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Cellphones Android IOS

iOS and Android Activations Now Split Evenly In the US, Research Shows (macrumors.com) 113

Activations of iOS and Android devices are now evenly split in the United States, with little sign of movement toward either platform dominating over the past two years, according to data sourced by Consumer Research Intelligence Partners (CIRP). MacRumors reports: CIRP estimates that iOS and Android each had 50 percent of new smartphone activations in the year ending this quarter. iOS's share of new smartphone activations climbed from 2017 to 2020, but has now remained at its peak level for a second consecutive year. CIRP Partner and Co-Founder Josh Lowitz said that the finding is significant because for several years, Android smartphones "had a significant edge, with over 60 percent of customers opting for an Android phone in most quarters. In the past couple of years, though, iOS has closed the gap, and now splits the market with Android."

Both Android and iOS users have had a high level of loyalty historically. Android loyalty has varied very slightly, in a narrow range of 90 to 93 percent in the past four years. iOS loyalty, on the other hand, has gradually increased over the past four years, from a low of 86 percent in early 2018 to 93 percent in the most recent quarter ending in June 2021. Loyalty and tendency to switch platforms may explain some of the change in the share of new smartphone activations, where iOS has gained loyalty in a market with a limited amount of switching.

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iOS and Android Activations Now Split Evenly In the US, Research Shows

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  • Doublespeak (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jrumney ( 197329 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @06:12AM (#61600213)

    Loyalty. An interesting spin to put on vendor lock-in.

    • Re:Doublespeak (Score:5, Interesting)

      by teg ( 97890 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @07:56AM (#61600309)

      Loyalty. An interesting spin to put on vendor lock-in.

      How locked in are we really? There are migration tools etc for photos. I don't have many apps that I've paid enough for that it would lock me in... the most expensive "apps" are usually services these days - like Spotify, Strava, MS Office, storage etc. I don't use the vendor email, and if I lose my message history I'll probably won't even notice.

      However, when I choose I always get an iPhone anyway. For me, the most important issues are privacy (being a customer, not the product), build quality and long term software updates. Given that, there just isn't a whole lot of choice even if I've grown to dislike Apple now using the App Store not only to promote security and privacy, but also to protect revenue and block e.g. game streaming services.

      • by brunes69 ( 86786 )

        There are two ways that Apple and Google lock you in

        - If you buy app X on the App store, you can't use that license to download the exact same paid app on the Play store. There is not really any reason this should be because it is not how software works for Enterprise nor desktop - generally when you buy a license for the software you can run it on the platform of your choice.

        - People quote iMessage as a lockin. Personally I have always given this one an eyeroll because iMessage is not really that much bett

        • Re:Doublespeak (Score:5, Interesting)

          by JackieBrown ( 987087 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @09:02AM (#61600493)

          I'm the opposite, When you are paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for a phone, locking yourself to a phone ecosystem to avoid paying for a 1-5 app causes my eyes to roll.

          iMessage on the other hand, being the android user in many iPhone group texts, I do feel the "lock out"
              - the picture sharing quality is reduced for everyone on the chat
              - the chat can't get named
              - people are adding emotions or replying direct to messages in the chat and I get a general message with little context "X liked a photo"

          • When you are paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for a phone

            Most people don't. I don't think I've ever parted with more than $39 at a time for a hundred or thousand dollar phone. So suddenly switching and finding an actual bill for apps (1-5? Sounds like you have a phone rather than a portable computer there) that isn't easily distributed over a 24 month payment plan can suddenly be a big hit for a lot of people.

        • There is not really any reason this should be because it is not how software works for Enterprise nor desktop - generally when you buy a license for the software you can run it on the platform of your choice.

          This is patently false. I challenge you to name a single example. When you buy a program for Windows, you don't then get to download the macOS version (or Linux or Haiku or whatever).

          • Re:Doublespeak (Score:4, Informative)

            by slaker ( 53818 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @09:57AM (#61600661)

            Microsoft Office works that way. Adobe Creative Cloud works that way. Games from Steam and GoG work that way. I bought a photo-culling tool called Optyx last week that works that way.

            I think you'll find that if you buy much software at all, that's how it works now.

          • I challenge you to name a single example.

            Ironically enough: Microsoft Office. Mind you Steam games are transferable. My expensive astronomy specific image processor also came with a license that allowed installation on any OS.

        • I have always believed it was Facetime that was THE lock in. I know some Apple users that use the name interchangeably with any video communications.
        • by Anonymous Coward

          The ironic thing is that iMessage is used to gauge if someone is worthy of dating or not. I used my Google Voice account to sent a text to someone I met via a dating service, got immediately told off and blocked, because, "I refuse to date Android people. People with iPhones are richer." So, that blue versus green text can make a big difference for a first impression.

