This article raises some valid points, but also contains some misconceptions. I will try to address them without sounding like an Apple apologist.

1. Value for money is a personal decision. Certainly, one can get Android phones for less than Apples offerings, however each use case is different. I wouldn’t have time to learn how manage the intricacies of the nine phones that are in use across my extended family has if they were all different versions of the OS, but iOS is similar enough across the various phones that it isn’t as much hassle. This is where I can justify paying extra for the Apple phones. For others, this isn’t a concern. Phones are simply tools, and the best tool for anyone is the one that provides the most functionality at the least cost (time, money, etc).

2. Apples file system has improved (marginally). It still sucks. The only possible saving graces are the sand boxing and iCloud, but that’s definitely not an equalizer.

3. Customization is important for some, and for others, consistency across devices is more important. Many companies don’t allow customization beyond insignificant things, thus rely on iOS over android.

4. External storage is in the form of iCloud, as far as Apple is concerned. This gives my (personal use case) 2TB accessible at any time on iCloud,plus another 2TB on DropBox. On the other hand, it costs me data. The nice thing about online storage in my case is availability across devices with the comfort of knowing that it is not lost if I lose my phone. Again – personal preference.

5. Having multiple login options is fine, but security is the goal. Security is only as good as the weakest login option. All the independent reports online that I have seen suggest that it is marginally easier to defeat the security of Android phones.

6. The human brain can’t multitask. It rapidly task switches. As long as the apps keep up with my task-switching, multitasking is irrelevant, whether on a phone or tablet.

7. & 8. More choices, custom ROMs etc all fall under the same category as customization – important to some, and a downside to others. Security and device management are issues to consider here – some devices can have their OS updated and receive security patches for several years, others for only a couple. Then again, being reliant on a single source for the system software opens up issues like Apple is having now.

9. Siri is awful, however it (supposedly) doesn’t keep personal data nor send it “home”. I’m not convinced that the trade off that Apple made is worthwhile however I generally don’t like the voice assistants anyhow – just adds to the noise pollution.

10. Finding apps on either OS is difficult, but that’s understandable. When there are several million apps to sort through and categorize, things don’t always end up in the right place. And both systems are victims to people “gaming the system” to increase app visibility. I can’t speak to Android apps, but iOS apps are supposed to be vetted to ensure there are no security issues, malware, etc. I have many friends with Android devices who have been hit by various forms of malware, but I have seen this much less frequently with iOS devices, despite them being more common in my workplace and friend circles.

Points that you didn’t address (though perhaps they aren’t important to you):

1. Integration – I can hop from my iOS devices to macOS devices and have the work/document/etc transfer seamlessly.

2. Longevity – I have had no problems running 4 yr old devices from Apple. The Android devices that I have purchased in the past lasted at most 18 months.

3. Resale value – when calculating value, most people forget to account for resale. My sons will regularly flip their phones after a year, with a net cost of no more than about $200 annually for the phone. I would suspect that this is no more costly than similar spec’ed Android phones.

At the end of the day, a phone is a tool, like a vehicle. All new vehicles will get you from point A to B, but each has a different utility and function. It’s no use getting a Ferrari if you need to haul cattle, and it’s no use getting a Prius if you have a family of six. Each persons needs will differ, and thus the relevance of all the points above may be more or less valid.

Underlying it all is the benefitoif having options. If both weren’t strong choices, then consumers would all lose.