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Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

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Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#21
post #12
post #7

I’m not surprised. I used Android devoutly, had a Galaxy S4, then an S8 when that started showing its age. I upgraded to an iPhone 12 when AT&T ran the promotion to get a free one. I wanted to keep liking Android. The amount of time I spent arguing vehemently that Android was superior made the switch hard, but several factors came into play for me: - Extremely slow and fragmented upgrade of OS. This resulted in subst…

It's pick your poison. The only reason I'm still on android is because at least I can (still) have root there. I'm saying still because of safety net. But if apple let me have root, i'd probably prefer an Apple over Google. Mobile phones and their user hostility is a cancer. I'm seriously considering using a full GNU/Linux handheld for mobile things i can do in a browser, and keep an android phone for app garbage tha…

Is it seriously worth it for people to do stuff like this? I remember when stallman said he was giving the one laptop per child program a shot.

Since the drivers for the wifi were non free he used some USB device instead.

Last I read that lasted a few months because he got sick of it.

I can't imagine adding all those steps to use a smartphone is any less annoying.

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#22
post #8

Is the Huawei situation involved in this drop?

It was why I went to iPhone. Huawei made great phones. I cant use a Samsung. Just cant. Pixel was too expensive. I used to joke that when I’d loudly state “I support the actions of the Chinese government” I’d get an extra 5% battery life. Sigh.

Some Samsung phones have excellent battery life. You do have to deal with bloat and Knox though

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#23
post #7

I’m not surprised. I used Android devoutly, had a Galaxy S4, then an S8 when that started showing its age. I upgraded to an iPhone 12 when AT&T ran the promotion to get a free one. I wanted to keep liking Android. The amount of time I spent arguing vehemently that Android was superior made the switch hard, but several factors came into play for me: - Extremely slow and fragmented upgrade of OS. This resulted in subst…

But the iPhone only "just works" if you completely buy in to Apple's ecosystem. E.g. if you want to buy some FLAC music files from somewhere else, it won't "just work" anymore. Android is still the lesser of two evils in terms of allowing more choice on its platform.

Not sure what you're talking about. I have zero issues using my FLAC files from elsewhere on my iPhone.

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#24
post #15

And? Does it really matter? Android is the #1 OS of all user devices worldwide. When you're at the top only one direction to go... iOS gained a bit in the developed world but Android enables tons of people all over the world to communicate and do things.

> Android enables tons of people all over the world to communicate and do things.

This... sounds like an ad.

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#25
post #3

> Android’s loss of market share boils down to heightened competition within the OS space Yeah, that duopoly is a lot of competition

Monopoly as a word isn’t meant to describe any successful company that achieves decent market share. I’m really tired of people throwing that phrase around, iOS and Android are fiercely competing with each other for market share every year so yes there is fierce competition.

No post body was provided.

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Question about that: What I personally do most on my phone is browsing the web (when not at home, at home I can do that with a regular computer). On Android I can use Firefox with plugins to block ads, kill overlays, etc... and especially it has the reader mode AFAIK on iPhone you can only run one Apple-approved browser and all others are a skin around that, and it doesn't have plugins. To me browsing the web is unus…

My PiHole is a must for my iOS devices. Yes, there’s a reader mode.

Typically I use my phone when not at home since at home I have a computer to browse the web of course. Is pihole installed on your iphone? Does it work when in a train, in a restaurant somewhere, etc...?

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#27
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the iPhone only "just works" if you completely buy in to Apple's ecosystem. E.g. if you want to buy some FLAC music files from somewhere else, it won't "just work" anymore. Android is still the lesser of two evils in terms of allowing more choice on its platform.

Not sure what you're talking about. I have zero issues using my FLAC files from elsewhere on my iPhone.

Try using a custom ringtone that you do not purchase through the Apple store.

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#28
At least in the USA, you have mainly three choices for "$500+ phones": Pixel, Samsung, and iPhone. The iPhone has been priced very competitively in recent years to the point that they are better hardware at cheap price points than Samsung. That has taken a large chunk of Android sales as people upgrade to iPhones instead of paying more for Samsung.

A thought: It seems that as people get richer around the world they move away from $200 Androids to what is more perceived as luxury: iPhones.

Re: Android loses 8% of its global OS market share in five years

#30
post #7

I’m not surprised. I used Android devoutly, had a Galaxy S4, then an S8 when that started showing its age. I upgraded to an iPhone 12 when AT&T ran the promotion to get a free one. I wanted to keep liking Android. The amount of time I spent arguing vehemently that Android was superior made the switch hard, but several factors came into play for me: - Extremely slow and fragmented upgrade of OS. This resulted in subst…

But the iPhone only "just works" if you completely buy in to Apple's ecosystem. E.g. if you want to buy some FLAC music files from somewhere else, it won't "just work" anymore. Android is still the lesser of two evils in terms of allowing more choice on its platform.

Huh? In what world can’t I use FLAC files on my iPhone? VLC does it great, I use them almost literally every day…
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