iPhone 14 Pro Max Why is the iPhone still seen as the holy grail of smartphones?

[kargurin]

What a strawman question. I reject the premise. There is no objective standard supporting your view. US market share is 60/40 iPhone, worldwide it's the opposite but skewed even more toward Android. I own both platforms. Sometimes I like steak for dinner, sometimes salmon. Which is better?

 

[aevan]

After using iPhones for years, I've tried using a Pixel for a year now, and I must say, outside of AirDrop to my Mac, the Pixel is superior in almost every area. The autocorrect on the Pixel keyboard is much better, you can swipe from either side of the screen to go back in the OS (compared to iOS where you have to either touch the back button at the top left corner of the screen or use the finicky swipe left from the screen there that works half of the time), it has a functional notification system, and the material design of the UI is more modern-looking than iOS.

Just take everything you said and imagine a lot of people disagreeing.

That’s your answer. It doesn’t mean you’re objectively wrong, it just explains why so many people prefer the iPhone.

Personally, I find both iPhone hardware and iOS superior to Android, and 3rd party apps are better.

 

[Cirillo Gherardo]

What tosh, Droid isn’t as polished as iOS but it’s a perfectly useable OS

No. I feel like the people who claim this are ignoring everything and focusing on things like "can both of them complete a phone call? Yes? Then they're the same thing." If that's all you can see then I can understand why you have no perspective on the issue.

 

[Cirillo Gherardo]

What a strawman question. I reject the premise. There is no objective standard supporting your view. US market share is 60/40 iPhone, worldwide it's the opposite but skewed even more toward Android. I own both platforms. Sometimes I like steak for dinner, sometimes salmon. Which is better?

Terrible take all around.

iPhone doesn't exist in the same price categories that Android does. Above $500, it is 90/10 iPhone worldwide. Android people use the low end feature phones as a way of padding the numbers and pretending that Android is actually popular amongst people. It's not. Nearly everyone who can afford iPhone chooses iPhone.

And they are not in any way equal or simply a matter of choice. I can get to work using a functional car, or I can get to work using a half broken bicycle. They are by no means equal just because I got to the destination.

 

[TechnoMonk]

It’s the ecosystem and seamless integration across devices in my workflow. Mac, iPhone, IPad Pro and Apple Watch. I can validate, cross authenticate and easily handle multi factor authentications on my Apple Watch. Apple TV, AirPlay and airdrop are just cherry on the top.

 

[Andeddu]

I choose iOS. I wouldn’t go near Android as I have to put up with Android devices at work and it’s really night and day. I don’t mind a closed system or a walled garden so I am unbothered by all the extra functionality that can be gained on Android OS.

That being said, I don’t love iPhones and would happily purchase something like a Pixel or Samsung S24. The only reason I stay with Apple is due to iOS.

 

[Retskrad]

If we compare iPad and Mac to Windows and Android tablets, Apple has superior products. In terms of the iPhone and Android, it’s equivalent to a Mercedes vs BMW but people seem to think the iPhone is a Mercedes while the Android equivalent, the Pixel, is the Hyundai. This is the part that confuses me. I don’t want to go with the lazy route and say people are sheep. I am fascinated by consumer behaviour.

 

[Iwavvns]

Android is going to be around for a very long time.

😅🤣🤣

That is what I thought about several of the products that I was using, which are now in the google graveyard.

 

[Warped9]

The seamless integration with my iMac and iPad are a big plus for me.

 

[Iwavvns]

Ars Technica has a great rundown of Google's absolutely unhinged history of creating, merging, spinning off and killing their messaging apps, one after another for decades 🤣

A decade and a half of instability: The history of Google messaging apps

Sixteen years after the launch of Google Talk, Google messaging is still a mess.

arstechnica.com

And it's like this across huge swaths of their product portfolio.

Instability breeds instability, stupidity breeds stupidity and kindness breeds kindness. You can tell the type of a tree by its fruit

 

[oasantos1]

The ecosystem.

 

[michaelscarn]

I like Android and have had many Android phones, but find iOS easier to live with day to day.

I also like how my Apple devices work together without much effort on my part.

 

[antiprotest]

I don’t want to go with the lazy route and say people are sheep. I am fascinated by consumer behaviour.

