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Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

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Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#11
post #5
post #2

I don't see Apple being fearful to be honest. They are still growing like crazy and they are serving a somewhat different market than Android is. You simply don't buy an iPhone because you want 'some phone'. This is not to say that an iPhone is better than some Android phone, but this is certainly perceived to be something different than 'the rest' by most of my friends and colleagues.

Maybe your friends and colleagues but that isn't universal -- indeed I much prefer my HTC.

The best Android devices may be as good or even better than the best iPhones but the worst Android devices are much worse than any Apple device has ever been.

I say this as the not-very-proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Europa in addition to my iPhone and iPad.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#12

Except Apple doesn't seem to care about achieving huge market share for the iPhone. They care about money, and by delaying the iPhone 5 they've managed to make even more money than usual. It must be habit that we go for the market share argument so often. A corporation's responsibility to its shareholders isn't to spread its logo across the land like a religion, but to return value (real dollars, not imaginary market…

If you really think they don't care about market share and money or being the top dog, you're wrong and they've fooled you. That's their number one concern, they're a business.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#13
post #8

Except Apple doesn't seem to care about achieving huge market share for the iPhone. They care about money, and by delaying the iPhone 5 they've managed to make even more money than usual. It must be habit that we go for the market share argument so often. A corporation's responsibility to its shareholders isn't to spread its logo across the land like a religion, but to return value (real dollars, not imaginary market…

Samsung makes eerily close copies of the iPhone As a former iPhone-owner gone (Samsung) Android I resent that comment. iOS is a one-dimensional, inflexible and locked down platform which bored the hell out of me and this was the primary reason I went over to Android. Android and Samsung's phone (the Galaxy S, which I have and which they are sueing for) is nothing like the iPhone and every single day I'm very happy fo…

Apple certainly thinks very different, and the court will decide, won't it?

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#14
What I don't get is why they aren't offering choices of different handsets. They offer 4 different versions of the iPod and 1 version of the iPhone. There should be at least 3 iPhones - the standard version, one with a 4.3 or 4.5 inch screen, and one with a slide out keyboard.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#15
post #2

I don't see Apple being fearful to be honest. They are still growing like crazy and they are serving a somewhat different market than Android is. You simply don't buy an iPhone because you want 'some phone'. This is not to say that an iPhone is better than some Android phone, but this is certainly perceived to be something different than 'the rest' by most of my friends and colleagues.

I work in software development. Almost everyone in my department has Android-phones bar a few self-confessed iAddicts (and one daring Windows phone 7 beta-tester). Despite its huge commercial success, the iPhone is among my peers considered a rather lulzy thing and a the undisputed weakest and least sophisticated of all the mobile platforms when measured on its own merits.

Not saying this is absolute truth either, but it certainly shows that your comment about what "most" people might think certainly doesn't ring true universally.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#16
post #12

Except Apple doesn't seem to care about achieving huge market share for the iPhone. They care about money, and by delaying the iPhone 5 they've managed to make even more money than usual. It must be habit that we go for the market share argument so often. A corporation's responsibility to its shareholders isn't to spread its logo across the land like a religion, but to return value (real dollars, not imaginary market…

If you really think they don't care about market share and money or being the top dog, you're wrong and they've fooled you. That's their number one concern, they're a business.

Indeed they are the business. Business means making money not market share. That post misses one small graph: the profit share of Apple in mobile space.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#17

Except Apple doesn't seem to care about achieving huge market share for the iPhone. They care about money, and by delaying the iPhone 5 they've managed to make even more money than usual. It must be habit that we go for the market share argument so often. A corporation's responsibility to its shareholders isn't to spread its logo across the land like a religion, but to return value (real dollars, not imaginary market…

> Except Apple doesn't seem to care about achieving huge market share for the iPhone. They care about money, and by delaying the iPhone 5 they've managed to make even more money than usual. It must be habit that we go for the market share argument so often. A corporation's responsibility to its shareholders isn't to spread its logo across the land like a religion, but to return value (real dollars, not imaginary mark…

The profit margin is more important than market share.

Profit = products sold * profit margin. If you have to decrease your profit margin, to increase market share, the total profit might suffer.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#18
post #10

The author makes the mistake of equating market share with revenue - it is quite possible that Apple's 19% market share is makes more for them than Nokia at 24%, or even Nokia at 40%.

"iPhone share of phone market in Q1: 5% volumes, 20% revenues, 55% profit" - http://www.asymco.com/2011/05/16/iphone-share-of-phone-marke...

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#19
There we go again. Market share. Author did not even bother to consider, at whose expense Samsung and HTC are gaining said share. Apple did grow too. Now 47% of their revenue comes from the product which was launched into the market where Apple had zero marked share and was laughed at for even trying. Another 21% comes from product which did not even exist 1.5 years ago.

Author did forget to include these graphs: http://www.intomobile.com/2011/05/02/apple-has-50-profit-sha...

Yep, Apple should be afraid very afraid.

Re: Illustrated: Apple's Fear of Android

#20
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Except Apple doesn't seem to care about achieving huge market share for the iPhone. They care about money, and by delaying the iPhone 5 they've managed to make even more money than usual. It must be habit that we go for the market share argument so often. A corporation's responsibility to its shareholders isn't to spread its logo across the land like a religion, but to return value (real dollars, not imaginary mark…

The profit margin is more important than market share. Profit = products sold * profit margin. If you have to decrease your profit margin, to increase market share, the total profit might suffer.

Why would they have to decrease profit margin?
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