Android vs. iPhone — Who Wins In 2011? 424
Hugh Pickens writes "Philip Elmer-DeWitt writes in Fortune Magazine that Apple and Google have two very different strategies in the competition shaping up in 2011 between Android and iPhone. According to the conventional wisdom as espoused by Don Dodge, a Developer Advocate at Google, both Apple and Google will win because they are playing different games. Android will win the market share battle, but Apple will generate bigger profits. 'Apple goes for the high end of the market where they can charge high prices and enjoy great profit margins. Apple has been successful with this strategy multiple times, and will do it again with iPhone,' writes Dodge adding that Google's strategy with Android is to generate revenue streams from mobile search and advertising. Another Google employee, Tim Bray, sees things differently and says he won't be surprised if Apple ships a cheap iPhone and if this time next year, dirt-cheap iPhones were competing against Androids that push the user-experience lever farther than Apple. 'There's nothing fundamental in Android that would get in the way of a industrial-design and user-experience rock-star team, whether at Google or one of the handset makers, testing the hypothesis that these things are central to Apple's success.'"
I meant to comment earlier (Score:5, Funny)
I meant to comment earlier, but my iPhone alarm didn't go off.
Re:I meant to comment earlier (Score:5, Funny)
I tried to text you to warn you that might happen, but my Android routed the SMS to your mother instead.
Re:I meant to comment earlier (Score:5, Funny)
I just use my Blackberry as an alarm clock. Every night before going to bed I simply remove & replace the battery - I wake up to the sound of the finished reboot, alert and refreshed after about eight hours of sleep.
Re:I meant to comment earlier (Score:5, Funny)
Ask me in twelve months (Score:3)
Everyone wins. (Score:5, Insightful)
Based on my experience with both Android phones and iPhones, here's how I see it:
Do you want something that "just works" out of the box, but with somewhat limited customization options? Do you want something that's dead simple and requires little to no learning to use? Get an iPhone.
Do you like to be able to modify every little facet of your phone, right down to the hardware it runs on? Do you not mind a small learning curve if it means more flexible overall operation? Get an Android phone.
They both have their place...it all comes down to your preferences and needs.
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:4, Funny)
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Interesting. Do you like to sleep in at times? Get an iPhone.
Seriously, if you want the best phone you can buy for most circumstances the iPhone is the way to go. Version 5 should have resolved any teething problems and there is a long way to go for Google to reach that point of maturity in its mobile OS.
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:4, Funny)
It's not so difficult.
- Do you like to install iTunes on your pc? Get an iPhone.
- Do you want to see Ads? Get Android.
- Do you want to make sure everything always works on your phone (until the next version is available)? Get an iPhone.
- Do you want the latest and fastest cutting-edge hardware, be it with a lot of bugs? Get Android.
- Do you like Steve Jobs or hate Flash? Get an iPhone.
- Do you hate Steve Jobs or like Flash? Get Android.
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"Do you want the latest and fastest cutting-edge hardware, be it with a lot of bugs? Get Android."
There are a LOT of android phones that are super slow and low end hardware. You need to buy Top end Android phones to get "cutting edge" and "fastest".
Apples to Apples please. the $99.00 AT&T Android phone is a complete turd. yet a $99.00 refurb iphone 3gs is very useable even with ios 4.26541032.3.11-no alarm edition..
Also the Motorola Droid II is pretty darn bug free, I have not seen any problems wit
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The first version was something like 10-15.000 SEK if you counted in the subscription you had to get because back then you couldn't buy it without one.
And yet I didn't even pay SEK 8 000 for mine (including the subscription costs). Of course, you had a choice in what subscription you chose (seriously, Telia has a buttload of different plans) and regardless of what smartphone you get you'll have to pay for the service one way or another so it's not really fair to add that to the cost of the phone unless you do that with every phone (in which case the most expensive phones would probably be whatever models are most popular with teenage girls as they tend to
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Oh yeah, and you can get a 16 GB iPhone 4 for SEK 6 990 with no contract and not locked to any provider at Dustin Home, and if they're selling it at that price you know there's someone out there selling it for less. With a contract the price is likely to be a lot less.
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:5, Insightful)
Fair enough, but if you really want to be able to modify your phone, be careful about which Android phone you get. Many are pretty locked-down, and having an open-source operating system doesn't necessarily mean that the device will be open.
