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Why is Android such a failure with women?
Android devices seem to be striking out with the ladies, at least according to one survey. Only 5% of women would consider an Android device as their next phone, says a survey of 78,835 mobile phone customers in the UK. That's compared to 11% of men, more than twice as many. ReadWriteWeb reports that the study, which claims Android is the poster child for how not to market to women, will be presented at London's Droidcon later this month.An earlier study also found that only a quarter of Android users are women. Does this trend have anything to do with the user interface, the app selection, or the design of the phone itself? Possibly. Of course, it could also be because of macho Droid ad copy that claimed the Droid isn't a pretty princess phone like the iPhone. Seriously, Droid marketing team, could you be any more condescending?
We'd love to hear some reader opinions on this, especially from a female perspective. Android users, what sold you on your Android device? Users of other smartphones: why not Android?
Comments
53
Subscribe to commentsFezOct 15th 2010 4:11PM
I think it's more popular amongst geeks and there are more male geeks than females. On a side note I was reading paul thurrots blog (winsupersite.com) where he says that his wife bought a Droid X and why she did it, interesting read.
BazOct 15th 2010 4:16PM
At the risk of offending a number of different camps here (in these Politically Correct Times), I'm going to suggest that that Android comes across - partly due to the Press reportage and the actual operation of it - as considerably more geeky and less-straightforward than, say, an iPhone or BlackBerry and this may have a lot to do with it.
Women may prefer a device that reeks a little less of 'enthusiast' smartphone user and more of a turn it on / one way to sync / obvious controls to operate rather than the plethora of devices and their various manufacturer / Market options and Apps.
Just a thought.
RollinsOct 15th 2010 4:24PM
I think my girlfriend's opinion regarding my Droid X sums it up: "That is the ugliest phone I have ever seen."
Everything about Verizon's marketing for their Android phones is overwhelmingly masculine and most Android phone designs are inelegant, to say the least. I mention Verizon because they're the largest seller of Android devices in the United States.
Once you get beyond geeks, people often choose phones based on looks, and it really seems that the vast majority of Android devices are designed to appeal to men. I mean, what was the last "pretty" Android phone? The Droid Eris? Samsung's Galaxy S series seem like the only ones left that don't look like giant boxes.
blasztaOct 16th 2010 4:14AM
Blame Motorola, not the Android.. You can find much more polished Android in HTC, Sony Ericsson or Samsung's handhelds.
HaxOct 16th 2010 11:35AM
More like Trollins
RollinsOct 16th 2010 12:13PM
@Hax Haven't heard that one before. I'm a Droid X owner, I want to see the platform improve and I see this as a significant weakness.
@blaszta You're right, so long as I look beyond Verizon. The Droid Incredible isn't much better than its Motorola siblings (look at the back!), but the original design of the Galaxy S is quite nice. The Fascinate looks awful, though.
I guess I let the fact that I'm in the U.S. (where Verizon is the largest Android carreir) bias my view of the platform in general. And this article is referring to a U.K. based study, so I give up.
mvpOct 15th 2010 4:25PM
Going to have to agree and say that android does come off as more geeky. Anytime you drop the word 'Linux' in any sentence, the common person will suddenly become overwhelmed because they aren't familiar, most usually women. What doesn't help in the slightest amount is the advertising for the Droid phones. People, especially women, prefer things light and airy, as a way of calming them down. Look at Apple, most of their products are white or a lighter shade aside from black. In the droid advertisements, you get a sense of apocalyptic doom as the environments get darker and robots start controlling everything. In short terms you never walk away from a droid commercial with a fuzzy feeling.
r3loadedOct 15th 2010 4:30PM
I disagree, I know quite a few with Android devices. The first person I ever saw with a T-Mobile G1 (the first ever Android phone) was in fact a girl.
It might be an effect of the Droid branding in the US, but there certainly isn't anything like that here.
JimiisamaOct 15th 2010 4:30PM
If the way something is marketed affects your purchase decision, then you deserve to be that statistic.
kevjohnOct 16th 2010 4:35AM
Yes, because if there is one thing history has taught us, it's that advertising/propaganda is never effective. Ever.
JimiisamaOct 16th 2010 9:25PM
^Completely misses the point.
jimboOct 28th 2010 7:42PM
Whoa! Not everyone has the time to know all relevant factors of all 100 phones he or she may have to choose from. (And, I admit, not everyone has the inclination.) So whether the advertising makes a phone's advantages visible to potential buyers DOES make a difference, even to geeks. Just because you don't spend 30+ hours on line researching your next phone does not make you a dope who deserves something bad.
shrikeOct 15th 2010 4:31PM
I have a vagina, and an Android.
Kind of wanted an iPhone but was locked into Verizon. Android seemed like a comparable choice. I don't have any problem with the interface or anything like that; seems perfectly straightforward to me. Good phone. Happy with it.
Jay HathawayOct 15th 2010 5:09PM
Just out of curiosity, which Android phone do you have?
IzzyOct 16th 2010 11:01AM
I spoke with one vagina-clad waitress at BW3 who had a Droid X and she loves it. We started talking after she saw my iPad. Her only problem with it was the size, bigger isn't always better.
SilverWaveOct 15th 2010 4:32PM
hmm... odd lots of the women I know love it.
That is HTC Desire or Wildfire.
SilverWaveOct 15th 2010 4:34PM
It may just be that the iPhone is better known? Over time that will be less of a factor.
paul34Oct 15th 2010 4:36PM
Most women care mostly about image. I'm not saying a lot of guys are the same way, but they couldn't care less about what their phones or cannot do, and only care whether other people see taht shiny Apple on the other side of their devices.
Think of it like cars. You can have a whiz-bang car full of great gadgets, a great interior and exterior, great suspension, and powerful RWD drivetrain with a wonderfully slick manual... and then you can have a VW Bug. Women are still probably going to choose the bug, because it is "cute."
Marie BradenOct 15th 2010 4:37PM
I'm a chick with a DROID 2, after my DROID....and I DID find the marketing insulting. That said, I looooove Android.
lungjianOct 15th 2010 5:01PM
I think the author here is correct - marketing is the biggest factor. The ONLY nationwide marketing in the US for Android has been the VZW Droid ads and yes, they are very condescending to women. I doubt this influenced the UK study quoted in the article, but I think the results would be even more disparate in the USA. Women tend not to relate to computer-voiced robotic machines with a single glowing red "eye" threatening them and insulting things that might appeal to them.
The iPhone aesthetic is very appealing to women. Everything is clean, bright, and orderly. And most women tend to be more practical about their technology and gadgets. It's an appliance, not an ego trip. Women want to know if it works well, is easy to use, is reliable, and looks nice. Men mostly want to say, "Mine is bigger, stronger, faster, and/or hotter!" This is at the base instinct level. Yes, women are certainly competitive. And yes, men can make practical, rational decisions. But we are DRIVEN by our base natures.
My wife started using iOS 3 years ago on a 2G and now has a 3GS. I let her try my new Dell Streak and her comment was, "oooh. This is cool." Having widgets and real apps and being able to truly customize the homescreens impressed her. The browser seemed as fast as what she was used to on iOS Safari. Of course, the 5" screen probably helped, but most Android devices have a larger screen than the iPhone.
(To anyone reading this - HA! My phone is bigger and probably faster than yours! I'm feeling superior and gratified in my betterness! Glad I didn't buy that iPhone...)