Android Better Than iPhone: Apple smartphone hype dying

By Peter Chubb

02 October, 2010 Cell Phone Information, Cell Phones 7:44 am

Whenever ChangeWave Research runs a survey about smartphones, we always like to take a look at the results to see how Android sales compare to the iPhone. The latest results are not that shocking to me, as it shows that the hype of the iPhone 4 is now dying down – so is Android now better than Apple’s smartphone?

Slash Lane from Apple Insider explains that the survey shows that more consumers who wish to purchase a new smartphone are now turning to Android, not by much, but still enough to show that our love affair with the new fourth-generation device is now wavering.

OK, so we know that in the results 38 percent said that they would purchase an iPhone 4 compared to 37 percent for and Android based smartphone. However, it does prove that Apple no longer has that huge gap that it once used to enjoy.

So is Android finally going to take over in sales? I still think that people underestimate Apple – yes sales are dwindling, but they only launch one handset per year and is on only one carrier in the U.S.?

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http://www.facebook.com/MartinMTurner Martin Turner

I've still yet to meet anyone in the UK who has told me their phone is an Android. There doesn't seem to be any hype here in advertisements or shop displays referencing the OS. However, there are a lot of contracts offering a free smartphone, by comparison with paying £99-£300 for an iPhone of some kind.
The real situation here is not that Android is becoming popular, but that it happens to be the OS on most new budget smartphones. People I know who've bought them often describe them as 'like an iPhone'. This isn't so much a falling away of the iPhone mystique, but the adoption of 'like an iPhone' by people who have never had any intention of paying for a phone when they can get one free with their contract.
What is more remarkable is that the premium product is still ahead of an entire market segment of budget alternatives. It would be as if Mercedes only had three models, but those three models accounted for half of the automotive market.
In my experience this is highly unusual. There are industries in which a budget player is able to capture most of the market — Ford in the 1970s held more than half of the UK business car market — but very few where the highest price player is able to occupy more than 1/10 of its market segment.
- kev51773
  
  You mustn’t get out much. Android is everywhere in the UK and the high end devices are where it’s at. I guess it may be more down to the fact that Android owners don’t feel the need to ram them in people’s faces at every available opportunity as the “I’ll buy everything Apple produce” crowd seem to do. The “like an iPhone” thing is born of ignorance. I’m forever being asked “is that an iPhone?” by people who don’t know better.
- DAW
  
  This is quite a good point.
  
  As far as passion goes, the passion for Android is actually more the result of a passionate dislike for Apple. More than a little ironic.
  
  There are some great Android devices out there, but really the audience that gets excited about them are the same type of buyers that used to get excited about Windows Mobile. More aware of technology, more skilled in managing their own device, more into customisation and tweaking. Fair enough! Horses for courses. It's what makes the world go 'round.
  
  As far as passion goes though, have you ever read one post from someone passionate about an Android device that does not have some reference to how it is better than an iPhone? Neither have I.
Jayblo

Well a better comparison would be take any one Android phone from any one carrier and compare results. It’s not fair to compare a O.S on several phones on several carriers and put it up to one phone on one carrier.

I’m sure my hometown Burger Shack burgers are way better than Mcdonalds but Mcdonalds sells alot more.
- Njg81
  
  Bravo bravo clap clap amen that comment. Thats the smartest comment vie heard all week.
- kev-51773
  
  Of course it’s fair. It’s comparing an OS to another OS.
  
  It’s no different to comparing Mac / Windows
  
  BTW, if you get a takeout burger from your local Burger Shack, are you allowed to add your own choice of condiment or does it require approval from the supreme Burger Shack overlord?
- pfft
  
  It's just about the numbers, it doesn't matter whether its fair or not. Android sales are going up, iphone sales are going down. There's no competition ladder and there's no trophy for the winner.
  
  Just because you name your phone , doesn't mean s/he cares…. "we was robbed, if only I could be on more models, its not fair!"
- geuse
  
  okay it's not about the sales it's about the quality. If the quality of your burger shack is better than it's better. just like if the quality of the iphone was better it would be better, simply put it's not. Now the fact that you're comparing several phones on several carriers as oppose to one phone on one carrier… well whose fault is that? it's no secret apple loves coming out with one exclusive device after another. apparently they don't know much about marketing idk, but that's their own fault. i guess some would also see this as if they concentrate on one device it'll be a great device… but that's simply not the case as it would be light years above the rest when simply it's starting to lag behind the competition already.
  - Paul
    
    Apple does not know much about marketing, that is like saying the sky is green and the grass is blue. Apple has and always will be about marketing, how many Apple commercials can you remember featuring the ipod, now how many commercials can you remember featuring the Android. Lag behind the competition, you have how many cell phone companies competing for the same market, I think Apple has done a pretty amazing job of staying on top of the game considering they only release one model, how many different models does HTC have, Blackberry etc……
Andre Richards

So, now that Apple's quarterly numbers are out and it's a matter of public record that iPhone demand and sales have been not only off-the-charts but growing at an exponential rate, do you still stand behind the case you're making with this article? It really doesn't look like iPhone hype is dying at all. In fact, to the unbiased eye, it looks like the last 3 years have just been the beginning.

You know, there's nothing wrong with preferring Android or even being a self-declared Android fanboy, but you guys will make your greatest strides when you stop justifying Android's existence by downplaying the iPhone. It's sort of ironic because you guys have become just like the Mac fans of the 90s who pinned their hopes for their chosen platform on the failure of Windows.
- Paul
  
  I agree with the above statement to the fullest. If you do not like the iphone don't buy it, it's that simple.