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Canalys Q2 2010 smartphone market share figures are out: http://www.canalys.com/pr/2010/r2010081.html
According to them, Android is now the number one smartphone platform in the US, with 34% market share vs. RIM's 32% and Apple's 21.7%.
Worldwide, Android sales grew 886% from last year.
Worldwide Android sales numbers were not disclosed, but the 886% growth suggests 9.7 million Android devices sold (up from 1.1 million in Q2 2009), vs. Apple's 8.7 million iPhones, which would put Android in third place behind Nokia with 38% worldwide market share and RIM with 18%.
According to Google, 160,000 Android devices are now activated each day, which add up to over 15 million devices per quarter. Thus, we could see worldwide Android market share surpassing RIM's within a few months and even approaching Nokia.
HTC is also a big winner with 14% of the US smartphone market, only behind RIM (32.1%) and Apple (21.7%).
I understand that Windows Mobile is declining, but I wonder why it wasn't even mentioned. Also, why was HTC listed when they are just a hardware manufacturer?
Because the top three hardware manufacturers have been mentioned and HTC is number three:
RIM 32.1%
Apple 21.7%
HTC 14%
Windows Mobile has fallen too far behind.
windows mobile is not a hardware manufacturer
Are these figures only indicative of 2010 Q2? I'm curious what would the figures be if they included all old devices still in use. Would Android still be #1?
No, not yet. But sales numbers are more important, the give you an idea how many people will use it in the future.
FWIW, here's an article that lists statistics for marketshare of all existing devices.
http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/android-wins-battle-iphone-still-winning-war/2010-08-05
The future is looking good for Android. It's interesting what a rapid decline there has been for WinMo. I feel like Windows Phone 7 will be too little, too late to save WinMo, especially with the lack of backwards compatibility. BlackBerry is still #1. It's the one smartphone platform I've never tried, though the hardware and screenshots have never looked impressive enough for me to even consider it.
Blackberry is only good if your company uses the blackberry servers for email, other than that, the only nice thing I can say about them is that they have nice keyboards. Horrid web browser, though.
In that case, I'd never bother with Blackberry because web browsing is what I use my phone for most.
FWIW, here's an article that lists statistics for marketshare of all existing devices.
http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/android-wins-battle-iphone-still-winning-war/2010-08-05
The future is looking good for Android. It's interesting what a rapid decline there has been for WinMo. I feel like Windows Phone 7 will be too little, too late to save WinMo, especially with the lack of backwards compatibility.
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+1
couldn't have said it better.
Sent from my Hero CDMA using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
wish people would stop refering to windows 7 phone as "winmo". The only simularities are that its made by Microsoft. Pretty much totaly diferent. WinMo sadly is dead. Win 7, totaly new and nothing like Winmo.
edit: btw, iPhone sales dropped coz of people waiting for iPhone 4 I would imagine
Monty Burns said:
wish people would stop refering to windows 7 phone as "winmo". The only simularities are that its made by Microsoft. Pretty much totaly diferent. WinMo sadly is dead. Win 7, totaly new and nothing like Winmo.
edit: btw, iPhone sales dropped coz of people waiting for iPhone 4 I would imagine
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To correct your post yes WM is dead,,, just like XP. And in your edit I believe you mean phone sales dropped coz of people waiting for the iphone 4 to be fixed.
Monty Burns said:
one sales dropped coz of people waiting for iPhone 4 I would imagine
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thats true , i dunno why ppl tend to not use their brain ...
maxpower097 said:
To correct your post yes WM is dead,,, just like XP. And in your edit I believe you mean phone sales dropped coz of people waiting for the iphone 4 to be fixed.
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no, i mean why would people buy a 3gs when a mystery new super phone was due to be released by Apple (the 4). I think the survey is based on statistics pre-iPhone 4 launch.
I actually doubt the Antenagate saga has had any real affect on iPhone 4 sales. I know of at least two people who bought it even though they knew about the reception issues.
