Technology Android
- Thread starter THEV1LL4N
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It's exactly like that. I believe at that time it was TSMC that was actually better and their Apple chips were better than Samsung's.
Right before that, however, you might recall the Galaxy S6 as the only cool-running phone of its generation while the competing Snapdragon 810 chips running on the very same ARM core that were even clocked lower were dramatically overheating and killing batteries.
That's because the Exynos chip was made with Samsung's 14nm Finfet process, which was a big deal and much better than TSMC's 20nm process that Qualcomm used for the Snapdragon 810.
Then Samsung was first to reach the 10nm manufacturing node, and it was ahead of everyone - it's the one that for the first time overtook Intel. Qualcomm used it for the Snapdragon 835 in 2017, which was an excellent chip.
Then Samsung made a mediocre 7nm node, while TSMC made an amazing 7nm node, and Qualcomm chose that for the 855 and 865, which is where we are now. TSMC's current mainstream 7nm process is just excellent and much better than anyone else's. Qualcomm switches between TSMC and Samsung depending on the deal they get, the node's performance and how easy it is to design for. Apple does the same thing.
AMD and Nvidia are arch enemies, yet for both most of their current chips are made by TSMC.
The new iPhone SE is an amazing deal. You're getting the fastest mobile chipset in the world with really decent all-around specs from Apple for $399. In terms of performance, this is a better phone than anything on the Android camp, including phones three times the price. I can't believe what I just wrote. This thing will likely get support for like 5 years too.
We're yet to see how much RAM it has and the camera quality (which on paper actually looks good!), but it seem that.. Apple just released the best mid-range phone, lol. I never expected to see this from Apple, and this is as good of a deal as Google's best when they released the Nexus 5, which I really admired them for.
The worst thing by the looks of the new SE is the dated design - the bezels in particular. Otherwise, it's a great quality, waterproof unibody of the iPhone 8. Connectivity, base storage, wireless charging.. are all the same as on the iPhone 11, which definitely took me by a huge surprise. It's now the cheapest new phone with wireless charging, as even Samsung and Google differentiate by not including it in their mid-rangers. All the cuts compared to iPhones that cost over twice as much are purely superficial then, not functional.
It's a crazy good deal, actually. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Apple is picking up where the Android camp left off a while ago. I'm reading about a new $400 iPhone and a $1000 OnePlus phone. Oh how the tables have turned.
I look forward to reading the first reviews, but I love what they did with that phone and it looks like a no-brainer if you don't need a flagship. In truth, this is a true flagship in an older phone's body for half the price. This is innovation and a shake-up of a market that badly needed it, and it's just so funny that it's coming from Apple. This thing will sell like hotcakes. I'm really impressed.
The fact that a $399 iPhone will severely outperform those is saying it all. In on-screen GPU tests and mobile games this will be like.. four times faster, and I'm not even kidding.
We're yet to see how much RAM it has and the camera quality (which on paper actually looks good!), but it seem that.. Apple just released the best mid-range phone, lol. I never expected to see this from Apple, and this is as good of a deal as Google's best when they released the Nexus 5, which I really admired them for.
The worst thing by the looks of the new SE is the dated design - the bezels in particular. Otherwise, it's a great quality, waterproof unibody of the iPhone 8. Connectivity, base storage, wireless charging.. are all the same as on the iPhone 11, which definitely took me by a huge surprise. It's now the cheapest new phone with wireless charging, as even Samsung and Google differentiate by not including it in their mid-rangers. All the cuts compared to iPhones that cost over twice as much are purely superficial then, not functional.
It's a crazy good deal, actually. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Apple is picking up where the Android camp left off a while ago. I'm reading about a new $400 iPhone and a $1000 OnePlus phone. Oh how the tables have turned.
I look forward to reading the first reviews, but I love what they did with that phone and it looks like a no-brainer if you don't need a flagship. In truth, this is a true flagship in an older phone's body for half the price. This is innovation and a shake-up of a market that badly needed it, and it's just so funny that it's coming from Apple. This thing will sell like hotcakes. I'm really impressed.
The fact that a $399 iPhone will severely outperform those is saying it all. In on-screen GPU tests and mobile games this will be like.. four times faster, and I'm not even kidding.
