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April 5th, 2011 by Andrew Greenfield
Today’s myth has brought up quite a stir in the community recently. The Android vs iPhone war is bringing a lot of people back to the Mac vs PC wars of the 90’s. So what’s the myth today? The ol’ “it’s one device vs a million” cover.
“Of course android has a greater market share. If I gave away a bunch of phones for free it’d sell better than the iPhone too even if they were crap. You’re comparing a phone to an OS, that’s not fair. How many android phones are beating the iPhone. Zero. Developers would rather develop for one phone than a hundred that are so severely fragmented that half the apps don’t work. Also, Google makes NOTHING on their phones. Apple makes a killing on the iPhone…” (goes on to make nerd jokes and the whole “all Android users still live with their mothers” thing)
It’s beautiful isn’t it? While yes, both of these parties have these people, the fact that the competition is so good that these people exist is great for business. While it’s easier to see competition helping in Android than iOS (only because Android is updated more frequently), both parties should be thankful for the other. Without this kind of competition our phones wouldn’t be half as good! Enough drooling over the free market…
“You’re comparing a phone to an OS, that’s not fair.”
I see this comment a lot, and honestly, I’m really confused why the hard core Apple supporters continue to use this. Yes, iOS is only on one mobile device (technically more if you count the fact that the iPhone 3G is still being sold). Yes, it is true that if you include iPods and the iPad iOS probably has a greater user base than Android. But that’s not what this war is about (at least yet…Tablet wars are definitely in the future). This war is about which company can put more phones in people’s hands. We (as in the Android community) are not comparing a phone to an OS, we’re comparing a mobile OS to another mobile OS. It’s Apple’s choice to only sell one device. It’s a great thing for their bottom line and right on par with the company’s brilliant business strategy. However, the fact that Android phones are now selling faster than iOS phones (note, iOS phones, not “the iPhone”) means that the market is shifting to Android and away from iOS….Which brings me to my next point:
“Developers would rather develop for one phone than a hundred”
This is false, and precisely why market share is important. Think about it this way: You’re selling girl scout cookies. You have the option to sell to one neighborhood that is admittedly, much more prone to buying your cookies. Or you have the option to sell on a county level. Which would you pick? Anyone with an understanding of economics would pick the latter. The larger your market, the more opportunities you have to make money. This is why developers think Android will be the best to develop for. It’s the same thing Apple did to RIM. Why would anyone choose to make an app for Blackberry when they can make it for iOS and have an audience that’s many times larger. If you look at it from a third party point of view, those companies will back the OS that has the most users. It’s exactly what happened during Mac vs PC. Only now (with Apple’s impressive growth in Mac sales) are programs being developed for both (here’s to hoping Engineering software will soon be brought to my Macbook Pro!). It’s a vicious cycle. If you fall behind in market share companies stop developing for you. If they stop developing for you, you lose customers (market share). The cycle continues and continues. It’s what happened to Apple computers in the 90’s, it’s what’s happening to Palm and Blackberry now, and it’s what happened to the PSP in its early scraps against the DS. Do I think this will happen to iOS? Absolutely not. iOS is too good and has too large of a user base to be pushed out of existence. However, it should worry the iPhone crowd that as Android continues to dominate you may have to worry about whether Andoid apps will be ported to iOS instead of the other way around.
“…so severely fragmented that half the apps don’t work”
There are two ways to answer this. First, I could make the point that most apps require 2.1 or higher, and 80% of Android users have at least 2.1. Secondly, I could bring up the notion that most of the people who REALLY care about their phone aren’t on the few that are running something under 2.x. The small share of Android users that are obsessed with their OS probably own the latest and greatest Android phone. Does my mom care that she has 2.1 on her phone? No. I don’t even think she knows what that is, let alone when she’ll be upgraded. The fact of the matter is is that the majority of the market won’t care if they have an older OS than the person sitting next to them as long as their phones work. Will older phones be useless eventually? Yeah, I can’t argue that the few people that are still running 1.5 are probably running into a lot of problems. However, the amount of people upset with their 1.5 phone aren’t even CLOSE to the people who have an iPhone 3G and are upset with how iOS 4 crippled their phone. It is important to note that not ALL iPhone 3G’s are slowed to a crawl with iOS 4, but the product was widespread enough that Apple is still offering fixes and updates to help out. 4.3 is MUCH better than 4.0, but a lot of 3G users still say that the problem is getting better, but not fixed (this only caught my attention because one of my good friends has the iPhone 3G problem and sent me this funny video to explain to me why she was praying that the iPhone 5 comes soon). I’m not pointing fingers, I’m pointing out that EVERY technology company has this problem; it’s just pointed out with Android more often because of how quickly it upgrades. Is it a “bigger problem” on Android than on iOS? Yeah. But it’s not half as bad as anti-Android enthusiast claim it to be, and whatever OS camp you reside in has the same problems.
