[omnimus]

Not true at all. This effect is pretty common in countries outside of US. It makes sense. WhatsApp is just another messaging app thats popular depending on a local whim. Where as iMessages get sent automatically between iOS users.

[NBJack]

Outside the US, and a handful of other countries, Android is far more dominant than iOS (75% vs 25%). [1]

WhatsApp has an estimated active userbase of approximately 3 billion. [2] The number of iMessage users is estimated to be about 1 billion. [3]

[1] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/iphone-android-users#iphone...

[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1306022/whatsapp-global-...

[3] https://usesignhouse.com/blog/imessage-stats/#:~:text=iMessa...

[ksec]

On [1], If you only look at countries with decent GDP per Capita. iOS will have anywhere from 40 to 65% market share. Even in China iOS is well over 30%.

When you consider Africa + ASEAN + India has 3.5B population and has very low iPhone market share that sort of Skew the figures.

[oasisaimlessly]

Yeah, weighting the figures by GDP makes sense. Indeed, poor people aren't really people at all.

[hownotai]

Because it doesn't show an accurate representation. iOS is growing at a faster rate than ever before in developing countries, Apple achieved 11% shipment market share for the first time in India in Q424.

[omnimus]

Sorry but how that invalidates that in my country nobody uses WhatsApp? It doesn't matter at all if they are on Android or iOS.

And since iMessages are seamless they are used very often between iOS users.

[dividedbyzero]

I'm sure there are dozens of people in Germany who actively prefer iMessage but I haven't met one yet. Whatsapp achieved pretty much total market capture here back when SMS still were costly and the network effects that arose from that are among the strongest I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure if someone was to do a survey, almost everyone would say Messages is for SMS only and I think most of them wouldn't know it can do more than that.

[virtualritz]

In Berlin everyone seems to be on Telegram these days. People leaning more left and/or are privacy-aware and/or hate FB/Meta/big tech use Signal.

WhatsApp seems only to be used by the elderly/old in my circle of friends lately.

The transition has been gradual; started during the pandemic, I'd say.

[AlexKir]

It doesn't surprise me. Telegram is surerior both technologically and UX side.

I have impression that WhatsApp team just dont do anything for years.

[omnimus]

Yet i write with most of my German friends using iMessages because its automatic and i dont have Telegram or WhatsApp because nobody uses it in my european country.

[31337Logic]

Y'all bitches gotta get on Signal. ;-)

[dividedbyzero]

I hear even the US government trusts Signal

[beAbU]

What countries other than US is this so prevalent?

[jbarham]

According to https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/iphone-ma... iPhone also has > 50% market share in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Australia and Japan. FWIW I live in Australia and most group chats are via WhatsApp vs SMS/iMessage.

[omnimus]

I didnt say this is so prevalent. Just that it exists.

My experience from few european countries is that middle class - tech/business/law people have iOS. Go to tech or business conference and its all iphones.

So its really easy to be in such circles. I live in EU country and its all iMessage or Signal. Nobody uses WhatsApp if something its Facebook Messenger or Instagram messages.