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3 GB of RAM, 1821 mAh battery
https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_se_2020_has_3_gb_ram_1821_mah_battery-news-42696.php
So one less GB of RAM than the iPhone 11, but still using its processor and the shell of an iPhone 8.
And considering iOS is so well integrated, I think 3 GB of RAM is plenty for a mid-range iOS phone.
Android OEMs, Google itself included, have strayed so far from the light, it's not even funny. This isn't even a new occurrence and I feel it's been happening since pre-2016. In contrast, Apple has come to their senses and realized they can't nickel and dime as hard as they have in the past for their offerings. They still bugger up the prices by overcharging for storage but that's another story. This 64GB model seems great and adequate for a mid-range phone. And, like you mentioned, it is going to be supported for a very long time in true, typical Apple fashion. This is a perfect phone for someone who doesn't give a shit about tech/phones but still doesn't want to be stuck in the 2010s with features. This isn't a Ford nor a Rolls Royce. It's sort of in between and that includes its price on top of those features.
About the camera: https://www.anandtech.com/show/15724/apple-announces-new-updated-iphone-se-a13-new-features-for-399
So the iPhone sensor but the A13 software enhancements, if I understood that correctly? So it'll be very above average photo quality but the software will still be up-to-date. And the software matters so much more these days than the hardware, as seen with Google Camera's algorithm.
Apple took its leftover parts and made it in to a phone that's just going to suck more people in to their ecosystem. Or at least upgrade within the ecosystem and not jump ship to Android's midrange.
It looks like the iPhone X camera with new software improvements. Still great. To be honest, literally the only bad thing about this phone comes in the form of its bezels and outdated design. 3GB of RAM is not perfect but they clearly did this just to differentiate, considering how cheap 4GB of RAM is and that it's the package that comes by default with the A13. It's adequate for iOS but not future-proof.
Yeah Android strayed so far it's not even funny indeed. I'm beyond disappointed with pretty much all Android OEMs these days. Even Samsung lost a fan in me. I agree that it started around 2016. Google dropped the Nexus line, Samsung started price gouging, and all other OEMs suddenly decided that they will release garbage and start pricing it as if it were luxury products. Everyone started increasing their prices dramatically with every generation without showing anything for it. Five years ago an average flagship Android cost literally half of what they are now, and there used to be much more excitement and change coming with every generation.
There are still nice things coming from Huawei or Xiaomi, but they are now pretty much barred from dominating the western markets through regulations. The P40 Pro would be the best Android phone if it had Google Play Services and came to the west.
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Even the first few Nexus phones were priced like the SE is today. The Nexus One was $400, I think? The Galaxy S was similar. I think the Nexus 4 was the one that really looked cheaped out from LG but even that was priced in such a way that people still bought it. Then the 5X and 6P really started upping the price, if my memory serves correctly, before the Nexus line was finally axed and the Pixel took over.
I'd say Samsung still keeps their stuff fresh but not the point where there current price-point is justified. I don't think there's any justification for the price-point at all, unless it had a 60000 mAh battery and like 1 TB of storage, or something.
About the Chinese brands, they were never big in the US even before Trump started his pissing contest with China. Maybe in Europe? I know India loves Chinese tech despite the polar opposite political views on China but I did read something about Android Headlines, or some blog like that, giving negative reviews to a Huawei phone and Huawei asked for the phone back. The blog made it public and kind of hinted at Huawei being butt-hurt over the review and possibly ceasing to send testers to the blog again. So in addition to the world's skepticism towards Chinese products, especially in recent years and even more in recent months and weeks, it doesn't look like they take criticisms of their products well.
I was also just reminded of that Bloomberg report about Chinese backdoors in Apple products, or something like that, that came out about a year ago. I don't think much came out of that but it's that type of news or accusations that might make people think twice about getting a Chinese product. If those Chinese brands were to come to the US, they'd rely on tech fans to hype up the product for the people who don't follow tech news and probably haven't heard of Xiaomi or Huawei. And if we assume the average consumer is skeptical of China but at the same time still has interest in theses Chinese brands, you can count on the tech-savvy people to bad-mouth the brands and steer people away from them.