No, Monty, the first week of iPhone 4 sales is included and as we know, half of the iPhone 4's first months sales happened in the first week.
Apple announced that they sold 3 million iPhones in the 21 days after the iPhone 4 launch.
That's 143,000 a day. And that includes the launch days, where ten times more iPhones are sold than on normal days.
There are 200,000 Android phones sold each day and that number is increasing fast.
Fair enough, then its probably as good a representation as we will ever get.
Fermat said:
....
There are 200,000 Android phones sold each day and that number is increasing fast.
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I doubt that figure! At that rate there won't be much of the planet in 5 years that won't have an Android phone!!! Seriously, there is no way that rate of sale can or will be sustained, can there???
Monty Burns said:
Fair enough, then its probably as good a representation as we will ever get.
I doubt that figure! At that rate there won't be much of the planet in 5 years that won't have an Android phone!!! Seriously, there is no way that rate of sale can or will be sustained, can there???
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double post, lag.....
Monty Burns said:
Fair enough, then its probably as good a representation as we will ever get.
I doubt that figure! At that rate there won't be much of the planet in 5 years that won't have an Android phone!!! Seriously, there is no way that rate of sale can or will be sustained, can there???
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Easily. world population is in the billions. Thats just selling 28,000 units a day per continent. Thats 146,000,000 phones in 2 years. Way less then the population of adult americans. Then figure most people buy a new phone every 2 years. I'd say that number has a big chance of growing higher.
Your making some assumptions (and getting some stuff wrong).
There are between 5 and 7 Continents of the world.
http://www.countriesandcities.com/continents/
Second, your assuming everyone in the world can afford/choose to afford a new phone. Can you guess two countries where the majority of populations may not care about a new mobile? Not dificult, just work out two of the most populated countries on the planet (most of the cheap sh*t is made in them) -
Clues:
Chi... population of Chi...
Indi...Population of Indi..
So, out of around 7 billion, your down a significant portion. Now we also need to include Africa. And then not everyone in the UK will want a smartphone (and I imagine the same for every other "first world" country)
Remember, I also said "Choose". Many of my work collegues are still walking around with real simple mobiles because, and lets be real honest here, battery life on smartphones stinks. They will easily get a full week (including talking) on one charge. No smartphone will do that.
edit:
sorry, clarification, ofc I mean population being poor not the goverments of the countries. I don't think anyone in any sane state would accuse China's goverment of being poor!
I also doubt that 50% of Americans will have Android phones in 2 years (Population of USA (estimated) to be 310mi)
Hopefully I can tinker with a newer android device, and have it work better. Like so many things the iFAIL (any of apples products really) is one of those trendy things that even a monkey could use.
But like the RIM software I dispised the first gen android os. Altho, I would take a crackberry any day over an iFAIL. WM powered devices I have had the most success with. I can definitely see why android is such a huge hit, especialyl since a lot of providers are offering lower priced Android devices vs the apple i FAIL, which is CANNOT be covered by insurance for physical damage or loss.
It really doesn't matter what type of outstanding specs these guys put in the upcoming android phones, Apple's Iphone is the number one phone out there. These manufacturers have forgotten that it was Apple that brought the price of smartphones down drastically. You don't beat the number one product on the market by charging MORE for your product.
Now that Apple is on multiple carriers, Android cannot afford to make such critical mistakes. The recently announced prices on upcoming android devices have made me wait for news on the IPHONE 5. I will pay MORE for the number one phone, but damned if I'm going to pay MORE for a phone that doesn't even receive updates till the next model.
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one...
Yet you come here claiming that the Iphone 4 or yet to be release Iphone 5 is "the number one phone", by who's standard? Sales? Yes, Apple has an outstanding marketing department.
I agree the Iphone "can" be a great phone, once it is jailbroken... But the proprietary of the device will turn others away in these forum. You know your in an Android forum right? Get prepared to be flamed.
