Reality check: iPhone is no longer “king of software support” - this Android phone is
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
For years, iPhone fans had bragging rights that Android users didn’t - the iPhone had the best software support in the smartphone world. Period.
It was something Apple users and Apple itself took pride in (and rightfully so) - it was also a key selling point, which made buying and recommending iPhones over Android phones that much easier for tech nerds like me.
However, in 2024, things are a little bit different - well, at least if you own a Pixel or a Galaxy phone. After spending over a year with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and three months with Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I’m now pretty much convinced - the king of software support is no longer the iPhone.
Yes, you read that right. Apple’s legendary reputation for long-term updates and reliable performance is challenged (to say the least)... In other words, we all know “how it started”… But here’s “how it’s going”!
Of course, the most intriguing software-related thing about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold must be Google’s promise for seven years of software updates. Seven. Samsung flagships aside, that’s unheard of in the Android world, where two or three years of updates used to be the norm until pretty recently - and still are for several phone-makers.
Apart from Android 15, which I recently critisized in a different story, Google’s updates hardly feel like an afterthought meant to keep an aging phone running at the bare minimum.
And that’s where I must bring up Google’s “Feature Drops” - quarterly updates focused on bringing new features to new and old Pixel phones until it’s time for the proper jump to the next major Android version.
That’s dramatically different to Apple’s stingy approach to updates, which (apart from features announced early but launched later), rarely brings a surprising upgrade that simply gives your old iPhone a brand new feature.
In other words, this shows Google’s approach to updates isn’t just about maintenance (to fix what’s broken) - it shows some extra effort put into making Pixel users feel like they are getting more for the money they’ve spent on a Pixel phone. In the end, a $1,000 phone can be considered an investment, given how much it can do for you.
A key point here is that Feature Drops aren’t reserved for new Pixel models - in fact, Google recently announced extended software support of extra two years for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series, which now will get a total of 5 instead of 3 years of support.
On the other hand, speaking of “generos updates”, Apple seems to hold back most of its “innovations” for major yearly updates with the clear goal to sell more of the newest iPhones. Classic Apple.
But the contrast is even more stark than you think, and this is where the likes of Google and Samsung really pull ahead, which (again) is hard to believe given the way things used to be.
And sometimes, it’s not even about the quality of the updates for the iPhone, but about the lack of new features on a $1,000 phone that’s only a year-old. In case there’s any confusion, I’m referring to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series, which were more snubbed than The Weeknd at the Grammys.
I’ve talked about that numerous times, but iPhone 15 got zero Apple Intelligence features with iOS 18, supposedly due to having “only 6GB of RAM”, while my iPhone 15 Pro Max was left out of the “Visual Intelligence” party, because it doesn’t have the Camera Control button to trigger the feature, which can be triggered with the Action Button, or you know - without a button!
Instead of dialing back features or performance, Google and Samsung’s updates genuinely make older phones feel new. For example, the Pixel 6A got the super useful Circle to Search feature despite being way older, and way cheaper than my iPhone 15 Pro Max, which isn’t getting Apple’s equivalent of Circle to Search (Visual Intelligence).
Samsung is perhaps even more generous in that regard, as Galaxy flagships as old as the Galaxy S22 got almost all of the AI tricks available on the Galaxy S24. Just like that.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that seeing how well Google has handled software support for the Pixel 6 (well, apart from the incredibly buggy launch I experienced first-hand!) gives me confidence in the long-term stability of my super-premium phone.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for the iPhone, here’s the real shocker I’ve discovered recently…
In my experience, iOS 17 and especially iOS 18 are simply buggier than Android 14 and 15. And if you told me that three years ago, when I wished I never bought a Pixel 6 Pro, because of how buggy it was at launch, I’d have laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more.
Sure, considering the disastrous launch of the Pixel 6, the bar was set pretty low, but still - Google has clearly worked hard to make Android 14/15 feel more stable, and it shows. I haven’t experienced any major bugs or hiccups on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which (frankly) feels surprisingly awesome.
Meanwhile, iOS on both my iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro has been frustratingly inconsistent. In fact, iOS 17/18 might’ve been the first time I started experiencing consistent lag on an iPhone - particularly my iPhone 13 mini, which is unusual for an Apple device.
But even the dramatically more powerful iPhone 15 Pro Max will show some dropped frames and glitches from time to time.
This isn’t just annoying but pretty shocking, considering I had stuff I needed to access there. Luckily, I had it backed up on my Mac, but I can’t access it to this day on my iPhones.
