Android’s Dirty Secret: Shipping Numbers Are Strong But Returns Are 30-40%

washingtonpost.com

6 points·tylerrooney··8 comments

I've seen this bouncing around for a while now. Numerous times.

I've yet to see it substantiated beyond "sources claim" and I tend to want data any time someone wants to claim numbers which seem unusually high.

Real issue? Attention-whoring bloggers? Impossible to tell without better data.

Exactly this. Some guy said a thing doesn't count as journalism.

Yeah, 40% sounds obscene. "I bought a/an Android" totals over 150k google results, but "I returned my Android" gets under 8k.

This is * extremely* rough (as google's count for results can be utter BS), but it looks more like 5% than 40%. Not good, but nothing like 40%.

Linkbait article's dirty secret: actually some Android models have 30-40% return rate. Of course the article makes no attempt to estimate aggregate return rate rendering itself pretty meaningless.

I think this is mostly people getting what they paid for. I'm sure lots of people who bought Androids said "oh, well, it's just like an iPhone and everyone has those" but what they were actually thinking was "damn this is so much cheaper".

You get what you pay for. Case in point: spring for a Nexus. No problems.

FWIW I love my Captivate (Samsung Galaxy phone) and I paid less than $50. I wish they were better about updating the Android version, but I wouldn't say the Nexus is the only Android worth having.

UI replacements, vendor bloatware, slow updates and variable quality hardware. Stick with pure android devices, they are better. The iPhone is clean - no bloatware,etc. Demand the same from Android.

"By TechCrunch.com, Published: July 26"

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