I’m not locked in to Apple. You’re just locked out.
Reading about HomePod at launch, the main (only?) criticism leveled against the new device is that it locks you in to Apple’s ecosystem. The Verge’s columnist /reporter Vlad Savov wrote this speaker is openly hostile to any hardware or service not made by Apple.
Let’s look at the facts -
Fact: iPhone customer satisfaction is “off the charts.” iPhone is also the best phone you can buy. iPhone customer retention is greater than 92%, which means when iPhone customers are ready to upgrade their phones, they look for the next iPhone, not other phones.
Fact: Apple Watch is the best Wearable you can buy.
Fact: iPad is the best Tablet you can buy
Fact: Mac outperformed nearly every PC maker in 2017
Fact: There are 1.3 billion Apple devices in active use around the world
Fact: Teens engage in iMessage more than any other social platform. Apple handles several billion iMessages and tens of millions of FaceTime calls every day (as of 2014, so it has definitely grown!)
Fact: The best mobile apps are in the App Store.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE THIRD PARTY SERVICES? WHAT ABOUT APPLE’S COMPETITORS?
All of the best services come to iOS. Why wouldn’t you buy an iPhone? (Check out the first comment)
Google Assistant and Google services like Maps and Gmail are available on Apple devices. Microsoft’s excellent productivity software is available on Apple devices. Alexa is available on iPhone.
Meanwhile, let’s look at the other platforms.
Android Phones: Some good phones in the high end.
Android Wear: DEAD
Android Tablets: DEAD
Android TV: Irrelevent
Chromebooks: Good for schools, outclassed by iPads for anything in the home
Android Apps: Worse than iPhone apps
Microsoft
Windows Phone: DEAD
Microsoft Band: DEAD
Windows tablets: Really just PCs with keyboards sold separately. Bad on their own.
Windows PCs: Some good PCs available in the high end.
Windows Market/Microsoft Market/Microsoft Store (whatever its called): DEAD
Amazon
Amazon Fire Phone: DEAD
Amazon wearables: ???
Amazon Fire Tablets: Arguably overpriced at $50
Amazon PC: ???
Amazon Skills Store: Less than 3% retention rate. Nobody cares about your Alexa Skill.
TO RECAP
Apple users get the following
The best smartphones
The best wearables
The best tablets
The best computers
The best services, from iMessage to all the third party services that are available on iPhone
The best apps
Everyone else is locked out
And if you aren’t part of the Apple ecosystem, you are locked out of iMessage, FaceTime, the best smart watch, the best wireless headphones, and now the best home speaker.
I gotta say, I don’t feel too “locked in”, luxuriating in all the best hardware and services.