I’ve also noticed crashes in the Photos app on iOS 18, which happen when I try to copy and paste edits, and there are more bugs I can’t necessarily think of right now.
All in all, I don’t know if it has to do with the fact that iOS 17 and iOS 18 are now far more feature-rich than prior versions of the iPhone’s software, or something else - but my iPhone is now buggier than my Android, and that’s a fact.
I’ll admit… I didn’t always trust Google with software support, and I’m still not 100% sure that I do. Especially given the numerous articles I’ve written on my frustrating experiences with the Pixel 6 Pro and Android 12 from back in the day. It was truly a joke of a launch.
Luckily, in the past few years, Google has managed to turn things around as Pixel updates are now just as timely as before but dramatically more reliable, and I really hope I won’t jinx it.
More importantly, Google’s updates really do make older Pixel devices better and more feature-rich, while the Pixel Drops are the cherry on top - no other phoe-maker promises quarterly updates that bring new features to your phone. It’s kind of a big deal is what I’m saying.
On the other hand… my main phone is still an iPhone (13 mini), which begs the question - where does this leave me, the iPhone, and the gazillion iPhone users out there?!
Well… My truth is that Apple’s laziness and next-level frugality (specifically in the area of software support) is becoming a real problem - to the point where I might be looking for a new primary phone.
If Apple wants to reclaim its crown as the king of software support, Tim Cook & Co must prove they care with:
Look… The iPhone has long been the benchmark for software support, but (sadly for me - as an iPhone user), those days are over.
Whether it’s Google’s Pixel or Samsung’s Galaxy flagships, there are Android phones that offer longer support, faster updates, and proper interest in making your 2-4 year old phones feel new, which is NOWHERE to be seen on iPhones.
Sure, Apple is still a powerhouse, and the iPhone remains the best-selling phone in the world - that’s not changing anytime soon. But if you care about long-term value and meaningful updates, it’s time to look beyond the Apple logo. Because if things continue going this way… I might do just that.
It was something Apple users and Apple itself took pride in (and rightfully so) - it was also a key selling point, which made buying and recommending iPhones over Android phones that much easier for tech nerds like me.
Yes, you read that right. Apple’s legendary reputation for long-term updates and reliable performance is challenged (to say the least)... In other words, we all know “how it started”… But here’s “how it’s going”!
How it started vs how it’s going: My Pixel now offers better software support than my iPhone
Of course, the most intriguing software-related thing about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold must be Google’s promise for seven years of software updates. Seven. Samsung flagships aside, that’s unheard of in the Android world, where two or three years of updates used to be the norm until pretty recently - and still are for several phone-makers.
For reference, iPhones generally get “at least 5 years of OS updates”, but it’s not just about the length of support
Apart from Android 15, which I recently critisized in a different story, Google’s updates hardly feel like an afterthought meant to keep an aging phone running at the bare minimum.
Regular Feature Drops make Pixel feel like a special phone - something I can’t say about my iPhone 15 Pro
And that’s where I must bring up Google’s “Feature Drops” - quarterly updates focused on bringing new features to new and old Pixel phones until it’s time for the proper jump to the next major Android version.
That’s dramatically different to Apple’s stingy approach to updates, which (apart from features announced early but launched later), rarely brings a surprising upgrade that simply gives your old iPhone a brand new feature.
In other words, this shows Google’s approach to updates isn’t just about maintenance (to fix what’s broken) - it shows some extra effort put into making Pixel users feel like they are getting more for the money they’ve spent on a Pixel phone. In the end, a $1,000 phone can be considered an investment, given how much it can do for you.
A key point here is that Feature Drops aren’t reserved for new Pixel models - in fact, Google recently announced extended software support of extra two years for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series, which now will get a total of 5 instead of 3 years of support.
To be fair, Google isn’t “blindly generous” (if that’s even a thing) - Pixel Studio (an app used to create original AI images from prompts) is a powerful tool I wish all Pixels had, but for some reason it is now exclusive to the Pixel 9 series. And for some reason, I highly doubt it’s because of hardware constraints.
We must talk about Apple’s tendency to ignore older iPhones with every new iOS update
But the contrast is even more stark than you think, and this is where the likes of Google and Samsung really pull ahead, which (again) is hard to believe given the way things used to be.
While Apple’s updates for older iPhones have always been a selling point, the quality of those updates is (in my view) a whole different story.
