Topic: Android set to lead

[ober]

http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=458308484&ids=0Sc3sNdjkSd3gIejsTe34Rd3kQb3ATcjgMcjsRd2MTdzgSczcUdjgId3wQe30Pe3kQ&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod-b-ttle-4

Looks like Android is really taking off.  I wish my company handed out Android phones instead of iPhones. 

[kermi3]

I don't buy it nearly as heavily as all those pundits are trying to sell it.  In smart phones, sure, but not overall.  All those reports out there smell to me.  Don't get me wrong, Android's huge, but it's not kicking the iPhone's ass...the iPhone ratings doesn't take into account other iOS devices (iPods and Ipads?).  Developers have generally said they make more money off iPhone apps - cause people actually buy apps...I'm clearly stealing Gruber's arguments here. 

I'm also curious to see how Android will play out now that it's becoming more closed.  I think it's going to be interesting if the manufacturers go back to trying to develop their own OSes.  Oh - and I'm a bit scared of Android.  I'm not sure the details of this, but the story about a pirated app texting all of your contacts without permission as shameware...perhaps you deserve it in that case, but I'm not sure how much I like an app having that sort of ability in an OS.  Maybe it was some form of jail broken Android??

Most importantly, I think all those numbers are so biased by how recently the iPhone made it to Verizon...give it a year, then the numbers will mean something....

[Steve]

People are dumping iPhones to go with androids all over the place though. Theres like 8 people in one of my classes trying to sell their iphones cuz they jumped ship, and they are all over craigslist like crazy.

[ober]

How many tablets have popped up in the past few months running Android?  So not only are they killing it in the smartphone arena, but they're going to start grabbing tablet share as well.  And as more people start to port iOS apps to Android, there won't be any reason to stay with iOS anymore.  You'll have just as many people buying Android apps as you do iOS apps.

And as for your concerns, Android apps give you WAY more control because they tell you exactly what the app has control over when you install it.  If you don't like something about what the app has access to, don't install it.

I'd be curious to see the number of Android devices vs. iOS devices Verizon is selling.  Hell, the latest 4G phone is Android.

[kermi3]

People are dumping iPhones to go with androids all over the place though. Theres like 8 people in one of my classes trying to sell their iphones cuz they jumped ship, and they are all over craigslist like crazy.

There are tons of each on craigslist, and I can name just as many people who have switched the other way recently....

How many tablets have popped up in the past few months running Android?  So not only are they killing it in the smartphone arena, but they're going to start grabbing tablet share as well.  And as more people start to port iOS apps to Android, there won't be any reason to stay with iOS anymore.  You'll have just as many people buying Android apps as you do iOS apps.

Yea, but they're aren't any apps and they're not selling.

And as for your concerns, Android apps give you WAY more control because they tell you exactly what the app has control over when you install it.  If you don't like something about what the app has access to, don't install it.

Cool  I'm not sure I want to deal with that level of management though.  I don't mind if for a PC, but I'm not sure I want to bother with that level of tinkering or task managering etc that so many people do for an phone...

I'd be curious to see the number of Android devices vs. iOS devices Verizon is selling.  Hell, the latest 4G phone is Android.

Agree completely.  Though I'm actually much more interested in the numbers once the iPhone 5 has been out on both networks for 6 months.  I think there are people waiting for that, and if the iPhone then is 4G as well...then things get interesting.

What actually bugs me the most about Android right now is the idea of who the product is.  Apple is trying to sell me a product.  That is where they are getting their profit from.  Google gets their profit from selling me.  I'm not as confident, therefore, that they'll have my best user experience at heart - I'm not their customer.  The data miners and advertisers are their customers.  My experience is Apple's number 1 goal so I buy more stuff.  The ad buys are Google's #1 goal. 

To make matters worse - as open as Android has been, each manufacturer has been customizing it for one of the many handsets based on carrier requirements...even once you get past the hardware diversity (which I can't keep up with), I don't like the carrier having that much say in the OS code...that results in stricter limits, tracking, and even things like stealth app installations.  I KNOW doesn't have my experience at heart - they care about their networks and their profits are more tied to locking me in and limiting the user experience.  Boils down to trusting Apple to care more about my user experience than I do AT&T or Verizon....