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From what I've seen, it looks like most of the locked-down Android phones are on AT&T. Coincidence?
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Wondering which model this is, as to my knowledge all Android phones have been jailbroken one way or another..
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:5, Informative)
I'm not sure how much I agree with this, although its fair to say this has become conventional wisdom.
I've seen non-techies use Android-based phones with ease and not play around with any sort of tinkering. The UI is generally easy to tolerate, not much different than iOS, and the market is dead simple to use. There are millions up millions of Android users. These people aren't exactly Kernel hackers.
I've also seen techies with jailbroken iphones modify every little thing.
The conventional wisdom here is failing. These devices, for the end user, are almost identical. There's a low learning curve with both, but once people figure out how to use the market, use a virtual keyboard, etc they're golden. Heck, I might even argue that the Android devices are easier to use as they are boot up and play, while the iOS phones require an iTunes install, credit card information, connecting a USB cable to the computer, and the constant putting in of your complex password when buying free applications via the App store. Some end users find this challenging.
I recently setup an iphone for my gf and was pretty annoyed at all the hoops I had to jump through just to get started. My own Vibrant took a handful of seconds to create a gmail account and put in the username/password once. Not to mention my phone gets OTA updates and iphone still needs itunes and the USB cable to do this. A large part of the "it just works" myth is Apple marketing. Spend some time at the genius bar or get a job supporting Macs to find that "it just works" is more than a bit exaggerated and has more to do with the lack of malware writers targeting Apple.
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Do you like to be able to modify every little facet of your phone, right down to the hardware it runs on...
... after researching which phones can easily be 'rooted' and which brands have a reputation for maintaining the phone so you'll get the latest version of the OS?
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If you're rooting your phone, why do you care whether the manufacturer releases updated ROMs?
My Droid Eris is currently running NonSensikal Froyo 2.2 (which runs far better than the stock 2.1 Eris ROM.) Once 2.3 is made stable, I'll be running that on here.
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:5, Informative)
However I don't think the main differentiator is "just works" vs. "customizable". In my experience, they both "just work" for the vast majority of things. Buy a new iPhone or a new Droid and you'll be answering emails and browsing the web within minutes. And both are extensible via apps: the app market for iPhone is somewhat bigger, but on Android you have the option to install non-approved apps. These balance out to some extent. Overall, both platforms are fantastic in terms of extending your phone's capabilities, because the "top" apps (the best thousand apps, say) are available on both platforms.
To me, the big difference is which ecosystem you're buying in to. If you use Google services (gmail, Google Calendar, Google Voice, etc.) then Android is simply amazing. Within a minute of getting your new phone, all your contact details, appointments, and so on are all working perfectly. (One of the times where "the cloud" actually works/makes sense.) If you buy heavily into iTunes and the rest of the Apple universe, then an iPhone will seamlessly integrate into your workflow.
Of course you don't have to buy into their technology the way they want you to (you can use gmail from an iPhone just fine), but the experience is more streamlined if you do. If you don't buy into either ecosystem, then both types of smartphone seem pretty evenly matched, at least in my experience.
I do agree, by the way, that Android is more customizable and hackable. For some people that's an important differentiator. But I think for the public-at-large the bigger differentiator has to do with what ecosystem they've already bought into (or want to start using)...
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:4, Informative)
One thing I've really liked about iPhone is its ability to "clone" itself. I've replaced two iPhones now with newer models: we replaced my original iPhone with a 3GS, and my wife's 3G with a 4. In both cases I've plugged in the old phone for one last sync, then plugged in the new phone and had it take the "identity" of the old phone. The result in both cases has been a completely identical phone just with more power and capabilities. Literally everything transfers: apps, settings, obviously stuff like contacts and calendar entries... It's a complete clone. Saves a ton of time setting up a new device. For security reasons saved passwords are the only thing that don't transfer (which I consider more a feature than a problem). I set up my wife's new 4 last weekend (it was her Christmas present), and five minutes after I started it looked and acted just like her 3G.
So yeah, the ecosystem point is definitely valid, and while there are some disadvantages to having to plug your iPhone in for syncing/activation there are also some nice advantages.
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:5, Informative)
My android phone does a similar same thing, but wirelessly (and automatically). When you sign in to your google account with your new phone, your contacts are synced and all of your applications are re-downloaded from the android market.
