Why are iPhones so popular in the US compared to Europe? Is it a peer pressure kind of thing? Or simply status? The difference seems to be pretty substantial and I don’t think it can be explained by user experience alone.
I think it has to do with the messagin app.
For some reason in the us it’s still common to use plain sms messages, which on an iPhone get translated to the blue bubble, but when sent to an android become the infamous green bubble.
This is however not the case in the EU bc sms messages were still expensive enoughfuring that time that when whatsapp released, everyone did the switch so as to not to pay the sms fees, and now, even if sms are basically free, everyone uses whatsapp as the default messaging app.
And as we know on whatsapp there’s no differentiation of anything regarding the device you are sending messages to, so no constant reminder of “this guy had an android”.
Yes! Wow it has to do with the app? I was going crazy, yes when I delete a word it shifts back and joind with the last word, it drives me nuts, are they planning on fixing it? Or do you recommend me another app?
The blue bubbles mean you’re using iMessage, which is encrypted. You don’t have to download a separate app owned by Facebook which makes texting iPhone to iPhone so much better.
In the US most carriers (and certainly the big 3) support end-to-end encryption via RCS. Though of course, Apple won’t support the Diffie-Helman exchange outside of iMessage or anything RCS at all.
Ok, well I still don’t want to install another app to use it so I guess we’re stuck.
What really needs to happen is for all the phone makers agree to use the same protocols (and I really don’t care which) so we can all have end-to-end encryption by default.
Everybody has agreed that the default messaging app is Whatsapp over here. I haven’t seen anybody use anything else for texting in ages, on either platform.
I don’t think you guys realize how bizarre this conversation sounds to me.
I hear ya. Yeah I don’t see why they couldn’t incorporate RCS to fall back on instead of SMS. They could even keep iMessage and everything would be better for everyone.
While other commenters are correct about the marketing in some aspects. As a parent of teenagers I will say if they don’t have an iPhone they will be mocked relentlessly. The whole bubble color thing is real. They think androids are for poor people even though androids have a much larger range of price. This isn’t a “my kids” thing. This is a “everyone in school thinks” thing.
God help me when they get their next upgrade and suddenly my chargers start going missing because “someone stole” theirs…
We, the current adults, are not at fault for the situation. It’s others. Older adults, or the young people. It’s only us who is enlightened, everyone else is fucking stupid.
What’s the carrier situation like in the EU? Do they market the iPhone aggressively in Europe? I’d suspect both of those may have some influence on the difference, but I’m as interested as you in what’s affecting the differences in adoption between both regions.
Why are iPhones so popular in the US compared to Europe? Is it a peer pressure kind of thing? Or simply status? The difference seems to be pretty substantial and I don’t think it can be explained by user experience alone.
iPhones have a 58% (US) vs 26% (EU) market share.
I think it has to do with the messagin app. For some reason in the us it’s still common to use plain sms messages, which on an iPhone get translated to the blue bubble, but when sent to an android become the infamous green bubble.
This is however not the case in the EU bc sms messages were still expensive enoughfuring that time that when whatsapp released, everyone did the switch so as to not to pay the sms fees, and now, even if sms are basically free, everyone uses whatsapp as the default messaging app.
And as we know on whatsapp there’s no differentiation of anything regarding the device you are sending messages to, so no constant reminder of “this guy had an android”.
Just my 2 cents on why this could be.
The interesting thing is that the green/blue bubble thing is only infamous in the US.
As you say, outside the US, people use messaging apps like whatsapp or wechat.
off topic, by any chance are you using Jerboa? ses like your comments is missing some spaces and I suspect it might be a bug with the app
It is a bug with Jerboa, it don’t play nice with autocomplete / autocorrect underlines.
Yes! Wow it has to do with the app? I was going crazy, yes when I delete a word it shifts back and joind with the last word, it drives me nuts, are they planning on fixing it? Or do you recommend me another app?
The blue bubbles mean you’re using iMessage, which is encrypted. You don’t have to download a separate app owned by Facebook which makes texting iPhone to iPhone so much better.
In the US most carriers (and certainly the big 3) support end-to-end encryption via RCS. Though of course, Apple won’t support the Diffie-Helman exchange outside of iMessage or anything RCS at all.
…which you need to install Google or Samsung messages to take advantage of, so it’s the same thing.
Until all phones use the same protocols in their stock messages app, SMS will still be used to send between the different platforms.
RCS is a standard and is application and even operating system agnostic. Anyone, including applications outside of Android can support it.
iMessage is not a standard and certainly not agnostic.
Ok, well I still don’t want to install another app to use it so I guess we’re stuck.
What really needs to happen is for all the phone makers agree to use the same protocols (and I really don’t care which) so we can all have end-to-end encryption by default.
That’s the thing. Essentially everyone has agreed, except for Apple. This includes 12 phone manufacturers and at least 55 operators world-wide.
Even Microsoft since Windows 10 supports RCS in the Your Phone app, so if you’re using a Windows desktop or laptop, even it supports RCS.
Everybody has agreed that the default messaging app is Whatsapp over here. I haven’t seen anybody use anything else for texting in ages, on either platform.
I don’t think you guys realize how bizarre this conversation sounds to me.
I hear ya. Yeah I don’t see why they couldn’t incorporate RCS to fall back on instead of SMS. They could even keep iMessage and everything would be better for everyone.
No, which Apple would have to integrate into iMessage.
Literally the point. Everyone is waiting for Apple, EU is considering forcing them (again.)
I really hope they won’t, because it’s very bad for privacy.
It’s fantastic for security, but a privacy disaster.
Stupid question, but does imessage allow you to record messages, post videos, pictures, gifs, attach files, hold polls, start groups, etc?
Or is it still mainly an sms based thing?
Yes it does
While other commenters are correct about the marketing in some aspects. As a parent of teenagers I will say if they don’t have an iPhone they will be mocked relentlessly. The whole bubble color thing is real. They think androids are for poor people even though androids have a much larger range of price. This isn’t a “my kids” thing. This is a “everyone in school thinks” thing.
God help me when they get their next upgrade and suddenly my chargers start going missing because “someone stole” theirs…
So it boils down to classism among youths and in schools?
adults participate in it
No, no, blame the children.
We, the current adults, are not at fault for the situation. It’s others. Older adults, or the young people. It’s only us who is enlightened, everyone else is fucking stupid.
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I think you misunderstood what I was saying, because I was agreeing with you.
this is the same excuse i hear for people circumcising their kids.
are us people so weak to peer pressure?
Apple is headquartered in America and used a lot of marketing with celebrities, musicians, trendsetters etc.
Samsung is really popular in Asia. There’s something to be said for homefield advantage.
What’s the carrier situation like in the EU? Do they market the iPhone aggressively in Europe? I’d suspect both of those may have some influence on the difference, but I’m as interested as you in what’s affecting the differences in adoption between both regions.
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