US smartphone shipments fall sharply, but Android more than iPhone • Hacker News Board

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

#551

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:49 PM UTC

Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #248

dopamean wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I made the switch at the end of 2021 after only having an android phone since the very first one. I wouldn't say I regret the change but I would say I'm not impressed. The way so many of my friends mocked me for having an android phone and talked up their iphones made me think I _must_ be missing something. Alas, I don't feel that I was. Every once in a while I boot up my old android phone (oneplus 6) and use it and…

Apple's real genius is in their marketing. This was clear as day over 10 years ago, and is just as clear today. Back in the early days of iPhone vs Android, there was a huge meme of iPhone users praising Apple for "inventing" features that Android had years ago [0]. I remember (but can't find right now) a screenshot of a conversation of an iPhone user all happy about iPhone getting SwiftKey and then saying "When is A…

I remember tapping to pay with my Nexus 4 in 2013.

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

#552

Post by scarface_74 » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:51 PM UTC

makeitdouble wrote: post #547

nordsieck wrote: post #361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products I don't know about other people, but I went iPhone specifically for the value/$. Got a used iPhone SE 2020 for $150 in late 2021, and expect to use it for 5+ years. I seriously doubt that there are any Androids out there that could get even close to that. It really helps that Apple's CPU/SoC is substantially superior to what everyon…

> I seriously doubt that there are any Androids out there that could get even close to that. I don't see the 2020 SE getting software upgrades for much longer, it's already the bottom of the barrel for iOS17, so I guess you're OK to forgo those for a while ? If your phone needs are low enough you can get by with the SE in 2026, buying a Gakaxy A series today would totally fit the bill, and you probably could get one…

The iPhone 5s from 2013 got a security update earlier this year..

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

#553

Post by nerdbert » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:52 PM UTC

zh3 wrote: post #316

lolinder wrote: post #278

The link should really be to the original report [0]. This 55% is iPhone's share of phone shipments in Q2, not the number of users of the respective phones at any given time. In other words, fewer people are buying smartphones than were before, but Apple saw less of a hit to their numbers than everyone else did. Contrary to existing comments here, this stat doesn't appear to indicate that people are switching from An…

I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products; it's almost like their lives are ruled by the status they feel an iPhone brings (and the consequential sacrificial purchasing). It likely varies by area and average income, here it's almost an inverse correlation - the less-well off kids at school tend to have parents on iPhones and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for t…

I bought an iPhone because Android vendors kept leaving me high and dry after a few years. I'm now on year 6 with the iPhone and it's still working great. As I understand it, I have another year or two before Apple stops supporting it with updates.

That makes the iPhone far cheaper than any comparable Android phone I could have bought back then.

Maybe today Android vendors are offering longer support horizons but I've been burned multiple times and won't trust that ecosystem again.

To me this feels more like the situation where someone with money in the bank can buy $200 shoes which will last 10 years, while someone living paycheck to paycheck has to keep buying $40 shoes that fall apart after a year.

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

#554

Post by scarface_74 » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:53 PM UTC

MAGZine wrote: post #543

starttoaster wrote: post #497

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for them So, not necessarily Androids, but whatever they happen to choose? I'm not sure what we're observing, that people just use whatever phone they prefer? Honestly, iPhones aren't a heck of a lot more expensive than a flagship Pixel phone, especially not for a multi-year tech investment. The "iPhones are expensive" propaganda is underinformed. Apple computers on…

the iphone 14 costs $800. the pixel 7a costs $500. I can refresh my pixel 1.5x as often for the same cost.

And the iPhone SE is cheaper, faster and will get security updates longer…

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

#555

Post by Izikiel43 » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:54 PM UTC

redgreenshoe wrote: post #430

beebeepka wrote: post #410

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that a sincere argument? Guy was talking about and blocking in the browser

It's been possible to install ad blockers for the browser on iPhones for years, without resorting to a VPN. I don't bother anymore because I'm usually at home and have a pihole anyway, but I used to use Firefox Focus—not as my browser, but to provide ad-blocking for Safari. Worked fine. Open it once to set it up (at least IIRC that was necessary—I don't remember, but there was some very-simple setup step I'm pretty s…

Thanks for the FFF app, just downloaded and enabled safari integration, ads no more

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

#556

Post by scarface_74 » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:56 PM UTC

rootsudo wrote: post #529

zh3 wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products; it's almost like their lives are ruled by the status they feel an iPhone brings (and the consequential sacrificial purchasing). It likely varies by area and average income, here it's almost an inverse correlation - the less-well off kids at school tend to have parents on iPhones and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for t…

