What Explains Android vs. iPhone Usage Share Discrepancies Between Countries?

Today’s earlier item about iPhone usage share overtaking Android in the U.S. led to an interesting thread on Twitter regarding the seemingly curious large differences in iPhone/Android share between different countries. The iPhone is particularly popular in the U.S. and Japan, and in English-speaking countries (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia) in general. Android, for obvious reasons, is overwhelmingly popular in poorer countries. But there are wealthy countries like Germany and France where Android is more popular by roughly 3 to 1 margins. I suspect there is no simple answer to this, and that it comes down to nuanced but significant nation-by-nation cultural differences.

If any readers in Germany, France, or Japan (or from anywhere, for that matter) have ideas about this, I’m all ears.

★ Friday, 2 September 2022