It seems irrational to dismiss without argument or evidence that at least some people are sheep, and that this is part of consumer behavior. If this is indeed part of the answer and you simply waved it off by force, then you have destroyed part of the answer even as you claim you want an answer.

Some people -- or many, many people -- will continue to buy what is familiar, comfortable, and still good enough for their preferences, without comparing the latest phone feature-by-feature every time they buy a new one. This in itself is not irrational, since to them the utility lies in the simplicity of the decision instead of what appears to be objectively the best (assuming Android is, which is still debatable).

This is their choice, and not necessarily an irrational one. And one may argue that many people stay with Android, Windows, and whatever they have been using, for similar reasons. Inertia takes a great force to overcome, whether going from an inferior product to a superior, or from superior to inferior.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

No. I feel like the people who claim this are ignoring everything and focusing on things like "can both of them complete a phone call? Yes? Then they're the same thing." If that's all you can see then I can understand why you have no perspective on the issue.

BS I have a M4 iPad Pro and a Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, While I prefer the iPad ecosystem and the way it works with my iPhone there is no denying the S9 Tab is a quality bit of kit and the OS is perfectly useable

 

[spcopsmac21]

That is what I thought about several of the products that I was using, which are now in the google graveyard.

Not a single one of those products enable Google tens of billions of dollars a month in App Store purchases.

You think cause products a niche community uses is indicative to the demise of the MOST USED phone platform on Earth?

Do me a favor.
Go count how many HARDWARE devices are in the google graveyard.

You’ll only need one hand

 

[philstubbington]

Open your favorite search engine and search for “Google graveyard”. There you will find a list of products that google has discarded, and they do so without any warning to the people using those products. You may love android today, but there’s no guarantee it will be there next month.. if Google gets tired of it then it’s going bye-bye whether you like it or not. You might get an email or something, but think about all of the work and habit you’ve put into a certain app and then one day Google just gives up on it and won’t be developing it anymore. Think about that for a while. What is your favorite app right now? How would you feel if it just disappeared tomorrow?

Apple is more mature and intelligent than that, Apple sees what it wants and researches it. Google has no “blood, sweat and tears” invested in android the way Apple does in iOS.. google bought android, they didn’t make it themselves. Google is only into android for the money, nothing else, and the minute that money river dries up then android will end up in the Google graveyard too.. and you won’t have any warning that it’s gone.

Having been stuck with a Google Nest (I think that’s what it was called) to “control” our heating and hot water, I wouldn’t touch Google products with a barge pole. Thankfully now replaced with a Resideo which works properly and works with HomeKit too.

As far as the iPhone goes, it’s a good product and I have no intention of changing. Too willingly tied into Apple now with a Mac, HomePods, iPads, AirPods, Apple TV, Apple One, etc.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Having been stuck with a Google Nest (I think that’s what it was called) to “control” our heating and hot water, I wouldn’t touch Google products with a barge pole. Thankfully now replaced with a Resideo which works properly and works with HomeKit too.

As far as the iPhone goes, it’s a good product and I have no intention of changing. Too willingly tied into Apple now with a Mac, HomePods, iPads, AirPods, Apple TV, Apple One, etc.

I have five Nest thermostats in my house; three on the upstairs system and and two on the lower. They've been working great. What kinda issues did you have? I have a Starling home hub to link them with HomeKit.

Still trying to figure out how to link my mini splits into the system.

 

[NeonNights]

I would say iPhones are popular, not necessarily the best or holy grail. The iPhone appeals to the masses -- it's easy and intuitive to use and people see their friends and family with an iPhone.

Android is very fragmented so you're comparing iPhone to a multitude of different Android smartphones. I personally like choice and customizability of Android. I've gone from Android to iOS and back to Android, while my family and relatives stay on iOS and that's fine. I started out getting my parents Android phones way back but they always struggled with the UI so I switched them to iPhones and it works better for them.

Nowadays, iOS and Android are very mature and polished smartphone platforms. I still prefer Android over iOS (and MacOS over Windows, for that matter). People should just choose what works best for them.

 

[ThailandToo]

I can only speak for myself. For me it's down to iOS. I prefer iOS over Android. It took 9 months of using a Google Pixel 3a XL that stopped getting updates after Android 12 to realize that. I also realized that one of Google's problems with Android is consistency. Can you honestly say that gestures from one version of Android to the next are consistent? Add in other manufacturers who also make their own versions of Android and it gets confusing as to what gesture does what.

