iPhone and Android now hold 50/50 share of the smartphone market in the United States

[m4a4]

I'd say that Android devices are inferior products based solely on their software support life cycle. If Microsoft did the same thing that Android OEMs did people would be outside Redmond with pitchforks and torches, yet Android OEMs get a free pass. I just don't get it. Double standard much?

Some of these devices are just as expensive as flagship Apple devices yet they get a mere fraction of the software support that an iPhone gets.

Tell me again which is the better product? I'll give a hint, it's not Android.

Just sounds like you don't understand Android because you're on your iOS high horse. Or are being disingenuous.

Android gets it's core updates and security updates many years after it's released (the important updates). OS updates are something entirely different, of which many non-techie people on Android don't care for (or even outright avoid). On iOS you don't have much of a choice. All of which can subjectively be a good or bad thing.

You might as well try comparing Apples to oranges, you won't sound as much like a fanboy lol

 

[trparky]

Android gets it's core updates and security updates many years after it's released (the important updates).

I'm fully aware of the idea that Google can deploy updates via Google Play Services that can fix things related to Android itself. However, there are parts of the system that only an offline OTA update can touch that (of course) only the OEM can deploy. For instance, the kernel and/or kernel-level drivers.

We've seen several times in the past where there was a vulnerability in the kernel or some kernel-mode driver. Case in point, a recent WiFi driver vulnerability where a malformed WiFi packet can be used to execute arbitrary code in the context of the kernel. I don't think I need to tell you that that's not good. Google and the much-lauded Google Play Services can't do a darned thing about this kind of vulnerability, it must be patched at the OEM level.

Too bad most OEMs (I'm looking at you Samsung!) and carriers (I'm looking at you Verizon!) don't bother to deploy these kinds of updates either due to stupidity or the fact that they just want you to buy a new device instead.

It's the same with Windows where only Microsoft can deploy the update via Windows Update.

 

[adamada72]

I'm fully aware of the idea that Google can deploy updates via Google Play Services that can fix things related to Android itself. However, there are parts of the system that only an offline OTA update can touch that (of course) only the OEM can deploy. For instance, the kernel and/or kernel-level drivers.

We've seen several times in the past where there was a vulnerability in the kernel or some kernel-mode driver. Case in point, a recent WiFi driver vulnerability where a malformed WiFi packet can be used to execute arbitrary code in the context of the kernel. I don't think I need to tell you that that's not good. Google and the much-lauded Google Play Services can't do a darned thing about this kind of vulnerability, it must be patched at the OEM level.

Too bad most OEMs (I'm looking at you Samsung!) and carriers (I'm looking at you Verizon!) don't bother to deploy these kinds of updates either due to stupidity or the fact that they just want you to buy a new device instead.

It's the same with Windows where only Microsoft can deploy the update via Windows Update.

I'd say that Android devices are inferior products based solely on their software support life cycle. If Microsoft did the same thing that Android OEMs did people would be outside Redmond with pitchforks and torches, yet Android OEMs get a free pass. I just don't get it. Double standard much?

Some of these devices are just as expensive as flagship Apple devices yet they get a mere fraction of the software support that an iPhone gets.

Tell me again which is the better product? I'll give a hint, it's not Android.

yeah, it's not iPhone!
Unless you like buying dated hardware and software on launch day. When your iPhone gets an always on display at some point you'll love it, we've had it forever now. It's almost a joke that iPhone brings you the cutting edge... many years after the fact. The second best part of that joke is Apple fans generally have no idea and the ones that do always say the same thing. Apple perfected it! Sure, only cult that's crazier is the Crypto fans. For an honest assessment the only thing Android is missing at this point is the SMS of iOS and updates past 4 years. But nothing's supported after 4-5 years anymore.

 

[m4a4]

I'm fully aware of the idea that Google can deploy updates via Google Play Services that can fix things related to Android itself. However, there are parts of the system that only an offline OTA update can touch that (of course) only the OEM can deploy. For instance, the kernel and/or kernel-level drivers.

We've seen several times in the past where there was a vulnerability in the kernel or some kernel-mode driver. Case in point, a recent WiFi driver vulnerability where a malformed WiFi packet can be used to execute arbitrary code in the context of the kernel. I don't think I need to tell you that that's not good. Google and the much-lauded Google Play Services can't do a darned thing about this kind of vulnerability, it must be patched at the OEM level.

Too bad most OEMs (I'm looking at you Samsung!) and carriers (I'm looking at you Verizon!) don't bother to deploy these kinds of updates either due to stupidity or the fact that they just want you to buy a new device instead.

It's the same with Windows where only Microsoft can deploy the update via Windows Update.

And that's where security updates come in on newer devices. Or, if you're really paranoid, you can run an AV on your Android (or another OS entirely).

But the point is, that it doesn't really matter. Old android phones aren't getting exploited left, right, and center because they're not on Android 87¾, and iPhones aren't perfect because they all updated to iOS 18.1.2.3.4.6.

It's just preference at the end of the day, as it doesn't make a big enough difference (for the majority of people and circumstances).

 

[Lew Zealand]

LOL @strawmen and tribalism some are showing here. Who's dad is gonna beat up who's dad now?

 

[trparky]

But the point is, that it doesn't really matter.

To a person who's paranoid about security, it matters to me. Security patches should be deployed as fast as possible.

 

[Xex360]

I'd say that Android devices are inferior products based solely on their software support life cycle. If Microsoft did the same thing that Android OEMs did people would be outside Redmond with pitchforks and torches, yet Android OEMs get a free pass. I just don't get it. Double standard much?

Some of these devices are just as expensive as flagship Apple devices yet they get a mere fraction of the software support that an iPhone gets.

Tell me again which is the better product? I'll give a hint, it's not Android.

Can't agree more, Microsoft supports millions of different configurations and technologies, yet Google is incapable of support one architecture.
Having said that, iPhones while having better software aren't better, they are poorly designed (like most android phones to be fair), iOS is inferior to Android because of its closed nature.
A smartphone is a computer, and just like a computer it must allow users to install whatever you want and use it the way you want, anything like it's just a old mobile phone.

 

[lazer]

I dunno, I have both iPhone and Android, two phones. I need them, but I prefer Android way over Apple. Why? The apps are much better, much cheaper and the whole phone is easier to use.

I can not figure out why people prefer Apple. It certainly does not work better, does not have better reception, or any other thing better. The only thing that is higher is the price. I guess people feel the more you pay the better it is.

 

[liljom]

This result probably comes from the fact that Apple does lotsa marketing in the US, and deals with the phone service providers. Plus simple consumers don't need to read like 3-5 articles just to find out the right Android device for themselves, the just pick up the current or last year's iPhone.
Apple's quarterly global share is usually 10%-20%.