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Android Businesses Apple

Android Always Beats the iPhone To New Features, Qualcomm Says (theverge.com) 177

Posted by msmash from the tussle-continues dept.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Qualcomm has published a somewhat self-congratulatory blog post that lauds the company and its Android partners for achieving a series of industry firsts that include wireless charging, dual-camera systems, OLED smartphone screens, edge-to-edge displays, and more -- features that the upcoming iPhone is expected to have. Apple and Qualcomm are currently embroiled in what's turning into a vicious, global patent licensing dispute. So the timing of this adulation for Android -- hours before Apple's big September event -- doesn't really strike me as coincidental. It can't be. Qualcomm never mentions Apple by name; the closest the company ever comes is with this line: Inventions from Qualcomm lay the foundation for so many technologies and experiences we value in our smartphones today -- on Android and other platforms.
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Android Always Beats the iPhone To New Features, Qualcomm Says More

Android Always Beats the iPhone To New Features, Qualcomm Says

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  • True... but so what? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Kenja ( 541830 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @10:47AM (#55180577)
    Am I the only one who is kind of tired of feature creep and the constant upgrade treadmill?

    • I'm not tired of it -- I just ignore it. Just because new versions come out doesn't mean I am obligated to pay attention to them, let alone actually upgrade. My approach is the same as my approach to desktop machines once they reached maturity: pay no attention to new models until the one that I'm using now doesn't work for me any more. Then I'll look at what's on the market.

    • Well with the battery glued in on all the models YOU WILL UPGRADE whether you like it or not.

      I guess Apple is good at innovating with this wonderful idea. Thanks Apple. Grrrr

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by TheFakeTimCook ( 4641057 )

        Well with the battery glued in on all the models YOU WILL UPGRADE whether you like it or not.

        I guess Apple is good at innovating with this wonderful idea. Thanks Apple. Grrrr

        It's not like Apple made the battery part of the outer-shell of the phone.

        Jeezus, this is supposed to be a TECH site, and people are scared of a little GLUE??? Hand in your Geek Cards immediately!!!

        Also, Apple has STOPPED gluing batteries in; so although you do have disassemble the phone to replace the battery in an iPhone, you no longer have to fight the glue demons. There are 3 adhesive strips; but they aren't as mean as glue.

        But, if you're squeamish about messing around inside of a device like a smartpho

      • There are still plenty of high-end phones that have easily replaceable batteries.

        • Such as?

          • My phone has a removable battery, but it's last year's model: LG G5. The G6 doesn't have a removable battery.

          • Well, "plenty" was incorrect (that's what I get for not keeping up with the latest models!) Of the mainstream manufacturers, LG is still making high-end phones with replaceable batteries (such as the G5 and V20), but even their newest models no longer have replaceable batteries.

            That sucks big-time. I guess I'll be sticking with the used market for the foreseeable future.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      Am I the only one who is kind of tired of feature creep and the constant upgrade treadmill?

      Because we are older, wiser, and rational. Young whippersnappers get laid by having the latest toys and fashion because they think with their under-parts, not brains.

      Yes, and do get off my lawn.

       

      • I see by your post that you have a lawn, my good sir.

        Let me introduce you to fake lawn: it requires no fertilizer, will never dry out and will always look great and make your property the envy of your neighbours!

        Call now, this offer is only valid for the next 30 minutes!

    • Yeah staying relevant is totally overrated. Last week the stick I wave at kids with their new fangled smartphones wore out and I had to upgrade to an iStick which requires a fingerprint required my fingerprint. That's how they get you.

    • Why? No one is asking you to get on the treadmill, but be happy it exists. I look forward to a big leap up from my current phone (3 generations behind) thanks to the treadmill.

  • The original iPhone basically stole ideas from existing phones especially from the myOrigo (the first phone to have accelerometers to switch landscape/portrait horizontal etc). Apple even stole the look and feel of its browser task switcher from Nokia.
    Worst of all, the iPhone idea itself was blatantly stolen from me right here on slashdot in 2005. Proof: https://slashdot.org/comments.... [slashdot.org]

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by grumpy-cowboy ( 4342983 )

      Apple is just a fashion company. Nothing more.

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by cant_get_a_good_nick ( 172131 )

        Not sure how many fashion companies have their own ARM chip designs.... ones that consistently beat SnapDragons.

