Where Apple Stands Firm (and Google Is in Pieces)

By Doug Ehrman – Jun 26, 2013 at 6:45PM

NASDAQ: AAPL

Apple

Market Cap

$2,623B

Today's Change

(0.54%) $0.92

Current Price

$170.81

Price as of April 26, 2024, 10:47 a.m. ET

iOS and Android remain the two most relevant smartphone operating systems on the market today, but in at least one area, Apple is the clear winner.

Apple (AAPL 0.54%) and Google (GOOGL 9.80%) compete with each other over nearly every aspect of smartphone operations and ecosystems. One arena in which Cupertino may be winning the battle is fragmentation. A recent story from AllThingsD highlights that while Apple does a great job of keeping users of iOS on the most current generation, Android users are "trapped" on multiple -- often dated -- versions. This manifests in the relative appeal of each OS for developers, which continues to draw them toward Apple.

In the video below, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the issue of fragmentation and why Apple's management of iOS matters.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.