Though I’m a fan of Android, some of these points can’t be denied. Especially regarding the service you get for phone at the Apple Store or its resale value.

Its part of the reason I’m getting the iPhone 5 and taking a small break from Android

I agree with the article as far as apple not going anywhere any time soon. I don’t agree that many journalists are saying that though. The iPhone is probably the most champion consumer product of all time in terms of journalistic attention. That said, I disagree about integration. Of course if you use apple’s ecosystem, it would be well integrated. I don’t. My music, photos, videos, appointments, mail, contacts, movies, magazines, books, tv shows, etc, are on all of my android devices at all times, shared flawlessly via google’s free cloud services. If I take a picture on my phone, its in my tablet’s gallery before i can pick it up and check. Beyond that though, i can also access all of that information on any connected computer anywhere in the world, without downloading any additional software. If you were to recommend me an iphone5, I’d be very disappointed when those pictures didn’t show up in my gallery like they do on any android device i pick up right now. As for security, I’m not sure how one gauges security, but I have zero hesitations on google’s security. Apple has been victim to security issues, and so has android. The majority of android’s problems have been people downloading apps from places other than the market. I don’t ever give security a second thought. I see that entire topic much differently. Apple’s closed ecosystem, to me, is someone telling me what i can do with something i own. I wouldn’t buy a ford that I could only drive to burger king, especially if I knew the reason I couldn’t drive it to MacDonald’s was because Ford’s CEO was mad at MacDonald’s. The reality is that Apple is far too temper tantrum prone and has far too much control over the product (remember when people who used the siri app on the 4 had it taken away so that apple could monetize it on the 4s?). When I buy something, I want to own it… not rent it. As for fragmentation, you talk about the iphone 4, 4s, and 5 getting iOS, but they’re all getting different ‘versions’ of it. That’s still fragmentation, in fact, its almost worse in a way. At least with android, you know what you have. If you have 2.3, you know where you stand in relation to 4.1. What apple does is almost as if every version of windows got renamed to windows 7 when windows 7 came out. iOS6 on an iphone 4 is not the same as iOS6 on an iphone 5. That’s confusing and borderlines on somewhat misleading. At the end of the day, it comes down to what the user wants. I’d never hesitate to recommend a Samsung Android phone sight unseen. I personally hate iOS every time I use it. It feels like a series of constant work arounds to get around the fact that apple wants me trapped in their ecosystem. Want to video chat with someone on a non-iphone? Download some app that provides a crippled version of google talk. Everything is proprietary and that sort of sucks in a day and age communication. Why is apple making it more difficult to do something just so they can monetize their way of doing it? Lastly, as for intuitive… I’ll admit I haven’t used iOS6, but if it isn’t drastically different than iOS5, then I’d say Android 4.1 is more intuitive. I’d have agreed that iOS is more intuitive of android versions 2.3 and below. If Apple and their users would just understand that we don’t all want Steve Job’s dream, I’d never utter a word about apple again. An iphone offers me nothing. I’m not an apps guy. I find android to be much more useful without relying on apps than iOS, and I like having a toy I can play with. I appreciate that that isn’t for everyone, but unfortunately apple doesn’t share my appreciation of choice.

Why don’t you marry Apple, Brian?

actually it is about being a fanboy, whether or not you want it to be

You make some good points, but haters are simply going to overlook them.

That makes you sheep in the eyes of haters. However, I think they’re just blinded by their hate. Welcome to things just working.

Disagree on the outcome, although I agree many of the strengths.

Why Apple will fail (just like *every* other company before them):

– too big, too unwieldy, too bureaucratic (happens to all, read Greinger)
– getting very dismissive of users, innovating less (Nokia did this)
– ruling markets due to superior stronghold on procurement, logistics and massive cash pile that they can use to buy out stuff from everybody else (Nokia was there too)
– starting to squeeze supply chain too much (Nokia did the same mistake)
– spending money on idiotic projects (look at their new HQ investment, in all of corp history, 90% of these cases turn out to be a bad decision down the road)
– staggered competitor cycle, esp. Android alone, is just too fast for them. they can’t compete fast enough
– the most lucrative top-end market is only *so* big. Then there’s the rest of us, with 80% of market share
– very little essential technology patents. They stand to lose big in the LTE+ essentials fight, which is coming (their cash coffers will help for a while)
– innovating less, suing more – this has never been a good sign of corporate culture or innovation developing into the right direction (historically). I doubt Apple is different
– They are the stock market darling, but nothing can grow exponentially forever. After they start to get a little bit of S-logistic curve growth, they will be butchered by the markets and the media will be on them like vultures
- Steve’s gone…

All in all, it’ just a matter of time. Next year, two years, it doesn’t matter.

They will fall just like every single company before them.

I wonder what dictionary Mr Hall uses as he clearly has no clue what the word “values” means.

Apple has Values ? A company that rips off its customers, cajoles them for holding their iPhone 4 wrong rather than fix what was a clear design fault – a fault that was fixed in subsequent iteration (iPhone 4S). They even had the cheek to suggest the use of a rubber band as a temporary fix.
Values ? For a company that rakes an eye watering by, for example, charging well over a hundred ,dollars for a device with an extra 16GB when the same could be obtained (as a Micro SD card) for approx ten dollars.
Values ? A company that eschews a well established standards like micro USB and DLNA so as to ensure its customers are ever more entrenched in its gilded fortress. To add salt to injury, customers are required to purchase an adaptor for an absolutely exorbitant amount.
Values ? I wont even go into the horrendous working conditions at its Chineese manufacturers factory – Fox Conn indeed.
My advice to Brian S. Hall, drop whatever you’re smoking and seek help !.

Thanks for the comment. I find Android to be a lesser copy of iOS. I prefer iPhone and even Windows Phone and Blackberry to Android. I think there are some core differences in use of smartphones vs traditional PCs. Whereas Windows demanded a high learning curve, there was much that could be done with that. With smartphones, so much activity is highly specific and very short that there is an even greater premium on intuitive design, in my view. I think this favors Apple. It’s been part of their mission for 30 years.

It’s legal in several States, maybe I should.

Meaning.. compared to android, ios just works

According to Mitt Romney, since Apple is a person, why not? Hell, if Romney had his way, you could marry Apple and Foxconn!

The new iPhone has a smaller dock connector, it should be perfect for you!

sorry Brian, couldn’t help it!