The smartphone market is all set to see another raging war between Google (Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL)) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The OEMs, as well as the OS providers, are ready for a face-off in terms of winning more customers. Google made a strategic advent in the hardware segment with its Pixel phones. Now, it wants to make the shift from iOS seamless. Hence, Google launched its switch portal for iPhone users who wish to shift to Android. This will help iOS users to transfer all their data into their Android phones like a charm. To make it simpler, Google has updated the portal to make the switching process easier.
But, the only question that bothers is: Will iOS users want to make this shift? This question immediately raises another important question: Should Apple be bothered about this?
Before we dwell deep finding the answers, let’s understand what Google has got to offer. Google has made the process simpler by getting the work done in three simple steps:
- Download the updated version of Google Drive to your iOS device.
- Now this can be used to backup data like contacts, photos & videos, and calendar events. The users get the option to choose what they want to transfer. The drive doesn’t store the data for access but uses Google’s cross-platform prowess to transfer the desired content to their respective places.
- Once the backup is completed, the user can sign in to the same Google account on the new Android device. This will restore all the content from the back-up.
The same function was once very complicated when it had to be done manually using apps. However, making the process easy isn’t enough. Even the users must be willing to go forward with this change.
Google is leaving no stone unturned to entice iPhone users. With the latest launch, the company has simplified the migration much easier for those who are willing to jump off Apple’s ship. The big question, however, is how many iPhone users really want to come out from iOS ecosystem and if not, what is keeping them hooked with iPhone?
Let’s find out.
Once an iPhone User, Always an iPhone User
Apple’s iPhone has been the market leader in the premium smartphone segment. It altogether delivers a very different and enhanced experience as compared to that of an Android device. Apple’s strategy to launch just one iPhone, albeit in two different sizes, every year under the premium segment, often keeps the excitement towards iPhone intact. iPhones hosts iOS, which is very simple & easy to navigate, making it easy for the users to understand the device’s functioning.
One of the biggest, and probably the most convincing, reasons why iPhone users stay glued is the brand value and brand positioning of Apple. Apple has been maintaining the status quo of the world’s most valuable brand for many years. Apple iPhone users across the globe take immense pride in owning an iPhone, and wear heart on their sleeves. The craze towards iPhone can be understood by the incidents of weird stories of people who can go up to the extent of selling their organs to buy latest iPhone.
The higher satisfaction rate of iPhone users is another challenge Google needs to counter to convince users to switch to Android. According to a study done by ChangeWave, with 77%, iPhone users are more satisfied smartphone users ad compared to Android users.
Apple Beats Android with Its User Experience
Apple’s iPhones are not known only for the brand value and product positioning in the market. The experience of iOS is another key factor that makes iPhone users think twice before they decided to switch to Android.
Apple has deeply sewed the iOS with iPhone for the optimum performance. Despite the fact that Apple has turned into a leviathan today, the company is no mood to make iOS available for other OEMs. This has helped to create an exclusivity with iPhone at software which Android misses completely. Be it Samsung, Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, LG or HTC, the custom UI could transform the experience to a certain extent. The sense of owning an exclusive experience with Android premium phone is limited only to few hardware components that stays under the hood. Most of the time, a user owning a premium Android smartphone find enjoying the same experience which is provided to entry level of mid-range of Android smartphone user.
Android fragmentation and high app vulnerability issues are another reasons that refrain all the iPhone users to consider migrating to Android.
AS YOU KNOW, IPHONE CUSTOMERS ARE THE MOST SATISFIED AND LOYAL CUSTOMERS IN THE WORLD, AND FISCAL 2016 SAW MORE CUSTOMERS SWITCH FROM ANDROID TO IPHONE THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS IS DUE TO THE SUPERIOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WE DELIVER WITH OUR PRODUCTS, AND IT’S SOMETHING NO OTHER COMPANY CAN MATCH, SAID TIM COOK, CEO, APPLE INC.
Google might have made the switching process very easy, but if we talk about the functioning of Android and iOS, they are completely different. Since iOS is easier to navigate, it becomes difficult & time-consuming for the users to adapt to the working of an Android device. Due to this, the chances are high that users will hesitate to switch from iOS to Android. How far iPhone users find the new Switching feature from iPhone to Android useful, it would be interesting to see.
