I was on a packed bus yesterday at 7.30 AM. I live in Italy, which has been historically a strong Android bastion with no iMessage usage whatsoever. I was surrounded by high schoolers from lots of backgrounds, and yet the vast, vast majority of them were using iPhones.
It's not like the iPhone is a status symbol, that was back in the late '00s. Gen Z has simply rejected Android for whatever reason and very few young people in the west willingly pick an Android. This is not only a big issue for Google but for society at large - because we're basically giving to Apple complete and utter control about the future of computing.
> Gen Z has simply rejected Android for whatever reason and very few young people in the west willingly pick an Android.
It's just a more pleasant and robust experience, especially if you're non-technical and don't know the pitfalls to avoid or how to make the most of your Android device (removing pre-loaded crapware, alternative & better ROMs, which devices/brands to buy, etc).
Young people are hyper-focused on status, so I expect it to be a status function. You can show that your parents have a certain amount of disposable income by owning an iphone, just like you can by owning brand clothes and shoes, a brand schoolbag, brand softdrinks and candy bars etc etc.
This segment of Gen Z should be reminded that their status symbol is a symbol of slave labor and that if they consider themselves so progressive they should keep in mind that they are directly contributing to the oppressors they love to make snarky comments about on social media.
But they won't. Because ultimately they are unable to accept accountability for any of their own decisions.
It's not like the iPhone is a status symbol, that was back in the late '00s. Gen Z has simply rejected Android for whatever reason and very few young people in the west willingly pick an Android. This is not only a big issue for Google but for society at large - because we're basically giving to Apple complete and utter control about the future of computing.