It definitely didn't start that way. For a very long time, Android didn't have most of the apps iPhone users wanted, especially not back in 2009 when I got my Android. It took time, but it happened. Especially in the case of Tizen, where it could run Android apps, they'd really just need to convince the top 200 apps or so to port over to their store, and that'd get them started pretty well.
The challenge is not getting the apps ported, the challenge is making devs want to port the apps. Sometimes that comes because everyone is talking about a new phone, but where Android started, was the developers of those apps themselves getting excited about it. But Android no longer caters to developers, so a platform like Tizen has a great opening there. As Windows Phone is closed source, it couldn't capitalize on this nearly as well.
This was 2009 and the smartphone was not a mature platform. People still used their computers on an everyday basis and didn't rely on their phones as much.
This is not the case anymore. I work at a university where I have network statics for all devices connected and can tell how they are used and what they are used for.
People expect certain things from their phones now and if they cant have it they would go somewhere else. You're in denial.
"But Android no longer caters to developers" Can you explain what you mean by this?
Since Android debuted, it has gotten rid of SD card slots, keyboard layout options, removable batteries, and replaced most of it's open source apps with proprietary Google Apps. Android has gone from being generally unlocked to where even Google's own Pixel had to essentially get jailbroken with an exploit. UI design catered to power users has been replaced with large simplified UIs with excessive animations and bright colors.
Android of today is basically the iPhone. Really would like to see a phone for power users again.
Android is the operating system, how did it get rid of a removable battery? SD cards can very well be used with Android still so that was never removed from the OS. what Google did was hardened it so that apps don't have full reign over everything on there compromising security.
People are once again using their phones for a lot more than casually surfing the web and playing games.
Access to someone's phone now can give you access to their entire life hence the tougher security.
I guess Google can't satisfy everyone and there are options for now with Tizen right?
The challenge is not getting the apps ported, the challenge is making devs want to port the apps. Sometimes that comes because everyone is talking about a new phone, but where Android started, was the developers of those apps themselves getting excited about it. But Android no longer caters to developers, so a platform like Tizen has a great opening there. As Windows Phone is closed source, it couldn't capitalize on this nearly as well.