iPhone not top dog in 2013 ? Android + Windows gaining

[Tig Bitties]

I am not trying to start a flame war, or Apple bash fest here, just my observations, and would like your opinion too.

So we all know the Apple iPhone is top selling smartphone for years now, and they have had their devoted loyal fan base. I was one of those as well the first two iPhone's, then moved on to the Nexus-One, and haven't looked back, having owned all Nexus phones. I am open minded to going back to an iPhone for sure, but want 4.3" screen and Widgets. But that's not the point of this thread.

To me the iPhone 4 was a major breakthrough for Apple, the first high res smartphone, with the nice industrial design, best in class battery life, and it sold like mad crazy, and rightfully so. At that time Android was still pretty rough around the edges, not as polished yet. Then came the iPhone 4S, which didn't seem like that big an upgrade, but Android had their Galaxy S2, and Galaxy Nexus which was very competitive and mature, and now we have the iPhone 5, again OS wise, not much different at all, and the design is basically the same again, just thinner and taller, bit overall still in the iPhone 4 family.

Now, my point. I read a ton of tech forums, Android forums, Apple forums, and general computer nerd forums. And the past several months I see more and more people going to Android, like the Galaxy S3...One X...Note II...and now the new Windows 8 Phones.

And a lot of these people were hardcore Apple fans and iPhone 4 owners, looking for a change, wanting something different. people that have said they would always buy iPhone's only, are switching away to Android or Windows, because they feel the iPhone 5 is just more of the same, mainly iOS being no different for a few years now. And really shocking is the Note II being so popular, not just with the Android geeks, but Apple fans, that thought they would never go for such a large phone before, but once they see it, and try it out, actually like it. Same with the new Nokia Lumia 920, tons of Apple people saying they were for sure going iPhone 5, then they saw the Windows 8 Phone, and fell in love with the live tiles, larger screen, etc...and just being fresh and original compared to the iPhone 5.

My question is, if the iPhone 5S this Summer / Fall, is just more of the same, do you see the iPhone going down in sales slowly ? And Windows and Android gaining more Apple fans ? My opinion, iOS needs a major overhaul, the "App drawer left open look, is very dated to me. Just a screen full of app icons, looks old and boring. Also 4" screen is still not large enough, should be 4.3" or so. And that's not just me an Android nerd saying this, all the forums I read are saying the same thing.

Opinions ??

 

[kingdLo]

I love me some tig ol' bitties

 

[stock28]

Comparing the sale of IOS to Android is apples oranges. IOS is one phone, the iphone. Android is on hundreds of different phones by different manufacturers. I't like saying all Chevys outsell the Mustang 5 to 1 this year.

 

[Applejuiced]

If you dont like it or its not the right one for you switch to something you like better.
Simples as that.
Its not one size fits all.

 

[albertxp06]

I don't know if sales will go down, but I think the growth rate will start to level out. iOS is a great, stable OS, but it hasn't really changed in six years. Yes, Apple did add a few things (that Android already had e.g. Notification Center), but it's largely the same grid of static icons. It's clean and simple, but a bit stale.

I've used Android for a few months and loved it. It was a fresh experience and I enjoyed having the larger screen of the One X. My daily driver is still my iPhone 5 though. It's easier to use one handed and it's apps are higher quality.

 

[bushman4]

Its time for a new hardware design. Not just NFC or a larger screen that may or may not satisfy the masses.
Hopefully Tim Cook realizes that now is the time.

 

[strausd]

For the most part I agree with you. I am/was a hardcore iPhone fanboy. Ordered my Nexus 4 when it came out. Mainly for the larger screen and customization like setting a default browser and really basic customization.

I am not talking about custom ROM customization, but basic customization that every single person in the world with a computer does. Basic things that should be easily able to change like on the average Joe's laptop. Default browser, default mail client, etc. And in a different way, people can go out and buy a new keyboard for their computer if they don't like the way it works. Well same thing for Android. Not so much iOS.

And if you look at Windows and OS X, you have gadgets and widgets, both very functional little "apps" that aren't full apps. It makes sense that you should have this ability on your phone where you need information even quicker than a typical desktop/laptop.