        • Almost by definition, any company that uses an ARM chip has their own ARM chip design.

          But you apparently don't know jack shit about how ARM licenses the CPU core.

          Apple is just 'special' in your mind, because, again, you don't know jack shit about how ARM licenses the CPU core.

      • Apple is just a fashion company. Nothing more.

        I dare you to tell that to their Development Teams in person.

    • I assume you are being sarcastic in your post, because nothing there looks like an original idea. If you look at the market, everyone is borrowing from each other. Apple is not always about being there first, but getting the packaging in a way people want to use.

      The myOrigo looks like the interface was essentially a Java Swing implementation, with elements borrowed from MacOS and Windows. Before the iPhone there was the Newton, Symbian, PalmOS and Windows CE, amongst others. They each had technology element

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by jon3k ( 691256 )
      You think you invented touch screen cell phones in 2005?

      FingerWorks, a gesture recognition company, produced a line of multi-touch products in 1998, including the iGesture Pad and TouchStream keyboard. The company was acquired by Apple in 2005.

      Not to mention the real innovation was multi-touch. Touchscreens were nothing new.

  • To be fair, who cares? (Score:3)

    by RogueWarrior65 ( 678876 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @10:54AM (#55180627)

    Honestly, some of these ballyhooed features are a big yawn. Edge-to-edge display? Why? Your hand will be covering some of it. Wireless charging? Meh. Until it can charge from across the room, it's not that important. Dual cameras? What are you doing with them? The magic is in the software. OLED should have been ubiquitous by now. I saw OLED displays 10+ years ago. Make me one for my MacBook Pro (and make it 17 inches, please).

    • OLED uses more power that's probably why they haven't been used in portables.

      • OLED uses more power that's probably why they haven't been used in portables.

        Depends on what you are displaying; but you're right; they can use more power than LCDs plus an LED backlight.

      • OLED uses more power that's probably why they haven't been used in portables.

        Errr no. Like for like when displaying white LCD uses only slightly less power. When not displaying white OLED wipes the floor with LCDs which is why they are so favoured in portable. Why they aren't ubiquitous? Samsung's and LG's licensing fees and patent portfolio.

    • Edge-to-edge display? Why? Your hand will be covering some of it.

      I've seen a number of edge-to-edge displays on people's phones now, and I had the same reaction. I don't see how they improve anything at all, but I do see how they could be a bit of a pain in the butt.

      • When your phone is a pain in the butt, you're using it wrong. Or you're keeping it in your back pocket which is a stupid thing to do.

    • Re:To be fair, who cares? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:20AM (#55180809)

      Actually wireless charging is a big thing for the automotive use case. With the advent of WiFi and BT wireless communication, you can just throw your phone in a wireless charging cubby hole and away you go..I agree on the edge display.. it's a gimmick, since the cost of the device is so high people are adding cases, negating the utility of edge displays.

    • Re:To be fair, who cares? (Score:4, Funny)

      by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:24AM (#55180833) Journal

      (and make it 17 inches, please).

      I hope you're referring to the screen on your MacBook Pro.

    • Wireless charging? Meh. Until it can charge from across the room, it's not that important.

      I care about wireless charging. I just don't know yet if the pros are worth the cons.
      Pro: Drop the phone on my nightstand at the end of the day. No fiddling with a cable. A small thing that makes my life less annoying (not going to say better).
      Con: Until there is one wireless standard and every car has a charging cubby hole and coffee shop/airport/etc has sufficient spots for me to charge, am I going to have to carry around a charging pad instead of just a cable? How big.heavy/expensive?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Dual cameras have various uses. Some phones use them to improve image quality, some to have one narrow and one wide angle lens (which can be combined to produce better images that a single sensor). Wireless charging is great, no mucking about with cables any more, just a fixed pad on your desk/bedside table/car storage unit.

      We are still a little way from the perfect phone. The latest Samsung devices have all the hardware, they just need to make a Google edition with raw Android and Google's camera software

    • Honestly, some of these ballyhooed features are a big yawn. Edge-to-edge display? Why? Your hand will be covering some of it. Wireless charging? Meh. Until it can charge from across the room, it's not that important. Dual cameras? What are you doing with them? The magic is in the software. OLED should have been ubiquitous by now. I saw OLED displays 10+ years ago. Make me one for my MacBook Pro (and make it 17 inches, please).

