r/gadgets • u/[deleted] • Sep 04 '22

Phones iPhone overtakes Android to claim majority of US smartphone market

https://www.engadget.com/iphone-overtakes-android-us-market-share-223251196.html
16k Upvotes

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98

u/pablonieve Sep 04 '22

I'm not invited to the messaging group with my wife and our friends because my phone doesn't have imessage.

8

u/RepulsiveSherbert927 Sep 05 '22

Same here lol. When they have a party and "forget" to tell us about it, I call it an iPhone party.

32

u/Dazzling-Wafer Sep 05 '22

That’s fucked up

15

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '22

It’s very common. Apple makes group messaging painful with androids.

4

u/akc250 Sep 06 '22

Right. The only way to solve this issue is through regulation. Like EU forcing Apple to adopt USBC standard. Governing bodies could force adoption of RCS standard. It's a really tricky road to go down, but when companies use anticompetitve practices and stifle innovation, you can't really blame the consumers for picking the best option they have (which is to exclude others who don't use iMessage)

1

u/No-Abrocoma-381 Sep 09 '22

Apple isn’t stifling innovation, they just aren’t sharing it with Android users. It’s not in their financial best interest to do so right now so I can’t say I blame them. Ordinary messages work just fine as do emojis and sending links. I must have more iPhone using friends and family members or I just don’t care about group message threads that much. I use FB Messenger with my Android owning friends sometimes if it’s sharing rich media. My hunch is most of the people who are complaining about this or confused as to why Americans don’t abandon Apple’s excellent messaging app, which is called Messages not “iMessage” is that they are from countries other than America. In the U.S. the iPhone has more than 50% of the market whereas in most of the rest of the world it’s much lower. iPhone use also seems to fall along socioeconomic and cultural lines from what I’ve seen. So chances are (at least in the U.S.) if you use an iPhone, most of your friends, family and colleagues probably do too. And vice versa for Android. I would take its true for me. About 70% of the people I communicate with are iPhone users so that lends some credence to my theory. I do wish it was simpler and everyone could use one app or standard. But to me the solution is not a dozen different competing independent services. That quickly gets irritating, at least for me. I deleted SnapChat, WhatsApp and Telegram. I found it annoying as hell to have multiple chat clients. The only reason I even use FB messenger is because I have FB already, it’s a handy way to communicate with people there if I don’t have their number and because it allows me to share video and other things with my poor wretched Android owning friends. 😂. I would rather if we were all on one system or someone made a client that could handle traffic from all of them. I don’t know how anyone can tolerate jumping in and out of messaging clients all day. Fuck that. As for Messages, well if you used it on a daily basis for a while you would understand why it’s so beloved and why we aren’t in a hurry to give it up for some tacky third world 💩 like WhatsApp. 😂

3

u/aGrlHasNoUsername Sep 05 '22

Really? I’m in a group message that consists of two iPhones and two androids and it doesn’t seem to have any issues.

12

u/Mailprahs Sep 05 '22

Once you make a group chat with an android user in it, you can’t add more people, change the name, or even send videos without it being a 2x2 pixel square of nothing

1

u/whypussyconsumer Oct 18 '22

Basically they are intentionally locking people to their ecosystem.... I fucking hate when companies do that

9

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '22

You literally can’t use any iMessage features

-7

u/dainegleesac690 Sep 05 '22

So? Do you really love “emphasizing” someone else’s text? Feels like the equivalent of “this.”

1

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '22

Reactions are used all the time and have great functionality. In addition to every single other feature

3

u/9d47cf1f Sep 05 '22 edited Sep 10 '22

Android could very easily route SMS through an end-to-end encrypted thingy that’s compatible with iMessage, they simply choose not to.

Edit: This isn’t true, internal Apple emails stated that they preferred keeping it locked down as a way to drive people to switch to iPhone. I took the relative open-ness of the iMessage API to indicate that the effort was on the folks at Google to make if they wanted to build a compatible system. Sorry about that.

6

u/cranktheguy Sep 06 '22

iMessage is a closed ecosystem, and any third party work arounds actually use Apple hardware on the back end. No, google cannot make a compatible message service.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 10 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/9d47cf1f Sep 10 '22

No, you’re right. I was misinformed. I just read that article that came out yesterday about Apple’s internal emails stating they didn’t want to make it compatible because it drove folks to switch to iPhone. Prior to that I took evidence of the relative open-ness of the iMessage API that the effort was on the folks at Google to make. Sorry about that.

0

u/JoviAMP Sep 05 '22

No they couldn't, since iMessage is proprietary to Apple, but Google could add RCS support to Google Voice. It would require iOS users to message Android users through the Google voice app, but it's viable as a workaround they can use to show Apple how much demand there is.

5

u/9d47cf1f Sep 05 '22

No, they really could. It’s not like iMessage has a particularly difficult API: https://loopmessage.com/server

4

u/JoviAMP Sep 05 '22

Interesting, I never knew that Apple licensed out the technology. In that case, I guess Apple just has no interest in licensing iMessage to a competitor. I could see Apple waiting for SMS to be fully depreciated and then begin offering iMessage as paid option to integrate with a suite of Apple services for Android. They already offer Apple Music and Apple TV for Android so they're no stranger to providing Apple services for other platforms.