Things should get interesting on this front now that Google is starting to close the platform...should be interesting...

[KnuckleBuckett]

The Android market is so fractured I don't see how anyone has a clue what is what.  What a mess.  Also each seller has the power to apply updates and changes as they see fit (Kermi mentioned this).  That will only increase the mess that is Android.  Essentially the android market both hardware and software is a chaotic mess.

Apple makes a product and OS that center on Apple's best interests alone.  If it works for you fine.  If not, go fuck yourself.  They could give a shit.

Fuuuuuu.....

[kermi3]

1 Developer's results: http://www.lesmond.net/2011/04/3-months-in-comparison-between-ios-android-and-windows-phone-sales/

[ober]

The Android market is so fractured I don't see how anyone has a clue what is what.  What a mess.  Also each seller has the power to apply updates and changes as they see fit (Kermi mentioned this).  That will only increase the mess that is Android.  Essentially the android market both hardware and software is a chaotic mess.

I wouldn't say it's fractured at all.  Is it as clean and organized as surfing iTunes for applications?  Maybe not.  That's the only real gripe that I have.  But most any app you would want does exist and there are so many flavors and ways to configure the platform to work for you.  iOS puts everything in a shitty little box and the box only works one way.

And by closing Android a little bit I think that stuff will only get better.

And as far as the carriers having their piece of the pie in regards to what is in the OS, that's not Android specific.  They've been pulling that shit for years in older phones.  The only one that is somehow exempt is Apple.  Hopefully Android will migrate to that type of pattern but who knows?  It doesn't really get in my way when I'm using the phone so why should I care?

[ober]

1 Developer's results: http://www.lesmond.net/2011/04/3-months-in-comparison-between-ios-android-and-windows-phone-sales/

Why does he leave out the numbers?  That seems like total BS to me.  The difference could be trivial.  And I don't get the 'iOS users are more likely to buy'.  Why would the type of phone you have dictate whether you buy apps or not?  Give me a break.  It also doesn't give the marketing strategy for that one application.

[kermi3]

Cause he doesn't want to disclose his actual sales numbers to the competition and potential investors?  That's pretty standard - I'm a bit surprised he even posted the graph...

By market fragmentation - I'm not just thinking about apps, I'm talking hardware too....researching PCs is enough of a pain without making sure all the Android apps will work on the phone I buy....

The only one that is somehow exempt is Apple. 

Exactly!  Apple was able to throw its weight around and pull this off.  I think you're right things will get better for Android as things close...but I still prefer to be the primary customer myself rather than advertisers....

[ober]

Well again, the graph is kind of meaningless without the numbers.  The difference could be 10 or 1000.  He might as well not post the graph at all.

Unless you're talking about a hardcore game for Android (something requiring a lot of processing power like a driving game), I don't think I've ever heard of an Android app being 'incompatible' with an Android phone.

[kermi3]

It's a fair point on the graph - however, given the tiny Windows Phone 7 market share and Android's huge share and how close the Android sales are to Windows Phone 7 is on the graph, I'm going to assume that unless EVERY Windows Phone 7 user is buying his app, the scale is such that the difference between iOS and Android is pretty big....

I've heard developers grip (can't cite now) about the difficulties of the different handsets and the uneven adoption of versions of the OS by the manufacturers and carriers.

[kermi3]

Android rooters will soon be trackable

[kermi3]

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tgdaily_all_sections/~3/DlA_XYKL7Hs/55221-epic-games-blames-carriers-for-bloatware

That's the reason I'm not ready to try android...

[ober]

It says right in the article that most game makers are ignoring it and hoping for the best.  And honestly, have you ever played one of those hardcore games on an iPhone?  More often than not, the controls aren't very good and it's not as fun to play as a PC or Console game.  My mobile gaming is limited to things like Angry Birds and Tiny Wings.  Fuck playing a full FPS on a phone.

Either way, as Google tightens the grip this is only going to become less and less of a problem.