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Can I have it both ways?
Yesterday I ordered a couple Android 2.2 phones. This is a big jump from my previous flip phone which provided endless fodder for my co-worker's comments. They called it the VCR, the tri-corder, "cinder block" (because "brick" didn't quite do it justice).
I want stuff to just work, but I also do a lot of customizations.
Anyhoo, the reason I went with Android instead of the iPhone came down to AT&T rates versus Verizon. I don't anticipate using all the features of either platform,
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I want the scope of "just works" to be more than what the Apple products tend to offer.
"just works" only works if your requirements are very limited AND is something that Apple cares about.
This isn't just about "playing everything" or "dumping iTunes" but also includes simple stuff like SMS management.
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You want the best phone for data management? Get a symbian phone from Nokia. Honestly the features I had years ago on my N71 are STILL missing from Iphone and Android.
Come on, Let me press end on a incoming call and send them a pre-composed sms... "Cant answer the phone, I'll call you back." Nokia has had that and advanced SMS management for years.
Re:Everyone wins. (Score:4)
"Just Works" is a target of getting about 90% of the stuff that 90% of the people want or need working well. Just because you don't like the tradeoffs that Apple has made doesn't make it a bad product. Yes, that's right, I don't care that the iPod still doesn't have an FM tuner. Call me a fanboi.
No wonder the outliers are the ones who complain about iStuff, while the rest of us churn happily along.
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I just got an Evo to replace my moment.
Both where android phones but the difference is like night and day. My moment was always cranky. It would work but never well. My iPod touch was so much more reliable and consistent. Then I got the Evo and it works so much better than the Moment.
The problem with Android right now is that the phones are not consistently good. The iPhone experience is much more consistent. I am really happy with the Evo but wish that it had stock Android. To me that will be the key. If
Price Point (Score:3, Insightful)
he won't be surprised if Apple ships a cheap iPhone
Well, if there's one thing Apple itself has proven, it's that there is a real market segment that will pay more for a better product and won't just go for the cheapest product in the niche. Therefore, I predict this strategy will fail.
And before someone uses the 'f' word, Apple's traditional customers have been loyal for a reason - they've delivered quality and real, practical utility in exchange for the price paid. If someone else can come along and do the same thing, then we'll find out how much all these boys really are fans of Apple. I'm one, and I don't care whose logo is on the damn thing, if it's a gem, I'll save up for it rather than pay less to have some rickety piece of crap now. Just like I've done for 20 years with my personal computers.
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A well-worded troll post is still a troll. Just because a certain product works "better" for you, doesn't mean that it is better for everyone. Just because a Windows based PC is cheaper, doesn't make it a "rickety piece of crap". The original post makes a point of saying that both Android and iOS have their places, and what works for one person doesn't work for all people. The only thing your post does is try to whip up another tired and stale Apple vs. Google fight. If you like Apple, great. You don't need
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-1 flamebait.
It's an Apple vs. Android story you twit. It's here for us to argue the merits of each as we see it. Discuss which we think, based on our own experience and judgment (can't base it on somebody elses) which is the market "winner" for 2011. This is obvious by the TITLE of the story. I'm guessing you're an Apple hater, and wouldn't have attacked the same exact post if it had been touting Android instead. Either that, or clicked into the story with your post ready, just looking for some
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Dell, HP, etc... aren't the only PC manufacturers (or more realistically assemblers). It's also possible *gasp* to build your own. And with higher end hardware than that found in Apples you can still wind up spending less.
But, at least you get a custom UI on top of BSD and rounded corners for th
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And before someone uses the 'f' word, Apple's traditional customers have been loyal for a reason - they've delivered quality and real, practical utility in exchange for the price paid.
That's one way to look at it. Another way is that they've delivered the perception of quality, and real practical utility in exchange for the price paid. I've gone back and forth between Windows, MacOS, Windows, MacOSX, Windows, with continual Linux use in there since about the second stint with Windows (that's when Slackware 2 came out and I could trivially get Linux installed and functional...) and my perception is that Windows and MacOS have continually been about the same quality, and getting work done
On cheap iPhones (Score:4, Insightful)
The analyst may not be surprised if Apple ships a cheap iPhone, but I would be. What on earth would make anyone think they would? There's a reason why the "conventional wisdom" is that Apple sticks to the high end of the market - not only has that been their strategy forever, but Steve J. never misses an opportunity to reinforce the idea that it's their strategy. Right now, Apple customers can count on the fact that whatever Apple puts out is at least going to be well-made. If Apple were to make a cheap, crappy iPhone, that friendly customer perception would be out the window - folks that now instinctively by Apple products would become open to persuasion by other companies.
