A Broken iPhone Is Better Than a Broken Android

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While fragile and very much breakable, the fact is that the iPhone is actually built to last, compared to its competiton. An integrated system really is better, even if it means shielding devices from some features. A broken iPhone probably has a solution. A broken Android phone can turn into trash.

Steve Jobs recently stood on top of his soapbox to discuss record quarterly earnings by Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and to stick his nose in the air in regard to competition. It's not that he is ignoring competition. In fact, he seems very much obsessed with it -- but his annoyance is warranted.

The Android folks, who are now gobbling up every manufacturer, carrier and user under the sun, are spreading propaganda that their operating system is "open" while the iPhone is "closed." This is true, as Android owners have the ability to play with a wider variety of applications. It is not the whole story though, which is what Jobs was really discussing, as he must have been thinking that the competition is cyclical, redundant and wasteful.

Working closely within the repair industry, it is very obvious to me what systems are "fragrmented" and what systems are "integrated" -- as Jobs prefers to frame the competition debate.



Lots of Choices Means Lots of Parts

For all the grief the iPhone has endured for antenna-gate and glass that is easily broken (Gizmodo dubbed the iPhone 4 "fragile beauty"), the parts and repair services are readily available and, compared to Android, reasonably priced. The Android sleeps with a number of manufacturers, and if someone breaks an Android-powered phone, finding the correct parts can be very difficult.

In terms of DIY repair, Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and HTC Androids typically are harder and more expensive to fix. The parts can be found (finally!) but for somebody who is not inclined to fix much of anything, repairing them by yourself can be difficult, and easy to screw up.

Additionally, finding services locally to fix your Andorid phone can be nearly impossible in some areas, while iPhone repair shops are popping up on every other street corner in big cities.

The same applies for mail-in services. Most don't repair Motorola or HTC phones because the parts are expensive, the repairs are difficult, and the overall "worth" for small-time shops is not justified.

It's not that phone repair people can't figure it out, but they are tightly budgeted. Buying a million different parts for the variety of Android phones out there is expensive -- so your best bet may be to just ask the repair shop to order the parts when you need the repair, then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Fragile, Breakable - and Fixable

iPhone parts are well-known and reasonably priced, and inventory is simplified. There are four iPhone models, so that gives you four different order screens. Many shops have stopped repairing the original, so they're only dealing with three. Some pieces and parts work on all of the models, making inventory for the frugally minded easier to work with and causing far fewer headaches.

Programmers share similar beliefs in terms of software, as it's far less of a pain to dive into the iPhone than the Android. Things are coming full circle in the mobile world for Apple, as this is exactly what was happening with Windows in the 90s. Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) spread its legs for every manufacturer around, and while that lead to great success, it also greatly reduced the longevity of its products.

While fragile and very much breakable, the fact is that the iPhone is actually built to last, compared to its competiton. An integrated system really is better, even if it means shielding devices from some features.

The Droid is a great phone -- and those who own one seem to be willing to defend it to their graves. That's understandable, and I'm not here to be a cheerleader for Apple. Factually speaking, though, a broken iPhone probably has a solution. A broken Android phone can turn into trash -- although a repair shop will be more than willing to take it off your hands.