Why 2012 is Apple's Year Over Android (again)

While Google boasted most of 2011 that Android outpaced Apple's iPhone in phone activations, my beyond-the-bubble observations reveal something more telling and ultimately more important.

The average person does not like Android phones.

Most of my Facebook Friends are not techie types but have been transitioning over to smartphones, often times their first.

Out of maybe not quite a dozen such transitions, I've observed, not a single one that tried an Android phone liked it AND all those that did go to Android, within a month, went to the iPhone and subsequently loved it.

I myself went from iPhone to three different Android phones before crawling reluctantly but completely willfully back to the iPhone.

Why?

The device has to work and be straight forward.

A smartphone is full of new features and capabilities and thus complexity. If that transition is muddled with bugs, jankiness and failure to operate the device will be hated.

So while Android may have won the activation race of 2011 it also probably won the deactivation race which in the long run will be the more telling tale.

And the iPhone is no longer premium priced compared to other 'top-of-the-line' Android phone that get released (and then within 6 months are only $49).

It's one thing to move to a new brand seeking something better, it's another to abandon a brand because it is to you terrible, for in the latter case you will probably stick with what you have rather than go back to something you know was a bad experience.

Such was the case with my iPhone to Android back to iPhone experience. I wanted to love Android, and tried really hard, but it failed me over and over again. Back to the iPhone it was.

Who is to blame for the bad Android experiences doesn't matter, if it's Android itself, manufacturer hardware issues, manufacturer firmware issues or carrier tweak issues, a bad experience is a bad experience.

In 2012 this silent erosion in confidence in Android as a platform will catch up with Google and Android. This is good news for Apple . . . but also an opening for Microsoft Windows Phones.

Image Credit goes to aoisora9x of deviantArt