I am glad the Iphone is doing well, and I am glad the Iphone is no longer exclusive only to AT$T. Which in turn for us is a great thing. You will see in the upcoming months what Android smartphone has to offer. You'll end up having buyers remorse.
Personally I think you came in trolling and to see what kind of response (negative) you can get. Sad...
Xstop said:
Personally I think you came in trolling and to see what kind of response (negative) you can get. Sad...
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I think ya pretty much nailed it X..
Xstop said:
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one...
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lmao! XD
anyways, i personally think the quality of apps in apple are way better than in android....but ther's way more customisation in android.....i am a rom-ohlic myself....flash new roms like everyday....android community is way better
Dell2 said:
It really doesn't matter what type of outstanding specs these guys put in the upcoming android phones, Apple's Iphone is the number one phone out there. These manufacturers have forgotten that it was Apple that brought the price of smartphones down drastically. You don't beat the number one product on the market by charging MORE for your product.
Now that Apple is on multiple carriers, Android cannot afford to make such critical mistakes. The recently announced prices on upcoming android devices have made me wait for news on the IPHONE 5. I will pay MORE for the number one phone, but damned if I'm going to pay MORE for a phone that doesn't even receive updates till the next model.
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Besides trolling, what are you talking about?
Enjoy being locked into the Apple way and the constant cycle of not updating as you wait for jailbreaks.
And Apple never brought the price of Smartphones down... $199 on contract was the standard price for WinMo phones long before Apple. And they had expandable memory and removable batteries.
I would or could not ever go back to an iphone after owning a quality android phone. There really is no comparison in user experience
Trolling? No way! As I stated in a previous post, my captivate made me return my iPhone 4 TWICE. Actually, my captivate enables me to wait for the iPhone 5 to release, I don't need another phone right now.
I meant that the iPhone 4 is the number one SELLING phone out there. Excuse me for sounding like an Apple fanboy.
Yet, the fact remains, higher priced android devices will help sell more Apple devices.
Correction, my captivate on Cognition 3.04 enables me to wait till summer. I jailbreak iPhones and I flash roms, I'm not a total noob at this.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Lets wait and see how they "change everything" without making a meaningful change of anything
Dell2 said:
Trolling? No way! As I stated in a previous post, my captivate made me return my iPhone 4 TWICE. Actually, my captivate enables me to wait for the iPhone 5 to release, I don't need another phone right now.
I meant that the iPhone 4 is the number one SELLING phone out there. Excuse me for sounding like an Apple fanboy.
Yet, the fact remains, higher priced android devices will help sell more Apple devices.
Correction, my captivate on Cognition 3.04 enables me to wait till summer. I jailbreak iPhones and I flash roms, I'm not a total noob at this.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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You may not be a noob from a tech standpoint but you are from a business aspect. The iPhone outsells because of image. People are sheep - they want something that is spun in a certain way - Apple does the marketing for the one phone product they offer. Android doesn't have that luxury - it has 20 different manufacturers so there is not ONE Android phone to compare to the iPhone.
People buy iPhones because they see ads for one appstore, for one company, etc. it is simple and fits the simple mind. Price has NOTHING to do with it. If it did, no one would buy the higher capacity iPhones. Look at all the people that waited in line to buy the first iPhone - no product reviews, and no subsidy.... where is the price theory there? They buy them today on eBay for $800 - not rational - but supply and demand dictates - along with perception and the idea of being a sheep.
Just like the new commercial knocking Toyota... anyone that has driven a Camry knows that it is a plain boring car - it gets the job done though - but why does everyone buy it when there are better values? Sheep.
alphadog00 said:
You may not be a noob from a tech standpoint but you are from a business aspect. The iPhone outsells because of image. People are sheep - they want something that is spun in a certain way - Apple does the marketing for the one phone product they offer. Android doesn't have that luxury - it has 20 different manufacturers so there is not ONE Android phone to compare to the iPhone.