“Also, Google makes NOTHING on their phones. Apple makes a killing on the iPhone.”
This statement is true. Apple makes a lot of money on their phone sales, Google makes next to nothing (if not nothing) on the their phone sales. However, unless your bottom line depends on Apple’s, this means nothing in this debate; but that’s for another time. The fact of the matter is is that these are just different approaches at making money. Apple’s business strategy is probably the best of any company out there right now; I can’t think of another company (except maybe Nintentdo) that is having more fun rolling around in their money. They make a lot of it. Google isn’t exactly hurting though. While Apple banks its earnings on the immediate sale, Google looks more long term (and even if you like Apple’s strategy better, you have to admit Google as a company knows what it’s doing…how often do you use Yahoo search?). They know if they put the device in your hands, you’ll buy apps, you’ll search, you’ll hit ads, you’ll use Google appliances, etc. Apple takes the “less devices, more money per” approach and Google takes the “more devices, less money per” approach. Both work in their own right. Apple has been doing it for years and they’ll continue to be immensely successful at it. They’ve never given a crap if Macs beat PCs in sales. They could be selling one Mac for every 400 PCs for all they care, as long as that one Mac is still pulling in as much money (and probably more) than the 400 PCs. Same with iOS. Apple users are so excited to have been the top dog in OS for once. They fail to realize that that’s not Apple’s business strategy. iOS will more than likely not be the most used OS in the mobile world at the end of the day, but who cares? Apple will still make a killing on the large market they still have. If you don’t believe me look at video game companies. Nintendo is the only company that makes money off selling its consoles. They make money on every DS and Wii they sell. They’ve been around for years, clearly their strategy works. Microsoft and Sony (Sony especially) take HUGE hits when they sell a console. Before costs were reduced, Sony took some $100 loss for every PS3 sold. They banked on making money once the device was in the consumers hands. They’d buy games and other services to negate that loss and eventually turn a profit. Both Sony and Microsoft are still around, so clearly their business strategy works. Just because you don’t agree with a business strategy doesn’t mean it isn’t successful. Tell either Apple or Google that they need to rethink their business strategy and they’ll walk away laughing.
Closing Thoughts
Anybody can take facts and spin them towards their preference. The original quote was taken from someone who took facts about Android/Apple and spun them towards Apple. I took the same facts and spun them towards Android. The fact of the matter is is that neither of these companies are in any danger of being phased out. Android has a lot of work to do before it truly passes iOS as the preferred OS, but at the same time iOS has a lot of catching up to do to be able to compete with the innovation of Android. This is how competition works. Now, as a consumer, sit back and reap the benefits; whichever device you prefer.
http://www.talkandroid.com/36011-debunking-the-sheep-part-3/
Awesome article, i have both the iphone and an android phone, xperia x10. im gonna post this article on my facebook page just cause this morning in my status i posted that i would use both and see which is user friendlier. Then came all the hate, but it really just comes down to preference. Ios and android are going to rule the mobile os for now and both will be succesful. The debate mostly comes from new android user and some old iphone users and how the newer version of android are actually as user friendly as an iphone. Iphone was on its own for a while but since the newer version of android, more and more people are as satisfied with the their android devices
AT LAST!Someone who speaks with reason on the matter!I don't care whether you prefer iOS or Android,I just care that you have a balanced opinion on the matter.It all comes down to personal preference.What do I care if the guy/gal next to me prefers a different OS than I do?Yeah,I'm one of the guys who use Ubuntu as their daily OS on my PC,so what?Does that make me better or worse than the guys who use Windows or Mac?No.Same with phones.
More people should read your article.From me you have a well earned thanks.
Nice article
.......or you can just remember the old saying "arguing on the internet is like special olympics, even if you win, your still retarded" , and do something better with your time ....
no offense at op , but the average fanboy is dumber than a rock and even worse with apple
Lawl no one cares for WP7? xD
I really love my Apple products, and that includes all sorts of things (even some screwdrivers, hats, pens, water bottles ...)
But my iPod touch 1g is running Android. Apple has dropped support for me with that product, and I figured I may as well do the same thing to them with it
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
Yes... sadly enough WP7 is done for in a few ears...
The argument is APPLES and ORANGE.......... or to put more succinctly a non-sequitor
Apple market approach is and has been always has been to market the image and sell the image " only apple is unique or the best, only the best people, etc."
