- Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD created a Threads post asking people to comment their hot takes in the world of tech.
- Instagram Head Adam Mosseri responded with “Android’s now better than iOS.“
- His bold statement sparked debates in the Tech community.
One of the favourite tech-world debates is the one between the two leading operating systems: Android and iOS. There are probably very few things in the tech world that can be as polarizing as this debate. Adam Mosseri, Instagram and Threads Head, ended up fueling this fire by claiming Android is better than iOS. Mosseri made the statement in response to the famous tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, who posted on the Threads app asking for tech hot takes.
Both sides have a fiercely opinionated fanbase who will fight tooth and nail to hold their stand and diss the other. While Apple does boast of the most seamless interface, some of Android flagships can easily give Apple iPhones a run for their money on many fronts.
What Made Adam Choose Android?
While Adam Mosseri’s transformed perception of Android as a preferred platform was controversial for many, his Threads response didn’t give any indication of what exactly changed his mind. There’s reasonable doubt like:
– Being responsible for two of the biggest social media apps, Instagram and Threads, was he speaking from a developer’s point of view?
– Or did Google’s user-facing changes to better the Android experience appeal more to him as a user?
– Could it be a result of a recent tussle between Mark Zuckerberg and Apple over the App Store’s moderation policies and app tracking limits that have severely impacted Meta’s ad-heavy business model?
If you look closely, Adam Mosseri didn’t claim that Android is better than iOS; he said it’s now better than iOS. Meaning while iOS has been a great operating system, Android is cutting it close too. It’s evident from all the features Google has been introducing to increase the harmony between hardware and software. Apple has also copied some of these features in iOS.
Also Read: Threads to Roll out “Direct Messaging” (DM) Feature
Threaders’ Reaction
Threads is Instagram’s latest app, launched to compete with Twitter. But it is currently available only on Android and iOS with limited features compared to Twitter. It’s not surprising that Adam Mosseri’s comment reignited a debate between Apple and Android loyalists that has waged on since the dawn of smartphones. The post and comment garnered major engagement, something the Threads app needs right now. Both Android and iOS have been wildly successful since the introduction of the first iPhone and Android phones in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Some users disagree with his statement, while some feel this is why there’s no native Instagram app for iPad. Android fans have been making statements like Android has always been better, while some asked him to improve Android’s Instagram and Threads apps. On the other hand, Apple users advocate for the premium app experience and security on iOS.
Team Android, Assemble!
Statistica estimates that Android is the go-to mobile operating system for most phone-makers aside from Apple with close to 71% global market share than iOS as of July 2023. Apple’s iOS has the second-highest percentage of market share with 28.4%. During the 2023 Google I/O developer conference, Android’s VP of Product Management Sameer Samat announced that there were 3 billion active Android devices. Some of the reason for Android’s domination is its cheaper price in some markets. For example, India is the world’s second largest smartphone market but it also is a developing nation. With consumers more sensitive to smartphone pricing than in other countries, Android holds a 95% grip on handset sales in that market.
Adam’s comment sheds light upon the Android defenders in the group. “I’ve been using Android for years and it has always served me well, including connecting to my other devices, accessing spreadsheets, and all of the apps that I need. It would be difficult to switch to iOS,” said one of the ‘threaders’. Another fan of Android said, “Android is innovating while Apple remains stagnant.”
The iOS Loyalists
According to data from Counterpoint Research, more Americans now use iPhones running on iOS than Google’s Android. iPhones first surpassed Androids in September 2022. As of the first quarter of 2023, Apple held an estimated 52% US smartphone market share, with Samsung the runner-up with a 27% share. During the rollout of Threads, Instagram’s new text-based counterpart, Meta announced that the app would be available on both iOS and Android. Yet, the latest features were rolled out to iPhones first with an Android update that’s to be decided.
Some iOS fans showed up with one posting that “Android is better at ad-tracking and poor customer service.” In a response directed right at Mosseri, one Thread subscriber wrote, “Do they let you dress yourself in the morning?” And an Android user disagreed with the executive by saying that after using the platform for the last decade, he “strongly disagrees” and says that he is tired of Android and is thinking of returning to iOS. “This is just objectively false, last couple years iOS has got very seamless with almost no pain points,” stated another Threads subscriber.
The Past, Present and Future
While Adam Mosseri’s comment caused some sparks, what was more unexpected than him picking Android over iOS, was that he posted his choice at all. For the record, well before Adam became the Head of Instagram which was bought by Facebook, Instagram was launched on iOS first before releasing an Android version. As for the user experience on each platform, iOS 16 looks promising, but it is also infamous for being riddled with bugs and going against Apple’s “it just works” philosophy. And from what we have gathered about the upcoming iOS 17, Apple is further tightening its grip on the ecosystem with features that lock the users in. On the other hand, Android 14 beta releases have added a bunch of quality-of-life improvements, ranging from its new lock screen customisations and charging indicators to a predictive back gesture and drag and drop for text and photos.
Hopefully, things will improve for Instagram’s and Threads’ Android apps in terms of feature parity with the iOS version following this statement from the man in charge himself. Because smartphone users deserve a feature-rich experience no matter the platform they have a preference for.
With all said and done, we feel the debate of Android vs. iOS is subjective in nature. When both have their pros and cons, it’s just your personal choice at the end of the day. So, you do you!
