi5-vs-iphone-6s-comparison
Go for the Note 6. Android has customizability that Apple can't beat. If you don't like the look of Android, you can change almost all aspects of it. I had the same issue with the Galaxy s6 and iPhone 6. I'm glad I went with the galaxy. It's amazing.
for me, having an SD card and waterproofness is all i need. I always had Sony phones bc of those 2 features. Now I have s7 edge bc they allow you to have SD slot and waterproofness. And samsung has better screen and camera also. If these things matter to you, than samsung s7 (edge) is best choice. But if you want a phone that just gets your job done, text, call, check email, social mediaand use iMessage. Than iPhone is better choice. (i cant give advice on note 6 and iphone 7 yet bc idk how they will work and look)
p.s. Battery life is not better on iphone 6s or s7 edge, they both last one day! i know s7e has like 3600 mah, but trust me, it never lasts more than a full day usage.
Moto was waterproofing phones (even their budget devices) long before Samsung, they just didn't feel the need to advertise it
I think in the end we as consumers need both Apple and Android. it is good competition that gives us better phones and better technology. Someone needs to buy Apple (even if it is just for prestige) and vice versa.
Haven't got that much money to waste.
I agree!
Lemmings.
I switch every year, sometimes even twice.
Either the newest galaxy or newest iPhone is in my pocket.
Both are incredible phones, last year the 6S felt like a much better phone than the GS6 edge I traded in. But the s7 I'm using now feels better than the 6S.
Have backups for both, some paid apps but most are free. I don't prefer any of the OS's both please me everytime. While the android phone is much easier to customize and play media, the iphones are much more reliable in daily use. Things like Facebook, instant messaging and taking pictures work flawless on both.
All the people hating on Android or Apple phones all the time: try both for a couple of weeks at the same time. Nothing wrong with either one!!
It's funny: I never met anyone who would want to leave android for iOS. In the other hand, I convinced few people to switch from iOS to android
If Android phone makers will update their OS more regularly, that would help. That is my biggest gripe!
The only people that see market shares as a war are journalists or Apple fanboys.
Android is better but Apple is fashion
As you can have more or less what an iphone does for a 70 USD Android terminal and best than an old (1 or 2 years) iphone does, practical people and those that do not care about fashion prefer Android.
The problem at the US market is that the Apple iphone prices are not so much for a 15 USD /h minimum wage, a little more than 1 week working, and it is offered at 20 USD/month more or less that is 1:20"/month for "the best phone"
So it is "THE BEST PHONE" and as well "the fancy phone" the image you must get and Samsung i7 is great, being far better for almost the same price.
gotta hand it to Apple they really are masters of perception and marketing... but for all of their wealth and admirable achievements they really seem as a company "patently" insecure and grossly arrogant.
Most of my friends own iPhone and are happy with their choice... however my android "slab" as they call it and the way I've customised my UX is slowly changing their opinion, side by side they really can't deny the quality UX and value of something like a Nexus 6.
I don't understand the obsession with getting updates. I mean if you buy a phone and it runs great on what it came with then just enjoy. I have the galaxy s7 but I'm not wowed by the difference between lollipop. You can still get any app you want. Do a factory reset every 6 months and you'll be fine . What android upgrade changed the game and was a have to have other the one before it.
When your Android phone falls more than 1 OS version behind, apps start to break and your phone randomly crashes.
lol what? this is so false. since most android users are 2 versions behind devs plan for that. this is true with apple for sure. the devs expect you to update.
a real argument would be to mention the security updates you're missing. for all those exploits they report on but never actually are used in the real world.
The fact that you have to do a factory reset every 6 months proves poor software
The bigfest issue is android platform is biased not all phones are up to date. You get a new phone still you have to wait ages to taste the new updates. Its for sure hell customizable there is no problem. Its not the same case with apple. I would say more then perception apple respects there customer since the software and hardware both are hand in hand when it comes to apple, whereas Android is a software and manufacturers are soo many its all the game of money and power if youhave got huge amount of money you can use the best android or else its just a second hand experience. Honestly i am a fan of Android
My biggest problem with Android is that while their flagship phones do significantly more than the iPhone, there's ALWAYS a fatal flaw in all of them - poor software, poor RAM management resulting in shoddy performance, poor cameras, poor after sales and software support, poor accessories support. It's annoying. There's LITERALLY no other device as well rounded as the iPhone as we speak, which is a bummer.
Lmfao, poor everything right?
Somehow even though all high end phones use Sony's sensor, Android cameras are garbage according to you. Most even offer a bigger aperture (fstop) to let more light in, so they perform better in low light.
Even with the most terrible RAM management, I'm not sure how a 1GB i thing can come close to practically all highend android phones which have 3-4gb.
You must be comparing $200 off contract phones with a $900 i device.
Next you'll complain that Android devices have a poor resolution when they're passing 4K compared to barely 2k.
Let's be objective. It is a fact that the iPhone has one of the best cameras in the category, being comparable only to the S7 and 6P. If you care about photography, you know I'm right. Also, check Phone buff's S7 Edge vs 6S Plus speed test and you'll realize that the 2G of RAM on the 6S perform better than the 4GB on the S7, simply because multitasking works differently on iOS.
You completely missed the point!
- If Sony does make the sensors for every tier one Android out there, 1/ why do SONY phones themselves shoot less clear photos than Galaxies, or even Nexus 6P with Google's barren software?!