This is a piggy backed approach from the IPOD basis, which capitalized on online music in a mp3 format. It was and is a successful. But,... they're approach still states that they sell you WHAT THEY think is pertinent and decide on what you need, then charge you retail plus 20% for it. It is and still remains a locked and closed system. Creating a image fervor much like when xbox 1st came out, ...long lines customer fights etc.......... 2-digit mob mentality.......... they are good at this .....and it shows.
Android, on the other hand was not created to be closed system since it was based on Linux, it was open source, and the effort was to see if the public would drive development as well as create the new market that would automatically follow...... in essence a novel experiment.......... The result speaks for itself. An open more stable platform that has been embraced around the world. People need to remember that the market is not USA or Europe, but the Entire World. And that, Android has taken over and will continue until the market share of the Iphone IOS will be that of the Mac to the Windows platform. A solid following but, a minority player.
THE DANGER,---- is if Android then is turned upside down by Google, who then figures we are all addicted so now pay up or no support.......... I personally do not think this will happen, BUT... then I don't trust any corporation at all and so, I never let my guard down.
Like I said different animals vying for the same market................
^_^
thank you for your objective approach.
http://phandroid.com/2011/06/21/analyst-claims-iphone-5-will-be-kiss-of-death-for-android/
As an andorid fan boy , I broke in to laughter
We heard this one before, back when the iPhone 4 was first announced for Verizon: the carrier’s current smartphone subscribers would abandon their Android handsets for Apple’s phone after years of settling for less. As it turns out, that wasn’t quite the case. But if you’re wrong once, why not make the same prediction again and hope that it might come true this time. That’s what Needham analyst Charlie Wolf believes, anyway. After pinpointing a 3 percentage point drop-off in Android’s US market share in March following the release of the iPhone 4, Wolf claims that Android is only set to lose more ground.
His argument is based more on speculation than fact, but Wolf predicts the real damage will be done with the launch of the iPhone 5 concurrently on AT&T and Verizon. Why? Because Verizon subscribers knew better than to purchase an iPhone 4 mere months before the launch of Apple’s next-gen version of the smartphone. Yep, come then we will surely see most of Verizon’s Android users abandon their Google phones leading to the greatest decline in market share ever seen for a platform that saw tremendous growth in 2010.
We can’t deny that the release of the iPhone on Verizon’s CDMA network has had an effect on the smartphone market, but Android still holds nearly 50 percent to Apple’s 30 percent. Apple stands to gain more ground from floundering competitors such as RIM, not from Google’s platform. To think most Android users are simply biding their time until the right moment to pick up an iPhone just seems a bit silly. But it’s all speculation for now. Let’s revisit these figures when the iPhone 5 launches this fall
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The Iphone 4 launch on Verizon wasn't a big success though. Yeah, it sells pretty decently, but then compared to the launch of other phones on Verizon, and then the launch of the 4 on AT&T, the CDMA Iphone 4 was almost nothing. Seeing that the 5 will be launched on both networks at the same time, might help it some and may give a bigger market share to Apple, but is it the kiss of death? Not at all, because even after the Iphone 5 is released there will probably be at the most 10 different Android devices released right after it.
aalupatti said:
http://phandroid.com/2011/06/21/analyst-claims-iphone-5-will-be-kiss-of-death-for-android/
As an andorid fan boy , I broke in to laughter
We heard this one before, back when the iPhone 4 was first announced for Verizon: the carrier’s current smartphone subscribers would abandon their Android handsets for Apple’s phone after years of settling for less. As it turns out, that wasn’t quite the case. But if you’re wrong once, why not make the same prediction again and hope that it might come true this time. That’s what Needham analyst Charlie Wolf believes, anyway. After pinpointing a 3 percentage point drop-off in Android’s US market share in March following the release of the iPhone 4, Wolf claims that Android is only set to lose more ground.
His argument is based more on speculation than fact, but Wolf predicts the real damage will be done with the launch of the iPhone 5 concurrently on AT&T and Verizon. Why? Because Verizon subscribers knew better than to purchase an iPhone 4 mere months before the launch of Apple’s next-gen version of the smartphone. Yep, come then we will surely see most of Verizon’s Android users abandon their Google phones leading to the greatest decline in market share ever seen for a platform that saw tremendous growth in 2010.
We can’t deny that the release of the iPhone on Verizon’s CDMA network has had an effect on the smartphone market, but Android still holds nearly 50 percent to Apple’s 30 percent. Apple stands to gain more ground from floundering competitors such as RIM, not from Google’s platform. To think most Android users are simply biding their time until the right moment to pick up an iPhone just seems a bit silly. But it’s all speculation for now. Let’s revisit these figures when the iPhone 5 launches this fall
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering that the iPhone leads and has always been in the lead, I can see it happening. Apple isn't about to rest on their laurels and just let the competition skate by unscathed. From what I read, Apple has some major upgrades in store for the iPhone with iOS5. Android is already struggling with fragmentation and other competition like WP7. If iOS5 is actually all that it is being portrayed as being, I can see Android succumbing to iPhone. But I prefer it if Android survives and Google greatly improves it. That's what competition is supposed to do...make things hard for the industry but sweet for the market.