It may just be that people who have lower income, and are guided by "status" may make worser choices or are can't/don't understand financial implications or maybe they are just doing their best to "peacock" and fit in with what they think is the right tool to achieve their goals? It's nothing new, you could've said the same thing in the 90's about Sega, Nintendo and Playstation and with Shoes, Clothes, anything -

Yes 60% of Americans are guided by “status”. My 80 year old mom was just talking to me yesterday about how she feels superior to everyone else because she has Blue bubbles like the Instagram influencers she followx

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

#557

Post by mrcwinn » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:58 PM UTC

zh3 wrote: post #316

lolinder wrote: post #278

The link should really be to the original report [0]. This 55% is iPhone's share of phone shipments in Q2, not the number of users of the respective phones at any given time. In other words, fewer people are buying smartphones than were before, but Apple saw less of a hit to their numbers than everyone else did. Contrary to existing comments here, this stat doesn't appear to indicate that people are switching from An…

I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products; it's almost like their lives are ruled by the status they feel an iPhone brings (and the consequential sacrificial purchasing). It likely varies by area and average income, here it's almost an inverse correlation - the less-well off kids at school tend to have parents on iPhones and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for t…

Are you really constantly amazed? iPhone user here. I don’t see my phone as a status symbol. I just like it much better. If you like Android better, that’s cool too.

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

#558

Post by ActorNightly » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 10:59 PM UTC

Loveaway wrote: post #466

zh3 wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products; it's almost like their lives are ruled by the status they feel an iPhone brings (and the consequential sacrificial purchasing). It likely varies by area and average income, here it's almost an inverse correlation - the less-well off kids at school tend to have parents on iPhones and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for t…

No mate, people value themselves and get the best thing they can have. Smartphones are so essential now and used 24/7, don't cheap out on it. You don't cheap out on food either. Nothing to do with status. Not all about Apple either, there are nice premium Android phones as well. What are you doing, saving for a golden tombstone?

>people value themselves and get the best thing they can have.

The problem is that what someone considers "best" is highly influential by their social environment, of which status is a part of. If the majority of your friends use Apple, and there is the whole app interactivity that you get with things like iMessage over SMS, if you value the social experience you are going to think that Apple is best.

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

#559

Post by thegreenswede » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 11:00 PM UTC

Loveaway wrote: post #466

zh3 wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products; it's almost like their lives are ruled by the status they feel an iPhone brings (and the consequential sacrificial purchasing). It likely varies by area and average income, here it's almost an inverse correlation - the less-well off kids at school tend to have parents on iPhones and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for t…

No mate, people value themselves and get the best thing they can have. Smartphones are so essential now and used 24/7, don't cheap out on it. You don't cheap out on food either. Nothing to do with status. Not all about Apple either, there are nice premium Android phones as well. What are you doing, saving for a golden tombstone?

Cheaping out in food is not uncommon and honestly a great way to save a lot. It's also super easy to decide to do. My wife and I literally don't eat out anymore. Haven't been to sit down place in many months. The value of the experience has degraded so much and the price is so absurd, that every time we used to go out in the past 2 years we questioned why we even bother anymore. And the money we save is used for travelling or the things we choose not to cheap out on (our hobbies).

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

#560

Post by sundvor » Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 11:00 PM UTC

zh3 wrote: post #316

lolinder wrote: post #278

The link should really be to the original report [0]. This 55% is iPhone's share of phone shipments in Q2, not the number of users of the respective phones at any given time. In other words, fewer people are buying smartphones than were before, but Apple saw less of a hit to their numbers than everyone else did. Contrary to existing comments here, this stat doesn't appear to indicate that people are switching from An…

I'm constantly amazed by how people spend so much of their income on Apple products; it's almost like their lives are ruled by the status they feel an iPhone brings (and the consequential sacrificial purchasing). It likely varies by area and average income, here it's almost an inverse correlation - the less-well off kids at school tend to have parents on iPhones and the comfortable parents are on whatever works for t…

I watched a dating show episode, Updating, on YouTube. At one point the fact that the guy was using an Android and not an iPhone was a major "ick" (point of revulsion) to the audience and the (otherwise stunning) female contestant.

Wtaf? Just had to shake my head. Ironically, my S21 Ultra with 16GB of memory/512 of storage was way ahead of anything Apple had made at time of release, probably cost the same as their top model at the time, and is still punching hard with no need whatsoever for me to .. update.