iPhone6 will kill high end Android phones in the US

[Ramses]

The non tech smart android users either can't afford or don't care to bother with an iPhone us my guess. The former of that bunch would probably like to have one though.

 

[ControlD]

The non tech smart android users either can't afford or don't care to bother with an iPhone us my guess. The former of that bunch would probably like to have one though.

I'm guessing that's a joke, but ...

You can get an perfectly capable iPhone for free on contract, so there isn't much to the "can't afford an iPhone" argument. You can get an even more capable iPhone than the free one for $99. Chances are that is right around what most people are laying out for a phone (at least in the USA) anyhow.

 

[Ramses]

Po-folk be use pre-pay. Haven't seen an iphone FS at the dolla general yet.

To get a free iphone or whatever on contract, you first must have enough credit to GET a contract. In less affluent areas it's really not an uncommon problem, it's why everyone and their brother has/makes prepay phones when it used to be a bit of a niche market. That's my minimum effort estimation of things from observation anyway.

And there are a LOT of po'folk in the south and east.


Beyond that, while my first hand experience is limited since I'm an almost complete recluse, technically minded folks pick android, artistically or get-the-tech-out-of-my-way-so-I-can-do-what-I'm-trying-to-do folks tend to go iphone. And if they can afford it they have an apple computer too.

And I'm OK with that myself, mostly. It's a shame we miss out on interoperability, I wish I could do facetime with a few iphone users, or that they could do Hangouts with me. What usually happens, is everyone just uses skype. Way to go Apple/Android.
That sort of thing is tiresome as hell.

 

[Ramses]

This is why I call them a one trick pony, and it's the monster in Apples closet imo.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/01/31/motley-fool-apple-watch/22531023/

You can only innovate and sell one type of device so many times. Everything else they make is doing kinda so-so. They gave up on the small screen bit finally and had record sales(duh). I hope they learned from it, and I hope the watch is awesome. I'm not interested and I have doubt they can make a watch useful enough while still maintaining the ease of use and friendliness they excel at, but I hope they can. Tech stuff business can be a harsh mistress.

 

[mrochester]

I'm guessing that's a joke, but ...

You can get an perfectly capable iPhone for free on contract, so there isn't much to the "can't afford an iPhone" argument. You can get an even more capable iPhone than the free one for $99. Chances are that is right around what most people are laying out for a phone (at least in the USA) anyhow.

There's absolutely no chance you can get an iPhone for anything like the sort of price you can get a Galaxy S3 Mini, certainly in the UK. I see so many devices of this calibre out in the wild. In fact, they make up the majority of Android sightings where I work.

 

[mrochester]

So Android users are either tech smart or not. Got it. (Somehow I bet that fits all phone users out there. Just a guess ....)

Working in IT doesn't make someone tech smart. My mum worked in IT for over 20 years and wouldn't have a clue what parts make up a computer or what Android or iOS is.

 

[stlc8tr]

This is why I call them a one trick pony, and it's the monster in Apples closet imo.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/01/31/motley-fool-apple-watch/22531023/

And Google isn't a one-trick pony? Do they make money on anything else that isn't search-related?

 

[Ramses]

And Google isn't a one-trick pony? Do they make money on anything else that isn't search-related?

It's a common complaint that they are way too spread out.
Everything from phones to self driving cars to heavy AI research to VR
to wearables to TV to who the hell knows what else.
Google Maps alone could be a company. Gmail/Google Business serves
alone could be a company. They have like ten different parts that could all have been separate companies lol. So no they are
in fact the polar opposite of a one trick pony.
With the changing landscape the last, well forever, they haven't
really been making a ton of money since they spend it on crazy
stuff like putting satellites in space for internet and balloons
and bringing fiber optic net access to your door, and now they seem to be about to try to be a cell carrier of sorts since they have Google Voice and don't know what to do with it lol. There is probably a happy medium between how Google and Apple do things, neither of them is particularly stable. Interesting and/or innovative, but not stable.

Apple does what it does really well, but that's all it does and their ass
is riding on that phone. The numbers are out there if you want to go see.
I can't imagine the stress of "oh crap what do we do with the next one" every year or two.

 

[stlc8tr]

It's a common complaint that they are way too spread out.
Everything from phones to self driving cars to heavy AI research to VR
to wearables to TV to who the hell knows what else.
Google Maps alone could be a company. Gmail/Google Business serves
alone could be a company. They have like ten different parts that could all have been separate companies lol. So no they are
in fact the polar opposite of a one trick pony.

Google has a lot of fingers in various pies but none of them amount to any significant profits, AFAIK.

So if Google ever lost their dominant share of the search ad business, they would be in a world of hurt. Just like Apple and their reliance on iPhone sales. Of course, it could be argued that Google's moat is better defended than Apple's but still, the basic point remains.

 

[Ramses]

Not untrue, neither would be my preference but if I had to bet on something it'd be Google in the long run. They could probably ditch phones and live. True about the search for sure but if anyone can figure it out it'll be them. Who knows when one of the other hairbrained ideas might pay off too. If I wasn't such a cynic I'd think they were doing all these things just to advance ideas and technology rather than profit.

 

[BoberFett]

Google has a lot of fingers in various pies but none of them amount to any significant profits, AFAIK.

So if Google ever lost their dominant share of the search ad business, they would be in a world of hurt. Just like Apple and their reliance on iPhone sales. Of course, it could be argued that Google's moat is better defended than Apple's but still, the basic point remains.

So $15-20B per year isn't significant profit?

/facepalm

 

[stlc8tr]

So $15-20B per year isn't significant profit?

/facepalm

What part of Google that isn't search ad revenue contributes $15B to $20B in yearly profit?