WP7 is a competition to whom?
I want to be an analyst. Is that like a college degree?
BenKranged said:
I want to be an analyst. Is that like a college degree?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunno, but it's got "anal" in it.
Seriousy, WP7 succeeded in halving Microsoft's market share. Woot! Great result
Unless IOS5 gives users what Android can give them (customisation, funky live wallpapers to impress their friends, no need to be tied into specific software or websites, flash) then I can't see how it will regain the market lead.
With Android you have the variety of devices, so if people want a 4.3 or 5 inch screen they can, likewise if they want a smaller one, or one with a physical keyboad.
IOS5 is going to be a big song and dance just like all the other so called amazing versions of IOS, and they all have the same failing.
xaccers said:
I dunno, but it's got "anal" in it.
Seriousy, WP7 succeeded in halving Microsoft's market share. Woot! Great result
Unless IOS5 gives users what Android can give them (customisation, funky live wallpapers to impress their friends, no need to be tied into specific software or websites, flash) then I can't see how it will regain the market lead.
With Android you have the variety of devices, so if people want a 4.3 or 5 inch screen they can, likewise if they want a smaller one, or one with a physical keyboad.
IOS5 is going to be a big song and dance just like all the other so called amazing versions of IOS, and they all have the same failing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so. The iPhone has been the most successful system in history. And it has done so with one line of phone and unchanging nature. Now Apple is changing it up. If the iPhone leads without being all that Android is, what will be the outcome if it adds features like Android?
Open minds and be rational.
MartyLK said:
Not so. The iPhone has been the most successful system in history. And it has done so with one line of phone and unchanging nature. Now Apple is changing it up. If the iPhone leads without being all that Android is, what will be the outcome if it adds features like Android?
Open minds and be rational.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q1 2011 % market share:
Android 36
Symbian 27.4
Apple 16.8
Blackberry 12.9
Microsoft 3.6
Interesting definition of lead btw
xaccers said:
Q1 2011 % market share:
Android 36
Symbian 27.4
Apple 16.8
Blackberry 12.9
Microsoft 3.6
Interesting definition of lead btw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source please
Nah...nevermind, I looked for myself. That's excellent. RIM has finally fallen from the lead. I didn't think that would ever happen. I friggin hate Blackberrys and could not comprehend how they could be in the lead of marketshare being as crappy as they are. From what I see in a Google seach, Android is leading with around 33%, RIM with 27% and Apple with 25%. I am glad to see Android doing so well. From most online sites and news, the talk has always been that Apple was leading. Maybe they mean in a specific region. Nevertheless, I hope Apple can put out a highly refreshed and redone phone because stiff competition is never bad for the consumer.
When MS gets Mango out, I see WP7 taking a lot of marketshare down the line. That's going to be one fine system.
I just looked through the "new" features of iOS 5, and don't see anything really noteworthy that Android hasn't already done. Swipe down on any screen for notifications? I was impressed by that on my friend's G1 a few years ago. So unless Apple's keeping their cards close, it doesn't look like anything groundbreaking.
It's definitely not going to be the "kiss of death" for Android. That's kinda ridiculous. Apple fans are always going to buy the iPhone, but too many people will still buy Android for the flexibility. Whenever Apple releases a new Mac, or a new version of OSX, it's never been a "kiss of death" for Microsoft, PC manufacturers or Linux.
For an analyst to pop up and start claiming this months before it comes out makes me think that he's either biased already by the product, bought off by Apple, or both.
They said the same thing about iPhone coming to Verizon and look what happened.
MartyLK said:
I friggin hate Blackberrys and could not comprehend how they could be in the lead of marketshare being as crappy as they are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because for guys like me they were great. I could check my work e-mail and easily reply using a real keyboard. I wasn't looking for entertainment or to play games with it. I wanted a phone that I could talk on for long periods of time and check my email. I love my Evo but for work purposes and for my particular situation my work BB is superior. But I use my Evo for all of my personal stuff because it's a lot more fun and has a ton of features.
Back on topic....the iPhone is always going to have market share and will always be popular simply because it's become an icon. I'm not sure they really need to do a lot of upgrading on it for it to sell. I know a LOT of iPhone users who don't use a fraction of what it can do. But it's like a Coach purse (one of the low end ones with the big "C" logo all over it) in that it sends a message to everyone around. It's a fashion accessory for a lot of people.
