Written by Kid Noble, Tech Dude, The Cubicle Chick.com Contributor
Ever since 2008 when the T-Mobile G1 was released following the 2007 release of Apple’s iPhone, the debate has raged on about which operating system is better. Over the years, both iPhone OS and Android have received almost yearly updates to improve the OS, as well as physical phone improvements. I’m sure there are plenty of you Cubicle Chicks and Tech Guys out there that fall on either side of the fence. I’m here to tell you why Android phones are outselling Apple’s iPhone.
Android offers user customization
One of the main benefits of the Android operating system is the ability to customize your home screen to your liking. One will almost never find two Android phones where the screens look the same, or are even similar. Android offers the ability to add hundreds of different “widgets” to the different home screens on the phone.
In addition to widgets, the Android OS offers several home screen replacement apps like Slidescreen, Sweeter Home, Launcher Pro, and ADWLauncher, as well as other replacement apps that allow your Android to mimic the look of an iPhone. Users like the idea of a “custom fit” phone, adjusted to serve their needs.
Android offers a myriad of different headsets on several carriers
One of the reasons the popularity exploded when it came onto the scene was the fact that there were options. With iPhone, your options are limited. In fact, there have only been five different models of iPhone released. At any given time, there are five Android headsets offered on each of the major carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint). In the U.S., Android headsets are also offered on
Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, and U.S. Cellular.
For the user who may not like the look of the Droid Bionic, there’s also the Droid Razr and Charge to choose from. A customer may not like the look of the T-Mobile Amaze 4G, but might love the Samsung Galaxy S II. Consumers like having a choice.
For a long time, Apple’s iPhone was only offered on the AT&T network. Over the last year or so, they have expanded to include Verizon and Sprint as well. There may have been several consumers who wanted to purchase an iPhone, but were turned off by AT&T’s service for one reason or another. Now that Sprint and Verizon also carry the iPhone, look for iPhone to catch up a little in terms of market share.
There’s always something new
The fact that Android phones are released so often feeds those who like to “keep up with the Joneses.” The different Android manufacturers are in competition with each other, which naturally breeds incremental improvements with each headset released.
Apple releases their new iPhone’s once a year, around the same time of year (June, although the 4S was released in October). In the world of Android, a new phone is announced/released almost every 1-2 months. Part of this is due to Android being on several major carriers, all who carry different models. Part of this is also due to the fact that Android is offered from several different manufacturers, the most popular being Samsung, HTC, and Motorola.
Apple does a great job of building anticipation for the release of their products, but Android does a great job of staying in the front of customers’ minds by releasing products year round.
All in all, I’m not here to say one operating system is better than the other, as that is very subjective. For those who value the customization, Android is the way to go. For consumers who enjoy simplicity, Apple provides that. However, Android’s options, both on the phone and by carrier, have allowed Android to gain the upper hand when it comes to market share, and will only continue to grow.
What are your thoughts? Weigh in below in the comments section.
“Android offers user customization” It is really enough reason for choose an Android phone.
Before the HTC Evo came out I had a Palm Centro that I loved. Hubby asked if I wanted an iPhone or if I wanted to wait until the Evo came out. I read a few articles, decided I can’t miss what I don’t have, and waited. I love my Evo {except for the battery life *booooooo*}. All I know about iPhones are that, whenever I talk to someone who owns one, their phone doesn’t do what my phone’s been doing since 2010. Uh? I’ve even converted a few folks to Android just by daily convos about their phone woes. I’m not gonna knock Apple because the brand is a good one, but I love my phone and don’t plan on getting an Apple phone at foreseeable time. I think many others share my sentiments.
I have been both an Android and iPhone owner, and will always maintain that I prefer the Android operating system. I WILL say that the latest release from Apple (the 4S and the OS 5) is a GREAT release. The camera is the closest I’ve experienced to a point and shoot or SLR camera, while Android cameras have always seemed to have some problems with low light shooting and contrast.
iPhone is finally catching up with some of the things it can do compared to Android, but I think Android will continue to outsell.
Thanks for our comment Glam!
I’ve only had Android so I cannot speak for Iphone. I have the HTC Evo 3d which I really like and seems very quick. It’s a little bulky for me to keep in my pocket,but for the most part I wouldn’t switch to apple.
I had wanted an iPhone all my life (the portion of my life in which iPhones existed) because I’m in love with my iPod touch, and always thought that if it had a phone feature, it’d be perfect. Easy/fun to use, hella apps/features, and rugged. I’m on the same iPod touch I’ve had since 2006. But when I got a smartphone, it was a Droid. Sprint network, family plan, whatever. So when Sprint got the iPhone last fall, I got it. And I hate it. After Android, it is so basic. You can’t do practical things like forward texts (wtf?), open and modify attachments, etc. The lack of a “back” button or a menu key means that I’m always frustratingly back at the home screen when I was deep in an app doing something. I’m horrible about saving contacts, but with my Epic, I could just start typing a number and the phone would suggest recently dialed/texted numbers. None of that with iPhone. Just simple things like that irk me with the phone.
I guess it’s pros are swag points, and the fact that for some reason, the iPhone’s keyboards intercepts my fingers much better. It’s a smaller phone, build quality is solid and much better that the Epic or the Evo. I’m happy with it, I’m more comfortable using it than I was with the Evo or the Epic, I just get frustrated on the simple things that I had gotten used to with the Droid OS.
See I was directly the opposite. I never wanted an iPhone. It’s simplicity, as you stated, just didn’t appeal to me. I do see, however, how an iPhone would appeal to those who appreciate simplicity, or who are maybe not so tech savvy. As I stated in a previous comment, with the latest operating system release, Apple has made some great improvements, but overall I enjoy Android more.
Right now, the only advantage iPhone has over Android to me is battery life and the camera (camera only by a very SLIGHT edge).
I do understand your frustrations about the lack of capacitative buttons compared to the Evo. It can be very frustrating.
Android is outselling iPhone for this very reason:
Android is an OS. iPhone is an OS and phone, but most importantly, it’s ONE phone. People who want to run a phone on iPhone technology don’t have a choice of styles. On Android, you have both 4G and 3G devices with varying degrees of features. Some Android phones you can get for no cost (I don’t recommend these phones) while others you may pay a small fortune to get. You have some that have more advanced cameras than others and each phone has different ways to do the same things (most likely). Motorola (one of the major cell phone brands) is in the Android game. iPhone is…well, iPhone.
This is precisely what my premise was in the second section about having a myriad of choices. At it’s core, that’s what Android is about, is the user’s choice! I think that’s what has helped it to be so popular.
ahhhh and i remember the days when i thought nokia was cool lol
android will always outsell because its opensource for other phone companies to use as there operating system so google is just using other companies to build on
would like to see microsoft windows phones do better in the future
Remember when polyphonic ringtones were the new thing? lol
I agree, I would love to see windows mobile step it up. Their new Mango operating system looks like it has promise!