I can't understand why anyone would think Apple would drop a strategy that's made them so much money. Apple can't be Dell, and doesn't want to be.
$99 isn't cheap enough? (Score:3, Interesting)
I think the definition of expensive on this forum is whatever price Apple charges. Expensive in this space used to mean $600, now you can get a spectacular top of the line iPhone for $299 and less capable units (new) for down to $99.
$229 for a very nice iPod touch or $499 for an iPad? Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
Apple's strategy isn't to charge extra to artificially inflate their brand, but rather to make high quality devices and charge as little as they can for them and still sustain their business
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You can't have the Apple faithful comparing themselves to Sony. Then they might have to admit that their chosen pet brand is not as special as they think it is.
But, but, but... (Score:2)
What about Windows Phone 7??
HA, that will be the joker in this game that will conquer it all!!
uhm...
Fatherly Advice (Score:3, Insightful)
I had a rather chauvanist father, and among other black pearls of wisdom, he offered me this: "At some point or another every woman becomes a whore. It can work for you sometimes, but in the long run it will not."
Now, with my wife as proof, I've found that this is not true about women.
However, with Apple and Google as proof, I'm becoming convinced it's true about corporations.
Re:Fatherly Advice (Score:4, Funny)
Not to cast aspersions on your wife, but logically speaking, until she's dead you haven't disproven anything.
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Must be sad living in a world where you don't know anyone you can fully trust...
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My gaming buddies
Enough said right there, chief.
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Re:Fatherly Advice (Score:5, Funny)
I don't know, let me ask my lady for her opinion.
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Hello from reddit!
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It's a way of letting all the desperate single women on Slashdot know that you're already taken and that they shouldn't waste their time with you.
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I take it then that your wife either has a job, or doesn't put out.
Android wins (Score:4, Insightful)
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So then what of Verizon iPhone? (Score:3)
You can get Android on virtually every carrier
That doesn't really matter that much, especially since that is the same in much of the rest of the world for the iPhone. For the U.S. it matters a lot more - but only really because of Verizon.
But with the Verizon iPhone close at hand, don't you think that eliminates a lot of issues you raised? As for cheap iPhones, they've been selling $99 phones for some time. It's not that vast a difference.
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But with the Verizon iPhone close at hand, don't you think that eliminates a lot of issues you raised? As for cheap iPhones, they've been selling $99 phones for some time. It's not that vast a difference.
I'm not counting on the VeriPhone until it actually is announced, but it still doesn't eliminate the issues. Yes, you can get an iPhone 3G for $99, so it's one generation behind, but you can get two brand new cutting-edge Android phones for $99 from almost every carrier in the U.S. That's a big deal for a lot of people, especially if you're buying phones for your family.
Advertising (Score:4, Interesting)
I pay about $80 per month for cable TV, and all the channels are ad-laden; it is standard for each hour of programming to contain 20 minutes of advertisements. Now, DVR technology has allowed us to skip those commercials if you're willing to watch the program on a time delay. But doing that costs extra. A few years ago I used an old PC as a homebrew DVR and it didn't cost anything above a small investment in hardware and software, but nowadays things are so locked down the only realistic option is to rent the box and pay for the "service" from the provider. So, as I see it, I'm getting screwed from every direction.
The content itself is laden with product placement, it's subsidized further by being 33% pure commercial advertisements, I have to pay to bring the crap-laden content to my TV, and I have to pay more to filter out some of the noise.
The internet is rapidly heading in the same direction. You can't view a lot of content without turning on scripting and flash, and the scripting and flash bring advertisements that cannot be blocked. I'm paying an ISP to bring the crap in for me, and the services that offer to sell me access to the content still won't promise to remove all the advertising if I do so.
So, with my iPhone, at least it's not loaded with advertisements. Of course it brings in the Internet ads for me, but it blocks the invasive ones and I bless the iPhone for the lack of flash. But at least for the most part I'm getting fair value for the service I pay for: I make and receive phone calls and text messages, and neither are subsidized by advertisement.