People buy iPhones because they see ads for one appstore, for one company, etc. it is simple and fits the simple mind. Price has NOTHING to do with it. If it did, no one would buy the higher capacity iPhones. Look at all the people that waited in line to buy the first iPhone - no product reviews, and no subsidy.... where is the price theory there? They buy them today on eBay for $800 - not rational - but supply and demand dictates - along with perception and the idea of being a sheep.
Just like the new commercial knocking Toyota... anyone that has driven a Camry knows that it is a plain boring car - it gets the job done though - but why does everyone buy it when there are better values? Sheep.
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I agree wholeheartedly.
I think in the coming years we'll see the iphone go the way of the blackberry regardless of its lemming followers. Apple is constantly introducing new OS versions with hardly barely any significant feature changes. When multitasking was introduced, it absolutely destroyed any hint of speed on the iphone 3g. Yet, we've been multitasking with android since introduction on hardware that is just slightly faster.
With every Apple update, the older devices get slower, yet with every android update, devices that can run the update become faster, and more responsive.
Dell2,
In order for Apple to catch back up to Android in terms of innovation and feature-richness, they will have to heavily modify their OS, which in turn will force them to significantly update their hardware. If this happens (or rather, when Steve Jobs stops gracing California's judicial system with his presence every time somebody pulls the same **** on him that he pulled on IBM, and actually gets back to creating new product ideas) you will watch the price of the iphone skyrocket past the Android. When this happens, you will watch sales decline and Apple will drop out of the phone business.
Truth be known, aside from everything that Alphadog has said, the only other reason the iphone made it to 4 is because every electronics manufacturer and their mom started making their products with a proprietary Apple connector. Imagine if they hired a linux guy and started making them with MicroUSB?
oh and for the record I absolutely loathe everything about i(can'tstarthalfthetimeona64bitmachinesofuckloadingyourmusic)tunes.
leetpriest said:
I agree wholeheartedly.
I think in the coming years we'll see the iphone go the way of the blackberry regardless of its lemming followers. Apple is constantly introducing new OS versions with hardly barely any significant feature changes. When multitasking was introduced, it absolutely destroyed any hint of speed on the iphone 3g. Yet, we've been multitasking with android since introduction on hardware that is just slightly faster.
With every Apple update, the older devices get slower, yet with every android update, devices that can run the update become faster, and more responsive.
Dell2,
In order for Apple to catch back up to Android in terms of innovation and feature-richness, they will have to heavily modify their OS, which in turn will force them to significantly update their hardware. If this happens (or rather, when Steve Jobs stops gracing California's judicial system with his presence every time somebody pulls the same **** on him that he pulled on IBM, and actually gets back to creating new product ideas) you will watch the price of the iphone skyrocket past the Android. When this happens, you will watch sales decline and Apple will drop out of the phone business.
Truth be known, aside from everything that Alphadog has said, the only other reason the iphone made it to 4 is because every electronics manufacturer and their mom started making their products with a proprietary Apple connector. Imagine if they hired a linux guy and started making them with MicroUSB?
oh and for the record I absolutely loathe everything about i(can'tstarthalfthetimeona64bitmachinesofuckloadingyourmusic)tunes.
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I feel ya on the last line. I think it spends too much time reporting back to steve jobs I have a droidx than an iphone. Sheep just plain sheep.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Prices of phones outright from Rogers
Iphone 4 16gb- $649
Captivate- $549
X10- $549
Prices of phones on 3 yr contract from Rogers
Iphone4 16gb- $159
Captivate- $99.99
X10- $49.99
How exactly is android powered phones more expensive than the iphone?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
http://www.canalys.com/pr/images/r2011013.gif
the iOS isn't even the world's leading smartphone platform...I don't think it's ever beaten symbian. android, however, has passed symbian and is now the leading platform.
