I don't want to go over this too much to take away from the S23 ultra topic here but that sales graphic shows what has been said the dominant android sales are mainly low end to mid range budget devices. This year is the first time in maybe 4-5 years where it's highly likely a top end flagship android phone will be ranked in the top 10 global sales come end of the year.
The data provides android has thousands more phones than apple do so clearly their market share should be higher given the main android sales have been low cost models. Iphones dominate the top 10 most phones sold each year which are in that flagship price range and you will see A series samsung phones in that chart and thats it.
I stand by my statement that the kind of people who care about how many smartphones are sold and what new phones are released are going to be buying and having an interest in those flagship phones more than they will low end to budget devices. People are entitled to disagree and that's fine.
I will agree and disagree.
Tech blogs, Tech websites and YouTube are basically media advertising. They need sponsors and so they purposely hype the devices the tech industry wants them to talk about. Generally those devices are at the high end because that makes the manufacturers who sponsor and send free product for review the most money. This has nothing to do with popularity or actual users opinion. In fact it is an effort to generate user interest in and influence opinion.
I have a YouTube channel and for a while I reviewed nothing but budget/mid range phones and tablets and there was a lot of user interest. It is a market that is much larger than the upper end. But it doesn't get hyped. You don't get sponsored. You don't get free devices. As soon as you do get sponsored they want to send more expensive devices for review.
I don't agree that average people who can't afford flagship phone don't care about specs. They do care and try to find the best specs for their budget.
And don't try to tell me that Samsung flagship phones have not been in the top selling phone spot for at least a decade. People who buy a flagship phone either buy a iPhone or a Samsung s series phone. And while iPhone has grown a lot in the USA it has always been flanked by Samsung. Look at all the Carrier promotions they have a Samsung s23 or iPhone 14 as the phones they promote and it has been this way for years.
There are areas like USA where Apple dominates but that is not the worldwide norm. Europe is much more Android centric than US. A lot of Europeans don't even use iMessage.
With foldable phones and cutting edge cameras Android phones have also been more popular with the ultra high end niche. I don't think foldable phones are budget devices yet they sell many units.
To say that the only reason Android is more popular than iOS is because of budget devices is condescending and elitist as well.
If cheaper Android devices sucked they wouldn't sell regardless of price. It is because budget Android phones offer so many high end features that work well enough for most people that they sell so well.
Look at the iPhone SE as an example of budget iOS devices. They should outsell iPhone 14 pro max if it is just based on cost?
Alternatively look at the iPad 9th gen. They sell very well, are cheap and very good for the cost. It is because the cost is low and functionality is high that they sell so well.
Android devices sell because they offer better value in terms of functionality and hardware than competitive iOS alternatives.
Also it is easy to build a solid flagship because your budget is so high and so is the profit margin. While building a good midrange to budget device is a much harder feet and the fact that Android does so well in these categories is a testament to what OEMs can do.
Do most people like to hear about the latest and greatest phone? Of course. It is interesting to see what crazy features a manufacturer is trying to fit into these devices. But there is also a similar interest in mid range and budget devices and what manufacturers are doing to improve them. But Manufacturers don't want to hype these devices for fear they would cut into the sales and profit of their most expensive devices.
