No Stupid Questions

1. iphones are the first recognized "smartphone".
2. apple is an american company.
3. apple has a massive fanbase that is completely dedicated to apple and all their products.

i'm not sure what the global usage of apple products is, but i think here it's probably a lot higher than in other places. throw in the fact that there's only one device capable of (legally) running apple's mobile software, and there you have it.

also, their advertising didn't hurt either. no one on the android side had the kind of advertising they did until maybe 6 or 7 years later and by that time you were probably already well established in the iphone ecosystem.

It’s status. Apple is regarded as more expensive and high quality.

The answer is marketing by Apple and mobile carriers, which lean on peer pressure via iMessage. Plus the iPhone built on the success of the iPod, which led the market for mp3 players.

Mostly because of bullying. Android users are poor shamed.

Freedom is not one thing. The choice between iOS and Android is not a choice between zero freedom and unlimited freedom. You’re simply choosing which freedoms you want to prioritize.

I’m planning to switch to an Android device running an alternative OS with my next purchase after using iPhone exclusively since the 3g. That’s driven by a change in priorities: I want the freedom that comes from using a phone that isn’t a surveillance and advertising vehicle. For years now though, I’ve been enjoying the freedom of knowing my phone will continue to receive updates for a minimum of 5 years after I buy it new while some of my Android friends will be lucky if they get two.

The iPhone came out before Android, so Apple had first mover advantage it could solidify to a sticky user base.

Also, a "free" Android experience only occurs when you've got full control of everything. Android was a lot more willing to give up control to third parties, including carriers. With Apple, you're only giving control to one company.

when you cant even have an app without a corporation’s approval

Apple has successfully positioned themselves as “the good guy”.

• Apple broke the monopoly of phone provider locks, and still prohibits phone provider bloatware.
• Apple seems like the only provider with any care for privacy, and many of their features and policies are privacy focussed
• Apple puts more effort than most software providers into usability
• you might think Apples constraints on the App Store blocks legitimate opensource and personal projects, but it mostly blocks commercial exploitation. It blocks behaviors that abuse customers or their privacy, that will give users a bad experience. I’ve read the requirement for a fee with a real credit card is actually the most effective strategy against malware
• every major app is available in the App Store
• its just a phone. My phone needs to just work, unlike my computer which needs to do whatever I want it to.

So maybe the root cause is lack of consumer protection in the US, but my experience with iPhone is much better than with Android phones. I’m not blind to corporate shenanigans but I do feel better protected in the Apple ecosystem. I do have freedom to choose almost any legitimate app, and I’m not particularly interested n futzing around with my phone anyway

Until there is a better alternative to the new evil that is google/alphabet, apple is a lesser evil.

I can only speak for myself and my kids. I have an iPhone because my work gave me one for free. They only support iPhone for security reasons. Keeping Android devices up to date across a large fleet is challenging leaving security gaps. For my kids they wanted my old iPhones because it’s what all their friends have.

I have no need for third party apps.

For anything beyond texting or scrolling, I have a desktop.

Defying mask mandates wasn’t due to a ‘love for freedom’ but due to delusions and selfishness.

Americans don't really value freedom. Not really. Americans pretend they like freedom, but they will give up all their freedoms for the slightest bit of convenience, and because social media told them so.

Am I talking about consumer electronics, or politics? Impossible to say.

Tbh androids privacy is shit. I’d rather deal with Apple than Google both on hardware and privacy any day. The only way I’d switch is to something like Graphene