Sent from a phone, playing a phone, disguised as another phone.
You also have to take into account that the iphone is the only phone with ios where as android had dozens of phones. allowing people to pick what works best
Customization > conformity
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
leetpriest said:
With every Apple update, the older devices get slower, yet with every android update, devices that can run the update become faster, and more responsive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you own a Cliq XT...
Im waiting for the iphone 5 myself; I have the captivate rooted abd I love it, but I find myself getting bored with the operating system itself; I need something different you know?
I have had the phone since... spetember I think and I love it, but I just use it all of the time and I get a little bored.
Captivate 2.2.1 Paragon
FLAC Vest said:
Im waiting for the iphone 5 myself; I have the captivate rooted abd I love it, but I find myself getting bored with the operating system itself; I need something different you know?
I have had the phone since... spetember I think and I love it, but I just use it all of the time and I get a little bored.
Captivate 2.2.1 Paragon
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If you a bored with android you will commit suicide with ios
Sales numbers don't make something better lol microsoft os's are not better than apple os's but out sell them and are the most sold os out there. Not to mention iphone gained popularity way before google released android and just has a huge fan base, plus popularity of the ipod helped out a lot to.
Don't get wrong I'm not bashing the iphone it definitely has a place in the market for people , old people who can't figure stuff out , middle age people who can't figure stuff out , teens cause they have to have what there friends have and noobs in general lol
Open source never gains the popularity that the big company's gain ( Linux for example ) but all power users will tell you the same thing and if you don't know what that is then you definitely belong with your iphone
And for those who get bored with Android, what the hell are you gonna do on an iphone , jail break it lol , get real lol
Sent from my SuperDuper!Captivate | SuperNova v1.0 Mini | Firebird 2 v0.7 | Member of Team Phoenix
mcord11758 said:
If you a bored with android you will commit suicide with ios
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Amen to that!!!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
I'm sorry but.......
"Shipments of Android-based phones reached 32.9 million in the fourth quarter, while Nokia sold 31 million Symbian phones worldwide. Apple was third, shipping 16.2 million iPhones, while Research In Motion (RIM) sold 14.2 million BlackBerrys. Nokia held on to its lead in global market share with 28 percent
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/01/android-becomes-top-selling-smartphone-platform-worldwide/#ixzz1DJqwKjuR"
Hi all,
I study this stuff and just came across this article which might be of interest. It's not that you haven't heard of this idea, rather that this article is current and offers contribution to knowledge.
http://theunderstatement.com/post/11982112928/android-orphans-visualizing-a-sad-history-of-support
I came here to a great extent out of discovering the poor software support from my phone's manufactuer, in my case Sony Ericsson.
The single most critical aspect of this article in my two eyes (other people may find something else depending on your education, work and interest) is that this article argues that Cyanogen getting the latest OS working on even old devices shows the manufacturers are just being cheap but that is awful judgement on their part - because we move on to a different manufacturer.
What do you think?
The nexus series is okay, but the rest... For me it was sure that I'll go with custom roms from the very beginning because of this s**t.
Wasn't there some kind of contract that the manufactures provide support for a certain amount of time? I read about it somewhere.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
All i have to say it
WOW! thats crazy.
Personally I don't get why so many people are excited about the Samsung Galaxy S II. I have the Galaxy S. It came out at 2.1 when 2.2 had been out for months and finally got 2.2 about 6 months after it went on sale. NOTHING since.
For me, Samsung is a #neveragain product. ZERO support.
Yes, the manufacturers sometimes give clear support for some phones. My phone was launched around June 2010 on 1.6 (don't laugh lol) and I bought it that August. It was upgraded to 2.1. Around May/June 2011 an upgraded version was released instead of upgrading the 2010 line. Sony Ericsson said they 'give up to 2 years support and updates' for the phone. Most of the updates had negligible effect.
