Have you all noticed that Android seems to have been in decline over the past couple years, or is it just the fact that I’ve been paying less attention? By decline, I don’t mean that the software is getting worse, it just seems to have lost its competitive edge compared to Apple.
For years up to a couple years ago, it seemed like iOS and Android would be neck all the time. Android was heralded for its freedom of choice. But over time, it’s become more like iOS being more restrictive while iOS has slowly been gaining more freedoms.
Samsung was always the one to release the best hardware you could ask for in a device and usually at a really good price. But now they introduced products like the recent Note that simply doesn’t live up to its history of being insane everything-you-could-ask-for hardware at a good price and charges a ridiculous amount for a cheaper product.
Pixels used to be known for their cameras, but iPhone and other phones caught up, Google hasn’t really improved much with the cameras since the Pixel 2 or 3. Google has stopped trying to compete with Apple by going to a non-flagship processor. Their marketing also seems to have died down.
A lot of Android phones copied things they made fun of the iPhone for and things Android enthusiasts loathed (removal of the headphone jack, notch, no charger in the box).
There seem to be less value in Android anymore. For instance, pretty much every phone OnePlus released was an instant recommendation for someone who wanted a flagship for less money. Now, they’re basically just another flagship but at a lower quality for a similar price. Even their “value” phones are no longer instant recommendations anymore.
iOS seems to be innovating while Google is not. For example, privacy standards. Android used to always be in the news for all of their innovation and features that iOS doesn’t have. I can’t remember the last time I heard Android news about a new big feature. Maybe it was that feature from like 2018 where Google Assistant could schedule an appointment over the phone with you.
It just seems like iPhone has gained mostly all of the features that Android had that it didn’t while also providing more value for the money while Androids have gotten more expensive while also becoming worse products. iPhone also pretty much has a phone at every price now too compared to in the past when they really were known for being only the premium expensive product. It’s hard to compete with iPhones in every price range with incredible software support and updates, customer service, solid hardware, and reliability.
Yeah, I know there are a lot of good phones out there and Android dominates with market share across the world overall. And for a lot of people, it’s good enough and they’re able to find a phone they’re happy with. I also know mobile phones have become a mature product. But from an enthusiast standpoint, I’m not crazy right? Android has been declining over the past few years right? Or am I just not paying enough attention?
I think Android is improving over the last few years. Samsung's version of Android used to be terrible and provide a sub-optimal experience, but now it is good, it has really improved. I think Apple's iOS still has the edge, but Android is not too far behind now.
As both operating systems improve, I see that there are diminishing returns. Each of them already provides most features anyone would need from a smartphone. They will improve in the future, but the improvements become less noticeable in each version.
As they become more like each other, Android will have the advantage of equipping cheaper phones. You mentioned that Apple provides phones in every price range, but this is not a fact. Apple's cheapest iPhone, the SE, sells for $399. This is still very expensive in many developing countries around the world. There are Android phones selling for less than $200. Yes, these phones may be inferior, but they got a lot better in the last few years. I tried one of these days and was impressed. In a couple of years, they went from pretty much useless to quite useful. They are not blazing fast, but, if they keep evolving like this, there may come a date in which most people will not even be able to tell the difference. Yes, Apple's A-series processors are amazingly fast, but most people simply do not need such performance out of a smartphone, and will not see the difference from a Snapdragon 870 that equips mid-range phones.
Few people are enthusiasts. I think Android is getting closer to iOS, and Apple has to offer something else to differentiate and keep charging a premium. Not everyone is so obsessed about photos to need the absolute best camera every year when the camera in last year's phone is already unbelievably great. Not everyone needs the fastest smartphone ever when last year's smartphone is already much faster than the majority of computers in the world. As both hardware and software mature, it is not just a matter of improving the very same features that have been improved over the last 5 or 10 years.
Apple is now focusing on privacy, which is a smart move, and is picking on Google's Achilles heels. But that is hardly a feature that Apple can improve forever, and Android manufacturers are already moving to catch up. For consumers, this is great, as it means that Apple's edge (and its ability to manipulate the market on its favor or to become lazy) is diminishing.
Now, you also mentioned that many Android phones are becoming iPhone copycats. While this does not mean that Android is declining, it is also true, the way I see it. Android manufacturers (and everybody else) seems to be following Apple's lead, which is not necessarily a good thing.
Apple removed the headphone jack from its iPhones and many Android phones had it removed as well. Apple keeps the iPhone very thin and many flagship Android phones have smaller batteries to keep the thin profile as well. Apple puts a great camera with "Night Mode" on the iPhone, and every Android manufacturer wants to do the same. Every flagship phone needs to be waterproof and have wireless charging. Android is not declining because of this, but most phones are losing their individuality. We may have the iPhone and several Android phones with similar features and different prices in some sort of undistinguishable mass.
What Android manufacturers really need is courage to launch an anti-Apple. Phones with different features that appeal to different audiences. Some Android phones have that, but less and less as many copy what Apple is doing. There are exceptions. Look at the Asus ROG Phone 5, for instance. It is a flagship phone with a top-range Qualcomm processor. But it has a large battery (6000 mAh), an AMOLED screen with a high refresh rate, a headphone jack, a great audio system and a cooling system. It is not waterproof and it does not support wireless charging. It is heavy and bulky. The camera is good but nowhere near the ones in other flagship smartphones. It is targeted as gamers, but it has so many features useful for other people. Many people would prefer a larger battery and a headphone jack over "higher-end" features such as wireless charging and being waterproof, as they may turn out being more useful. Asus was smart as it removed those expensive features and spent the resources in other features that few smartphones have (just hear the sound that comes out of a ROG Phone, it is miles better than anything else, including the iPhone).
Apple's approach is not necessarily the best, or the best for everyone. Android provides room for other approaches, and most manufacturers are losing this golden opportunity to differentiate.