Perhaps some gestures are consistent, but Google tends to change gestures between versions. Apple does do that too, but rarely. And new gestures come along because something changed (hardware style, new feature, removal of old hardware, etc). But for the most part, Apple gestures have stayed the same from the first version of the OS.

I certainly appreciate the customization and flexibility that Android offers, but without consistency I'm not down for all the confusion.

Because iOS will only run on an iDevice then, that's why I choose iPhone.

Agree. If I could run iOS on a Samsung S24 Ultra, would do it in a heartbeat! If I could run MacOS on an iPad Pro, would do it in a heartbeat.

I would take Apple’s SoC and put that in the Samsung Ultra phone! And I would allow myself to install apps from Europe even though I don’t live there. The EU is way better for the entrepreneurs of the future than the USA. In the United States, big companies control everything from the markets to the government. In the EU, while not perfect, they look out for consumers and entrepreneurs.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Agree. If I could run iOS on a Samsung S24 Ultra, would do it in a heartbeat! If I could run MacOS on an iPad Pro, would do it in a heartbeat.

I would take Apple’s SoC and put that in the Samsung Ultra phone! And I would allow myself to install apps from Europe even though I don’t live there. The EU is way better for the entrepreneurs of the future than the USA. In the United States, big companies control everything from the markets to the government. In the EU, while not perfect, they look out for consumers and entrepreneurs.

I think the Samsung S24 Ultra is the absolute ugliest phone built in the last several years. It even, somehow, looks worse in person than on paper. Some Androids look good, mainly the pixel line, but not the S24!

Those 90 degree corners are HIDEOUS. 🤮

 

[melodibit]

Multiple people have said "the ecosystem", and I'm just going to say the same. It's not just a question of iPhone being better or worse than Pixel. It's Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, AppleTV, AirPods, CarPlay, all seamlessly integrated and all receiving support and upgrades in perfect synchronicity. Every device receives upgrades, generally on the same day, to support new features across the entire ecosystem. And if I ever buy a Vision, I already know it's going to be seamlessly integrated with every other device. If Apple comes out with some new CarPlay that I get in my next car, I already know it will be cleverly integrated with my Watch and iPhone in ways I can't even anticipate.

The integration continues to get better, and more seamless with every update. Media, calendars, passwords, email, contacts, browsing history, browser bookmarks, and messaging are all automatically synced. If I buy a new devices, I just log it into iCloud, and everything automagically syncs up. I don't have to spend the afternoon configuring individual integrations with plugins and apps. You basically just log in to iCloud and you're done.

A new feature is coming out in the next OS that allows you to control your iPhone from your Mac. I can already control my iPad from my Mac with universal control.

Introducing a non Apple device into the matrix is just going to break the seamlessness of the ecosystem. You can point out a single feature you like from the Pixel, but however nice it is, it isn't going to come close being compelling enough to convince me to break with the ecosystem. The ecosystem is just too good.

 

[0423MAC]

I think it's all about the overall package.

Think about when you buy a device. We'll start with Android since it's by global marketshare the biggest.

Android devices:
Wide range of user experiences due to different hardware configurations
Different core software packages - messaging, phone, video, email and maps in addition to gmail, google maps etc.
Different software button configurations (back, home, fingerprint sensor placement etc).
A more open operating system, can experiment side-loading apps or things such as lineageos.

iPhone:
Smaller range of user experiences due to it's strict software support cycle.
Same core software packages
Nearly identical software layout across devices, some differences with a physical home button/Face ID etc.
Not as open of an operating system, but a ton of apps available on the App Store.

So what's better for the average consumer? I would argue it's the iPhone because it takes the guess work out when communicating with family and friends.

Want to FaceTime mom across the country? 1 button away and she will know how to get to it.

iMessage images/videos? No need to worry about compression or asking to jump to WhatsApp etc.

Sharing images/videos? You can share albums within the stock photos app. There is no guesswork as to what 'photos' app it is. It's the same one that's always been there.

There are ton of other examples, but you get the point of it. There comes a point in time in where consistency is the most important for a wide variety of people. My mom was always terrified of using a Windows PC, but we got her comfortable with an iPhone many years ago and opened up to the idea of getting a MacBook to try it out. She loves it, she knows how to airdrop, copy items back and forth etc. This would have never been possible with an android/windows setup.

