04 Nerd Squad

I am the type of person that will watch a product launch event to learn everything I can about it, Google io, Apple keynotes, CES, etc. I love to know what products have been released, new features or those have disappeared (headphone jack im looking at you), internal upgrades, essentially I want to know how it works before I get it, and then proceed to judge the heck out of it on a group chat with my buddies called... Nerd Squad. Yep thats the name. The Nerd Squad consists of me — the visuals, "I use my logical brain"— the programmer, and another programmer/electronics geek that tinkers with all things android.

The most debated question in the comment sections of the tech space on Youtube. Apple vs Android. We will be comparing the ecosystems of products including software. The android side will be represented by Samsung for the sake of the competitors discussion and occasionally paired with other android phones (OnePlus and Googles Pixel) sharing android OS for talking points.

Where to begin? Apple of course. It began with the apple ecosystem the iPod Touch 3rd generation. Back on iOS 3.1.1, where the background was only black before wallpapers were introduced in iOS4 the iconic water droplets, and how can we forget the so beautiful skeuomorphic design (sarcasm)

Heres where my interest in tech grew. Jailbreaking. It was successfully done at my brothers' friends house because our dads vaio laptop did not have enough ram to process it completely. (512mb) Anyways, I thought the jailbreak was revolutionary that I could change the background and icons as well as add tweaks. Guess what I had it changed to for some time? This: Mimicking android 2.0 called "Endroid"

Why do I bring this up? This was the early stages of software and user experience that I had messed with. I wanted to make it my own, and in those times, android users would tout how they had features before apple, and in some cases it translates to todays world even though the playing field has evened out a littler more as options increase. Why does Apple's ecosystem stay locked and android users can install launchers and customize themes all day long? I wanted to know myself and try the competition. I went down under for nine months and got myself a Nexus 6p and an android smartwatch. And that is what happened... I changed themes too often, lost continuity between my other devices (messaging, airdrop, apple watch) got gimmicky apps to transfer files with my mac. Why a Nexus 6p and not a Samsung device? Nexus was running a clean version of Android without bloatware as many Chinese manufacturers like Samsung often add. Even with higher processor speeds on paper than Apple's iPhone, Samsung devices would simply struggle.

Apple's approach to design is quite simple, if you have doubt, listen to Jony Ive's lovely voice on the product videos, and how he explains with such eloquence. His designs extend to diamond rings made just from diamond, to Christmas trees that are naked in their beauty and not ornamented like others have done in the past.

“Simplicity is not the absence of clutter, that’s a consequence of simplicity. Simplicity is somehow essentially describing the purpose and place of an object and product. The absence of clutter is just a clutter-free product. That’s not simple.” - Jony Ive

Yes it may seem as though apple is controlling what we can do with out phones in terms of customization though it is to give itself a consistent image, be intuitive, and simple enough for a wide range of users: ages and skill. Why design something so well thought out for it to be ruined like when android users change the system font to something crazy! But it doesn't go to say that Samsung has made any ugly products, for example the beautifully curved waterfall screens, and foldable screens thats daring innovation!

"Apple is rarely the first to implement a new technology, and Samsung and other companies have already introduced phones with all-glass digital displays. But when Apple feels the time is right, it’s known to execute at a higher level than competitors. “This is something we’ve aspired to for years,” Ive tells me. The company likes to promote the idea that its products are so intuitive they vanish inside the user experience, but Ive really believes in it." - Smithsonian

Samsung, although sells tv's and household appliances, still lost to the apple on getting to 1 trillion in value. It spends money to advertise its product directly taunting apple users. It has a product line that markets its devices to Business Professionals (Note series) and Galaxy Series for everyday users while Apple adds creative professionals to the mix, looking for quality, color and photo accuracy, and security.

Samsung and android phones in general in years past – before soldering everything to the motherboard... were more serviceable, batteries interchangeable, storage expandable, which would easily sway the market towards them even from having more than having options. 

You've got options, two manufacturers that rival features from another, it really comes down to the software mainly, with screen, and camera quality coming in close second followed by spec sheets. Some may be switching to another is a matter of the older getting slow, or to rep the airpods on instagram, or family ties to imessage (the blue bubble group), the easier user expereience on iphone  or the facetime... it all comes down to choice