So, to me, the iPhone wins. I don't care about the openness and inexpensiveness of Android if it means everything I do with my phone is partially paid for by advertisement. I'm not going to pay a carrier for voice and data service so that they can use that pipe to shove ads in my face every time I pick up my phone. It's just ridiculous.
I'm starting to believe that our society will end not in natural disaster or nuclear armageddon. Instead, the signal-to-noise ratio of all our communications will drop so low that our culture and our future just disintegrate.
I've got your solution (Score:2, Insightful)
I pay about $80 per month for cable TV
Or rather, you already have your solution: dump cable TV.
Hint: (1) Change your credit card number before you make the call. (2) When they demand an explanation, you're selling the house and moving out of the country.
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Sincerly not understanding you. At all.
Your complaint is that "Android has flash support" -> "Android can see flash ads?" Block them. Get a browser which doesn't trigger them automatically. Hell, UNINSTALL FLASH. Problem solved. Wow.
Are you talking about other advertisments? The in-application ones which some developers put in to give free stuff? Because apple has that sort of thing as well.
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> "I pay about $80 per month for cable TV"
Sorry to go OT, but no way .. is it that much everywhere in the USA?? I pay around 11 euro (which is , what, 20 USD?)
Why are the cable rates so high??
Re:Advertising (Score:4, Interesting)
Here, let me light two of your strawmen on fire:
One of these is true about this statement:
1. That currency isn't USD (I can believe $80 AUD)
2. That's for cable service including VOIP, Internet access, or both.
3. You're getting ripped off by your cable company.
So... don't install Flash. Believe it or not, neither PCs or Android devices require Flash to be installed, and if it is installed, both let you uninstall it.
Re:Advertising (Score:4, Informative)
http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/06/news/companies/cable_bill_cost_increase/index.htm [cnn.com]
Doesn't seem like he's getting ripped off
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I pay about $80 per month for cable TV, and all the channels are ad-laden... So, with my iPhone, at least it's not loaded with advertisements.
Not yet.
When I first got cable in Florida in 1980, the only commercials were on the over-the-air local broadcast stations. Now the cable channels have ads superimposed over the content! And now we have to put up with that stupid branding logo at the bottom right of the screen.
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It doesn't seem likely that this person has seen the way flash works in the Android browser. You can set it to "on demand" and only see flash content when you click on it. Otherwise, it's just an empty box with an icon in it. You only see the "intrusive ads" if you specifically ask for them.
It's not the tech, silly... (Score:5, Insightful)
Quote FTFA:
"There's nothing fundamental in Android that would get in the way of a industrial-design and user-experience rock-star team, whether at Google or one of the handset makers"
Nothing fundamental in Android, no. Except the solid design/UI-experience from Apple doesn't have anything to do with technology, but rather with the whole company structure and culture. I don't think that can be emulated by putting together "an industrial-design and user-experience rock-star team" and then planting it at Google or HTC or Samsung or whatever.
Sorry to nit pick one point (Score:3)
"There's nothing fundamental in Android that would get in the way of a industrial-design and user-experience rock-star team, whether at Google or one of the handset makers, testing the hypothesis that these things are central to Apple's success."
There is that little annoying thing called "you don't rule the world" that will get in the way of those rock stars. The problem isn't that you can't build an awesome UI experience on top of Android. No, the problem is that you dont HAVE to build an awesome UI experience on top of android. And with that, anyone selling apps has to cater to all the dirt cheap handsets (that sell in droves) and at the same time work with the high end handsets with "rock star" UIs.
And as we all know by now, a UI gets kind of boring without a slew of cool new apps to run on it. I am not saying there wont be cool apps for Android phones, nor am I saying there wont be cool android phones for years to come. But the notion that anyone working on Android phones should bother building a "rock star" UI is, at face value, pretty stupid.
p.s. to any Android apologists who want to come by and snipe at me for being an apple fanboy: I dont like apple products, and I own an android phone.
What does "win" mean here? (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean, there is no doubt that Android will be on more devices sold. With uncounted devices from uncounted companies and carriers this is to be expected.
What's interesting is if there will be *one* model of an Android phone that will sell better than the iPhone. If the iPhone will stay the best selling smartphone in 2011, well, it's still the bestselling smartphone.