Plus, carriers have no interest in promoting phones that aren't from Samsung or Apple. At least in the US. Samsung and Apple phones are front and center at carrier stores or stores like Best Buy. The mid-rage Samsungs, the LGs, Motos, and even the Pixels sit in some odd corner of the same cell phone section of the stores. And I think the carrier reps there will still push one of the big two OEMs over the others because they either don't know much about the other OEMs or don't want to have to explain the difference in specs and hardware between an LG flagship and the S20 or iPhone 11. So that's another hurdle these Chinese OEMs have to face. They're well-known among enthusiasts, for the good and the bad, but the average person would have to get one in to their hands by accident to know those companies exist and what their phones offer. For example, I have never held a phone from either of those brands. I haven't seen them in stores nor do I know anyone that has one that I could try out. The closest outsider OEM that I know can be found in a carrier store is the OnePlus phones. TMo carries them and even tries to promote them on their site but I don't know how the story changes once you're in the store. I imagine the reps would still push a flagship Samsung or Apple phone to someone with the money and if money was a concern, then they'd simply push them towards an older model like the S10 or iPhone XS instead of another OEM's flagship or even Samsung's midrange offerings.
The only time I see a midrange offering in a commercial, it's for one of those subsidiary, prepaid carriers like Virgin, Boost Mobile, or MetroPCS. Those tiny carriers that still use the network of the big carriers but offer lower prices. They'll lump in one of those midrange phones for free, or under $100 for signing up with them.
Huawei just became the biggest Smartphone brand in Europe when Trump preemptively banned them from using American technology. Actually, it still is the second largest Smartphone maker in the world despite the Android ban.
The American smartphone market is just very different from the rest of the world. To some extent, it's also similar-ish in Canada. It's as if anything other than flagship phones doesn't exist, except in Canada it's not just between Samsung and Apple. Huawei was huge here before the Android ban. If you went to a phone store, Huawei phones would be at the front and center, with Samsung and Apple phones right behind them. Their P30 series phones were great and sold more units than the Galaxy S10 series, and by around 4 million at that.
This might be because the US is skeptical of China the way people in other countries aren't, or at least not much more than they are skeptical of America. When I think of China and America, I see big countries with different skeletons in their closets comparing imaginary dick sizes. I guess when you're American you see them as enemies. Sort of like the Japanese who would never buy anything from Samsung because they're Koreans.
Again, this is true from the perspective of a single, very specific market. I think being in America people don't really have visibility into how popular Huawei and Xiaomi phones have gotten everywhere else. It's kind of like when Japan had no idea anything other than Sony or Apple existed as Samsung was taking over the world with their Galaxy series and sold 80 million Galaxy S4s. That's what Huawei and Xiaomi already did. Chinese OEMs don't have to worry about brand recognition anymore because at this point there are more people looking at the Huawei logo when they reach for the phone than Apple's.
Edit: holy shit, I just noticed Samsung sold 80 million Galaxy S4s. The S8 sold 41 million units and it was downhill ever since - the S9 sold 35 million, while the S10 series family sits at 16 million. That means they sold five times as many Galaxy S4 smartphones as all Galaxy S10-series smartphones. I had no idea they have been going down so fast. I also just read that they are very disappointed with the S20 sales and that apparently they only sold.. 70k units on launch day. The current forecast is that the S20 series sells 60% as many units as the S10 did, which means 10 million units. Even if they reach that milestone with heavy price cuts, even the very first generation Galaxy S phone sold 25 million units. I had no idea Samsung was struggling so hard.
It's hilarious how they are now blaming the coronavirus for their S20s not selling. Not price which is now just beyond ridiculous, or the death of their innovation. Apple still sold nearly 70 million iPhone XRs alone. Wow.
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I don't think it's just the US that's cynical of China, although maybe it's more dramatic or exaggerated here. We still buy tons of Chinese stuff but I feel like in recent years the tech from China comes under greater scrutiny. Of course, politics has its hand it as well, especially when it comes to security issues but when it comes to tech, there's a fear of data being sent back to China. Tech accessories? Cheap shit that breaks and could also probably fry your hardware, like power supplies and cables. And non-tech stuff from China always has concerns of lead paint and just not being durable at all. And since China ships all over the world, surely people in other countries have the same concerns.
Which isn't to say Chinese stuff is all shit but there's some founded concerns about quality and safety/security of the stuff they put out there.