Now android has some strong points in terms of what you can do with the device if you are technically savvy enough. The issue boils down to how much do you want to customize? Do you want to load lineageos to try it out? Perhaps Ubuntu Touch? Well, you have no other option and the amount of different configurations you can try are endless to get your perfect setup as you desire.

 

[ThailandToo]

I think the Samsung S24 Ultra is the absolute ugliest phone built in the last several years. It even, somehow, looks worse in person than on paper. Some Androids look good, mainly the pixel line, but not the S24!

Those 90 degree corners are HIDEOUS. 🤮

I like the big screen with no interruptions. One small tiny hole punch for the camera.

I have a Pixel 8 Pro for work/travel, and it’s just okay. I am sure there’s stuff I don’t know how to do on it, as I primarily use iOS for my own personal stuff.

 

[ThailandToo]

I think it's all about the overall package.

Think about when you buy a device. We'll start with Android since it's by global marketshare the biggest.

Android devices:
Wide range of user experiences due to different hardware configurations
Different core software packages - messaging, phone, video, email and maps in addition to gmail, google maps etc.
Different software button configurations (back, home, fingerprint sensor placement etc).
A more open operating system, can experiment side-loading apps or things such as lineageos.

iPhone:
Smaller range of user experiences due to it's strict software support cycle.
Same core software packages
Nearly identical software layout across devices, some differences with a physical home button/Face ID etc.
Not as open of an operating system, but a ton of apps available on the App Store.

So what's better for the average consumer? I would argue it's the iPhone because it takes the guess work out when communicating with family and friends.

Want to FaceTime mom across the country? 1 button away and she will know how to get to it.

iMessage images/videos? No need to worry about compression or asking to jump to WhatsApp etc.

Sharing images/videos? You can share albums within the stock photos app. There is no guesswork as to what 'photos' app it is. It's the same one that's always been there.

There are ton of other examples, but you get the point of it. There comes a point in time in where consistency is the most important for a wide variety of people. My mom was always terrified of using a Windows PC, but we got her comfortable with an iPhone many years ago and opened up to the idea of getting a MacBook to try it out. She loves it, she knows how to airdrop, copy items back and forth etc. This would have never been possible with an android/windows setup.

Now android has some strong points in terms of what you can do with the device if you are technically savvy enough. The issue boils down to how much do you want to customize? Do you want to load lineageos to try it out? Perhaps Ubuntu Touch? Well, you have no other option and the amount of different configurations you can try are endless to get your perfect setup as you desire.

But this should all be open source. Big companies have too much power and have eliminated competition. It’s sad.

 

[okkibs]

Pixel

There is no Pixel on the market that even comes close to the iPhone hardware. That's it.

They had a fantastic Pixel 4/XL that even came with a Face ID equivalent sensor, perfect haptics, very reasonable build quality. Starting with the Pixel 6 they reduced hardware quality a lot. Even the P4 wasn't perfect, it had mediocre battery life, but now Google uses the same hot garbage fingerprint sensor since they introduced it with the P6. Even the most expensive P8 Pro still uses that terrible optical sensor technology that neither Touch ID iPhones nor Samsung flagship phones use.

Pixel hardware is garbage. I have used Pixels since the P4. Google stopped updating it after 3 years. I upgraded and every Pixel since then was just worse. My iPhone is better than the P4 ever was. Even on the latest P8 5G reception was bad, Google uses a mediocre 5G modem. The display was crap, look at it from an angle and it displays rainbow colors. My P4 display was actually better! That's how bad these are.

Not to mention if you even want the mediocre P8 Pro flagship hardware you gotta carry that phablet with you. With my 15 Pro I get much better hardware in a more compact size.

I still have the P4, and the 6 Pro, and the 8. The 6 Pro is actually decent, but I hate the edge display and the battery literally lasts half the time of my iPhone. Even though the iPhone is much smaller. It has a software bug that is well known for the 6 Pro, sometimes the display flickers and the device becomes unusable. The solution is to restart it. It's an acceptable phone, photos come out better than on my iPhone actually. But in daily usability it's bad.

So yeah I love the Pixels still and 7 years of support are great now but I need a phone that unlocks reliably and doesn't die on me in the middle of the day and I need fast 5G speeds. The only thing Pixels are really superior at is pricing. For the price of the 15 Pro I could have bought 3 Pixel 6 Pros.