I don't think this is news to anyone (in general), but it is increasingly becoming the differentiating factor between Android and iOS.
Apple is all-in on customer privacy and Google hasn't really been able to respond on that front since their business model depends on targeted advertising based on data collected about their users.
The question is whether regular people really care about privacy more than they do about the price of a phone. And so far it seems that the lower priced phones are winning.
They recently added a systematic scan, compare and report routine to all your pictures.
They forces you to tie your phone to an Apple account just to use it. My android phone doesn't have an account, or even an email linked to it.
Apple now has an entire mesh network of BT devices constantly looking up each others, even if some of them are not connected to internet.
The microphone on the Apple device is always on, to answer to hey siri.
Finally, you can't install a real alternative browser on iOS, so no real privacy addons.
They make big claims about privacy nobody can check because everything is closed source. So you have to just trust them.
"But apple doesn't have an ad business"
Oh but they do. And they don't have to play by their own rules in the app store, and have the right to track users, gather device informations, location, etc. Fun thing is, they start the list of information they collect (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/apple-advertisin...) by stating "Apple-delivered advertising helps people discover apps, products, and services while respecting user privacy".
I don't think they are any better, just different. And better at PR.
Price and privacy are hardly the only differentiating factors between the two. And even if they were, those who care most about privacy have more options on Android at the extreme end.
> The question is whether regular people really care about privacy more than they do about the price of a phone. And so far it seems that the lower priced phones are winning.
To find that out, the privacy intrusions would have to be advertised as prominently as the price.
Apple is all-in on customer privacy and Google hasn't really been able to respond on that front since their business model depends on targeted advertising based on data collected about their users.
The question is whether regular people really care about privacy more than they do about the price of a phone. And so far it seems that the lower priced phones are winning.