No doubt Xiaomi is huge in India, for example, and India being a country of nearly 2 billion people, that's a huge marketshare to have but breaking the phone market in the US, or any country for that matter, who is deadset between choosing between a flagship from either Apple or Samsung is going to be tough. I am willing to bet that Europe and Asia had a premium on top of the "Apple Tax" premium and so these cheaper alternatives trickled in and got a stronghold. As expensive as Apple is in the US, people still find a way to get their hands on an iPhone. Carriers may have made it easier by subsidizing the price of an iPhone into a monthly bill and that helped ease the pain of paying for an $800+ phone. Now Apple has its claws deep in the US market, it would be painful for anyone with an Apple device to switch to something else and lose access to the Apple ecosystem. Same with the Android flagship users. But basically these Chinese OEMs, I think, will only get a shot at the market if Samsung and Apple both decide to keep climbing north of $1000 for their flagships and people don't opt for midrange phones instead. Then they'd look at Xiaomi or Huawei flagships if they're price more like the SE 2 is priced now. Or close to it.
So I suppose it's possible but I think the US carriers "hid" the cost of the iPhones and Galaxy S line phones with those subsidies so people felt the pinch less. As a result, they came to know the Galaxy S and the iPhone as the only main flagships from their respective OEMs. Which is why LG and Moto both struggled in the US, probably more than they did internationally. Internationally, at least some people gave them a chance. In the US, they were laser-focused on Samsung and Apple.
Take, for example, brands like Aukey, Anker, RAVPower, etc. I believe all three are Chinese companies but have US offices so that they can still appeal and deal with customers here. How many average people do you know that know of the offering from these companies? Most people still run out and pay a premium for OEM chargers and cables from Samsung or Apple without knowing that Anker and others offer the same or better quality chargers and cables, if not better. Much better warranty, that's for sure. But among tech enthusiasts, they know if their OEM cables or chargers break, Anker and Aukey have solid alternatives for a cheaper price. With a better warranty even. But even in the enthusiast community, what made them turn their eyes towards Anker and Aukey in the first place? Price. Apple charges $40+ for a USB-C to Lightning cable and plug in order for iOS users to be able to Fast Charge their devices. And the two components are sold separately. Anker? Right now I think has the cable for $7-10 and the plug For about $20. A wireless charging stand for my S10+? I don't know what Samsung charges, but a 10W Anker stand is $25 or so.
So those Chinese brands took over because they sold on Amazon and sold at pretty discounted price relative to OEM. And the quality is the same, or better. Warranty is better, I think.
So maybe Xiaomi and Huawei need to wait a bit longer for people to wise-up to flagship pricing and start looking to alternatives. But it took a lot of a lot of word of mouth for phone accessory makers to finally carve a niche for themselves and it took Amazon's heavy hand in promoting their stuff, too. And a good bit of luck. That's going to be tough when it comes to phones, though, since it would involve carriers and a few more governing bodies to get them approved and compatible here, which are run by government agencies.
I had no idea on Samsung's sales numbers. I thought they kept that information private after the S5 or something, and that we'd seen a lack of reporting for the past few years. That all we had were estimates by "experts.
So, which chips are manufactured by them? They seem like the best bet for performance. How about the Snapdragon 765 and 765G?
Edit: The following website states that it is Samsung.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Qualcomm-Snapdragon-765G-Processor-Benchmarks-and-Specs.454066.0.html
I am interested in the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 5, because it looks like they might be going the more Nexus route with these next two. Pixel 3a and 4a we already know what to expect, because they are decent mid-range phones and offer better value than their flagship counterparts. But the Pixel 5, might just take that a step further in the price-performance category.
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I know we have this discussion a few times a year and we just had one last week lol
Not trying to start it back up again because you know more and I really have wishful thinking about it
So the hardware still has a ways to go to properly compete with proper computers but if there's someone I trust to be innovative (or finally make something primitive in to something easily-accessible to the average Joe) it would be Apple. I certainly wouldn't trust Google to do it.
I'm sure something truly on-par with a desktop is many years away. Masta you may have even said it just simply won't happen because it's not possible. But it's nice to see someone take a step towards bridging the gap, even if it wouldn't end up happening completely. Apple, in this case, is "someone."
