On June 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc. introduced the first-generation iPhone, a smartphone that combines a computer, iPod, digital camera, and a cellular phone into one device with touchscreen interface. Every year since, Apple continues to wow the potential customers with new features that move design and technology forward, which kind of monopolize the smartphone market. However, in 2015 a new competitor for Apple’s iphone, Xiaomi’s Mi-Note, is rising in China. Specifically, the Beijing-based Xiaomi was founded by Lei-Jun in 2010 and it has grown rapidly. In 2014, the company’s sales more than doubled to $12.2 billion, and in 2015, the company was already worth $45 billion. Surprisingly, Xiaomi’s Mi-Note had a great successful sale to online customers in India: 40000 phones were sold out in 15 seconds. Xiaomi has found success due to three unique features: Mi-Note is thinner and lighter. Mi -Note features a better-quality camera, and Mi-Note starts at less than half the price of an iPhone. Honestly, both Apple’s iphone and Xiaomi’s Mi-Note are great smartphones. But which smartphone would you prefer? Iphone or non-iphone? Let’s talk about the features of iphones.
Apple iphones offer unique features and better performance that are favorable than other brands’ smartphones. Most of the prospective customers choose Apple iPhones over other smartphones for its iOS system, privacy and security systems, built-in communication, iCloud use, and Safari. Specifically, Apple iOS stands for iPhone Operating System and is designed for use with Apple’s mobile devices. People love Apple iOS because of its intuitive design and simplicity with user-friendly interfaces. Many Apple fans don’t want their phones to mess around. They just want a device that works well, easy to use, and meets their needs with the least amount of effort. The article of An Analysis of Apple said “ Apple iOS is generally considered to be the most user-friendly mobile operating system. It is easy to learn and use, even for people with no prior experience with smartphones.” Additionally, Apple puts much emphasis on security and privacy in iPhones, like Face ID, which gives users with a strong sense of security. Just with a simple glance, people can use Face ID to unlock their iPhones, authorize purchases from the App Store, or make payments with Apple Pay, and more. One of the Apple iPhone users shares his thoughts about Face ID on Reddit, explaining “Personally, I use face id for everything. It just makes me feel more secure knowing someone couldn't just hold my phone to my face and have access to everything.“ Moreover, Apple iPhones have built-in communication like iMessage or Facetime offering users an opportunity to stay connected with their family and friends. The iPhone users don’t need to purchase international phone cards or write and receive mails for their loved ones, which makes the iPhone stand out. As of January 2021, 32% of US adults use FaceTime as their fifth most popular video call app. In April 2020, 23% of US internet users reported using FaceTime for video communications. Furthermore, Apple’s iCloud is the service that securely stores photos, files, and other data in the cloud, keeps them up to date automatically across all the Apple products, and shares them with friends and family. According to Apple iCloud Statistics, iCloud is the most popular cloud service. As of 2020, Apple iCloud has 850 million global users, and it generates revenue of $64.7 billion in 2020. Last but not the least, Apple’s Safari is a free web browser developed by Apple Inc and it is already installed on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Safari works great with iPhone because it touches all three platforms (iPhone, Mac, and iCloud) which allow the user to access the tabs and favorites thanks to iCloud sync. Justin Pot, a computer programmer, claims that “For the most part, though, Safari is a tool that does its job efficiently. I like it better than other browsers”.
