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US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

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Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#61

Post by flutas »

matchbok wrote: post #14
ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #11

Honestly I don't know how iPhone users live without the back button (or more accurately now, the back gesture). I used an iPhone for a year (work phone) and just could not get over how much harder it was to work a large iphone. I felt like I had to reach every corner of the screen much more often than on Android.

... there is a back swipe gesture. And it works much more consistently than Android's "Where the heck is this gonna take me" back button. Every app you can swipe back, and it's a much nicer animation than Android. The back button is a cudgel: a sign of a poorly designed UX. Apps aren't websites, the concept of "back" is not universal, so a universal button doesn't make sense. It only exists on Android because it star…

> there is a back swipe gesture

> Every app you can swipe back

> the concept of "back" is not universal, so a universal button doesn't make sense.

> It only exists on Android because it started off as a non-touch OS.

... so android has the exact same gesture and it's a bad thing only there because it started as a non touch OS, iOS has it but it's totally not the same concept at all and perfect.

Hmmm.

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#62

Post by throw9away6 »

FirmwareBurner wrote: post #52
AuthorizedCust wrote: post #48

Android’s problem is Pixel is the only good one, and it has not been flagship quality since the Pixel 2. The 3 had odd issues, the 4 had a laughable battery life, and 5-7 are a weird mix of midrange and flagship capability (trending towards flagship, but not in the club yet). All other Android vendors are on a continuum of crap, between these points: 1. loaded with bloat and customizations that aren’t better than wha…

Hot take: I find recent Samsung flagships far superior to what Google offers, especially the latest S23: small and speedy with longer SW support than a pixel, better CPU/GPU and better cameras, at a decent price. Bloatware and Android implementation is also not too bad. Also Samsung DEX can save your bacon in case your laptop dies and you don't have a spare but need a quick desktop experience for some multitasking pr…

Samsung blowtware is a problem though

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#63

Post by didntcheck »

martin_drapeau wrote: post #24
salad-tycoon wrote: post #6

I finally convinced some in-laws to get an se2 after telling them it wasn’t really cheaper to keep buying terrible no name Samsung phones every other year. They have also both become photographers now and can FaceTime easily to see grandkids. So mark me down for contributing 2. Your welcome Apple.

FaceTime and iMessage always work very well and out of the box. No installation/configuration required. This, in my mind, is the biggest selling feature for iPhones to baby boomers. Locks them in forever as well.

WhatsApp takes about two clicks to setup. My 60 year old and generally technophobic mum and all her friends have managed to set it up and use it themselves (including group chats and profile pictures)

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#64

Post by dimmke »

AlexandrB wrote: post #40
_ea1k wrote: post #16

Apple messaging lockin is having the desired impact. Combine that with Google's mess of a strategy and it is easy to see why this is happening. It is why it is so critical to hire the right people in leadership to avoid squandering key, already successful, strategic positions.

90% of people I message with use WhatsApp or Signal (and most of them use iPhones). I keep hearing about iOS messaging lock in, but I've never experienced it.

It’s a US only thing. And only for people in the US who don’t regularly communicate with people outside the US.

I moved out of the US and most of my US friends I still have to use iMessage to talk to. Only a few are active on WhatsApp.

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#65

Post by FirmwareBurner »

throw9away6 wrote: post #62
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hot take: I find recent Samsung flagships far superior to what Google offers, especially the latest S23: small and speedy with longer SW support than a pixel, better CPU/GPU and better cameras, at a decent price. Bloatware and Android implementation is also not too bad. Also Samsung DEX can save your bacon in case your laptop dies and you don't have a spare but need a quick desktop experience for some multitasking pr…

Samsung blowtware is a problem though

Which bloatware and what problems does it make you?

For me, I don't really consider Microsoft Office as bloatware as I can use it, plus, what's bloatware for you might be useful apps for others, and I found it stays out of my way once I push it to the side if I don't need it, so it's existence is a non-issue for usability.

Samsung bloatware used to be bad in the past but now it's decent IMHO, and I think people are being overly pedantic and mostly overblow the problem of some bloatware just to win some religious argument of "my choice of phone is better than yours" while ignoring the other useful reasons people buy it.

If you wanna see real bloatware, check out Chinese phones.

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#66

Post by MBCook »

jftuga wrote: post #51

Getting Slack messages on my Apple Watch is nice when I am away from my phone but still in BT (wifi?) range. I know this not specific to iPhone, but the integration is nice.

BT if in range, WiFi if not but on a known network. Done that way for power savings.

I love my iPhone, but the ecosystem integration is also a huge point for me. The little ways different Apple products work together adds so much niceness and extra value above the utility of the individual products.

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#67

Post by didntcheck »

FirmwareBurner wrote: post #47
sourcecodeplz wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's just an exercise though really. You NEED a smartphone nowadays for everyday life: banking, gym access, maps, etc.

>gym access Where do you live that gyms don't work without a smartphone? Must be some hipster SV place with Juiceros and Keurigs I imagine. All the gyms I've been to in Europe give you either a physical RFID card or armband for access when you sign up, no smartphone required. Then again I've only been to the most budget gyms, not the uber-fancy ones of tech-bros, lawyers and corporate elites, so maybe those gyms have…

I know at least Puregym in the UK eschews physical passes, and while 80% of people check in by scanning the QR code on the app, they also just give you a number which you can put in the keypad on the door instead

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#68

Post by MBCook »

prox wrote: post #5

iPhone has always been a superior experience to me. While it may not have that tinkering ability like an Android, on the whole Apps are much higher quality, more paying customers as a dev, lots of things that just work between devices. I think it’s deserved in that sense.

The quality of indie apps on iOS has always been a huge draw for me.

Unfortunately that’s mostly been replaced by the swamp of garbage from IAP and ad driven filth that only cares about money.

But the gems are still there.

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#69

Post by dotnet00 »

AuthorizedCust wrote: post #48

Android’s problem is Pixel is the only good one, and it has not been flagship quality since the Pixel 2. The 3 had odd issues, the 4 had a laughable battery life, and 5-7 are a weird mix of midrange and flagship capability (trending towards flagship, but not in the club yet). All other Android vendors are on a continuum of crap, between these points: 1. loaded with bloat and customizations that aren’t better than wha…

This "Pixel is the only good Android" sentiment is so bizarre to see. Similarly the point about Samsung devices being loaded with bloat and customizations that aren't better.

That second argument was valid like 5 years ago, but definitely not today. Samsung devices do still have a lot of customization, but most of it is actually pretty useful in my experience. Lots of little features that I hadn't realized would be nice to have and similarly to Apple, lots of cross-device integration conveniences, except that unlike Apple, they don't lock you in anywhere near as strongly. The S23U and Tab S8U are amazing devices both in hardware and software.

And then there are other pretty great devices from Sony, Motorola, OnePlus etc.

Re: US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone

#70

Post by throw9away6 »

salad-tycoon wrote: post #6

I finally convinced some in-laws to get an se2 after telling them it wasn’t really cheaper to keep buying terrible no name Samsung phones every other year. They have also both become photographers now and can FaceTime easily to see grandkids. So mark me down for contributing 2. Your welcome Apple.

11s we’re running less than 100$ per phone. By far the best low end phones
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