Any of you guys know your phone's support level?
Droidicus said:
Personally I don't get why so many people are excited about the Samsung Galaxy S II. I have the Galaxy S. It came out at 2.1 when 2.2 had been out for months and finally got 2.2 about 6 months after it went on sale. NOTHING since.
For me, Samsung is a #neveragain product. ZERO support.
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SGS update for GB has been out for several months everywhere except the USA for some models. That clearly makes this a USA carrier problem as Samsung has delievered timely updates outside of the USA.
The model for Android means the updates flow slowly through the system once they are announced and code is released. In BB and iOS, you get it all at once because its a closed system and RIM and Apple dont share anything with other companies.
Cooperation results in more variety and features but comes at the expense of slower implementation. This is seen in any situation, not just with mobile OS.
But it is the open source nature of Android which allows communities like Cyanogen and XDA to exist. We succeed where others fail.
Plus, while I like some Apple products like iPod, some of the rest of it is tremendously over-expensive clever marketing, where people show off their expensive goods to friends and pay for Apple's champagne parties in the process.
phoneyericsson said:
But it is the open source nature of Android which allows communities like...XDA to exist
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XDA existed years before Android was released.
Perhaps but that doesn't mean that we don't benefit from systems like Android. With BB and iOS you begin with a closed system locked down.
The phrase is not mutually exclusive - that one point is true and the other false.
most app developers will end up targeting an ancient version of the OS in order to maximize market reach.
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This doesn't bother me so much. I'm currently developing on a Rogers HTC Magic running 2.1 and I'm fine with that (ok not really, I'm getting the Galaxy Nexus in January). Anyway, the way I see it is targeting lower APIs just means there are fewer functions available for us to use, meaning we have to implement a few extra things ourselves. No big deal.
What is a big deal is the inconsistency of implementation of features by different manufacturers (eg Camera intent) That makes me rage.
---------- Post added at 06:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 PM ----------
phoneyericsson said:
Any of you guys know your phone's support level?
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Well keep in mind that your 2 year old phone may not be able to pull the greatest and latest version of Android. That could be one reason for a short support cycle.
As much as I would like rogers to update my phone to 2.2, it's not going to happen, because the hardware is not so good (by today's standards)
The author neglected the fact that there are hundreds of Android phones available and only 5 different iPhones (not counting the varying colors/storage spaces). It's far easier to provide and maintain updates for 5 devices than the 20+ Android devices each manufacturer has released within the previous two year period (minimum contract for subsidized pricing).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Droidicus said:
Personally I don't get why so many people are excited about the Samsung Galaxy S II. I have the Galaxy S. It came out at 2.1 when 2.2 had been out for months and finally got 2.2 about 6 months after it went on sale. NOTHING since.
For me, Samsung is a #neveragain product. ZERO support.
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Even the European Orange carrier branded Galaxy S is at 2.3.5. This non-support thingy is a US only problem (and probably some Asian countries).
American carriers are some blood sucking companies, of course they don't want to update their phones, because they must sell the next big thing.
And God, they fuc**d every good phone released there. That GNexus version from Verizon isn't even a google phone anymore.
US people should buy the international version if their network is compatible (like AT&T) and stop complaining. I only buy unlocked versions of the phones, and if I bought a low-end Android phone, I wouldn't complain about not getting updates. Seriously, you expect for your OEM to upgrade your 200$ (unlocked phone, I don't care how much is on contract) phone from 1.6 to 4.0 ?
I don't see my mom complaining about Android 2.3.3 version on her Galaxy Gio because he doesn't even know what an OS is. And even if the phone won't get updated anymore, the phone is perfectly working.
Now, if I do read tech blogs, I know what an OS is, and the most significant thing, I'm on XDA, is so hard to flash a custom rom on my almost out of warranty 18 months old phone ?
And what good is to update your phone if afterwards it will work like sh!t? 3GS is an example.