      I will agree with you on the Edge to Edge display. Samsung started it (I think), and everyone has to be at least as good as everyone else, feature for feature.

      Wireless charging? I don't really care; but a lot of people seem to.

      Dual cameras? Well, you are wrong that it is all software on the pseudo-Bokeh stuff. To do it right, you still need some depth information that only a multiple-lens system will provide.

      OLEDs? The problem with them being cheap is, well, they aren't. Samsung has the corner on the patent

    • Wireless charging? Meh. Until it can charge from across the room, it's not that important

      Wireless charging is a convenience, but it's only a convenience once the industry can agree on one standard for wireless charging. Until then, I'm not going to bother with it. Every phone and every tablet I've owned can charge from a USB port. There's going to be a slightly annoying migration to USB-C, but it's pretty much standardised now. Wireless charging has a bunch of competing standards.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      Honestly, some of these ballyhooed features are a big yawn. Edge-to-edge display? Why? Your hand will be covering some of it. Wireless charging? Meh. Until it can charge from across the room, it's not that important. Dual cameras? What are you doing with them? The magic is in the software. OLED should have been ubiquitous by now. I saw OLED displays 10+ years ago. Make me one for my MacBook Pro (and make it 17 inches, please).

      Of course stuff comes out on Android first. Because if you're a second tier seller

      • Well, apparently Apple has figured out better OLED technology with the Super Retina display.
        They also appear to be making the right decision on wireless charging by adopting the Qi (pronounced "chee") standard instead of trying to invent their own.

  • Not always (Score:5, Funny)

    by volodymyrbiryuk ( 4780959 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:00AM (#55180673)
    Apple had rounded corners first. Suck that Android scum.
  • It really shouldn't be a surprise that Android phones usually come out with features first, there are many companies making the phones and on aggregate have a much more frequent release cycle than Apple. Apple however usually puts in the time to make sure a feature is useful and well considered before adding it to the phone. So it's late getting an OLED phone, but Apple's probably won't turn yellow after a year or two.
    • You do realize Apple doesn't actually make any of this stuff, right? They buy them from the same suppliers who make it for Android phones. They get their flash memory from Toshiba and Samsung (the Samsung memory is slightly faster). RAM is from SK Hynix. They get their LED screens from LG, and will get their OLED screens from Samsung. Their camera is sourced from Sony. The cellular and wireless chipsets are from Qualcomm. The much-hyped headphone jack-less audio is by Cirrus Logic. Same with virtuall

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Uberbah ( 647458 )

        So the Apple fans who tell themselves that "Apple makes it best" are deluding themselves as a way to rationalize paying an exorbitant price for the same components which go into Android phones.

        So says the Fandroid who's deluded himself into thinking he pays any less for a flagship Fandroid phone. Made from the same parts.

  • Much as I am no huge fanboy of Apple's, when they make something, they generally make it *well*. Or in the few cases where something wasn't made well, they fix it with actual support and followthrough, not leaving customers hanging. (Note this statement only applies to their hardware...)

  • Meaningless (Score:3)

    by JohnFen ( 1641097 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:10AM (#55180737)

    This is just a standard corporate pissing contest, which has no actual meaning to anyone else.

  • OLED (Score:3)

    by backslashdot ( 95548 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:12AM (#55180747)

    OLED suffers from burn-in -- which means a "ghost image" gets permanently imprinted if the same image is displayed for too long. That's because OLED color pixels degrade disproportionately over time. An issue last seen in the 1990s CRT monitors. It's not a good technology if you want your phone to last a few years. Hopefully Micro LED will be along soon if they can work out its mass production issues. I am waiting on that.

    • OLED suffers from burn-in -- which means a "ghost image" gets permanently imprinted if the same image is displayed for too long. That's because OLED color pixels degrade disproportionately over time. An issue last seen in the 1990s CRT monitors. It's not a good technology if you want your phone to last a few years. Hopefully Micro LED will be along soon if they can work out its mass production issues. I am waiting on that.

      Just how long are you planning on having a static image displayed on your phone before you either change it yourself, or you ignore it and it goes back into sleep?

    • My Galaxy Note II that has been in daily use for 4.5 years has a slight horizontal ghosting from the notification bar that is barely visible on grey backgrounds. Otherwise, it has none. In contrast, my Dell U2713 LCD monitor has noticeable ghosting in multiple places.

