More People use Android than Windows \ stacker news ~tech

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1283 sats \ 9 comments \ @nerd2ninja 6 May tech

OS market share: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share is a place a lot of linux users stare at to check how close we are to "The Year of the Linux Desktop" which has become a meme. However, across all platforms, but mobile and desktop, Android has the most users, with iOS in 3rd place.

Its interesting to think about that more people have cell phones (or pocket computers) than people who have desktop PCs. In fact, most people may have only have school work to thank for any desktop experience at all. Such as school issued laptops or a laptop purchased specifically for college and that may be their only desktop user experience.

If only the mobile market is taken into account, with other platforms excluded: Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide - April 2024 Android 70.87% iOS 28.39%

Developers should think about whether iOS is actually worth supporting given the 30% cut they take. Is the Apple market worth it? Sometimes the answer is yes, but only when the Android market is too crowded to compete. Even if Apple support is worthwhile without an overcrowded Android market, an Android first iOS later approach would be the most worthwhile, that way its the value of the Apple market that is being judged rather than whether your app has a product market fit (and its less expensive for the apps launch that way).

One might see this and think this means "Google Play market vs Apple market", but plenty of phones ship with their manufacturers app store, such as The Samsung Galaxy Store. Not only that, but you can ship an Android phone too. Graphene OS is a common one that gets thrown around, but really you can go to the Android Open Source Project and compile your own. For example, despite just being Android 14, Xiaomi calls their custom ROM, "HyperOS"

Most Android firmware that ships with most phones are spying on their users and custom ROMs are better as to ensure your phone doesn't tell the company you bought it from what you're doing however. Apple users are very loud, but always remember, they are a minority.

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150 sats \ 3 replies \ @riberet19 6 May

I think a computer is much more complex for many than a mobile device, most will prefer to use the simple mobile phone than a computer.

300 sats \ 0 replies \ @windward 7 May

I think a computer is much more complex for many than a mobile device

I think it's less about simplicity and more about affordability/necessity.

mobile phones come with phone numbers - still a a requirement in order to seek employment/access government resources in the US.

also, most mobile phone plans in the US have subsidies for purchasing phones - so people are getting them on credit.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @nerd2ninja OP 6 May

"A desktop computer is too complicated" is something I had previously only expected a boomer to say. I think that's just silly. It makes much more sense to think that most people just don't need a desktop computer.

If you don't play PC games (consoles fill that), you aren't using office software (schools and offices would need that), you aren't editing videos (built in video editors for the website you're posting to are good enough sometimes) you know all you're doing is visiting social media and other websites or more commonly download a website with additional spyware capabilities (social media apps), well is phone (aka the pocket computer) fits in your pocket, you can take it to bed with you, take it to the couch with you they even got devices to display your phone onto a TV you know, why get a desktop PC?

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @riberet19 6 May

Absolutely right, I've been using desktop computers since I was 8 years old and I love them, I can't live without one, the mobile phone stresses me out by not being able to do all the things I can do on a computer, mainly the ease of doing many tasks at the same time, that on mobile devices is much more complex or difficult, in short, people have become very lazy, they don't want to learn, and a computer is too much for them, better, computers for us, "the nerds"

150 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undergotten 7 May freebie

Its interesting to think about that more people have cell phones (or pocket computers) than people who have desktop PCs

Bothers me to no end. That was the beginning of the end of the society I knew as a kid. I resisted smart phones for so long, too.

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 6 May

Apple users are loud, and ignorant. They dont realize their product isnt as good as some of the things out there, they just dont want to transfer things from their account. Society is getting lazy.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Coinsreporter 6 May

Apple users are minority for now but who knows the stats may change real fast. Smartphone market share for Apple is more than that of any other company in the world.

https://m.stacker.news/29770

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @nerd2ninja OP 6 May

All this chart shows is that the open model works. Many companies are able to gang up together and overtake one company and not by a small margin.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 6 May

Yes, you're right about gang up by many companies. But Apple is way ahead if we calculate it based on market share.