Some interesing points there...
- I agree that it wasn't really elaborated that the iPhone has a couple of variations whereas the Android situation involves many manufactuers so it is obviously going to work differently, watch Apple try fill those shoes. I don't really pay too much attention to Apple on that count though. While I think they do generally a good job looking after their own customers, take a look at their product portfolio - they have no interest in mass market generally, for quite a few years now they've moved away from iPods (companies which move away from their original core products have a struggle to survive) and into iPhones/iPads and now iTV incoming, which are, as we know, 'products of exlcusive consumption' which yield very high profit margins. That has nothing in common with the multi-manufactuer Android-approach, so I don't think very much about what Apple would do, simply, they wouldn't.
- Interesting note from the developer side there from that other person ^^^. And I hate throwing fuel in the fire, and I especially hate this term (it's a word pushed by Apple/Microsoft to spook Google's business partners in my opinion) but is fragmentation a problem?
- Also, this isn't an American problem. I'm European and we have the same problem. For you guys, contracts for 2 years -seems- to be normal there, but prepay is very popular here. The networks/carriers subsidise the handsets heavilly and you are not locked down really. There are some normally very expensive handsets in the shop now for €150 and I can use that for a year or whatever I want and switch next year. The network/carrier has paid a lot of subsidy to make it that cheap for me though. Contacts suit businesses perhaps more than consumers in this area. Secondly, minor point, but problems like Carrier IQ seem to be rampant in the US, whereas I've yet to find a company here using it. (there surely is, but they've yet to be named and shamed).
- Product support whether contract or prepay is usually defined. I just read another article point out that 2011 was the year of Froyo, which was released in 2010, it took so long for it to be rolled out. 2012 will be the year of Gingerbread, because it too is taking so long to roll out, yet we've just seen ICS come out...that Google strategy that some manufactuers signed up to...was it a joke?
Didn't see this posted in the forum, but I thought it was an interesting read (not saying I believe it all though)
CNNMoney.com said:
Google's got an Android problem
[/i]By David Goldman @CNNMoneyTech June 26, 2012: 11:46 AM ET[/i]
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- More than half of the world's smartphones run Android. That sounds like a pretty comfy perch for Google, but it's a precarious one -- and the historical tides that made Android such a stunning success are starting to swing in the opposite direction.
On Wednesday, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) is slated to unveil the latest version of Android at its developers conference. Expect some victory laps. The four-year-old mobile operating system is the center of a thriving ecosystem, and Google has seamlessly integrated most of its key products into Android, including search, Gmail, Chrome, Maps, Voice.
That gives Google a prime position in the fast-growing mobile realm.
But Android's success is partially accidental. The software only took off when Verizon Wireless released the Motorola Droid in late 2009.
Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) needed a weapon to counter AT&T's then-exclusive deal with Apple. It threw all its weight behind the Droid, which was the first true iPhone competitor on the nation's most popular phone network.
Kickstarted by Verizon, Android went on to become a strong iPhone alternative for virtually all other hardware makers and wireless carriers. Google's mobile OS held a 59% share of the smartphone market as of last quarter, IDC analysts said.
Android's climb is about to end, IDC thinks.
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http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/26/technology/google-android/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3
CNN said:
Android is climbing to an end, IDC thinks
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Why?
Android is thriving CNN!!!
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- Swift -, formerly known as IrishStuff09
- Swift - said:
Why?
Android is thriving CNN!!!
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- Swift -, formerly known as IrishStuff09
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What I thought as well. From many articles I have read, the expectation is that there will be a slight dip in market share when iPhone5 is released then things will return to normal with Android maintaining its hold on the smartphone market.
GrandAdmiral said:
What I thought as well. From many articles I have read, the expectation is that there will be a slight dip in market share when iPhone5 is released then things will return to normal with Android maintaining its hold on the smartphone market.