Even though the iPhones come with some great apps, there are better replacements out there. People might be impressed with the apps in iPhones, but few of those apps are not perfect. There are some great apps developed by the competitors that would wow the iPhone users. First, WeChat, a Chinese social media app, is owned and developed by Tencent, a Chinese tech company, with over a billion users. iMessage is great for texting messages. But people can use WeChat apps to chat with friends, make phone calls, make payments, play games, and more. The article, The Power of WeChat, describes that “WeChat has a wide range of features that make it an attractive platform for businesses. In addition to messaging, it also offers features such as social media, mobile payments, e-commerce, and more. This makes it a one-stop-shop for businesses looking to connect with their target audience in China.” WeChat is viewed as a “super-app” or “app for everything” because of its wide range of functions. Second, Google Drive is a free service from Google to allow the user to create documents, spreadsheets, and powerpoint. It also lets the users store files online, access them anywhere, and work with others efficiently. In other words, Google Drive users don’t need to email or save a file on a USB drive. Compared to Google Drive, whose free plan starts at 15GB, iCloud only offers 5GB which can fill up quickly with lots of photos or documents. Also, iCloud lacks compatibility with PCs but Google Drive can fit PCs in general. Today a wide range of individuals and businesses use Google Drive. 2024 Google Workspace User Stats shows that Google Drive has more than 2 billion users. Third, Chrome is a free and customizable website browser that allows users to access the internet. It is the default browser for Google devices, like Android phones and Chromebook laptops. Ray Ponce, the expert on Apple technology, explains in his article “6 Reasons You Should Use Chrome Over Safari” that in terms of performance, Chrome is generally considered faster than Safari. When it comes to user experience, Chrome acts as a hub for all google products while the tab organizer on Safari is a little inconsistent. Fourth, Google Map is a location search tool, developed in 2005 by Google, that allows people to locate a specific place, calculate route, and see the appearance of a place at street level through Google Street View. Overall, Google Map is superior to Apple Map when it comes to availability. Tom Prirchard, UK Phones Editor, in his writing “Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Which Navigation App is Best?” comments that Apple Maps is exclusive to Apple-made products, like iphones, Mac, or ipad, but not for Windows or Android. Google Map is the complete opposite and it is available in about every device.
I would still choose the iPhone over other smartphones if my parents decide to order me a new smartphone. I make such a decision based on four valuable features: Apple Reputation, Apple-Made Product Lock-in, Apple Resale Value, and Apple Watch, . Apple has a Reputation for creating high-quality, innovative products with user-friendly design and exceptional user experience. For example, Apple is not the first one inventing the mobile phone, but indeed the first one to introduce a smartphone with touchscreen interface. I, like the rest of Apple fans, hold the strong faith that Apple Inc. would always be the tech leader and would keep inventing new things to conveniently human life. According to 2023 Fortune, Apple has been the most admired company among industry professionals for 17 years in a row, scoring first in innovation. Such a reputation, in turn, helps boost Apple fans’ loyalty. Apple-Made Product Lock-In explains that if an individual already has many other Apple products, such as Mac, iPad, Apple TV, AirPods, or Apple Vision Pro, this individual would prefer buy an iPhone or upgrade to the newly-released iPhone to stay within the Apple product system, rather than switch to a different brand. The iPhone holders can do AirDrop, for example, between Apple devices to quickly and efficiently transfer files, photos, or documents without using other apps. If people are using Google Android smartphones with other Apple-made products, it would be inconvenient and take some time for them to transmit documents though the third-party apps. Apple iPhones are known for retaining a Higher Resale Value than other smartphones. This is because that iPhone are made with high-quality materials which could endure wear or tear better than many other competitors as well as iPhones have the ability to maintain value over time. Therefore, potential customers tend to consider purchasing a new iPhone as a good investment. The article Why You’re Better Off Buying An iPhone in The Washington Post shows that A used iPhone 12 from 2020 is worth 35 percent of its original price, according to B-Stock, while a high-end Samsung Galaxy S20 released the same year is only selling for 15 percent of its original price. Most importantly, the Apple Watch is another significant reason why people choose iphone because they work seamlessly with iphone on the wrist, like making phone calls, texting messages, and receiving notifications. This kind of integration is the first and best by all means and currently no other brand of smartphones can match this feature. According to Apple Watch Statistics 2024, by April 2023, nearly 80% of iPhone users were also Apple Watch owners.
Nowadays, pretty much everyone, even teengater or higher-grade elementary school students, owns a smartphone because it combines the functions of a computer, receiving and making phone calls or messages, or taking pictures or making videos, into one device with touchscreen interface. Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones because of its unequal features in iOS system, privacy and security systems, FaceTime and iMessage, iCloud use, and Safari. However, even though the iPhones come with some great apps, there are better replacements out there, like WeChat, Google Drive, Chrome, and Google Map. But for me, I would still choose the iPhone because of its valuable features that other brands don't have or are not mature enough, including Apple Ecosystem, Apple Reputation, Apple Trade-in Policy, and Apple Family Share. Obviously, everyone in each single day cannot leave their smartphones. But is it a good thing? The iPhone enables people to take advantage of online service anytime anywhere, like teenagers texting messages to their friends while sitting in the car when mom is driving. But the parents-children family time might disappear, which makes the distance. Even some people are too “addicted” to iphones. It is time for people to discipline themselves about the use of the iphone.
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