The Android vs. iPhone debate — or rather, the Android vs iOS debate — has raged for as long as both operating systems have been out, but new numbers suggest one camp will be happier of the two in 2023.
According to a new report (Opens in a new tab) From Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), the past 12 months have seen Apple lure more users away from Android than at any other time in the past five years. The research institute found that from March 2022 to March 2023, 15% of individuals who purchased an iPhone indicated that they had switched from an Android phone.
In other words: iPhones are winning the war. but why? In this article, we highlight five possible reasons—some objective, some subjective—why Android phones keep losing so much ground to Apple’s pocket-sized marvels.
1. iPhones provide longer software support
The most powerful iPhone that Android phones have is their superior longevity. Apple generally supports new iPhones with iOS updates for five or six years after their release, and those updates come to all devices in one fell swoop. Sure, older devices are not always supported all A new feature for a given iOS update, but its security and core functionality has been kept at a high level for an impressively long time (there’s a reason you still see so many annoying iPhone 8s).
On the other hand, Android phones are not supported anywhere near as much as iPhones. Samsung, for example, offers four years of software updates and five years of security updates for its top Samsung phones, while Google offers Pixel users three years of software updates (and the same security commitment). You do the math: You can use iPhones for longer.
As TechRadar’s US Mobile Editor, Philip Berne — a devoted Android fan — wrote recently in an article calling for Google to give Android its day in the sun at Google I/O 2023: “We respect things that count. We respect products. That lasts, lasts, and proves its worth We respect devices that exceed our expectations and don’t let us down.
“If I buy an iPhone 14 today, I know Apple will support it for the next five or six years, maybe more. […] That’s long enough to be handy, which is a game-changer when a phone costs so much. I use my iPhone 14 Pro for 3 years and then give it to my kid to keep for a few more years. I know I will have the same locks and parental protections I have today because Apple will keep updating.
“If I buy a Samsung or Google phone today, the best I can hope for is four years of updates, and that’s only if I buy the best phones. If I buy anything less, that support period is cut dramatically.”
2. iPhones offer better resale value
As a by-product of their superior longevity, iPhones offer better resale value than Android phones. They are smarter investments for those who regularly break and change their devices, being some of the most expensive phones to buy used.
Take the iPhone 13 series, for example. At launch, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro cost $799 / £779 / AU$1,349 and $999 / £949 / AU$1,699 respectively. Two years later, and you’re still able to recoup about 75% of that cost, depending on your chosen market.
| service | iPhone 13 Pro | iPhone 13 |
| Apple Trade-In Program | Up to $500 / £485 / AU$830 | It comes to $400 / £390 / AU$655 |
| GadgetGone (United States) | up to $704 | $531 |
| Carvon Warehouse (UK) | Up to £530 | Up to £430 |
| JB Hi-Fi (Australia) | Up to 700 Australian dollars | Up to AUD 550 |
| eBay (typical price) | It comes to $849 / £700 | Up to $599 / £525 |
For comparison, Samsung’s 2021 flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, cost $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849 at launch and retails for about 60% less on the flea market in 2021 (and this happens via eBay – where used iPhones cost more).
3. iPhones introduce iMessage
iPhones offer iMessage while Android phones do not. Why is this important to people? It’s hard to say for sure, but we suspect the reasons go beyond a simple preference for blue-colored message bubbles.
Rather than just being a fancy version of SMS (Short Message Service), iMessage behaves in a similar way to Facebook Messenger. Messages, photos, and videos sent between iPhone users use Wi-Fi and data instead of eating up users’ texting plans, and that separation with cellular networks allows for a host of iMessage-specific features. You can reply to and translate iMessages and even send money in the Messages app with Apple Cash.
None of this is possible with basic SMS, and while a new communication standard — RCS (Rich Communication Service) — may eventually improve the messaging experience between Android and iOS devices, Apple has so far shown an (understandable) reluctance to level playing field.
4. iPhones are more popular among young people
We’ll turn off the band-aid: iPhones are still seen as cooler than Android phones in 2023. Why? It’s hard to say, but its popularity among young people is undeniable.
As Phil said in his previous article: “The Wall Street Journal (Opens in a new tab) He says Generation Z is driving the charge toward Apple’s dominance. I can personally attest to this, as my son is 14 and has an iPhone 11. It’s not his first iPhone 11, it’s his third, since he broke a couple over the years.
Every time he breaks his iPhone, I ask if he wants to trade it in for something else. “A better iPhone?” he asked. Well, no, I explain. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus. Look, Samsung will give you good cash for your iPhone. , even if it’s broken, and all you have to do is switch…
He waves at me with a flap of his hand. This conversation is over before it even started. He won’t switch off his iPhone. No chance, I don’t need to suggest it. He can’t even explain why. All his friends have iPhones. Does it bother him when a friend shows up with a green bubble in the Conversation? He doesn’t know, because it hasn’t happened yet. Ouch.
5. iPhones have better app selection
This is a little subjective, but iPhones offer a better suite of apps than Android phones. To be clear: We’re not talking numbers here — in fact, some reports (Opens in a new tab) Get that the Google Play Store has almost 2 million more apps than the Apple App Store. But the unproven fact is that App Store apps tend to be of higher quality than their Google Play counterparts.
Why? There are two reasons in our book. The first is that app developers usually make more money with iOS, so they prioritize the App Store when it comes to the speed and polish of their products. The second is that Apple’s App Store offers a greater selection of professional creativity and productivity apps — those that are optimized for the screen sizes of the iPhone and iPad, while Android tablet apps aren’t always optimized.
Takeaway
It’s no secret that Google faces an uphill battle if it hopes to bridge the gap between Apple and its iOS iPhones, not least because popularity begets more popularity. The more people use iPhones, the more popular the iPhone becomes — and it’s not a great look when those users continue to defect from Android in increasing numbers.
So, what can Android developers do to stop the exodus? They should start by taking a leaf out of Apple’s book and simplifying the entire operating system. The first time you turn on your Android phone, you are met with a lot of junk – games, in-house and third-party applications – that are of no interest to most people. Who needs two gallery apps, anyway?
To its credit, Android is definitely a more versatile platform than iOS, but great customization shouldn’t come at the expense of usability, and there’s no denying that Apple has defined the ‘anyone can use this’ iOS aesthetic. Your grandma or teenage daughter probably won’t have a hard time setting up a new iPhone right out of the box, but Android phones are still seen as more complex devices full of options and shortcuts that baffle and deter an unfamiliar user.
Finally, there is the question “What Android are you using?” a question. Since Android is available from a variety of phone manufacturers, you can’t decide which Android version to get. With iPhone, if you buy a new device, it will have the latest version of iOS. Even if you get a used one, you can immediately – assuming it supports it – upgrade to the latest version. Android may never catch up with Apple if it can’t get every partner (and the companies that often control updates) on the same page.
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