Edit: Looks like non-ad revenue was roughly $7B for 2014. No idea how much profit it contributed but I'm guessing that it wasn't "significant".

https://investor.google.com/financial/tables.html

 

[Ramses]

Yeah, what they do make they seem to turn right around and spend it on self driving cars and other assorted crazyness. I dig it that they do that, especially since it's moon-shot non-profit stuff, who else does that? Gotta be hell to explain to investors though.

Apple isn't competing with Google really. They are competing with one arm of the octopus, Android. And that's cool and all, may the best man win and such. I think there is plenty room for two phone guys in the world. Maybe even three or four.

 

[gmaster456]

There's absolutely no chance you can get an iPhone for anything like the sort of price you can get a Galaxy S3 Mini, certainly in the UK. I see so many devices of this calibre out in the wild. In fact, they make up the majority of Android sightings where I work.

Actually in the US you can. Most people buy phones on contract. iPhone 5C $0 on contract. Galaxy S3 Mini $0 on contract. That is how people buy their phones in the US, and unless one is on a prepaid carrier, they're shelling out the same amount of cabbage for an iPhone as they are an Android phone. The "it's because people can't afford an iPhone" line was dead years ago.

 

[mrochester]

Actually in the US you can. Most people buy phones on contract. iPhone 5C $0 on contract. Galaxy S3 Mini $0 on contract. That is how people buy their phones in the US, and unless one is on a prepaid carrier, they're shelling out the same amount of cabbage for an iPhone as they are an Android phone. The "it's because people can't afford an iPhone" line was dead years ago.

Yeah but that really only applies to the US. In the rest of the world it is very different.

 

[Commodus]

Apple isn't competing with Google really. They are competing with one arm of the octopus, Android. And that's cool and all, may the best man win and such. I think there is plenty room for two phone guys in the world. Maybe even three or four.

I think people forget this. Apple welcomed Google with open arms when it unveiled the iPhone, and it has no problems with hosting Google apps or hooking into some services. Apple's main beef is with Android, both for obvious competitive reasons and culturally. It's Microsoft that's opposed to Google at every level... and that's a big reason why Google refuses to support Windows Phone beyond the absolute basics.

 

[Ramses]

It's a shame too, I'd love to see more winders phones that were more google friendly, it's keeping (a few lol) of us that are heavily vested in google services from trying out a windows phone I suspect. I don't think they are better or anything but as a geek I'd like to use one for a bit just to see how it is.

MS keeps trying so hard, bing just sucks though, outlook.com is better than it was but it's still not gmail, even with the intigration of onedrive and MS accounts and all that with win8, it's not bad but it's just not quite google somehow. Tuff job they have.

 

[Red Storm]

So here's a relevant update. From October 2014 to January 2015 (basically the most favorable period of time to look at iPhone sales), Android gained percentage, going from 52.3% to 53.2%, while iOS actually dropped from 41.9% to 41.3%.

In other words, Android isn't doomed, neither is Apple, and OP should probably exit the prediction business.

https://www.comscore.com/Insights/M...ry-2015-US-Smartphone-Subscriber-Market-Share

 

[sze5003]

My brother had an iPhone for the longest time. He ended up breaking it and replaced it with a nexus 6. These threads are pointless. Kind of like the att rep in the store that said 60% of those with iPhone who go to android go back to iPhone. Really? Where did you personally get those statistics? Then he went to say well I'm an iPhone guy so I would pick iPhone. Both platforms are good in their own way based on what you prefer.

 

[Ramses]

Decent new cheap winders phone too, least they are still trying.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/03/hands-on-lumia-640-ought-to-be-enough-for-anybody/

 

[stlc8tr]

So here's a relevant update. From October 2014 to January 2015 (basically the most favorable period of time to look at iPhone sales), Android gained percentage, going from 52.3% to 53.2%, while iOS actually dropped from 41.9% to 41.3%.

In other words, Android isn't doomed, neither is Apple, and OP should probably exit the prediction business.

https://www.comscore.com/Insights/M...ry-2015-US-Smartphone-Subscriber-Market-Share

Depends on what metric you use, I suppose.

This report claims that iOS controls almost 90% of the profits in the mobile space.

http://www.cnet.com/news/android-share-of-smartphone-profit-plummets-to-just-11-percent/

 

[Ramses]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around figures like that. Seems.. odd. They sell and ass load of phones, a lot of them aren't cheap, someone somewhere is making money on em.

 

[WelshBloke]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around figures like that. Seems.. odd. They sell and ass load of phones, a lot of them aren't cheap, someone somewhere is making money on em.

The figures are pretty meaningless anyway.

Android income is split between a bunch of hardware manufacturers (Samsung, HTC et al), Google, and media vendors (like amazon).

IOS income includes hardware, software and media sales and is all controlled by Apple.

Its going to be impossible to get an apples to apples comparison. Its more of an Apple to fruit salad comparison at the moment.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This report claims that iOS controls almost 90% of the profits in the mobile space.

http://www.cnet.com/news/android-share-of-smartphone-profit-plummets-to-just-11-percent/

That is the profit for devices. This is actually good for consumers, we can get more phone for less money/margin. Hence the rise of Chinese Android OEMs.

The metric users of an ecosystem need to be aware of is what platform is better for DEVELOPERS to make money. I mean, someone else will always be willing to jump into the fray and make an Android phone. But if developers don't make the apps then why have the phone in the first place?

Overall iOS revenue is still beating Android but the gap is closing or has closed in some markets:

http://blog.appannie.com/google-plays-rapid-rise-in-germany/

 

[rudeguy]

Well we've had our "Android is doomed" thread.


Where's this year's "iPhone Killer" thread?