But is it going to kill Android or any of the other phones? Of course not and especially if they can keep the price competitive while providing a phone that's a good alternative. But I do think that Google needs to better advertise the OS. I don't think that everyone gets that Android is a Google product and knows all that it can do. I think they can be a LOT more aggressive against Apple and really help garner attention.
james
MartyLK said:
Source please
Nah...nevermind, I looked for myself. That's excellent. RIM has finally fallen from the lead. I didn't think that would ever happen. I friggin hate Blackberrys and could not comprehend how they could be in the lead of marketshare being as crappy as they are. From what I see in a Google seach, Android is leading with around 33%, RIM with 27% and Apple with 25%. I am glad to see Android doing so well. From most online sites and news, the talk has always been that Apple was leading. Maybe they mean in a specific region. Nevertheless, I hope Apple can put out a highly refreshed and redone phone because stiff competition is never bad for the consumer.
When MS gets Mango out, I see WP7 taking a lot of marketshare down the line. That's going to be one fine system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh god don't get me started on the hellspawn that is blackberry
Bloody awful things.
They got their lead, like apple did initially, by MS basically not realising the potential of WinMo.
WinMo had MS Reader for years before kindle came on the scene, they had WMP before itunes, there are app stores like handango. All it would have taken would be a bit of faith, a more finger friendly interface (SPB managed it, HTC managed it, why not MS?) and some bright spark to put it all together and MS would have been ahead of the game.
When BBs started, it was the best way to get emails with a mobile, it is secure, and adds so much more control over the handset than Exchange does alone. But RIM got complacent, their BES customers aren't going anywhere, they've invested too much in licences, they were practically guarenteed the business market due to managerial sheep following what other companies do (the sort of people who believe the only smart phone is the iphone, that then believe the only way to get email on mobiles is with a blackberry).
It's so frustrating, especially even after seeing how mobile OSs can be done MS still get it wrong.
There's a map online showing the market share of different countries, it's quite interesting. Australia has iphone winning, while Tunisia has Nokia in the lead.
I'm sure IOS5 will get apple a wealth of new sales, and for a short time they may outsell Android, but a lot of people I know with iphones prefer the 3 to the 4, many decided against switching, and many of them wish they hadn't.
A colleague got the white one (which really looks awful in my opinion, like it's made of bakolite from a distance) as it's her first touch screen phone she admits to not knowing what she's missing with it, but already she's thinking of taking it back for something better.
I got to play the finger of signal death with it though
Finger off - 5 bars, finger on - 4 bars, finger off - 5 bars, finger on - ooo 3 bars.
Interestingly Apple are already making noises about going for the "elite" of the market, so they're preparing the ground to accept 3rd place. After all, they don't need to be no1, they just need to sell enough to satisfy the stock holders.
atypical1 said:
Because for guys like me they were great. I could check my work e-mail and easily reply using a real keyboard. I wasn't looking for entertainment or to play games with it. I wanted a phone that I could talk on for long periods of time and check my email. I love my Evo but for work purposes and for my particular situation my work BB is superior. But I use my Evo for all of my personal stuff because it's a lot more fun and has a ton of features.
Back on topic....the iPhone is always going to have market share and will always be popular simply because it's become an icon. I'm not sure they really need to do a lot of upgrading on it for it to sell. I know a LOT of iPhone users who don't use a fraction of what it can do. But it's like a Coach purse (one of the low end ones with the big "C" logo all over it) in that it sends a message to everyone around. It's a fashion accessory for a lot of people.
But is it going to kill Android or any of the other phones? Of course not and especially if they can keep the price competitive while providing a phone that's a good alternative. But I do think that Google needs to better advertise the OS. I don't think that everyone gets that Android is a Google product and knows all that it can do. I think they can be a LOT more aggressive against Apple and really help garner attention.
james
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's only one BB model I know of that you can actually use longer than 5 minutes before needing a recharge. And 4 of those minutes are spent trying to navigate the menu system and find stuff. The Bold is the only usable BB model that I know of that is decent. The rest of them are pure crap...I know from experience.
There will always be a large amount of people who hate Apple's proprietary and locked-down designs on principle.
Thus, unless Android support completely dies, there will always be a market for Android phones.
Sakabaka said:
There will always be a large amount of people who hate Apple's proprietary and locked-down designs on principle.
Thus, unless Android support completely dies, there will always be a market for Android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's true. But there's a very real aspect of the system that could cause Android harm: fragmentation. There are way too many versions of Android right now where devs have to code their apps to suit all of those different versions. With iOS and WP7, fragmentation isn't an issue. More and more devs will follow a system where they can put in less efforts for greater rewards. It could get to a point with Android where the devs just don't want to mess with it when they can make all their money on iOS or WP7. This could lead to less and less support for Android, which in turn would lead to fewer and fewer sales.