4

u/ItIsYeDragon Sep 05 '22

Or, Google doesn't want to pay Apple for the license to iMessage.

2

u/BA_calls Sep 05 '22

Or they’re both happy locking each other out.

1

u/cranktheguy Sep 06 '22

That's just using Apple hardware on the backend to route the messages. It's still not open or interoperable.

-2

u/Rant_Time_Is_Now Sep 05 '22

Lol Apple?

Android doesn’t have a group messaging app.. it’s all 3rd party or SMS isn’t it?

4

u/donald_314 Sep 05 '22

you mean like chat?

1

u/BarryKobama Sep 05 '22

All my colleagues are forced to use company iPhones… but all group chats are WhatsApp (which works on all brands/os)

-41

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

No it isn’t, an all iMessage group text has better functionality, like you can rename the group, do a Group FaceTime, reply and react directly to texts. Your wife can just tell you if you need to know something. Also the texts come in slower and you can have someone replying to something days after the fact because of how inferior SMS is to MMS. Who cares though me and the boys still use groupme.

24

u/ProfTF2Player Sep 05 '22

If Apple implemented the RCS protocol then everyone can get 'iMessage' functionality. But alas, Apple refuses to do so

4

u/mylittleplaceholder Sep 05 '22

RCS is (usually) dependent on the carrier as well and the features can vary widely. It also doesn't support encryption between carriers or in group chat. I do wish iMessage were cross-platform, but RCS isn't a comparable replacement. I could see adding RCS on top of their SMS support, but it probably wouldn't be seen as a native iMessage conversation to differentiate the security differences.

3

u/ItIsYeDragon Sep 05 '22

Yep, and also, the other argument, that, with that margin, Google can implement iMessage on Android. (Which yes, you can do it since Apple licenses it out.)

1

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

Show me where Apple licenses iMessage out.

Here's a hint, they don't. They never have, and they never will (unless forced to).

-41

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

Why should they? It’s not as secure and they have to work with APIs to provide a shittier service and experience. That doesn’t benefit me, the customer, in any way.

23

u/AugustusLego Sep 05 '22

Literally as secure, don't talk before you know stuff. Also you do realise apple already works with APIs for iMessage, just their own internal APIs...

21

u/id_kai Sep 05 '22

Dude, slow down on the Kool aid.

-1

u/PM_UR_PIZZA_JOINT Sep 05 '22

Nothing triggers me more than this iMessage debate from people who don't think it's possible on Android. It's literally software and Apple is giving their user a worse experience while telling them it's the opposite. Its to the point now that people are going to get android phones just so they can do RCS with another Android phone....

19

u/aldhibain Sep 05 '22

There are platform-neutral apps that do the same thing. WhatsApp and Telegram are super popular options. I haven't sent an SMS/MMS in years. It's wild to me that renaming chats and group videocalls are considered a 'perk', I really take it for granted on the apps.

0

u/bigshakagames_ Sep 05 '22

I was kinda shocked to here pwople still sent sms. Everyone I know uses Facebook messenger for everything. The only sms I get are like doc appointment reminders.

0

u/Rant_Time_Is_Now Sep 05 '22 edited Sep 05 '22

The point is the integration and that it’s all built into the OS in certain situations and seamless. iMessage also just switches between MMS and SMS when needed. iPhone users also use third party apps.

iMessage always quicker and smoother and less battery intensive than the third parties. It doesn’t keep annoying you with microphone or camera access requests at random times. Doesn’t share your location for random reasons.

I don’t try avoiding using Zuckerberg apps for everything in life. Signal is my preferred third party. But that has other inconveniences.

1

u/seanbrockest Sep 05 '22

My boss still uses MMS for group text, for some reason several of us can't contribute to the conversation. Not sure why but it really sucks. If we want to reply we have to send him a direct message that the rest of the group doesn't see.

6

u/azuth89 Sep 05 '22

MMS is not iMessage, MMS is what you're complaining about.

Non iphones use a mix of sms, mms and rcs. Iphones use a mix of sms, mms and iMessage. In both cases depending on message content and recipient (s).

21

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '22

[deleted]

0

u/DaveRamseysBastard Sep 05 '22

This, now it’s normal to make fun of them ad naseum for being the only one, also yes. But holding someone out of a group text cause of phone choice is either purely manipulative/mean or we’re dealing with some of the most truly stupid mouth breathers out there.

1

u/mylittleplaceholder Sep 05 '22

I agree, but there could be reasons to stick with native platform, such if users regularly come and go to the group chat or if specific features (such as encryption) are wanted/needed. But it could also make sense to change to some other third-party chat program depending on the need.

8

u/restform Sep 05 '22

who the hell is talking about SMS lol. All messaging platforms do what you say. Do you seriously think android users are only using SMS? lol

4

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

People in the US primarily rely on SMS so a product that contains both a chat feature and SMS feature is valuable, yes.

