If that option is important to you, why deeply embed yourself in an ecosystem that doesn't have it when others exist?
I’m usually skeptical of companies with this many users because of the potential to mine and sell data. I’m glad Apple hasn’t had to focus on that to stay profitable to the extent others have.
Combined with Apple's love of walled gardens (and therefore very limited interoperability with other platforms), switching out would cause too much friction.
Similar to how while I can buy my parents new Android phones as upgrades, they'll just go back to the old ones if they can't have the old school navigation bar they're used to. Unlike me they're no longer willing to relearn how everything works every few years.
It's always kind of annoying seeing this "just don't use it" argument, as it completely ignores that part of the point of the walled garden is that it gradually forces people to be so invested in the garden that it becomes increasingly expensive to leave it. It's a similar network effect as what keeps abusive platforms like YouTube alive despite no one really liking it.
My personal experience doesn't leave me super convinced of this, which is why I asked. I don't think I use any apps I've purchased on the regular anymore. There are a few I subscribe to, but that's an ongoing fee I could continue to pay on Android (if the app exists) and I'll buy a game every now and then, but I rarely go back to them, so I'm not sure that I'm personally losing a ton of sleep over the loss of access to Magic Research. The cost of moving is going to be my time in migration.
The issue you describe (parents preferring iOS over Android) sounds rather distinct of an issue to a walled garden.
What I'm referring to as a walled garden issue is that they've learned to use the "included" features like iCloud etc, those are walled in (ie using it on Android isn't as smooth). Thus when you switch away, you're expecting them to learn the new UI and to get used to different services (eg google drive) and their associated menus.
I suppose it's better described as vendor lock-in, similar to how before you could easily transfer your phone number between carriers, the number itself acted as a form of lock-in, if you used the number on anything important you were stuck with the number until you could get the number updated.
I do not take away from Apple that their customer service is top notch and for many users that matters as much as how good the SW is.
Their margins on laptops are thinner but the AppStore is not as relevant there.
The situation is the other way round - it’s the App Store that makes the iPhone useful. Windows Phone (the remake one) had good hardware, it literally was killed by lack of apps. I had one, I miss it.
Epic? Which never released the Unreal Engine for Windows Phone and now cries the loudest about the status quo.
Or the 1000’s of developers who abandoned pre App Store distribution models in favor of Apple’s hardware, software and APIs, happily signed up to 30% revenue share with Apple that didn't change in 15 years? (other than go down to 15% for 90% of sellers who do under a million of annual revenue)
MICROSOFT played the hugest part in Windows Phone demise. I still had a Palm Pre at the time and was waiting for a particular yellow Nokia Windows Phone to release for Sprint. My recollection is muddy after that but Windows Phone was no more so I got an iPhone.
For me, developers played a huge part.
There were a lot of popular and new apps missing in the windows store.
Microsoft had to even co-fund app developers to build apps for windows phone, without much luck or being too late.
E.g. Instagram for Windows released 18 months after Android. Did YouTube ever release on windows phone?
This played a big part in people choosing iOS/Android instead.
I haven’t looked into this for years, but that’s my recollection of early/mid 2010s.
The Verge seems to confirm my historic bias:
> If you’re wondering why none of Microsoft’s many strenuous Windows Phone efforts ultimately paid off, the key answer lies in the platform’s chronic failure to attract third-party app developers. Every time Nokia launched a new Windows Phone, it had to dodge and duck the question of when there’ll be an Instagram app for the OS. Even as Microsoft was beating Google at providing a smoother and slicker first-party app experience, Google was winning handily in having the more essential apps and the more enthusiastic third-party ecosystem.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/10/16452162/windows-phone-h...
You just unlocked a memory for me. I totally forgot that IG was never released for Windows Phone. Damn.
I rescind my previous comments, you're absolutely right. I think they could have a better go at it, this time. It's not Ballmer's Microsoft anymore (FWIW, I enjoyed aspects of his era).