1) Discount someone from making an opinion based on an assumption.

2) Then in the next sentence. Make an opinion based on an assumption.

It's not just an assumption that Apple has a strong fashion /brand appeal ...

Note how sentence 2 does not claim it to be the reason, but offers it as a potential reason.

Conversely, it can't be discounted that the fashion might follow functionality. Apples has a lot more experience than Google at creating comprehensively great user experiences.

Google's signature successes, Search and Mail, have wildly different success criteria for user satisfaction than an operating system. Apple's signature successes all have operating systems and then there is the iPod which is a bit different.

The iPhone is differentiated by much more than Apple's marketing. Everybody markets their product.

Kids can also be extremely mean and some will jump all over “green text” kids. Apple certainly doesn’t help by closing their API. Not that they should have to open it but it’s not like they have a really affordable option anymore so the pressure on low income kids and subsequently their parents is pretty strong.

If keeping the API closed causes bullying, then yes, Apple absolutely should have to open it.

Then why is iOS not generally successful outside US?

I am not sure why you don’t consider it successful. Here in London iOS is the default. Android-wise I only see two categories of users: power-users that chose Android for functional or ideological reasons, and budget-constrained users that cant afford or don’t see the value in an iOS device. Both those groups seem to be the minority, just looking around for people on their phones in public places yields a majority of iPhones.

Pretty much all of continental Europe (including wealthy countries such as Germany) have iPhone market share at less than 20%; the UK is the outlier there.

France is also an exception then from what I remember pre-2015 (unless things changed dramatically since then).

Android is pretty huge in Europe. London could be an exception. Surprising even Chinese brands became popular lately with own physical stores in Western European capitals.

I think there is a patriotism component in iPhone US prevalence.

At least here in Brazil it comes down to cost. Iphones are extremely expensive, and restricted to the luxufy segment.