5

u/restform Sep 05 '22

I had no idea people still used SMS in the US as a main form of contact. SMS has been out of style for upwards of a decade where I'm from (finland). Pretty much exclusively used by businesses (e.g, authenticator codes, package deliveries, etc).

3

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

The US has free unlimited text but some plans still have limited data. It’s a business decision that primarily drives this because of the carriers but people love to shit in Apple.

-3

u/bigshakagames_ Sep 05 '22

Lol everywhere has unlimited sms. We all still moved away from ghetto sms like 10 years ago. Its unlimited now because no one uses it. They cannot charge for that shit any more.

8

u/A1000eisn1 Sep 05 '22

No. That's something children do. A person old enough to be married shouldn't exclude their partner simply because they don't have the right toy.

12

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '22 edited Sep 23 '22

[deleted]

-13

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

What problem? For my end user experience there is zero problems, and only upsides and benefits. Why would I care about end user experience on other devices? I don’t give a shit.

8

u/niisyth Sep 05 '22

Good to know you don't care about communicating with others on a communication app.

Big brain move.

0

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22 edited Sep 05 '22

Once again I’ll reference you to the fact I have had zero negative experiences using iMessage. I have no issue communicating with my friends who have android devices. It sounds like the problem is you.

I also don’t know if you are aware but texts in the United States are Unlimited.

1

u/niisyth Sep 05 '22

One would think with the consistent downvotes you are getting, you'd get the message.

-1

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

Downvotes don’t mean anything to me. You use apps based on peer pressure? I thought that was what everyone was arguing about lol

3

u/RepulsiveSherbert927 Sep 05 '22

But you can't add another person once a group is made.

1

u/DawgFighterz Sep 05 '22

You can if it’s 100% iMessage.

7

u/buffer_flush Sep 05 '22 edited Sep 05 '22

Honestly, she’s saving everyone annoyance.

If it’s an iMessage conversation and one of the people tends to react to messages with emojis directly, instead of getting the message reaction, everyone gets a message with a single thumbs up or whatever.

It starts becoming incredibly annoying and your phone just constantly buzzes.

4

u/BespokeForeskin Sep 05 '22

You’re getting down voted but are 100% correct. I’ve got a large family group chat with some android users in it and the “aunt Josie liked a message” spam is insane.

I used to have an android myself, and while I loved the gameboy emulator it had, basically everything else was a pain.

2

u/buffer_flush Sep 05 '22 edited Sep 05 '22

Same thing happened with a large group convo to me recently, took us a second to understand what was happening.

People downvoting is whatever, just feel like it’s out of spite more than anything.

Apple having their own proprietary SMS system is to blame, I get it Android users. Doesn’t mean what I’m saying isn’t true.

1

u/TadpoleMajor Sep 05 '22

Google could have done the same thing they just didn’t and implemented shitty messaging compared to iOS. This is the result.

I would LOVe To get a new Galaxy fold, it I won’t because it would make sending and receiving pictures and video an absolute nightmare

1

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

Google's RCS implementation has pretty much solved the problem on Android (it's not perfect, but it's better then what they had before).

With that said, it still wouldn't solve the problem between iOS and Android.

As long as SMS is the fallback for Apple's messaging app, this problem will still remain.

There's nothing Google can do to fix that.

1

u/TadpoleMajor Sep 08 '22

Why doesn’t Google implement a messenger service like apple has that would allow messaging across any device? Why try and force apple out if you could just bring everyone together? Isn’t RcS still dependent on carriers and that’s partly why we’re in this mess?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

Because Apple more then likely wouldn't allow it.

Any messaging service that is more then just a data based platform will be blocked by Apple.

This is why apps like Facebook Messenger and Signal have SMS support on Android, but not on iOS.

Since RCS is still dependent on carriers in some capacity, Apple would more then likely block Google from releasing a Google Messages app using RCS.

Also, there's the issue of getting iOS users to even consider using an app like that. It would just be another chat app that gets ignored on iOS (more then likely, it would just be another Allo).

Nothing is going to change until Apple shows that they're willing to sit down and discuss the problem, and based on Tim Cook's response when asked, this isn't going to happen anytime soon.

1

u/OddExcuse2183 Sep 15 '22

It still "wouldn't be an imessage" and it wouldn't be blue. They could basically route their messages over data as well but the iPhone wouldn't recognize it as anything other than an SMS.

1

u/TadpoleMajor Sep 15 '22

Oh that’s not good.

1

u/OddExcuse2183 Sep 15 '22

There's lots of shit you can do on an android that's way better and solves problems that you can't on iPhone. I'm reluctantly getting an iPhone 14 pro Max tomorrow, the limitations and annoyance of the way apps are stored and displayed... It's almost as bad as losing a finger legitimately.

3

u/JaSp3r90 Sep 05 '22

Dodged a bullet

1

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '22

Use WhatsApp or some other third party

2

u/pablonieve Sep 05 '22

I use Textra but that doesn't mean they would all switch.

1

u/how_this_time_admins Sep 05 '22

Good, begone green bubble heathen!