          • by dgatwood ( 11270 )

            You know, you're probably better off without that sort of person in your life anyway. Better to learn right up front that your potential date is an idiot than to discover it over the course of a year. :-)

        • by dgatwood ( 11270 )

          - People quote iMessage as a lockin. Personally I have always given this one an eyeroll because iMessage is not really that much better than texting, it is marginally better at best. I do not know of anyone who even thinks about iMessage as a thing, they just consider them group texts.

          Most people, I suspect, are actually talking about the bug where after you switch from iOS to Android, you have to contact your carrier and do something to switch iMessage off, or else you won't receive any more text messages. I'm assuming they fixed that long ago, but it was apparently a real pain.

          Either that or maybe FaceTime?

        • - If you buy app X on the App store, you can't use that license to download the exact same paid app on the Play store.

          Sure but how much money have you really spent on phone apps?

          - People quote iMessage as a lockin. ... Which is a necessity because it is extremely rare for a group of friends to *ALL* be on iPhones... at least in my universe people do not choose their friends based on their phone manufacturer.

          I think what you're trying to say is that iMessage really isn't a lockin then.

        • by tepples ( 727027 )

          Personally I have always given this one an eyeroll because iMessage is not really that much better than texting, it is marginally better at best.

          Carriers in the United States still charge their pay-as-you-go customers per message both to send and to receive text messages. When all participants are using macOS, iOS, or iPadOS, and Wi-Fi is available, iMessage bypasses the carrier's fee. But when any participant is using non-Apple products, the participants must pay the carrier, either per message or hundreds of dollars per year to upgrade from pay-as-you-go to an unlimited plan.

      • Most non-tech people lack the intellectual fortitude to switch from one to the other. It's just mentally easier to keep using the same thing. Even if you are in the Android ecosystem, a lot of people can't deal with switching between different vendors like Samsung, Motorola, and Pixel phones. Even an OS version bump causes all kinds of headaches and confusion among non-technical people.

        As a techy, I could easily switch between different Android versions, but going to iOS based devices is kind of problematic

      • How locked in are we really?

        It depends on how many apps you've purchased. If you switch platforms, you have to buy them all again. Data migration is far from the only issue. Historically though, Google has made it easy and Apple has made it hard; you have to use their shitty app to get data onto the phone.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        For a lot of people it's just familiarity. They know how an iPhone works, they don't want to learn anything new.

        For others they can't be bothered to look into what phones are good, they just buy the current iPhone. It's the McDonalds of phones, crap but you consistent.

        For yet more people there is iCloud lock-in. Family plan, all data in the cloud already, moving is too much hassle. The EU was supposed to be fixing it with GDPR but it needs a bit more work.

        Oh and there is iMessage.

      • I'd say, yes and no for vendor lock-in:

        Yes, because you have to re-buy all your apps either in Apple's App Store, or the Google Play Store, and this can mean subscriptions, or whatnot. All your saved games will not migrate, one's music library may or may not migrate, and daily config settings likely won't make it.

        Then, there is iCloud which is only available on one platform.

        No, because for the most part, a ton of stuff is cloud based. If using M365, one often saves in OneDrive where it doesn't matter what

        • by dgatwood ( 11270 )

          I'd say, yes and no for vendor lock-in:

          Yes, because you have to re-buy all your apps either in Apple's App Store, or the Google Play Store, and this can mean subscriptions, or whatnot. All your saved games will not migrate, one's music library may or may not migrate, and daily config settings likely won't make it.

          You forgot movies, TV shows, books....

          And it's worth noting that this lock-in is quite often one-way. I can read Google Play books on iOS. I can't read iBooks Store books on Android.

      • How locked in are we really?

        Is that question a joke?
        - Apple is the subject of an antitrust investigation partially centrered on how it handles chat messaging and SMS services causing users to be actually cut off when they migrate to Android.
        - Many people actually pay for apps. I don't, but many people do.
        - Hardware compatibility is an ongoing issue, how many lightning devices do you have in your house which are incompatible with Android and visa versa.
        - What about ancillary services? Is your iTunes music collection available on Androi

      • I thought vendor lock in wasnt that bad - until a friend asked for help migrating from iOS to Android. I was shocked by little things.
        For example, On Android, WhatsApp backs up to Google Drive and a local file. Migrating to another phone is a matter of some clicks, and your year-long history is transferred in the background (Many people use their WhatsApp history as a sort of life log, so this is very important).
        WhatsApp on iPhone backs up to iCloud, and you need to buy some app in order to somehow get a
        • That's not iOS fault though. It's the WhatsApp developers who made that choice. iOS does not block from backing up on, for example, Dropbox. Many apps I use do exactly that, and that is how I get the files between my Linux computer and my iOS devices.