I'm not saying it can happen in a season. But it can happen. And given enough complacency from Google, it could actually happen, period.
MartyLK,
No offense man, but where you been living under? RIM has been falling since they released the Storm, which was totally a failure.
Ice cream that's all I have to say google doesn't do small updates besides gingerbread an its suppose to be 4.O that's a big number jump so i am looking for my phone to be able to float with next update lmao
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
MrShides said:
MartyLK,
No offense man, but where you been living under? RIM has been falling since they released the Storm, which was totally a failure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm referring to actual marketshare of RIM. RIM for a very long time has lead the market. Right now the only system to have breached it's strange lead has been Android. That has happened in the recent past...like within a couple months.
Well topic/discussion purposed is Samsung's muddled delivery of ICS part of a larger rumoured back lash from manufacturers whom seem to be upset at Google for three reasons? First is Google’s acquisition of Motorola mobility apparently still doesn’t sit well with OEM's, the discontent has been amplified by reason number two. Some still don’t buy the party line of patent purchase only. This seems ungrateful from an outsiders point of view should this speculation hold true.
See such an article here:
http://www.androidauthority.com/google-motorola-deal-android-manufacturers-73966/
Second is Google trying to execute more control as many in blogs and tech articles have suggested Google should. This has been to address the issues of diversity and “fragmentation” that Google has faced criticism for. To what degree is Google executing control still remains to be seen. On a side note I and others have suggested the OEM’s give a stronger and narrower focus with fewer new devices but more polish and support.
Third is that Google with Android has not shown the preferential treatment the big players would have preferred; allowing smaller brands to gain ground and market share using this open platform. Brands like Archos, ZTE, and Huawei. Also allowed ASUS to gain a foot hold in the mobile market, ASUS who now seems to have a strong relationship with Google.
Samsung’s fudged ICS upgrade alone may mean nothing. But with HTC recent delivery and overhaul of ICS, combined with Sony decision to possibly hold ICS upgrades because it feels they miss the mark of quality could be indications of such unrest with the Manufacturers is more than just rumours. If such unhappiness is present and being actioned or plotted that’s where things turn interesting or concerning.
Many would think this unwise considering the lack of success with Manufacturers own proprietary OS’s. Nokia's Symbian slowly lost out, Bada is nowhere near the success Sammy had hoped for, despite cited as being more popular at the beginning of this year than Windows Phone. Meego didn't see much of a life.
Let me hear what you have to say on this topic
I think regarding the purchase of Motorola, it is definitely seen as simply a patent buyout. There are plenty of rumours of them already trying to sell the hardware side of Motorola.
Gaining 17,000 (or was it 12,000) patents is going to be a very good thing for manufacturers, knowing that they are much less likely to be sued with the added protection from the extra patents. However, if rumours are true and Google is looking to sell to Huwaie (?) then that will be another manufacturer up there all vying for a shot at the big time. The good thing is competition breed competition, so we will see devices continuously being updated and bettered, whereas the iPhone will not see this at such a rate.
I think Google trying to take a bit more control over Android is overall a good thing, even if manufacturers may not like it so much because it means it is harder to put out the cheaper handsets that have been selling so well.
siravarice said:
I think regarding the purchase of Motorola, it is definitely seen as simply a patent buyout. There are plenty of rumours of them already trying to sell the hardware side of Motorola.
Gaining 17,000 (or was it 12,000) patents is going to be a very good thing for manufacturers, knowing that they are much less likely to be sued with the added protection from the extra patents. However, if rumours are true and Google is looking to sell to Huwaie (?) then that will be another manufacturer up there all vying for a shot at the big time. The good thing is competition breed competition, so we will see devices continuously being updated and bettered, whereas the iPhone will not see this at such a rate.
I think Google trying to take a bit more control over Android is overall a good thing, even if manufacturers may not like it so much because it means it is harder to put out the cheaper handsets that have been selling so well.
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So far Google hasn't appeared to have had much influence on Motorola, many because it hasn't been fully approved/finalized. Oddly enough the hold up is China. The strength of the rumour Google selling the Hardware division to Hauwei is the ability to capitalise on the lucrative Chinese market where Android already is dominating.
Time will tell about the patent side, although no evidence is apparent that supports its more than a patent purchase. We'll have to see who gets the next Nexus smartphone and tablet.
I have never really been one of those out-and-out environmentalists; I do my share and never really spread my dogma around. Nor have I ever been paranoid, or been in the habit of getting enraged about every piece of inflammatory news coming my way; but recently, something struck a cord with me. The whole Apple/Foxconn fiasco, though overblown by the likes of Mike Daisey, really incited a few thoughts within me as far as the direction in which we are heading as consumers is concerned.
