It’s inevitable.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will introduce new iPhones next week, and it won’t be enough for some people.
How many generations of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iconic smartphone have gone by without the NFC feature that’s been available in several Android devices for years? When will Apple offer larger iPhones?
I couldn’t ignore that last question. It was the biggest reason why I switched in May. After going through three different iPhones since 2008, I fell for the irresistible charms of Samsung’s Galaxy S4. The learning curve hasn’t been steeper than I thought it would be, but I’m too far gone at this point. It just feels strange when I compare the tiny screens of the iPhone 5 or my old iPhone 4S to what I’m using now.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) doesn’t get that. It doesn’t get me.
Normally I would argue that my subjective view doesn’t matter. I am just one person. How many people do you know that have said that Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is doomed because they stopped using the site years ago, falsely assuming that everyone’s following them on the way out?
According to industry tracker IDC, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s share of the smartphone market has contracted from 17% to 13% over the past year.
A year ago it was easy to fear that the iPhone was vulnerable. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s stock may have peaked when it topped $700 the day the iPhone 5 hit stores, but Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was readying its attack with a fortified Windows Phone 8 release a few weeks later. BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) rolled out its hyped up BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system a few months later.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and BlackBerry proved to be weak villains for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). Microsoft’s market share has only moved from 3.1% to 3.7% over the past year, and BlackBerry’s going the wrong way as it fades in Apple’s rearview mirror.
The only reason that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is losing market share is because Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)‘s Android is taking over the planet. Its market share has soared from 69% to 79% over the past year. That puts it on the Lucky Strike cigarettes or Trident gum category with four out of five doctors or dentists on board.
The iPhone 5 didn’t change that, and next week’s iPhone 5S is unlikely to gain share at Android’s expense unless it doubles as a Taser, can predict winning lottery tickets, and puts your Roomba to shame with its floor-slurping flexibility.
That’s fine. The iPhone is still growing. Most iPhone owners ready to upgrade will upgrade. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s taken enough pins to its helium-balloon gut to keep expectations low.
There are things far worse than second place. Just ask Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) — it’s spending billions to sustain third place.
The article If You Can’t Be With the iPhone You Love, Love the One You’re With originally appeared on Fool.com.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
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