7 reasons why I choose Android over iOS (and sideloading is not one of them)
zdnet.com
zdnet.com
2. Devices work way better with other devices. I can plug it in to any laptop or computer and without any other software access the device. No downloading iTunes to do basic functions.
3. I can slap just about any usb-c peripheral into my phone and it just works. Need to test a eth connection onsite? Just whip out my laptops eth dongle and off I go.
4. Menus actually let me access phone functions.
5. OS is actually easier to get around and do stuff. Nice simple buttons overlayed on bottom of screen, easy af to navigate. I can train an 70 year old to use an android phone as the menus and system layout make sense. Apples a bloody nightmare to use for basic functionality.
6. Doesn't get bricked because it's "too old" because the mob who sold it to me are having a money grab trying to force me to update because they say so.
7. More price competition due to more companies selling devices.I can buy brand new android rigs that have all the basic functionality for dirt cheap with a warranty. Monopolies rarely provide value to the user.
All of these points could have a very easy retort on why someone would prefer iOS, and most of them simply come down to personal preference. More customization isn't always a feature. If it was, MySpace would still be king of social media and Facebook would have never taken off.
Strictly speaking, more customization is always a feature. It might not always be a value-add (depending on who you are) but the option to enable more capability is pretty much impossible to argue against.
If you want your users to customize less, use smart defaults. Don't force them into a one-size-fits-all because some people like it.
Do people looking for a one-size-fits-all option not deserve a product in the market?
Sensible defaults are great, until the user does try to do something. The number of options in the settings has become pretty overwhelming, even on iOS. Going in there to do something simple can quickly lead a user to be overwhelmed and seeking help. You're right, all these options do represent features, but aren't adding value to this type of user.
The iPhone has a mode to reduce complexity called Assistive Access, but that's one more thing to setup, so someone who does understand the complexity needs to be in a person's life to really use it. There are also products, like the Light Phone, being sold to address this issue people have.
Every product has to make a choice on which features are included, and how much control is given to the users. These choices all sit on a continuum between simple/one-size-fits-all to complex/full-user-control. Each product tries to find the sweet spot that resonates with the most users in their target market segment. It should be good that we have products that fall at different places on that continuum, and not try to force everyone into one type of product that only serves one type of user.
My own view is a little different, but has a similar end result. My phone is a tool that I just want to work. I'm not looking for another hobby. If I went to Android I wouldn't be able to help myself from going down rabbit holes. With the iPhone I never even think about it, and I like it that way. We all make choices with our purchase on where the complexity lives in our life. Someone might have a really complex camera with a million manual settings, but drive a Tesla that doesn't require much effort. While someone else may be a gear head that wants to work on and know every part in their engine, but they want a simple cell phone they don't have to think about. To go deep in one area, we need to sacrifice how deep we go in other areas.
So that's my argument against the powers that be trying to force infinite customization. Let the market take care of it. If people stop buying iPhones, then Apple will know they are doing something wrong, and they can adjust. But if people are buying them, then the users must like where Apple is choosing position it and the balance they're striking. What's wrong with that?
They deserve secure and sensible defaults. Besides that, they're guaranteed very little in a competitive and functional market. Your inability to control your "rabbit hole" delves is not a justification to limit phone functionality or ship Teslas built with wood glue and styrofoam.
You're welcome, as a customer, to patronize whichever company you prefer. But you don't reserve the right to complain when monopoly abuse is legally rectified, because your inability to manage your own interests somehow justifies broader market abuse.
1. Android is a Google product.