    • An issue last seen in the 1990s CRT monitors.

      Add 20 years to that number and that's the last time OLED burn-in has been relevant. It has been pretty much resolved 5 generations of Smartphones ago. If burn-in is all you're waiting for for OLED then you should have one by now.

  • ...is about to occur, as if millions of fanboy voices* will suddenly cry out in outrage and were silenced by the dull realization that no one on the other side is listening. I fear something terrible has happened**.

    * From both sides of this incessant debate, just to be clear.
    ** ...for the rest of us who aren't participating in this little war but who will nonetheless be subjected to its atrocities.

  • Always? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by theurge14 ( 820596 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:28AM (#55180883)

    The first iPhone was unveiled in January of 2007.

    At the time Qualcomm and Android were protyping Blackberry-looking phones.

    It wasn't until late 2008 until the first Android smartphone came out, with a slide-out keyboard looking like an old T-Mobile Sidekick. And it was still a few years after that until we got the slick Samsung phones that people now associate as "Android phones".

    I know 10 years ago is foggy distant old-timer memory for many of the younger tech industry types, but let's get a bit of perspective here.

    • but let's get a bit of perspective here.

      Indeed. We're 8 generations deep. That's 160 years in human years. You're talking about technology here, saying a bit of perspective would be like constantly referencing world war I about the current escalations with North Korea.

      A LOT has happened in the past 10 years.

    • Don't forget functional visual voicemail either. Its fun to go back and rewatch the old release keynote to see the gasps and remember just how much of what was being released with the first iPhone really was staggeringly more advanced and usable than the competition. If anything the other "smart phones" were really just PDAs with a scary "internet" button.

  • Security (Score:5, Insightful)

    by michael_cain ( 66650 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:31AM (#55180903) Journal
    Hardware support for encrypted user data that not even Apple can break short of disassembling the chip?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wed128 ( 722152 )

      If something is properly encrypted, disassembling a chip won't help.

      • If something is properly encrypted, disassembling a chip won't help.

        I wish. (Really. Designing airtight cryptographic security for phones is my day job.)

        The secrets used to encrypt the data must either be embedded in the device or obtained from outside of it, or some mixture of the two. Since the only practical outside source of key material is the user, and users suck at generating, managing and entering high-entropy secrets, the vast majority of the key material must come from the chip.

        You can (and devices do) use key stretching, and you can (and devices do) implement

  • See the first Android phone. it was a BlackBerry killer. Then they see the iPhone, realize they had their copy machine focussed on the wrong thing, and then copied the iPhone.

    Apple never has won on checkbox marketing. They won on having features that were actually usable. They weren't the first MP3 player, but there are no other real dedicated MP3 players anymore. The Apple Watch wasn't first, but try to find an Android Watch on anyone in the wild. If Qualcomm says "Apple doesn't have features first"

    • Apple would say "yep. Usually true. But we're the phones most people want".

      They may say that, but judging by sales figures, they'd be wrong.

  • Awww, someone's jelaous (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Imazalil ( 553163 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @11:48AM (#55181101)

    What is the point of Qualcomm posting this? If they listed things they themselves "invented" then I can sort of understand, but this is just smells of teenage angst, jealousy, and desperation.

    We all know Apple's new chips will spank Qualcomm once again, and this is not how your PR department responds? Sigh.

  • Is Qualcomm getting desperate? (Score:3)

    by Midnight Thunder ( 17205 ) on Tuesday September 12, 2017 @12:03PM (#55181203) Homepage Journal

    Qualcomm seems to be desperate for someone to notice them? They lost the CDMA market in favour of GSMA based communication, they complain that Apple is limiting the capability of their chips and now they want to put down Apple. Does it matter who gets to market first, especially if the technology is rushed to market? Sometimes waiting and getting the kinks sorted matters more.

    • Qualcomm seems to be desperate for someone to notice them?

      Desperate is right. Look at the last, a good half of it is wrong.

  • Apple beat Qualcomm to 64 bit processors by years. Major black eye for Qualcomm.

  • "Android Always Beats the iPhone To New Features"

    On 3 models of 54732 available ones, the rest gets it much later or not al all.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ledow ( 319597 )

      And Apple score 0 models out of a tiny handful, by the same metric.

      What's your point?

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