I've been watching the twitterverse this morning for #iOS5. It's amazing just how much eager anticipation there is for Apples latest iOS update.
And it makes me think: this is one of the reasons why Apple has been as successful as they are, and at least part of what the Android universe seems not to get. There's been much media tooth-gnashing about what a dicey proposition it is with any particular Andriod device to be sure that you'll be able to have the latest flavor of android on your device in a timely fashion, if at all. And the implicit assumption here is that it's about features and functions. For sure it is about that. But more importantly, it's about this:
Every time Apple releases a major new OS update, it's a little present under the Christmas tree from Apple to me. They give it away free if you own a compatible iOS device. Guaranteed. They're quite clear and explicit about what devices are compatible (the vast majority are). Guaranteed. And when you get it, the thing you bought from Apple just got that much better. Guaranteed.
If you don't see why that is a delightful consumer experience, and why the comparable Android experience kinda blows in comparison, then you don't understand consumers. It's not marketing. It's not smoke and mirrors. It's figuring out how to delight people and executing on that plan flawlessly and... delighting them.