It wasn’t Google that killed Android. These are the apps you use every day

Recently report It found that the US smartphone market is shrinking, with Android phones taking the biggest hit. Despite rising prices and stock issues, iPhones continue to sell well, while Android’s market share continues to slide.

You can point to many reasons for this, including Apple’s ecosystem advantages and features like iMessage. But one of the biggest reasons, at least in my opinion, is the inconsistent experience people still have. Android phones.

And it’s not just Google’s fault. Brands like Google and Samsung are pushing the hardware boundaries while improving and optimizing Android itself, but many people still find Android less polished than iOS. The real problem isn’t Android itself, it’s the apps we use every day.

Pick up almost any flagship Android phone today Oppo Find X9 UltraSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or even Google Pixel 10 Proand they feel equal to, if not better than, the iPhone in almost every hardware aspect. Battery life, charging speed, cameras, displays, pretty much everything. Android phones, at least the flagship ones, offer at least comparable hardware in some areas.

And it’s no longer about the software experience. I have been using the Oppo Find X9 Ultra extensively for the past two months and the OS has been very solid. Actually mine iPhone Air it’s been a bit more hiccupy lately, especially during FaceTime calls, where I still occasionally experience flickering and lag.

You’ll also find that most of the first-party apps on these phones are properly optimized for the hardware. For example, the camera software on the Oppo Find X9 Ultra takes full advantage of the hardware capabilities. Samsung’s own Galaxy apps are another good example. The real problem is with the third-party software we all use on a daily basis.

Android may be home to millions of apps, but some of the biggest ones still feel noticeably inferior to their iOS versions. Instagram is a perfect example. The design may look similar on both platforms, but the Android version still feels a little less polished. A simple example is story downloads. Download a story from an Android phone and compare it to a story downloaded from an iPhone, and you’ll usually see better photo and video quality in the iPhone version.

The same goes for X (Twitter). I’ve used the app on dozens of Android phones and every now and then the feed stops scrolling until I close the app and reopen it. I have rarely encountered this problem on my iPhone. Features also come faster on iOS. For example, X’s newer Timeline experience has been available on iPhone for weeks while Android users are still waiting.

Another issue is that many apps continue to completely ignore Google’s design language on Android. Apple introduced Liquid Glass with iOS 26and now many apps on iOS already adopt that visual style, making the whole experience feel more cohesive. WhatsApp recently started rolling out Liquid Glass-inspired elements on iOS, while Instagram is still testing similar changes.

Meanwhile, there’s Google Material 3 Expressive it’s been almost a full year and only a few major third-party apps have gotten it right.

And then there are folding ones. Although Android foldables nearly eight years on, many mainstream apps are still not properly optimized for larger foldable displays. Unfortunately, some apps are already making plans for the rumored iPhone Fold before Android is fully optimized for foldable devices.

It’s easy to blame developers for not optimizing their apps properly, but Google hasn’t pushed them hard enough either. Apple controls the ecosystem more tightly, effectively forcing developers to adhere to its design standards and optimization requirements. Things like solid App Store reviews make this inevitable.

Android, on the other hand, gives developers more freedom. While this openness has its advantages, it has created an inconsistent software experience in many applications. And this problem is now more noticeable than before.

That said, things may eventually get better. Recently, at the opening of the Android Show, Google announced a partnership with Meta Better Instagram optimizations for Android. This includes an improved boot and load line, Ultra HDR support and better optimization for Android tablets.

Google is also bringing more exclusive editing features to the Edits Android app, and Adobe Premiere is finally making its way to Android as well.

All this makes me feel that things are slowly starting to change. But I still think Google needs to go further. At the very least, the top 1% most used apps should be under stricter scrutiny by Google to ensure they are properly optimized for flagship Android phones. I think this alone will greatly improve people’s acceptance of Android as a platform.