There is the money you pay upfront and then there’s the value you get down the road. Smartphone value can be tricky to calculate, unless you buy an iPhone. How’s that? Apple keeps the value coming even for old iPhone models by delivering feature-packed iOS updates.
While Google and its Android OEM gaggle have gotten somewhat better in recent years, many older (i.e. more than a year old) don’t get updates — if you want Android 4.4 “KitKat” on a Samsung Galaxy S2 or S3, then you better be ready to buy a new handset.
Ever tried Apple’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 7, on a two-plus year-old iPhone 4s? It’s pretty smooth. In fact, it’s pretty good on my ancient iPhone 4.
That’s the smartphone value Fidlee set out to track in creating a chart comparing iPhone (iOS) and Android software compatibility.
About 2 years back, I read this article on Michael Degusta’s personal blog. It was a revelation. Michael ripped the Android ecosystem apart with a simple chart. The chart converted me from an Android user to an iPhone user. I hope this chart helps other folks make an informed decision when their next smartphone upgrade is due — Fidlee.com
And, in case you were wondering, when it comes to resale value, Apple’s various iPhones always come out on top. Likewise, the iPhone invariably comes out on top in customer service rating surveys and product build quality — two factors that help drive high resale values for iPhones, as well as the company’s iPads and Macs.
It’s really just a matter of doing the math and, as you can see, the numbers, the hard data is almost exclusively in Apple’s favor.
So, looking for smartphone value? Whereas folks can argue over screen size, as well as speeds and feeds, there’s no question the iPhone delivers serious long-term value…
What’s your take?
Apparently you’ve never heard of Cyanogenmod or any other custom rom.
That is a solution maybe for geeks but average human being does not want to fiddle with custom roms. I myself am able to install such things but I really don’t want to, I have better things to do with my time. That’s why I switched from Android to iOS.
Pretty easy for Apple to keep supporting old phones when the iPhone barely evolves…
And you believe the iPhone 5s is just a color? Your income prolly matches your ability to perceive.
The 5C is just a plastic shell on a 5. The 5S has a newer CPU but it’s the same size as the 5. Hardly revolutionary. Why is my income important?
What makes the size revolutionary? Are you brain dead? The size they choose is done to best fit someone’s hand, not to give you problems and require a purse to carry it with.
The average human being also doesnt want Android garbage. Buggy, fake, pathetic gimmicks, S4 super cheap build. Know why the S4, Note 3, and HTc one have been delisted on some benchmark sites? They programmed the phones to cheat the test so morons like you could come and say their phones are superior to iPhones, pathetic. These are facts, google it. Oh and you want a phone with D grade apps? Facebooks CEO forced his employees to use droids so they had to experience how BAD The app was compared to iPhones (fact, google it). Very common for droid apps to be ignored or not even created due to the higher usage and money with iPhones. Then there is the malware which is almost 100% on droid phones. But keeping bumping your phones together….
Depends on the size of your hands but for me the iPhone’s screen is just too small for comfortable browsing and use.
Comfortable for whom? You make these broad, sweeping statements as if your individual preferences have meaning — iPhone sales speak for themselves and so do your narrowminded views.
only in America, in the rest of the world Android is dominating.
And, Japan and Canada. Apple dominates profit in every category that it competes.
Apple developers make orders of magnitude more money.
Keep insecure, data whored, zero resale crap — go troll somewhere else.
Troll be gone! Shoo, troll, shoo…
How am I being a troll?
It’s not an argument, troll. Be gone!
1. You can get an Otterbox Defender for fairly cheap and not worry about the build. You should get one anyway, for your iPhone.
2. You’re somewhat right about this. Because Google’s infatuation with Java (which is an interpreter and runs code in a VM), it’s more inefficient. However, this is my only gripe with Android, and Google introduced an ahead-of-time compiler called ART with Android 4.4, which compiles applications before installing and provides the same performance benefits as compiled code.
3. Malware? Yeah, maybe if you willingly tick a few boxes in the settings, then go on sketchy websites and get an infected APK. It’s not like it just randomly happens on Android. (Also, I should note that you can do the exact same by jailbreaking and using Cydia)
Android is a better operating system, hands down, and it will get better much faster than iOS will (iOS had roughly a 2 year headstart on Android). Or you can spend possibly more money on an iPhone with clearly inferior specs, your call.