          In fact, nothing I use will only save to iCloud. And if it does, I can still get at most such data through the Files app and copy it to, say, Dropbox.

    • My experience with switching to an Android phone is what inspired my IOS loyalty. Blackberry had me with the 10, but then they up and died.
    • by fermion ( 181285 )
      And now there is further evidence of not only lock-in, but monopoly as Apple is clearly using unfair tactics like premium prices to achieve half the market.
  • by DarkOx ( 621550 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @07:56AM (#61600311) Journal

    But a few questions

    What is a new activation - new contract or just new phone?

    If its not new contract but just new phone is the difference in the average time a consumer tends to keep and iOS device vs a droid device?

    How much of this data is covid related noise - companies telling remote workers to get a business smart phone etc where corp policy decisions and/or how much they are willing to reimburse are driving the choice in platform rather than consumer preference?

  • it always amazed me (Score:2, Interesting)

    by etash ( 1907284 )
    the high share apple gets in the US. in Europe it's like 70% android. What are the factors? american company? too many sheeple?
    • by djp2204 ( 713741 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @08:25AM (#61600371)

      Apple phones get software updates long term. My 6s is still getting OS and security updates. How many 6 year old androids still get software updates from the manufacturer? The battery still holds a charge for the day of moderate use and the use performance of the phone is basically new. Iâ(TM)ve tried android before and used android phones through my job. Iâ(TM)ve ditched android because after about 12 months the phone just becomes a slow buggy mess. Iâ(TM)m not sure why as I donâ(TM)t really download apps. Looking for help online the fix seems to be to jailbreak it an install hack xyz on it.

      • Apple phones get software updates long term. My 6s is still getting OS and security updates. How many 6 year old androids still get software updates from the manufacturer?

        It doesn't matter that they get half the update life, because they cost half as much. And some of them can be unlocked (Hello, Moto) and you can continue to update them yourself if you're motivated. Can't do that with an iDevice.

      • That is always rollled out. The avergage user does not care about updates though. It's only somewhat more applicable to apple as they start insisting on minimum levels for apps. Whereas I'm sure google will still let you target a much lower api.

        As for you android ramblings. Get a pixel. No idea why you would get anything else. In the early days I used samsung as they were best for hardware. I however in no way actually used the abomination samsung tried to provide as an OS! Samsung android is my work phone.

      • How many 6 year old androids still get software updates from the manufacturer?

        How many want to? I see nothing but complaints from Apple owners about their 3 year old phones slowing to a crawl due to newer OSes being ever more bloated. I have zero desire or inclination to run the latest shiny piece of shit.

        Even my girlfriend has a standing notification on her phone that an OS upgrade is ready to install on her relatively new Android. She's been hitting ignore for the best part of 5 months.

      • by MeNeXT ( 200840 )

        There are pros and cons to both. Had a screen crack on my Pixel. Walked into a store and after about an hour the screen was replaced. Had to replace a battery in an iPad which took days and a possibility that I would loose all the content.

        I have a Pixel 2, almost 5 years now, and it still gets updates and the battery lasts the day. Nothing sluggish or buggy about it.

        The problem I have with both ecosystems is that they tie you in and you don't realize it until something goes wrong. I good example is the iOS/

      • The iPhone 6s was discontinued in September 2018 for some versions. Clearing the pipeline, some people may have bought it even in 2019. But let's stay with 2018, so 3 years and counting for support, not to bad. My OnePlus 3T made it to just 3 years after final sale, my Nokia 8 likewise. On the other hand, I have 2 Galaxy S4 devices (released 2013, discontinued in ? 2015?) that are running Android 10 with LineageOS. Weekly updates too. So the trick with Android is to get devices popular with the custom ROM s
    • The hardware is better and I get security updates for many years. Are you really an adult and using the word sheeple?

    • Apple products come with a price premium and are also a bit of a fashion statement. So the US having a higher disposable income [wikipedia.org] probably leads to being more willing to spend on conspicuous consumption.

    • by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @09:34AM (#61600597)

      the high share apple gets in the US. in Europe it's like 70% android. What are the factors? american company? too many sheeple?

      What people want. Having both iPhone and Android - they both work.

