iOS v. Android Fanboyism: Apple and Google's Audiences, Goals, and Values

We all know of those people who say iPhones suck, or that Android sucks and iPhones are way better in every way. This isn't true at all. Neither sides paint the full picture. To understand both sides of the argument, you have to understand the pros and cons of both sides as well as what both sides' goals are.

Apple and Google have completely different methods of obtaining profit. Apple is primarily a hardware company, meaning they obtain their profit from selling iPhones, Macs, etc. On the other side of the coin, Google is primarily a software and advertising company. They make their money from the most possible people using their software, collecting data, and selling advertisements. What does this have to do with iOS v. Android? Well, many of the arguments against Apple is that iOS is such a closed system and they never release any of their apps for Android. Reason being, they want people to buy their products for their OS. If they released iMessage for Android, they would lose a lot of money due to people no-longer buying their hardware to use it. Google, on the other hand, releases almost all their apps for iOS and Android because they want people using their software to sell ads. Both companies have different business models, so it's unfair to dock either side for what they choose to do in that department.

Customization is also a major talking point, but again, both companies have different audiences. Apple focuses on the common user, making iOS less customizable, but at the same time easier to use. Android tries to strike more of a balance between customization and simplicity, but ends up missing the common user at some points.

Being locked inside a certain ecosystem can cause users to refuse to change sides. For example, iOS users use iMessage, iCloud, iTunes, etc. and there is no way they're going to just abandon all that to try something new because some random person on the Internet told them to. Android users are ingrained in Google's ecosystem as well. Neither side is going to get the other side to change their opinion if they're already ingrained in the OS.

So next time you see an iOS user that refuses to acknowledge Android as a legitimate option, or vise-versa, remember that you probably aren't going to change their mind and it's just a waste of time to argue with them. iOS and Android both have their respective audiences and goals, so who cares what anyone else uses as long as you can still use your preferred option?

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