GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
A recent report found that the US smartphone market is shrinking, and Android phones are taking the biggest hit. Despite rising prices and stock issues, iPhones continue to sell well while Android’s market share keeps slipping.
You can point to a lot of reasons for this, including Apple’s ecosystem advantages and features like iMessage. But one of the biggest reasons, at least in my opinion, is the inconsistent experience people still have on Android phones.
And that isn’t really Google’s fault alone. Brands like Google and Samsung have been pushing hardware boundaries while also improving and optimizing Android itself, yet many people still see Android as less polished compared to iOS. The real issue isn’t Android itself, but the apps we use every day.
Do major apps still feel better on iPhone than Android? 9 votes Yes, definitely 33 % Slightly better 22 % About the same 11 % No, I like apps on Android 33 %
Android’s hardware has evolved faster than the apps on the platform
Sanuj Bhatia / Android Authority
Pick almost any flagship Android phone today, whether it’s the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, or even the Google Pixel 10 Pro, and they feel on par with, if not better than, the iPhone in almost every hardware aspect. Battery life, charging speeds, cameras, displays, pretty much everything. Android phones, at least the flagship ones, offer hardware that’s at least comparable, if not outright ahead, in some areas.
And it isn’t even about the software experience anymore. I’ve used the Oppo Find X9 Ultra extensively over the last two months, and the OS has been rock-solid. In fact, my iPhone Air has actually been the one hiccuping more lately, especially during FaceTime calls, where I still notice occasional jitter and lag.
You’ll also notice that most first-party apps on these phones are properly optimized for the hardware. The camera app on the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, for example, fully takes advantage of the hardware capabilities. Samsung’s own Galaxy apps are another good example. The real problem is with the third-party apps we all use daily.
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