I was looking to switch to Android, but even after briefly reading up on security/privacy on Android, I came to the same conclusion. It's too bad iPhones are pricey and/or despised among a subset of customers. I'm sure more users would vote with their wallets if they were aware of this.
Many very popular Android phones cost as much as iPhones do (which includes models like S7, Note 6/7, etc. ). This implication that people buy Android because they can't afford iPhones is a bit arrogant don't you think?
I can't imagine what's arrogant about it. It's hardly the only reason someone might choose an Android device, but it definitely influences many consumers, and thus the market as a whole.
If someone wants to spend $100 on an unlocked phone, it's not going to be an iPhone. There are entire market segments in some parts of the world that Android basically has 100% market share in, because the cheapest iPhone is still too expensive for mainstream consumers in that market. It's not as much of a factor in the US, but it's still a factor. It's a huge factor in some other parts of the world.
Only if you want to spin it that way. You can also afford an iPhone and choose not to buy one because of the price (e.g. because you can get the same raw specs cheaper).
But yes, there are people that can't afford an iPhone and I don't see anything arrogant about saying this. I want devices with good privacy and security affordable for anyone.
> Many very popular Android phones cost as much as iPhones do (which includes models like S7, Note 6/7, etc. ).
In theory, they cost as much as iPhones, in practice if you wait a few months and shop around, they're quite cheaper: my GS7 (bought last month) cost me 460€ (with an ODR and a 'reprise').
I'd consider switching to an iPhone, but lots of my music is just MP3 files and I'd hate to lose the ability to play them on my phone. Using iTunes is not an option.
Yeah iTunes makes transfering libraries or switching PCs unnecessarily tedious. I've had a lot of problems with it. I also think Apple's product decisions (hard- and software-wise) are becoming more dubious, which is why I was looking to switch. Privacy and security still outweigh it by a wide margin which is why I won't switch for now.
As for the MP3 problem: There are 3rd party apps, where you can simply drag the files into the iTunes window and they'll sync without hassling much with iTunes.
Couldn't you just dump your files in VLC for iOS and play them that way? There are probably more tailored music apps where you could put your local music collection too.
That's possible, but VLC doesn't have a good UI for browsing your music library. Grove Music was good at this, but it was bought by Microsoft and imho has since regressed.
There are several 3rd party options for playing audio files on iPhone without iTunes. The two I use most often are Plex and CloudBeats. Recently, I have been giving Bound a try for audiobooks instead of CloudBeats. I really want Plex to support some basic Audiobook features so I can use just the one app. The audio I listen to is stored either on my home server (Plex) or a cloud service of my choice (CloudBeats and Bound). I don't touch iTunes.
Disclaimer: I rarely listen to music. I'd wager 85-90% of my aduio listening is podcasts and I do that with Overcast. This may lead me to have the false belief that not using iTunes for music is easy/not a hassle on the iPhone.
I was looking to switch to Android, but even after briefly reading up on security/privacy on Android, I came to the same conclusion. It's too bad iPhones are pricey and/or despised among a subset of customers. I'm sure more users would vote with their wallets if they were aware of this.