Apple killed it this year, and Android needs a shot in the arm Opinion post by We all love Android, but come on… Apple killed it this year. Cupertino hit the ground running with the refreshed iPhone SE early in the year. It showed Android manufacturers how to blend cutting edge performance, flagship features, and an affordable price tag into a winning formula. It’s hard to name an Android equivalent that’s quite as good at all three. Not only did the phone review very well, but it set the benchmark for incredible value this year. The Apple iPad refresh, the Watch Series 6, and the iPhone 12 series are all predictably competent pieces of hardware too. They’ve refined what we’ve come to expect from Apple products over the years. Cupertino certainly knows how to make and market high-end products, helping to keep Android tablets and smartwatches at an arm’s length. The company also shook up its various subscription services, combining them under the more competitively priced Apple One bundle. It’s a leaner, more competitive force in the media steaming race as a result, which certainly doesn’t hurt Apple’s broader ecosystem either.