This is a ridiculous article. When you talk about a platform's 'advantage', you're talking about features that enable it to dominate its sector.
Apple does no such thing. They make lots of money, but they don't dictate the direction tech is going. They make nice devices for the present, but they offer no additional utility over an Android device.
The fact that Google doesn't make as much money selling phones is a moot point because they're more of a service provider than a hardware manufacturer. They want you to be using Google services, and Android/Nexus products merely enable that.
As for the utility of an iPhone vs. Android, my Android phone (via Google services) keeps track of traffic for my various commutes (work and school), makes appointments for me based on the content of e-mails (reads schedules, meeting times), and does all sorts of other predictive magic. And has been doing this for awhile now. Apparently Apple just started adding these features to iOS 9 (as well as split-screen multitasking, their new Notes app, public transportation on Maps, )? Dunno, based on the feature sheet of iOS 9, seems like Apple is 2-3 years behind Google/Samsung.
The article is not about features, but about profits. But to your point about features: Follow the money. How else would Apple be making so much money if not by giving customers the features they want. That is exactly how they make money: features.
In Apple's case the hardware is a feature. Performance is a feature. Build quality is a feature - all of those things come from manufacturing. By controlling the whole process they can ensure quality from both the software and hardware sides.
You are correct that unlike Apple, Google is not a hardware manufacturer, they sell ads - but they are still trying to make money. It's just that they make most of their revenue from ads, and Android is a way for them to ensure they can capture the ads in the mobile space without being shut out by the iPhone.
But, how long will HTC, Huaweii, Nokia, Motorola be around making smartphones for the Android platform if they are not making any money ? Who will make Android phones without turning a profit ?
As for your quote:
> They make lots of money, but they don't dictate the direction tech is going.
I will offer this example:
- touchscreen phones ( find a smartphone that is not like the iphone)
Google makes money. Samsung makes money. Xiaomi makes money. I'm sure others do too, even if it's less than Apple.
The fact some companies don't make money is meaningless. Is it Microsoft's fault if an OEM goes out of business?
And the innovation thing goes both ways. Yes Apple popularized a form factor, but remember there still was BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Maemo, etc..., before iOS.
And every new feature on iOS 9's launch page is more or less taken from Android, some features being several years old.
Thinking about technology that developers use, very little comes from Apple. They contribute, but no one is launching their startup on OSX servers. No one is coding the next search engine in Objective C or Swift. Apple products are a shiny computer that hosts apps.
The point of the article is that Apple has an unassailable position. That's what a lot of people thought about Volkswagen a year ago. What they thought of Microsoft a decade ago. Also what we think of Google today... The point is, Apple does nothing so special that they can't be beaten.
Apple does no such thing. They make lots of money, but they don't dictate the direction tech is going. They make nice devices for the present, but they offer no additional utility over an Android device.
The fact that Google doesn't make as much money selling phones is a moot point because they're more of a service provider than a hardware manufacturer. They want you to be using Google services, and Android/Nexus products merely enable that.
As for the utility of an iPhone vs. Android, my Android phone (via Google services) keeps track of traffic for my various commutes (work and school), makes appointments for me based on the content of e-mails (reads schedules, meeting times), and does all sorts of other predictive magic. And has been doing this for awhile now. Apparently Apple just started adding these features to iOS 9 (as well as split-screen multitasking, their new Notes app, public transportation on Maps, )? Dunno, based on the feature sheet of iOS 9, seems like Apple is 2-3 years behind Google/Samsung.