| Cult of Mac

Why iPhone is winning the global smartphone battle

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iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks
If you bought a top-tier smartphone anywhere in the world, it's almost certainly an iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Premium smartphones are on a roll. Revenue from iPhone and other devices that cost more than $600 grew to the point that they contributed more than half of all revenue from the product category in 2022, according to a market research firm.

That’s to Apple’s advantage, as iPhone sales make up 75% of this category.

A whopping 80% of the world’s bestselling handsets are iPhones

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Apple California Streaming event: iPhone 13 comes in an array of five colors.
iPhone 13 was the best-selling smartphone in the world in 2022.
Photo: Apple

iPhone captured eight spots in the list of top 10 bestselling smartphones for 2022, according to a market-research firm. In fact, Apple makes the three most popular models.

But Samsung’s flagship Android device surely lands at least one spot in the top 10, right? Nope.

Newest Android version installed on a mere 5% of devices vs. 74% for iOS 16

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iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks
Android 13 is out of the reach of most users. In contrast, virtually all iPhone owners can install iOS 16.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

It’s considered somewhat controversial that iOS 16 has been installed on only about 70% of iPhones four months after its release. But that’s a problem Google can only dream of. A full six months after the debut of Android 13, it’s on a whopping 5.2% of devices.

A year ago, Samsung has promised users more Android updates. Clearly, it’s not having much of an effect.

Apple TV app could be on the way to Android

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Apple TV app could be on the way to Android
Android users may soon have an Apple TV application.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Android users could soon find it easier to watch Apple TV+ shows and films. A reliable tipster says an Android version of the Apple TV application is in development.

It would be a win-win for both Android and Apple.

50 million Android users crave that sweet iOS look

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50 million Android users crave that sweet iOS look
"Is that the new iPhone?" "Not exactly..."
Image: Samsung/LuuTinh Developer/Cult of Mac

An app to make Androids copy the look of iPhone running iOS is widely popular. So many people wish their Android was an iPhone that Launcher iOS 16 has been downloaded over 50 million times from Google Play. And a rival app has just as many.

That sure is a lot of jealous Android users.

Samsung’s flawed, foldable Androids show why folding iPhone remains years away

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Samsung's flawed, foldable Androids show why folding iPhone remains years away
Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 would be amazing if they weren't so flawed.
Photo: Samsung

The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer the clearest evidence yet that Apple is correct to hold off on releasing a folding iPhone. Flexible screens still come with too many problems to be acceptable in an iPhone.

Of course, that didn’t stop Samsung from releasing handsets with these drawbacks.

Why Google really, really wants Apple to add RCS to iMessage

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iMessage bullying
Google wants iPhone to adopt RCS and end the differences between blue bubbles and green bubbles.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google’s campaign to talk Apple into supporting Rich Communication Services in iMessage continues. The Android-maker introduced a new website Tuesday that claims that because iPhone does not support RCS it lacks “modern texting standards” and causes unnecessary problems.

Apple has long resisted RCS, choosing instead to reserve the best benefits of its messaging software to iPhone users.

New Apple ‘Switching to iPhone’ video makes it easy for Android users

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Thinking of switching from an Android phone to an iPhone? It's easy.
Thinking of switching from an Android phone to an iPhone? It's easy.
Photo: Apple

Apple aimed a new video Monday at Android users who might want to switch to iPhone. The video answers the most common questions switchers ask, from transferring contacts to trading in handsets and much more — all in about 4 minutes.

The video comes as Apple prepares the iPhone 14 series for release and follows Cupertino’s surprisingly positive earnings results Thursday in which the company mentioned a record numbers of switchers from Android to iPhone.

Apple still can’t keep up with iPad demand

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Brydge 11 Max+ keyboard case is built for hardcore iPad Pro users
There's plenty of demand for tablets as low-cost alternatives to traditional computers.
Photo: Brydge

iPad shipments declined modestly in the Q2 2022, but not because people don’t want Apple tablets. iPad is still suffering from component shortages that slow production.

This was the second quarter in a row that Apple couldn’t make enough iPadOS units to meet demand.