Those are some of the things that is making me try out a new platform. Also because, like you said, iOS is just more of the same. Nothing mind blowing has come to iOS since the app store. And when I jumped from a 3GS to a 4S, it wasn't a big deal. I could still do just about the same thing on both. Nothing major. However, when I look at different Android phones, there are real differences. Screen size, NFC capabilities, stylus (even if some people think its totally lame), and many other things.

Ya, some say choice just makes it harder for the consumer to decide, and to an extent I agree with that. But the thing is, look at what choices Apple gives you when it comes to full computers. You have multiple different options for desktops and laptops and both have their pros and cons. But with the iPhone, you only have one choice. And if you say you have the choice of a 4, 4S, or 5, it isn't the same as a choice between a Mac Mini, iMac, and Mac Pro. Because each of those desktop models have their pros and cons. The different iPhones don't have pros and cons. They are just older versions of the same model. It would be like Apple having 3 desktop models, and they are a 2010 iMac, 2011 iMac, and 2012 iMac. That would just be stupid.

 

[F123D]

And the past several months I see more and more people going to Android, like the Galaxy S3...One X...Note II...and now the new Windows 8 Phones.

And a lot of these people were hardcore Apple fans and iPhone 4 owners, looking for a change, wanting something different. people that have said they would always buy iPhone's only, are switching away to Android or Windows, because they feel the iPhone 5 is just more of the same, mainly iOS being no different for a few years now.

That's me.

iPhone 4 user looking for change and something new in the iPhone 5 only to end up with an extra row of icons. If the next iPhone is a 5S with more of the same, expect more people to switch.

However, apple for the time being will have no problem selling iPhones. They could go back to a 3.5" screen and people will still preorder and line up at 12am.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Not being a troll. Want a serious discussion on this. Will the iPhone eventually slow down in sales, mainly due to getting stagnant and not changing much ? And people being open to new Android phones and Windows 8 Phones ? Or will Apple always rule with the iPhone for many years ahead, no matter what ? Just curious

 

[dalbir4444]

Comparing the sale of IOS to Android is apples oranges. IOS is one phone, the iphone. Android is on hundreds of different phones by different manufacturers. I't like saying all Chevys outsell the Mustang 5 to 1 this year.

Yeah but those hundreds of Android phones don't pose much of a threat to the iPhone. It's only the Samsung Galaxy S series.

 

[zbarvian]

Not being a troll. Want a serious discussion on this. Will the iPhone eventually slow down in sales, mainly due to getting stagnant and not changing much ? And people being open to new Android phones and Windows 8 Phones ? Or will Apple always rule with the iPhone for many years ahead, no matter what ? Just curious

It'll slow down if it remains stagnant. I think everyone is excited to see iOS 7 under the new leadership, though, so we'll see if they can bring something fresh and innovative.

 

[Dr McKay]

Ive seen a lot of die-hard iPhone fans begin to switch around me too, I tried to be one of them however I didn't manage to get a Nexus 4.

This is a good thing in the end, if Apple realizes they're losing customers, it might motivate them to improve even more, which could result in a better phone for consumers, which in turn will drive the competition to improve.

I genuinely believe competition is a good thing.

 

[daveathall]

I have had a iP3GS, 4 and 4S, I couldn't have imagined that I would get any thing other than another iPhone, I thought that it would do no harm to try out a Galaxy S3 against my 4S, I ended up selling my 4S knowing that when the iPhone 5 came out that I would return to the fold.

I got an iPhone 5 a day after launch day, tried it for two weeks and then sold it, I just prefer my SGS3. I firmly believe that so would others, if they stopped listening to people that have no experience with up to date flagship Android phones and have a heavy bias. Honest, just give it a chance.

 

[cynics]

Not being a troll. Want a serious discussion on this. Will the iPhone eventually slow down in sales, mainly due to getting stagnant and not changing much ? And people being open to new Android phones and Windows 8 Phones ? Or will Apple always rule with the iPhone for many years ahead, no matter what ? Just curious

Hard to say but technology and ways of doing things has to progress or anything will get left behind.

Things I don't need my iPhone to do is more then likely because it can't do it. Just like phones I've owned before my iPhone.