See, it is no secret that conditions in such factories are horrible. It has almost always been public knowledge, but public knowledge, is in essence, transient. As a race of consumers and tech-geeks, we tend to forget the bigger picture and are highly thrifty with our technological possessions.
I see a culture of indispensability emerging within our society, thinking of all our gadgets as use-and-throw implements, always craving for something better, whilst never thinking about what sort of labour goes into their production. I’ve seen plenty of teenagers, intentionally bashing their six-month old smartphone, just so they can convince their parents to buy a newer model and the rate of innovation such self-generating demand is driving is staggering.
According to Wikipedia, 150 workers threatened to jump off the roof. For a list of foxconn workers suicides, refer here.
From actually keeping and loving our gadgets for a long time, we have been driven to annual or in some cases semi-annual upgrade cycles, where each past generation seems obsolete to us. And the manufacturers are trapping us in, with innovations like sealed-in batteries, which make a phone far harder to repair and make it impossible for a consumer to just get a new battery and put it in after the older one dies out.
While all this accelerating growth and innovation always seemed pretty exciting to me, once I was introduced to the plight of the labourers, I started thinking along a different track. Right now, the world is exploiting the willingness of people in developing countries to work at exorbitantly cheap wages and thus manufacture products at a staggering rate, but this is not a sustainable model.
Imagine a time when even countries like China and our own have developed, who would the world turn to then? Countries even more destitute I imagine. Say this goes on, and at a point (though it seems pretty far off) every country is developed to a large extent, wouldn’t our whole rapid upgrade model bite us right in the derrière? We actually might not even have to worry about that possibility, as our environment itself would not be able to sustain such rapid and pervasive development for long.
Don’t take me wrong here; I’m not against technological innovation. In fact, being a tech-blogger, innovation is pretty much my bread-and-butter. What I am against is non-sustainable innovation, and that is the state of our mobile market right now. There are new SoC’s, new camera modules, new screen technologies coming out of every nook and cranny of the world right now, and we’ve gotten to the point that even a phone from 6 months ago starts looking pretty dated.
We need to remember that this cannot go on forever. We need to remember that there are thousands of people out there, working more than they are paid for, just to make sure enough of us get our spanking new iPhones on time. We direly need more stability in the mobile market, for our sake, and the world’s.
"In the car industry, Formula 1 provides a commercial testbed for cutting-edge technologies. The Ubuntu Edge project aims to do the same for the mobile phone industry -- to provide a low-volume, high-technology platform, crowdfunded by enthusiasts and mobile computing professionals. A pioneering project that accelerates the adoption of new technologies and drives them down into the mainstream." - http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge
What do you guys think about the device? I for one can't wait for it! Discuss below.
"Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." In other words help others find an answer don't just give it to them.
Does anyone know if the CPU architecture will be ARM or x86?
This phone seems really interesting and if it has Merrifield inside (Bay Trail for smartphones) I might actually get one. Hopefully I can find this out before the 21st of August.
I was initially thinking of getting it when my contract ran out next year but I'm getting the idea that if one wants one you need to buy through the campaign.
cypher49 said:
Does anyone know if the CPU architecture will be ARM or x86?
This phone seems really interesting and if it has Merrifield inside (Bay Trail for smartphones) I might actually get one. Hopefully I can find this out before the 21st of August.
I was initially thinking of getting it when my contract ran out next year but I'm getting the idea that if one wants one you need to buy through the campaign.
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They haven't specified at all, only saying it will be the very best available when they start manufacturing.
"armv7 A15 support 40bit adressing"
That is what one of the officials said on indiegogo. The guys name is Victor Palau.
Help spred the word!
https://www.thunderclap.it/en/projects/3486
Someone buy me one... I want one... can't afford... I will just pray they start making it for US carriers and I can get one with my new contract next year ha. Seems like this phone will be the "next best thing" if the project gets enough support. I like the sapphire screen and sleek design they've come up with. Would buy 10/10.
t3hcurs3 said:
Someone buy me one... I want one... can't afford... I will just pray they start making it for US carriers and I can get one with my new contract next year ha. Seems like this phone will be the "next best thing" if the project gets enough support. I like the sapphire screen and sleek design they've come up with. Would buy 10/10.
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This phone will never ever ever ever come to carriers.
A) the phone will never exist.
B) even if it will, they will start a new campaign and change the price to a more realistic $850. Can carriers subsidize this to $200? They won't like it much...
C) the phone is the phone equivalent of a Bugatti Veyron. You won't see these just lying around in a store. They are limited production and must be built on a per order basis. Carriers on the other hand, stockpile phones, something canonical can't allow with the little support they have.