I'm totally expecting the prices for smartphones spiralling down. An unlocked Android smartphone for $99 with no contract should be possible. It will have crappy battery life, a crappy touchscreen and a crappy camera, though.
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I mean, there is no doubt that Android will be on more devices sold. With uncounted devices from uncounted companies and carriers this is to be expected.
What's interesting is if there will be *one* model of an Android phone that will sell better than the iPhone. If the iPhone will stay the best selling smartphone in 2011, well, it's still the bestselling smartphone.
It's pretty much impossible for one model of Android phone to sell better than the iPhone, mostly because there's really only one iPhone design.
Even if Google figures out how to get something like the Nexus for sale at $99 across all carriers it's not going to happen, some percentage of users will want a keyboard and some won't.
They both will (Score:2)
But in different ways. IOS will generate a lot more revnue than Android will, but Android will be on more devices (at least if the current trends keep up).
Bloggers win... (Score:2)
Bloggers and their new/end-of year speculations that have no beneficial effect on either product will win.
Just switched from iPhone 3g to Droid X (Score:3)
To extrapolate a bit from my experience to the market at large, I think this does put Apple in a very good position. Basically Android's success will depend on the hardware manufacturers such as Samsung, Motorola etc. and how well they adapt the Android OS to their phones. Mine's still crashing at odd moments. Like I said I'm happy with it - but if I didn't need specific things the Droid X makes possible I'd probably prefer the latest iPhone.
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I'm much happier because of specific things the phone can do, which required a jailbreak on the iPhone or was otherwise just blocked off. That said, I do think the iPhone has an advantage still. This will be with non-technical users who want to do some technically involved things, and don't want to troubleshoot or customize their phones.
It's not only the non-technical users. There are also lots of rather technical users who just don't fancy tinkering around with their phones but treat them as an appliance. If you're dealing all day long with computers and software dealing the same way with the phone in your pocket soon feels like madness. There's a point where you have (or want) to stop being technical and a smartphone is for many people beyond this point.
Think on the future (Score:2)
Simple (Score:2)
If they both make money, then they both win.
Who wins? (Score:3)
Consumers.
WP 8 possibly. (Score:2)
WP7 isn't there yet.
The concept is good, but MS seems to want to take all the bad things that Apple's marketplace is and shove it into their phone. So, basically, they went from the most wide open platform to the most closed.
This story is about developers, it's always been about developers. MS knows this, yet they're not doing a great job to make the developers flock to their phones.
Dark Horse, against Android though... (Score:3)
Windows Phone 7 is interesting because it completes a sort of triad - it's got Apple UI polish and a distinct design sensibility, along with a fully curated app store.
But it's going against Android and competing to be on multiple handset maker devices.
So the question is, can it displace Android? Especially when Google is willing to let carriers adapt Android as the see fit, and Microsoft is not..
The only reason Microsoft has a chance is that they are doing the heavy money bombing runs, paying device makers
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Google is not "willing" they simply released the OS and let the carriers turn it into a unpolished turd and remove features because they released it as a Free OSS Operating System.
Re:Not just them... (Score:4, Funny)
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It's because you can get a cheap prepaid blackberry curve. IF there was a prepaid android phone that was $99.00 or a prepaid iphone that was $99.00 you would see them as well.
Teenagers typically get cheap phones with cheap prepaid plans. and right now that means crackberry.
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Web on a phone is already a great experience. What more could you possibly ask for?
Anonymous Coward that has tried using web on a personal computer.
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wait, how do you think that apple isn't doing the exact same thing?
the only difference is in the price of the devices, in which android has been vastly cheaper than iphone until they released 4g.
products are quite similar, except that new android devices come out continually (say every 3-6 months), while new iphones come out once a year if that. So while android continually evolves better products in between iphone product cycles, that only leaves the question of volume vs profit.
Anyone with a minute amount
Re:Google's strategy with Android is to generate (Score:4, Insightful)
One manufacturer makes iPhone, many make Androids. It seems like an easy question to me.
And I'm a nerd, dammit, not a marketer or MBA. Why should I care who gets the most profits or market share? When did the Ferengi take over slashdot? I don't care how it sells, I care how it works.