My gripe with apple is their closed off ecosystem. I wish they used standards. Like micro USB with MHL or Slimport and now Miracast. These things are becoming main stream and apples alternatives while good (Apple TV and HDMI connectors) aren't as good and not only cost money they cost a lot of money.

Soon people will be connecting their ATV to a HDTV that has built in Miracast. Just like buying adapters for HDMI into a monitor/TV that has MHL which is superior IMO (1080p , 7.1 surround, charges the device, HDTV's remote will operate videos play pause FF and rewind function on the phone/tablet). And if your TV doesn't support MHL, Slimport or Miracast you can buy an adapter like Apple except there are tons of affordable quality 3rd party options not just cheap Chinese rip offs.

I understand Apple want to make money so they have their own standard but when it stops being as good and cost more that's where I draw the line.

 

[jsw]

Not being a troll. Want a serious discussion on this. Will the iPhone eventually slow down in sales, mainly due to getting stagnant and not changing much ? And people being open to new Android phones and Windows 8 Phones ? Or will Apple always rule with the iPhone for many years ahead, no matter what ? Just curious

it is essentially impossible to know.

In 2006, Nokia was an unstoppable juggernaut with an amazing series of prototypes on the way (I worked there). It was inconceivable that they'd end up not in 1st place, much less nearly dead, 5 years later. Then the iPhone came along.

Similarly, now, Apple is king, but Android sets, Samsung in particular, are making huge inroads into that (Android phones outsell iPhones, but Apple makes more money than the Android-based vendors combined). In a few years, Apple could be Nokia. They're surely as cocky now as Nokia was then.

 

[onthecouchagain]

The question is, are we definitely getting an iPhone 5S?

Tim Cook has thrown some traditions out the window (iPad 4 released in its mid-year cycle, for example; firing Forestall; allowing workers "free-time" to come up with innovations...).

Will Cook offer an iPhone 6?

My bet is on the iPhone 5S, but just food for thought. Who knows what Tim is Cooking. (GET IT?!!)


Having said that, as the Nexus line gains popularity in branding, as the Galaxy line (both the S-series and the Note-series) continues it's reach, and as Windows builds, of course we'll see iOS be challenged and the landscape change.

I predict the big change will come in apps. With the Nexus 7 and 10 taking off, developers will optimize more apps for tablets. I think developers will also start developing for Android on a more even keel. That's where the marketshare is growing. The playing field in apps between Android and iOS will level out. It's already happening to some degree with the number of apps available. New releases come to Android very shortly after iOS, or sometimes if it's big enough, at the same time (Angry Birds Star Wars comes to mind).

The iPhone will still have its dedicated base, but times are a-changin', indeed. I think people are ever so gradually becoming disenfranchised with Apple (the lawsuits, the overpriced iPad Mini and Retina MacBooks, the slow and incremental updates...).

I mean, you have an OS that is filling in features that it's missing that the competition may or may not have, while adding new ones, and doing all this at a faster rate. Versus an OS that updates yearly, and doesn't always necessarily add something new each time; it's usually filling in features the competition does already have, and not necessarily getting it better (Apple Maps).

It's no surprise the landscape is changing.

 

[michaeljohn]

The iPhone is the Toyota Camry of phones. Sure it may not have the most horsepower, the most fun to drive, the best looking or the cheapest option out there. Its the best seller because its familiar, it does everything very well, its extremely reliable and you know you are getting a quality product from a quality company.

 

[Zaft]

The iPhone is the Toyota Camry of phones. Sure it may not have the most horsepower, the most fun to drive, the best looking or the cheapest option out there. Its the best seller because its familiar, it does everything very well, its extremely reliable and you know you are getting a quality product from a quality company.

Its kind of hard to compare iphone to a toyota. I would say more like Audi or BMW becuase of the build quality.

 

[spinedoc77]

The iPhone is the Toyota Camry of phones. Sure it may not have the most horsepower, the most fun to drive, the best looking or the cheapest option out there. Its the best seller because its familiar, it does everything very well, its extremely reliable and you know you are getting a quality product from a quality company.

That's how I see the iPhone as well. When people say "it just works" I think of a Camry. Trust me, I've owned German cars all my life and many times they don't "just work".