D) The margins are extremely small. Ubuntu style. Seriously, look at the specs, then the price. You can't expect a company that has such small margins to really take off and compete with multi billion dollar companies.
This phone is only for hardcore Ubuntu enthusiasts who absolutely must have the best, and can afford it. Since you're American, if you buy this phone, you'll end up paying for it twice during the course of 2 years. More if you keep it longer.
Don't worry. Since Ubuntu is open source, it's only a matter of time before Ubuntu Touch is finalized and flagships start shipping with dual boot capability.
I backed it, but am sadly anticipating the crowd fund to fail.
If you look at the descriptions, pretty much every hardware aspect is still up in the air, even the cpu architecture. And given how poorly they handled the developer preview release, burst their hype bubble, and only barely have a dd-ready build after all this time, I don't think it would release on time even if it did fund successfully.
Motorola was way ahead of its time starting with the Atrix and its webtop mode, is a shame that they axed it and Google never built in that support after buying Motorola. The whole screen becomes a touchpad when in webtop mode on a tv was really cool. (Granted, the web dock laptop WAS like $500 for a crappy screen and keyboard dock, but still, it worked!)
I REALLY want to see the whole desktop convergence thing happen, but the MHL vs OTG stuff still needs to be worked out and standardized, so one port can simultaneously output hdmi, be a usb host, and still charge the device, before it will be ubiquitous. One dock to rule them all! (Either that or standardize the two-port hdmi & usb side by side with specified orientation and spacing)
In the meantime, newegg has a deal today on a Samsung 11 pin mhl dock sometime today. (Good for s3/4 and notes)
Today we broke past $10M in support, and soon the world record for crowd funding will be broken.
The Ubuntu Edge has an unlocked bootrom and we are encouraged to hack/tinker with it.
Yesterday Mark Shuttleworth posted this message:
A message from Mark Shuttleworth
Hi everyone
Thanks in large part to all of you, the Ubuntu Edge campaign response has been incredible. In just over three weeks more than 20,000 people have backed the project, from individuals giving a single dollar right up to Bloomberg’s fantastic $80,000 contribution. Along the way we’ve broken crowdfunding records, including the fastest project to hit $2 million (7hrs 59mins), and the highest ever 24-hour total ($3.45 million). We’re now on the verge of an even bigger milestone as we approach the all-time crowdfunding record of $10.27 million.
Speaking both personally and for the team, the more time we spend on this project, the more excited we get about the possibilities of this new class of device. And as the news has spread we’ve seen industry thought leaders coming round to the idea that convergence can be a real force, and that this project represents a new way to underwrite innovation.
That led to some significant engagements with suppliers that enabled us to drop the price below $700, without compromising the specification. And now that we’ve seen next-generation phones from other major names, we think the price-performance of the Edge is off the charts -- it offers real value. We’re even more convinced that it will take a new approach to unlock the next wave of mobile innovation.
Whatever happens in the next nine days, the Ubuntu Edge is already making a difference. This campaign lets enthusiast consumers signal their interest to a mobile industry that caters overwhelmingly to the mainstream. It’s making it clear that we’re no longer satisfied with minor updates; we’re looking for true innovation and we’re ready to pay for it. And that message is getting through.
So in a sense, we can be proud of what’s been achieved already -- but we really want to hit that $32 million! We’re going to need a huge push, a surge in awareness that builds momentum to carry us over the line. No one here is giving up while the goal remains achievable, and you’ve all gone out of your way to add your voice to the chorus. So I’m writing to ask you to take to the Twitterverse and other social networks to encourage like-minded types to join you, and me, and companies large and small, in backing the Ubuntu Edge.
As they say, the future is already here, it’s just not widely distributed. We’re working to put it in the hands of 40,000 people, to start a revolution. And you’re there at the start.
Mark Shuttleworth
Founder, Ubuntu and Canonical
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I think there is still a ton of people who do not know about the device, and if you want one, help spread the word and support the campaign!
Aonoa said:
Today we broke past $10M in support, and soon the world record for crowd funding will be broken.
The Ubuntu Edge has an unlocked bootrom and we are encouraged to hack/tinker with it.
Yesterday Mark Shuttleworth posted this message:
I think there is still a ton of people who do not know about the device, and if you want one, help spread the word and support the campaign!
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I can't wait to get my Edge, I'm so fed up of my Lumia 920 and it's constant niggles that gripe me on a regular basis, I'm really looking forward to trying Android... To be honest I can't believe the storage capacity on this thing!!! There's no way Apple will ever do a 128gb model... imagine the price after Apple tax gets included
Since the op seems to be on vacation there is no need for this thread to stay open. Please continue your discussion here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2379508&page=4
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