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The fact the they became successful with those two and managed to provide user services for free, makes me think their strategy. If they had managed to get the 700 MHz spectrum, and started to offer free cellphones and data p
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Agreed. The good thing about Apple's strategy (good for them, that is, you don't necessarily have to agree that it's good for buyers, even though I personally think it is), is that they target their products specifically at the group of buyers they know will appreciate exactly those attributes of their products they spend the most time on: ease of use, polish (both in terms of software and hardware), longevity (in terms of planned obsolesence). Affordability is not one of these attributes, and people gettin
Re:Google's strategy with Android is to generate (Score:4, Informative)
The best selling single android phone to date is the original Motorola droid (a high end smartphone). So, I don't think that you can say that the primary target demographic for android phones is "cheap".
Re:The bigger questions is... (Score:5, Insightful)
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The same could be said of the iPhone/iPod Touch experience...let's take games as an example. My wife has a second-gen iPod Touch, but is missing out on a ton of newer games because they require a 3rd or 4th gen iPhone/iPod Touch.
How is that any different than needing a newer Android phone to run more recent, more intense games?
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I'm referring to phones that, for example, have an 800+ MHz processor, or more than a certain amount of ram.
Like I said, it's the same thing as an iPhone...some games just plain don't work on a first or second gen iPhone. If you're confused by something as simple as clock speed, then stick with an iPhone.
And that's why all is in question (Score:2)
A lot of people (myself included) passed on iPhones for the sole reason of refusing to use AT&T.
I agree (I know a few such people) but this year the iPhone (and probably iPad though it's sort of there already) will come to Verizon... I think that will really change the dynamic of things.
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That should be fairly local though - globally, in places where iPhone is available from few carriers, it doesn't impact the viability of other options at all; quite the contrary, typically.
MediaTek - responsible, among other things, for OEM packages used in inexpensive Shanzhai phones - is releasing solution for Android (previously they were supposedly basically blocked from doing so / from joining Android alliance by Qualcomm); now it will really pick up steam. Yes, the products will be "basic" or smth - b
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in most of the world, the iPhone is available on lots of carriers. Android is still outselling it in these markets.
as for "product fracture", yes it can bring some troubles. what you fail to mention is that it also brings a huge amount of innovation and competition that is not found in a single vendor, single device platform. basically, all your arguments against android's diversity could be easily applied to a PC vs Mac discussion. It's pretty clear how that battle turned out, and I anticipate a simila
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I see people switching to iPhone from Android with some frequency, but I've never seen anyone go the other way _and like it_.
Really? In the past 6 months, I know about twelve people who have left their iPhones behind and went to an Android device, instead of upgrading to an iPhone 4 when their contracts were due. I realize this is anecdotal, but I see more people switching from iPhone to Android than the other way around.
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Me too. Actually most iPhone users I speak to say something along the lines that "I would dump my iPhone if not for iTunes". Of course, then I tell them about DoubleTwist and then they are off to the Verizon store.
As an end user I don't think most people can even see the difference between iPhone and Droid OS. The advantage droid has besides not being tied to AT&T is the variety of devices. I personally like a slide out keyboard and being global ready.
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Really? I can name a dozen friends who are just waiting for the iPhone to be available on Verizon so they can ditch their Android phones.
My anecdote nullifies your anecdote. It's a push.
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This is a strange treatise to write, because I could just as easily swap all occurrences of Android/iPhone and just as many people would be nodding their head along with me.
The pleasure you get out of using a device is a matter of preference/familiarity. This has little to do with Apple either, as I actually wanted an iPhone for the longest time until I actually got one in my hands and started messing around with it. The allure of it went away pretty quickly, but I'm still having lots of fun with my andro
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"to generalize yourself to the entire population of smartphone users is a bit silly"
Well maybe a bit. But we're all talking about opinion here right?
I do think, having spent the last 20 years of my life dealing with end users and end user technology that I have a bit of an edge when it comes to judging these things. I might be wrong, but I'm betting that of the people who have used both enough to come to a good personal conclusion, it's the geekier of us that prefer Android. The iPhone is a li
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If you read his post again, he is familiar with Android because his wife owns a phone.
I'd say he's more in a position to offer thoughts on this than people who do not have a lot of iPhone experience...
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Plenty of people will pay for "better hardware" in the PC world.
You just can't FORCE anyone into it. The consumer remains free to choose the option that suits them.
If this makes life hard on hardware makers then it's too damn bad.
They exist to service me, not the other way around.