I’ve talked about that numerous times, but iPhone 15 got zero Apple Intelligence features with iOS 18, supposedly due to having “only 6GB of RAM”, while my iPhone 15 Pro Max was left out of the “Visual Intelligence” party, because it doesn’t have the Camera Control button to trigger the feature, which can be triggered with the Action Button, or you know - without a button!
And this isn’t the only time Apple has treated older iPhones this way, which speaks to the fact that this isn’t a coincidence but a policy. Meanwhile, while not perfect, Google’s love for older Pixel phones is refreshing, and that’s where I have to bring up Samsung too.
Samsung is perhaps even more generous in that regard, as Galaxy flagships as old as the Galaxy S22 got almost all of the AI tricks available on the Galaxy S24. Just like that.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that seeing how well Google has handled software support for the Pixel 6 (well, apart from the incredibly buggy launch I experienced first-hand!) gives me confidence in the long-term stability of my super-premium phone.
iOS 17 and iOS 18 on my iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro - more (and super frustrating) bugs than Android 14 and Android 15 on my Pixel
And just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for the iPhone, here’s the real shocker I’ve discovered recently…
In my experience, iOS 17 and especially iOS 18 are simply buggier than Android 14 and 15. And if you told me that three years ago, when I wished I never bought a Pixel 6 Pro, because of how buggy it was at launch, I’d have laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more.
Meanwhile, iOS on both my iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro has been frustratingly inconsistent. In fact, iOS 17/18 might’ve been the first time I started experiencing consistent lag on an iPhone - particularly my iPhone 13 mini, which is unusual for an Apple device.
But even the dramatically more powerful iPhone 15 Pro Max will show some dropped frames and glitches from time to time.
For example, I have a pretty long note (in the Notes app), which I can no longer open on iOS 18, which I was able to access on iOS 17. When I try to open the note, both of my iPhones would start heating up to the point where it feels they’d catch on fire if I don’t kill the app.
I’ve also noticed crashes in the Photos app on iOS 18, which happen when I try to copy and paste edits, and there are more bugs I can’t necessarily think of right now.
Buggy Android versions - Google has turned it around (fingers crossed)
I’ll admit… I didn’t always trust Google with software support, and I’m still not 100% sure that I do. Especially given the numerous articles I’ve written on my frustrating experiences with the Pixel 6 Pro and Android 12 from back in the day. It was truly a joke of a launch.
Luckily, in the past few years, Google has managed to turn things around as Pixel updates are now just as timely as before but dramatically more reliable, and I really hope I won’t jinx it.
More importantly, Google’s updates really do make older Pixel devices better and more feature-rich, while the Pixel Drops are the cherry on top - no other phoe-maker promises quarterly updates that bring new features to your phone. It’s kind of a big deal is what I’m saying.
iPhone is no longer the benchmark for software support - here’s what Apple needs to change to get back on track
On the other hand… my main phone is still an iPhone (13 mini), which begs the question - where does this leave me, the iPhone, and the gazillion iPhone users out there?!
Well… My truth is that Apple’s laziness and next-level frugality (specifically in the area of software support) is becoming a real problem - to the point where I might be looking for a new primary phone.
If Apple wants to reclaim its crown as the king of software support, Tim Cook & Co must prove they care with:
- Delivering bug-free updates - iOS needs to return to its roots of being reliable and polished, and not feature-packed, but rushed and buggy
- Treating older iPhones (much) better - iOS updates shouldn’t make my iPhone run slower, while giving me a couple of new features - we need to flip the script on this one, Apple (and ASAP)
- Feature Drops might be a “Google thing,” but Apple could/should learn from that - why not give iPhone users regular, meaningful updates instead of saving everything for the annual iOS release? I’m asking that knowing it’s 99% sure it’s not happening, but still…
- And last but not least - can we make Apple Intelligence… good? ASAP. Please. I know I didn’t discuss Apple Intelligence in this story, but the truth is that Apple’s AI is at least a year behind what Google and Samsung are doing, and this should change if Apple wants me to take their AI seriously
Don’t try me, Apple! I’m already tempted to switch to a Galaxy or Pixel (full-time)
Look… The iPhone has long been the benchmark for software support, but (sadly for me - as an iPhone user), those days are over.
Sure, Apple is still a powerhouse, and the iPhone remains the best-selling phone in the world - that’s not changing anytime soon. But if you care about long-term value and meaningful updates, it’s time to look beyond the Apple logo. Because if things continue going this way… I might do just that.
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