Side note, since we were discussing the content creation, Luminar is free for Windows and Mac. I don't do much serious editing and just simple, free alternatives like GIMP or even a cracked Pixelmator, but this is a legit copy from the devs themselves.
https://skylum.com/fstoppers-lumina...ki2S41RQxd2XE0&irpid=10079&aclid=&platform=IR
Not trying to start it back up again because you know more and I really have wishful thinking about it
So the hardware still has a ways to go to properly compete with proper computers but if there's someone I trust to be innovative (or finally make something primitive in to something easily-accessible to the average Joe) it would be Apple. I certainly wouldn't trust Google to do it.
I'm sure something truly on-par with a desktop is many years away. Masta you may have even said it just simply won't happen because it's not possible. But it's nice to see someone take a step towards bridging the gap, even if it wouldn't end up happening completely. Apple, in this case, is "someone."
Side note, since we were discussing the content creation, Luminar is free for Windows and Mac. I don't do much serious editing and just simple, free alternatives like GIMP or even a cracked Pixelmator, but this is a legit copy from the devs themselves.
https://skylum.com/fstoppers-lumina...ki2S41RQxd2XE0&irpid=10079&aclid=&platform=IR
Add one more reason to the pile to not trust some of these Chinese OEMs.
https://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-misleading-dslr-photos-1108865/
https://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-misleading-dslr-photos-1108865/
I'm not saying it's necessarily impossible to create an iPad tool that has the same functionality as corresponding desktop tools. It's more about the fact it's not typically done. The existing library of pro tools is tiny, most of them are drastically simplified and even if everyone wanted to make a full-fledged version of their program on iPads (which they aren't), they'd take years to hit the Apple store.
Apple has all the incentive to move all of their proprietary tools to iPads though.
I was referring to iPad performance being on-par with desktop performance, which would of course include being able to run its iOS apps at the same level as the desktop app.
I know iJustine doesn't get too technical with her reviews and videos but she does walk us through how she's using her devices and in this video she does exactly that.
Of course it's coupled with her MacBook Pro or Mac Pro and sometimes used in conjunction with the desktops but she still does a good bit of editing on her iPad. The iPad is definitely not at the same level as a desktop computer but it's interesting she's still able to do so much with it. She's still using it for complex tasks that the average person still won't get to and seems to be handling it just fine.
As for developers taking time to get their products out for iOS, I think they'd jump at the chance to grab the marketshare once the iPad becomes established as true desktop alternative. Or, if it has done so already for the majority of users, who wouldn't be power users, I bet these devs already have full-fledge programs in development but are a few years out. Once/if the iPad becomes accepted by consumers, and Apple continues to progress the iPad to the desktop level, these devs would finally release something that puts it on par with the desktop apps.
It may be years away and Apple still has to do some work on the pricing of their iPads and, more importantly, the accessories, before you can suggest it to an average consumer, but I would still trust Apple to get to that point before anyone else.
In other news, I think we're going to go the mesh WiFi network method at the clinic. Since the clinic is full of ethernet plugs in the walls, I'm thinking of going the Eero or Orbi route. I believe both of them have the wired backhaul capabilities that would be better than just having one router with several nodes sprinkled about the clinic.
My parents may want one in their house as well because they are adding more smart devices in the coming weeks like a few smart door locks and another Ring camera. I was thinking the Nest WiFi route for them because the house has no ethernet ports in the walls. There's a router+3 node combo pack for about $340 at Costco and I think that will do the trick. I had heard bad things about Google Wifi, the first gen., by almost all reviewers but the Nest WiFi seems to be the polar opposite. Aside from WiFi 6 routers, it's rated as the best mesh network router for speeds, reliability, and ease of use. That was surprising to me but multiple sources vouch for its performance.
And given that my parents' router is a Linksys E4200 that's almost a decade old, or at least 8 years in their house, it's probably time for an upgrade. I think it's a wireless-n router too, so not even ac lol.
I'll probably take the old router to replace a dinky Linksys I got for $30 at Target. Now that is the worst router ever.
Look, it's obvious what's happening here.
Even the smallest amount of research or knowledge about Apple can tell you that their end game is ecosystem lock in. People whose first Apple product is an iPhone are, in a significant amount of cases, also going to purchase an Apple Watch, AirPods, a MacBook and perhaps even a Mac desktop.
It's no coincidence that iPhone prices are coming down whilst Mac laptop/desktop prices are going through the roof. It's a classic upsell - cut the margins on the iPhone and increase them elsewhere.
There was a time when even the larger screen MacBook Pro could be had for £1300 or so. You could get a version with a higher processor for around £1500, and the Airs were £800-£900.