Just like the Camry the iPhone is boring, but it mostly is error and hassle free.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I am curious to see what Apple does next for their phones ? Will they just release another minor update with an iPhone 5S and that's it ? Or will they do what they did with the iPad and release multiple sizes ? Keep the 4" and also release a larger 4.3"/4.5" ? And overhaul iOS with new UI ?

----------

The iPhone is the Toyota Camry of phones. Sure it may not have the most horsepower, the most fun to drive, the best looking or the cheapest option out there. Its the best seller because its familiar, it does everything very well, its extremely reliable and you know you are getting a quality product from a quality company.

Totally agree. The iPhone is the dependable family car. When you buy a Camry, you know what you are getting. Where as Android is like Ford, they offer cheap basic Focus model, up the the high end Ford GT model.

 

[F123D]

Its kind of hard to compare iphone to a toyota. I would say more like Audi or BMW becuase of the build quality.

Audi's and BMW's paint scuff and scratch that easily? That sucks..

 

[phobox]

Ive been an iphone user since the original in 2007 and refused to have anything else for a long time. I was due for an upgrade recently and waited until I'd played with an iphone 5, feeling that I owed it to Apple to give them a fair chance to impress me once more as they always had in the past. I was not impressed. I was disappointed, the 5 is essentially the same as the 4 with moderately upgraded hardware and almost exactly the same software. I switched to a GS3.

To be honest I feel a bit sad to no longer be using an iPhone, but the change is refreshing and I have a lot more freedom and capabilities with my new device. Android's greatest strength is the fact that you can change it to be however you like and apps have the freedom to integrate themselves into the experience rather than being bottled up and isolated. However thats also its greatest weakness, the iPhone proved that instituting mandatory controls on what apps can and cannot do provides for a more consistent and trouble free experience. There is no doubt, even now, that the iPhone does provide a smoother experience for what it does and the apps are generally of a higher quality. Unfortunately for Apple, thats no longer enough. The fact is you can do more, a lot more, with an Android device and even (to a lesser extent) a Windows Phone 8 device. And most importantly you have the freedom and power to expand that even further.

Apple still make the best hardware IMO and still provide a smoother experience, but they have got to do a lot more than that in order to stay ahead. The other platforms arent just catching up anymore, they're pushing ahead with new ideas and exciting features. Its time Apple got its innovation back.

All that being said, theres no way in hell Im switching away from the Mac and my trusty old iPod Nano. Nobody beats Apple when it comes to the desktop and on the go music.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I just wish Apple allowed customization with the iPhone. Simple stuff like the keyboard for example.

On Android, if I don't like the stock keyboard my phone ships with, I can download a free app, with all new type and style keyboard for free. Be it Swype, or Jellybean keyboard, or HTC style keyboard, and then I can change the color of it, maybe blue, or orange, or whatever I want. All that is free, and does not even require root to achieve that.

That is just one simple little feature I like about Android. I think Apple should allow that ease of customization as well.

 

[OceanView]

I'm one of those people you mentioned that switched this year and have been very happy with the Note and now Note II.

Let's face it, the competition has caught up and passed the iPhone.
There are just so many things you can do on these new phones that I'm sure Apple will take 2-4 years before we see them on an iPhone and that's a big maybe.

Seriously check out these features.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6ZPOHMzfrA&list=FLT3ROqjvFOJPYCmXokkDsOQ&index=2&feature=plpp_video

 

[Wrathwitch]

I am also a former iPHone die hard user..... who switched to Android for a change. Never thought it would happen.

However, there is hope on the horizon for iOS. There is a reason they kicked Scott out and brought in new blood. I am quite sure that Apple has seen where things have become stagnant. iOS without change might work if Apple was still the only maker that put out a reliable device, but this is not so anymore. Android may not be as 100% as iOS, however it IS moving in leaps and bounds to give people what they want, and not just in dinky little increments.

I am sure that is why there is a new iOS team at Apple, and I am sure that there will be some pretty amazing things coming down the pipe to lure any people like myself back.

Seriously, if I could choose my own keyboard, and customize my home screens as I wished and the iPhone had a screen size of 4.3" + I would be VERY tempted to come back.

For all of you guys who know me as a long time poster in these forums, I can now say with GREAT JOY that Plants vs Zombies is NOW available on my Android device (SSGS3) and now the phone feels like home