Does iOS Really Compete With Android?

When You Make It Look This Easy, It’s Not Much Of A Competition

Apple, through a combination of the size of its user base, as well as the devotion of those users to the company and its products, has the luxury of moving at its own pace. It rarely feels like Apple is responding to industry trends as sort of a catch-up move, and more like it’s just taking its good old time in implementing things. LTE is a good example; we expect to see it in the iPhone 5, but where was it this time last year? Despite the proliferation of LTE among Android models, it still doesn’t feel like Apple has anything to prove; its user base may be hoping for LTE, but they’re not about to go anywhere if they don’t get it in a timely fashion.
The same sort of thing is true for iOS software; when Apple introduces features that seem inspired by other smartphone platforms, the “Apple’s just copying” sentiment isn’t very loud, and desire for features not present isn’t strong enough to drive users to its peers.
OK, so Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry may be in competition with Apple, but Apple itself stays calm, cool and collected while it just keeps soaking up users seemingly effortlessly? Let’s back up for a minute and talk more about user devotion.

It’s Not What Phone You Buy; It’s What You Buy With The Phone

The main reason I think Apple isn’t really competing with its peers has to do with how well the company is able to lock its users in to the Apple ecosystem. They may not all have Macs as their computers, and continue to use products from other manufacturers, as well, but once they start consuming things with their iPhones, Apple’s got its grasp on them. More than anyone else, I think Apple excels at selling apps and media: it makes discovery a breeze, and sets a high standard for quality.
Google’s been working hard to do the same, and I’m usually impressed with new Play Store updates when they come along, but it’s still just not quite Apple. And to this day, while I use Google Play to get my apps, I haven’t been tempted to also turn to Google for my music, books, and movies. Apple’s ability to get its users so ingrained with iTunes turns them into a bit of a captive audience.
For what it’s worth, Microsoft makes an admirable stab at creating the same sort of walled garden, but it just doesn’t have the numbers to be relevant in a broad discussion of the market.
Will this situation ever change? I don’t want to say “never”, but iOS is a hard platform to turn your back on. Sure, Android may do some things better, but these either tend to be things the average iOS user isn’t too concerned with, or if they are, it’s just too much of a hassle to make a fresh start on another platform. The only real change-up that might be possible is if Google is able to hold on to its own users with the same force. In that case, Apple and Google would compete for new users, but we might see even fiercer loyalties develop once users chose sides.
Ultimately, it’s easier to keep customers than to get new ones, and Apple’s early iPhone success has become a wave that shows no signs of peaking just yet.