Now? Entry level 16" MBP is running at £2400 here. Upgraded CPU and bigger SSD, you're looking at £2800. iMac Pro and Mac Pro desktops are gonna run you at £4000+
I just started a new job, and they're giving me the new 16" MBP next week or so. Looking forward to putting it through it's paces.
Even the smallest amount of research or knowledge about Apple can tell you that their end game is ecosystem lock in. People whose first Apple product is an iPhone are, in a significant amount of cases, also going to purchase an Apple Watch, AirPods, a MacBook and perhaps even a Mac desktop.
It's no coincidence that iPhone prices are coming down whilst Mac laptop/desktop prices are going through the roof. It's a classic upsell - cut the margins on the iPhone and increase them elsewhere.
There was a time when even the larger screen MacBook Pro could be had for £1300 or so. You could get a version with a higher processor for around £1500, and the Airs were £800-£900.
Now? Entry level 16" MBP is running at £2400 here. Upgraded CPU and bigger SSD, you're looking at £2800. iMac Pro and Mac Pro desktops are gonna run you at £4000+
I just started a new job, and they're giving me the new 16" MBP next week or so. Looking forward to putting it through it's paces.
It's was supermarkets do with their fuel.
Edit: but does your computer have wheels?
Where are you going to be based once the lockdown is over?
I'm excited about the Lenovo Chromebook Duet which could be launching sooner than expected. It's giving me the type of excitement that the original Nexus 7 was when that launched back in 2012 (i.e. a great tablet device on a budget). The UK launch could be later than the US and other countries though.
Most people who own iPhones don't own Macs though. If I got an iPhone I wouldn't be thinking that I should get a Mac to go with it. They aren't in the same ecosystem, just the same brand.
I'm sure Apple knows better, but I think the number of people who get an iPhone and then also switch to a Mac is pretty small. iPhones have a third of the smartphone market to themselves, but Macs are fairly uncommon, constituting only a couple percent of all computers, meaning the vast majority of iPhone users are still Windows users.
I think Apple released the $399 iPhone because they could. The iPhone 8 unibody is dirt chip, A13s are dirt cheap since they are already there, everything else that goes in is fairly cheap as it's already being made for one of their older iPhones, so why not. The gigantic bezels will prevent the cannibalization of their premium lines anyway.
If anything, that iPhone will get a lot of Android users to switch to iOS and Apple's mobile ecosystem. If I was a high school kid today, I might as well be at the Apple store getting that phone right now. If I was an average consumer, my next phone after that might as well be an iPhone, and then the phone after that as well. I think these and making a phone that people who loved their old iPhones can finally upgrade to in a heartbeat were their main motivations. I know of a person who went to get it just because they aren't tech-savvy and they are happy to get the newest iPhone with a home button, so there's also that.
Besides, I still don't approve of Apple's actions as a company, but they made an excellent $399 phone and that's a commendable one.
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I disagree. Ecosystem lock in is HUGE here. Everyone I know who has a Macbook or Mac desktop either ends up getting an iPhone or vice versa. Every single person.
Yeah, I think you might have the European perspective of Apple vs Android. Even the UK is closer to the Us in terms of the breakdown of OS and it's a lot closer between the two than what it may be in Asia or most of Europe.
I agree that it will usurp some Android users that are looking for a premium phone but at an outrageous price but don't want to settle for plastic shit of the mid-range Android lineup. And the iPhone SE, like many headlines have stated in the past two weeks, outperforms many, if not all, Android flagships. So even the casual user or older person who doesn't care about phone specs would still be getting a whole lot more of a phone with an SE than they would with any mid-range Android device and they wouldn't even know it. They'd just know their $400 phone has wireless charging, a great camera, great build quality, and will be supported for security and OS updates for at least 4 years.
And yes, in the real world most companies use Windows machines and Macs make a tiny portion of computers you'd find in an office but that may change considering many people who were in college beginning around 2006 or so and up until present-day have used Macs or even owned them or most of this time. They may have used them in labs or lectures, depending on their major (I know one of my labs was filled with Macs in order to use software to take a picture through a microscope). Many of those people either used those Macs at school facilities or owned one themselves. It may not be a majority, but I would bet 20-30% use Macs today. And if it's their personal computer, I bet they're looking in to getting in to the ecosystem with an iPhone or an Apple Watch or an iPad. Just to get an idea of what students and some professionals are using today, take a look at the iPad and/or Mac subreddit and see how many people use their iOS devices in conjunction with their phones. A few more also own Apple Watches and look for integration that way.