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Ha. Google is hiding stuff. Maybe a newer nexus with PB & J Android 5.0
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IDC is naive in thinking that Android's climb is over. U.S. smartphone share just past 50% and elsewhere in the world there is even more room for growth. To count Android out of taking a cut in this is just stupid.
Android's success is no accident. One phone did not make Android a success. Google's business model did. It offered a free platform for device manufacturer to use. Even now, all other platforms either require a licensing fee or is not available for licensing. This is why Android is thriving.
As long as iPhones keep their hefty price tag, Android will always be around. I think many people are not willing to spend that much on a phone.
That being said, it's true that when the next iPhone comes out, Android may take a hit. The high end Android phones may lose a bit of their market share to iPhone 5, but that's about it. We've seen the same effect with iPhone 4 and 4S. So it's just gonna happen once again. Can't complain, competition is good!
rumours
I've seen more than one prediction that Androids climb will be slowed moving forward. Frankly I can see why.
Most articles like this also mention the rise of WP, which will be the wild card. WP8 has a lot of potential, combined with Nokia I can see great things moving forward. Honestly who doesn't want a Purview WP8 phone?
We'll see what happens but I see Android and WP duking it out for top stop in a few years. Couple that with W8Pro tablets.....
PS. Iphones will always be around, even though I'm sure their share will diminish greatly unless they pull one hell of an actual innovative rabbit out of their hats...
icechen1 said:
As long as iPhones keep their hefty price tag, Android will always be around. I think many people are not willing to spend that much on a phone.
That being said, it's true that when the next iPhone comes out, Android may take a hit. The high end Android phones may lose a bit of their market share to iPhone 5, but that's about it. We've seen the same effect with iPhone 4 and 4S. So it's just gonna happen once again. Can't complain, competition is good!
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Not only a phone, but an inferior one. Or overpriced.
Hopefully Android will be gone within 2 years.
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Take it from the standpoint of a writer, that article was written for views.
When people want their blogging read by others, they post unpopular, unwarranted and even untrue opinions, facts, rumors, etc to attract the eyes of a reader.
Tell half a billion people you think the mobile OS they're running is going to fail...like that's not gonna get readers you guys got trolled
So did I, I came in here and read it too lol.
I've always preferred Android over iOS because I love customizing my OS and being able to do whatever I want with it. However, one thing that Android manufacturers really needs to sit down and learn from Apple is how to launch a product. I remember watching the iPad 3 launch livestream, they had the exact price, they had the exact time you can start pre-ordering, and they had the exact date it will be released, then they posted a map of Canada with the estimated arrival dates of each city. And when the day arrived, I got a knock on the door and there it was. It was the best ordering experience I've ever had.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about my experience with the Galaxy Nexus, Transformer Prime, and now the HTC One. They have all been absolutely terrible experiences. All involved reading post after post of speculation of when the release date is because these billion dollar companies somehow cannot decide when their product will be released.
When will Android manufacturers learn how to launch a product right? Someone should build a machine that automatically launches a missile at companies who launch products without pricing or release dates.
/rant
I guess it depends on what a person wants. Apple wants to get existing customers excited to upgrade and buy, buy, buy the newest thing.
Sure, Android has some of that, too, but people have choice even between manufacturers so it's a different environment. Android phone makers don't have the same captive audience. iOS isn't competing with and making last-minute choices dependent on other iOS phone makers.
I'm not looking to get the newest thing at the highest price the moment it comes out, so I don't really care.
It might be nice if companies could do this for their "flagship" devices, but they have a lot more on their plates than Apple does - dealing with the distribution of one new phone every year or so - not dozens.
Most of the release date speculations are from overzealous fans.
Samsung does a good job of advertising, with sales numbers to prove it, honestly I couldn't care less about exact release dates and if I get to see a map depicting delivery routes.
Frankly if people like yourself are so obsessed with device releases you might have a problem. Here in Norway we call that "fritids", transl: spare time issues
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