      I'm in a subset of wanting privacy, as well as enjoying the better way my iphones integrate with my Mac computer, and with my wife and my Jeeps. And Apple does do this better.

      And having Android also, I know from first hand experience.

      But, the idea that a person is mentally deficient based on their choice is just part of the Ford Versus Chevy mindset where people have a deep seated need to believe that they made the smart choice, and those who don't make the same choice is some sort of stupid enemy.

      The only useful aspect of either is that you can have a lot of fun trolling them.

    • the high share apple gets in the US. in Europe it's like 70% android. What are the factors? american company? too many sheeple?

      Android and iOS users are all sheeple. People will be happier with phones similar to what other people around them have. Only a very small minority of people will switch to a new thing when other people around them haven’t already switched.

      People like to dwell on that Android phones have a shorter time before they are replaced compared to iPhones and that Android phones are often cheaper than iPhones, but that makes very little difference.

  • by sander123 ( 120105 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @08:20AM (#61600351)

    Worldwide market share of IOS is 25% versus 75% for Android. In Asia, it is even higher for Android.

    Outside of the US, there is no battle, as Android has clearly won.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Worldwide market share of IOS is 25% versus 75% for Android. In Asia, it is even higher for Android. Outside of the US, there is no battle, as Android has clearly won.

      Yes Android "won" the crappy sub-$100 phone market in places like India and China where people barely have enough to eat and authoritarian regimes demand access to your phone on a whim. Congratulations on your stunning achievement.

      Meanwhile, the civilized world continues to value well made products over cheapest price. There's a reason

    • You count number of units. More realistic is revenue share and in the long term companies care about profit share.

      Whatâ(TM)s the iPhone share in the âoe$399 and overâ market? If Apple wanted 50% share everywhere, they could by that at little cost.
    • In worldwide app market revenue iOS has 65% and Android has 35%.

      Worldwide there is no battle, as iOS has clearly won.

      • I wouldn't be so sure about that. On iOS, there's a lot more apps that you have to pay for, whereas on Android you can find apps with similar functionality for free.

    • At my company we test cell phones, and I know there are a ton of sub $100 Android phones that are sold to third world countries. There's no such thing with iPhones. Apple doesn't give a shit about the poor market.
  • by DarkRookie2 ( 5551422 ) on Tuesday July 20, 2021 @09:13AM (#61600525)
    The only reason to get an Android phone over an iPhone is so you don't have to install iTunes.
    • The only reason to get an Android phone over an iPhone is so you don't have to install iTunes.

      I know you're probably joking, but that's exactly why I dumped my first iPhone, which was 3G. I hated having the phone practically tethered to my computer, and it was random whether iTunes would notice the phone was plugged in. And of course it kept messing up my music collection on the phone anyway with duplicated albums and ones that had each track split into their own album. Over time it became worse and worse.

  • No, not all of them ... I can still find the odd $100 Moto tricked out for amazon (and then I remove the amazon stuff) ... but in general, the "flagship" vendors decided that if people are willing to pay Apple prices, then they want them some of that stupid too.
    • Everything has gotten more expensive, but there are still good options if you don't want to spend over $500.
      • Everything has gotten more expensive, but there are still good options if you don't want to spend over $500.

        Sure. My point though is the "mainstream" Android universe as a whole has indeed got more expensive. It's not as much of a slam dunk, price-wise, for the average consumer anymore.

  • I think that this is simply proof that people who can afford privacy are willing to pay for it.
    • The key to privacy on any phone is to not put private stuff on them. Consider it a hostile device that WILL leave your possession at some point, and its security is meant more to inconvenience the owner than to stop an adversary.

      This is a difficult concept for those who see their phone as their only access to the world, and willingly trust their most secret information to it. Activating the maximum security level of the device doesn't occur to them, after they figure out how inconvenient it is.

  • I have a 3 years old Android, the others members of the familly have 5 to 7 years old Android phones.

    Find a people with an Apple that have a 3 years old phone, impossible.

    • I have an iPhone SE. The old one. Got it in 2016. Still serves as my main phone. I don't even have a work phone at this point, and the five year old Apple works as good as new. Better, actually, since the OS is so much better now.

      I'm considering getting a 12 when the next generation is released, because the camera is so good. But that is the only reason I would upgrade. The old SE still does all I need, and it also takes good photos. It just can't hold a candle to modern cameras when it comes to night shoot

  • I just don't need all the latest/greatest crap. $100 Android with $10 a month Airvoice service is all I need. Still using an S5 I got about 3 years ago for $100. It does everything I need.

    $1000+ for an iPhone? Might be worth it to some people, not me.

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