Sure, it's not indicative of the general population, but it shows how people are looking for more ways to integrate their tech together as well as possible and it's just not a smooth experience to use an iPhone on Windows or Android phone on macOS. It can be done, but it's a hassle and I've given up on having my Mac and S7/10+ play nice with each other when it comes to transferring files. Samsung (or Android) has an app that allows you to receive notifications on your Windows 10 machine. Apple has the same for iOS and macOS. But not the other way around for the respective companies. Which hits on Casey's point that they're trying to lock each other out without explicitly stating so. Sure, there are workarounds but is it as seamless when its integrated in to both OSs?
Apple products are a status symbol in the US, and probably more so internationally where they're even more expensive. But it's a symbol that's kind of becoming the norm and the younger generation cares a lot about it. Aside from status and "fitting in," iMessage is huge among everyone, but especially those in the 15-25 age group who likely grew up with nothing but an iPhone and iMessage. I know my sister falls in to that camp and I doubt she'd ever switch to Android. But she's also not a good example: she bought some Beats in-ear buds almost ten years ago. The wire got a kink and one side stopped working within a year. In 2017, she got the BeatsX for free with her Mac and that took a shit last summer after less than two years. So she got the Power Beats Pro last August and those took a shit two weeks ago when the case stopped taking a charge. She got replacements since it was less than a year, but I mention this point because people who don't care about tech and want to keep up appearances with the popular products will keep going back. You can make a case for Android all you want, but the status symbol of Apple products usually prevails, especially among the younger generation.
The AirPods Pro suck, from what I've read, but everyone is walking around with those jizz globs dripping from their ears. Sports are done for because of the virus and there's no sports to talk about, but with all talking heads having to video chat in to shows on ESPN, they're all sitting there with AirPods in their ears. They're not good quality, they're not comfortable (no tips), and they're $230? $250? It's a status thing and god forbid they get seen with Anker or Galaxy Buds. Also, they all probably own iPhones too and I know one presenter just has his iPad on the table during debates. So Apple is prevalent everywhere, maybe just not in certain sectors, like the business world. But it's still everyone on TV in sports and sports talk shows. It's on the athlete's ears and in their hands as they walk to the stadium or take practice reps on the field. I'm sure the news has correspondents wearing AirPods or video chatting via an iOS or macOS device. I think these people either do it to stay hip or they just genuinely enjoy using Apple products and since they don't care too much about tech and so long as it works, they don't mind buying in to the ecosystem. Whether it be the Apple ecosystem, the Samsung one, or Android in general. I think Apple's is more prevalent and more popular, at least in the US. I know it's certainly more desirable internationally as well.
This is true only in a few English-speaking countries. I currently work at the university here in Canada and I'd agree that perhaps 20-30% of students do use Macs here. But in these countries, Macs already have a ~25% market share, so I don't expect this to change much.
What's important here is that this is actually very unusual on a global scale. The US, Canada or UK are very unusual markets. I think you and Casey might be seeing things from the perspective of those local, unique markets rather than me seeing things from the European perspective. I don't think the $399 iPhone is even aimed as much at these western markets, as mid-range devices aren't in fashion there.
Most of the rest of the world (which is where ~95% of all phones and computers are sold) doesn't see Macs as status symbols - apart from for very niche use cases they see them as impractical devices. In China, the largest and most important market for Apple that's alone four times the size of US and UK combined, almost 30% of all phones are now iPhones, but only 5-8% (depending on who's reporting) of computers are Macs.
If you think that Macs aren't supported by many American software tools or websites, imagine getting a Mac in a non-commonwealth country, where nobody thought for a second to include Mac support for their local tools, and Safari is not even a supported browser on governmental websites.
iPhones are recognized as mainstream smartphones around the world at this point. I bet the new iPhone SE will increase their market share around the world - it's a great phone for the price. But mid-range phones like the new iPhone SE are particularly popular in countries where people will definitely not consider using Macs - they are niche and it's not changing.
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Back in the day, we used to recieve donations sent as cash in fake birthday cards! Those were the days! I still have some of them, actually.
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