While some people have been bamboozled by the sudden rise of the iPhone in India with it selling more than a million units in the last quarter, there is a simple reason why it did so well. Even 5 months into the launch, it remains the best smartphone for most people because of a wide range of reasons.
● It is the fastest smartphone around. Even with the launch of newer Android phones which will be based on either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chip or Samsung’s Exynos 990 processor, the iPhone 11 will remain the faster. Apple’s A13 Bionic chip is a couple of generations ahead of the competition and more so, it is optimized especially for iOS. This means games work better, they look better and more powerful applications can be created for the iPhone than for Android smartphones. Hell, even the iPhone XR will be as fast as some of the newer Android phones that are being launched.
● Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor which we will likely see on phones like the OnePlus 8 focus on 5G connectivity but India isn’t ready for 5G. India will not be ready for 5G for a couple of years given the state of the telecom market and that’s why this inherent advantage doesn’t convert to Android phones. India being a 4G market plays more to the strength of Apple.
● In 2019, Apple rebranded the iPhone XR successor to the iPhone 11. This meant that a flagship level of branding was given to the latest affordable iPhone coupled with the fact that Apple had further reduced its cost making it more affordable for most people. Given Apple’s brand, iPhones also have better resale value than any other Android phone which make it a more sensible purchase given its vanity quotient.
● One of the reasons the resale value is better is because the iPhone has always had a longer life. Imagine even right now a two-year-old, iPhone XR is faster than the latest Android smartphone. Older iPhones also get updated to the latest iOS software for more than 3-4 years while the latest Android phones only get updates for 2 years maximum. Android phones also don’t get updated in a timely manner which is the exact opposite of the iPhone.
● In the wake of the Facebook Cambridge Analytica controversy, iPhones and Apple’s stance of privacy makes it the go-to choice for young millennials who don’t want to give out their data to big tech firms. Things like sign-in with Apple and iOS privacy controls and security features make it a great option for people who don’t like data harvesting apps that make their home on Android.
● Perhaps the biggest reason the iPhone has returned to the top of the ladder is that Apple upped the ante with the camera. The cameras on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are stellar. In 2019, it can be said that the iPhone finally for the first time in 5 years had the best all-around camera system with its improved dual and triple camera systems featuring an all-new night-mode, advanced video editing features, cinematic 4k video capture, and a more advanced portrait mode.
● Other than the cameras, Apple also improved the battery life of the iPhones. The iPhone XR already had great battery life but the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro max really took things to another level. The iPhones for the first time became the flagship phones with the best battery life. More than this, on the “Pro” models Apple also threw in an 18-watt fast charger.
● Apple also improved the durability of the iPhone this year. The phone has the strongest glass ever installed in a smartphone which has proven to be less fragile than previous editions of the phone. Apple also elevated IP68 certification for it to last for 30 minutes under 4 meters of water. There is also a new matte finish which makes the gadget look even more attractive along with a new green color for the “pro” model.
● Apple’s software has also been more customized for India. Now Siri understands the Indian accent better with support for cricket scores, Apple Maps supports turn-by-turn navigation, Apple TV+ also works in India and that is topped up with the fact that Apple’s entire portfolio of hardware is now available in India including the HomePod. What further fuels this is the fact that iOS as a platform works great with even services from Microsoft and Google while also adding niceties like the file manager, download manager for the safari browser and USB support for accessories.
