With every new iPhone launch, we oftentimes laugh it off for being behind most Android devices when it comes to innovation and features. Yet despite that, people still buy them: majority of the best selling phones in 2023 are iPhones, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and 15 Pro Max being the top 2 sellers. This is proof that despite being expensive, people will still buy them. But why would people buy iPhones anyway? It’s not because iPhones are a status symbol–it’s more than that.
Having reviewed several gadgets on the site, here are some of the top reasons why people buy iPhones:
They’re relatively good investments. Unlike Android phones, iPhones retain their value well, as their depreciation is among the least. Take the iPhone 13 for example: when it launched in 2021, the starting price for the base iPhone 13 is at Php 45k. Fast forward to 2024, the brand new price of an iPhone 13 is at Php 33.4k, which translates to around a 25% depreciation over 3 years.
For comparison, the Galaxy S21, which also came out in 2021, had an original SRP of Php 50k. Fast forward to 2024, brand new units (if you’re lucky to find one) will cost you Php 17k, which translates to a 66% depreciation over 3 years. That alone shows that Apple products hold their value well through the years–which is why the trade-in value of an iPhone is oftentimes higher than most Android phones. That also explains why you’d probably see more iPhones than Android phones in online marketplaces and physical secondhand shops.
They have great software optimization. Before Samsung and Google led the way with software support for as much as 7 years for their flagship devices, Apple has been the leader when it comes to software optimization for its iPhones. The iPhone Xs and Xs Max, which came out in 2018, are eligible for iOS 18 despite being already six years old.
There’s practically no Android phone from 2018 that still gets Android upgrades and security updates, and it its only a few years ago when most of them have stepped up from the usual 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security upgrades. Granted that Apple Intelligence is only supported for iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, the fact that Apple has a long update commitment to its devices means that people can justify paying a premium since they can use their device comfortably for several years.
Apple’s ecosystem simply works. Even with the criticisms of iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS being a walled garden, Apple’s ecosystem is still the best out there–and not even a single Android ecosystem comes close. Granted that it lacks freedom for customization (which is slowly being added with iOS 18), the Apple ecosystem is straightforward and easy to use, even those who are not techies will not have a hard time.
Apple’s robust ecosystem also extends to its weables like AirPods and Watch, where they integrate seamlessly to iPhones, iPads, and even Macs with minimal setup time, giving users that added convenience in using Apple products even if they are usually expensive. Apple’s tight-knit integration goeas beyond hardware: even its subscription plans like iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple TV are well integrated into the whole ecosystem.
Those are the top reasons why people will still buy an iPhone despite Android devices being better in one way or another. Do you agree with our thoughts?