- The cardinal sin in photography is trying to shoot in low light, and you NEED an external light source to shoot effectively in low light, no amount of hard-and-software combination can compensate and surpass a true external light, and I'm not referring to the phone flash, that's hopeless. I'm talking about the large attachments in DSLR's.
- Comparing a 3-4GB RAM phone with bad RAM management over a 1GB phone with excellent RAM management is like comparing the fuel consumption of a BMW 3-series and a Toyota Corolla. Excess is NOT GOOD if it leads to nothing tangible!
- I'm talking about TIER ONE ANDROIDS, not bargain bin duds!!!
- I complain about complete and utter excess, I have a rational brain.
Kidding right? Since iPhone 6 came out, Apple got his ass kicked in the camera department.
LG G4 and S6 kicked Iphone 6's ass.
LG G5 and S7 kick iPhone 6s'/ ass.
Hell, even the s6 takes better photos than iPhone 6s plus.
On anything smaller than 40 inch screen, that 4k doesn't really mean Jack.
The fact that Android OEMs feel the need to add so much RAM only proves how crappy the software can get.
you could say that again i the iphone camera cant even compare to the galaxy s6 camera must less the galaxy s7 lolll he has to be joking
huge android fanboy here ..but i have to agree. I mean even the nexus has software issues .
Ok wait a second. This article can't be true as I have just recently gone through this whole switch, back and forth, back and forth. I've owned every premium flag ship smartphone on the Android side for the last several years. The devices are incredible and unbelievable, but they lack something very important. The basics. Every Android device I've owned has had poor reception and no it's not because of my coverage area. The phones still have a massive issue with fragmentation which result in serious lag over an extended period of use. That's really really annoying. I've just recently switched to the iPhone 6S Plus and I'm actually very impressed, amazing call quality, reception is hands down far better than any Android device I've used and most of all, I say again, most of all, the APP's the apps are far far far better developed for the iPhone which is what we use on our phones daily, I very rarely experience crashes and I know I can rely on it. So, conclusion, don't let someone tell you iPhones are bad, in this industry you get what you pay for. I spent a lot of money on an iPhone but I'm getting the experience I expect out of a device we use daily. I'm not an Apple fanboy so when Android figures out how to have their devices run smoothly with next to no issues I'll definitely be going back but for now, the iPhone is where the quality and consistency is at.
Agree. I went from Android to an iPhone because of the fragmentation of the Android OS and the lack of updates. Some of that is caused by the device manufacturer and some by the carrier. Bottom line is ios gets updated. I'm sure though that at some point my iPhone won't get the latest and greatest either, but for now it is still on the list to get updates. When that happens when it doesn't, I'll take a good long hard look at what Android is up to (but I'm already peeking over the wall at the latest Android devices).
Buy a Galaxy S7 and you will forget about the iphone buddy
Riiiight. You pulled out all the catch words and didn't even use them right.
There's studies that show i devices's apps crash more often than Android because the devs get lazy - you can Google it.
Magically everyone else had terrible reception lol
Fragmentation isn't even used properly - flash memory doesn't have this problem.
Actually recent tests show that IOS 9.3 is the most stable mobile OS (any mobile OS) iteration ever.
Where did you see that?
where did you read that garbage
When people talk about fragmentation of androids, we mean OS versions. Carriers are still selling "new" phones with ver. 4.1 and the "official" version androids should be on 5.1 minimum
wow, interesting to hear.. I Worked for verizon for 5 years.. people brought back iphones all the time due to dropped calls. trade it for a android (motorola) normally and the next time we would see them would be 2 years later when the wanted a new motorola. it was a very rural area. Remember when left handed people couldn't make calls with iphones. lol
My wife did this very thing. The Geniuses just say oh, do a factory reset or network reset. Anything else and they're stumped.
I have an iPhone 6 plus and Samsung S7edge and lg V10 I always enjoy using android so much feel like Apple is for people who are techno phobic
I paid 750.00 plus tax for my iPhone 6plus 64gb and about same for my s7edge so price wise they all up there..
Hi Steve, thanks for your comment. You're right about prices but I feel you're getting so much more with your S7 Edge; you made the right choice. My guess is you looked at the device rather than the logo.
I'm not really aware of the average smartphone user concerned with system updates more than that Apple logo on the back of the device like me.. I considered switching over to an IPhone mostly because admittedly the phone's look good and are constructed well. I was able to test drive an older 5S and was horrified by the clumsy layout. Also at this point and this could be me falling for another marketing trick, but I'm unable to use any phone that does not at minimum have a quad core CPU with at least 2 GB of RAM.
I think you missed a point there, which is a big factor why people consider switching to Apple and makes their resell value is still the highest : System updates and reliability. I'm a fan of Android but sometimes i wish i didn't have to worry about updates when i need to choose a new device. It's like consoles vs PC, IPhones, like consoles are more practical and safer for the average user with a good wallet.
You can't really compare updates. To do what you're saying would mean that Androids should be upgraded at the same time as iPhone. iPhones do it because it's necessary. Most Androids just bring new features. Even security updates are fine.
Thank you for your insight Flavio. I think the resell value speaks to perception more than system updates. Just think of how many iPhone users don't update their device until they're ready for an upgrade.
I just don't understand them; to leave Android and go to Iphone which is not better, only more expensive...