According to experts, the iPhone 16 "family" will be the most Android-like iPhone line ever.
Years ago, Android and iPhone users were at odds, reacting violently to competing brands. But now, they're becoming more and more alike.
Illustration photo.
With the iPhone 16 series, this is the pinnacle of smartphone parity. In other words, the distinction between iPhones and Android smartphones is being erased.
Operating system
As predicted, the iOS 18 operating system will allow users to arrange icons on the home screen, quite similar to Android smartphones.
Illustration photo.
The same goes for Control Center customization, lock screen shortcut customization, and even RCS. Next, the new iPhones will also have a dedicated Game Mode, a feature that has been built into many Android phones before and has been longed for by iFans.
Hardware
Along with software, the addition of a USB-C port on the bottom edge of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series makes them look even more like Android phones than previous generations of iPhones.
The iPhone has a USB-C port.
In fact, with the Lightning connector when using the iPhone, users will have a more exclusive feeling. Not to mention that this connection port was born earlier than USB-C. However, Apple has lost that great factor because of the EU, which gives the iPhone the ability to charge and transfer data faster.
Artificial Intelligence - AI
This year, Apple has Apple Intelligence. In fact, most of the AI features do the same thing that all these LLMs (Large Language Models) do, Apple just uses different names. In other words, the AI-powered Siri is just Gemini or Galaxy AI for iOS users.
In short, Apple Intelligence will make the iPhone 16 “family” more like Android phones because most Android users are already familiar with these features.
Ecosystem
Over the years, Apple has built its own ecosystem. However, other companies (Samsung) have caught up and Apple no longer holds the exclusive “key” to a large and locked ecosystem.
Smart ring (illustrative image).
For example, with the Galaxy Ring smart ring, users will have to use the Samsung Health app and cannot use it with other Android phones. Other brands are also starting to implement these solutions, including Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, etc., although it is still quite unstable.
So in this aspect, it's not that Apple is trying to turn the iPhone 16 series into an Android phone, but the opposite - the Android phone brand has narrowed the gap with the iPhone.
Price factor
iPhones used to be synonymous with premium products, partly because of their high price tag. In the past, iPhones were often priced much higher than high-end Android smartphones.
But the reality has changed. Samsung has not only matched the iPhone's price over the past few generations, but has sometimes even surpassed it in terms of selling price.
Sony phones are more expensive than iPhones.
In particular, many foldable smartphones are priced higher than the iPhone. This is also the segment that Apple is delaying. Even if the foldable iPhone is launched, it is likely that it will be similar to the foldable phones of the Android segment.
Conclude
Tech experts have long recognized the consolidation of the smartphone market. Yet everything is meeting the needs of users. Despite criticism of the increasingly poor variety, millions of users are still willing to upgrade their iPhone 14 or Galaxy S22 to the latest smartphone model.