[Discussion] Where do you think Sony should go for phones and tablets? - General Topics

Howdy all! I've spent much time pondering where Sony is at for phones, tablets and portable gaming, and where I'd want to eventually see them. With Sony now in full control of the mobile phone divison and greater interaction between the various Sony departments under the new rule of Kaz Hirai, I would hope we'll Sony starting to produce market leading devices if they want to carve out any significant chunk of the market.
This thread is really just for people to voice their thoughts on what type of devices Sony should strive to produce in the coming months/years and what sort of experiences they should give their customers. I'll kick things off with my own list of things I'd like to see. I get that it may just appear the random ramblings of a fanboy, but I figured it's a good a place to start as any
- Expand Vita OS to phones and tablets. It is true that in the here and now the Vita OS isn't suitable for phones and tablets, but then again it is a very young OS and is constantly growing. We know it was designed with phone/tablet expandability in mind, so I can see Sony doing this eventually. What would this mean for Sony and Android? Well they don't necessarily have to get out of the Android game, but there's only so much you can do to differentiate yourself when everyone is running the same OS. I'd like to see them have both Android devices and Vita OS devices as that would be the smart play IMO.
It's also true that Sony doesn't have the greatest history in the software department so one has to wonder why I'm saying they should develop their own OS. Quite simply because I've spent a lot of time playing around with the Vita OS and I'm impressed with it so far. If they begin expanding it with phone and tablet use in mind, I think it could pose a serious threat to other mobile OS's. With Microsoft being able to integrate xbox gaming into the Windows mobile platform and the already substantial presence of gaming on iOS and Android, I don't think Sony can afford to not expand upon the Vita OS and carve out their own chunk of the industry.
-Bank on Playstation Mobile and toss everything you can into making it a success. PSM succeeding will be the only way the Vita OS could be expaned to other mobile devices. Sony needs an app ecosystem and PSM is it. I'm not a programmer, but from comments I've ready from people who are programmers, it seems that a lot of them are pleased with the way Sony is handling PSM. While I'm sure there's room for improvement, again it's still in its infancy. In fact, it tehnically hasn't even born yet since it's still in the beta stages.
The fact that PSM also runs on some Android devices makes it even better as you can give those people a taste of the PSM experience and if they want more they can invest in a Vita OS device. The ability to double dip should be a huge benefit here.
-More integration with Playstation. I think Playstation as a whole is Sonys ace up its sleeve. If they can get all PS1 and PSP games working on PS Certified devices, it'll open up a library of hundreds, if not thousands of titles for people to play on the mobile, and add a lot of additional revenue for Sony. Not to mention if you can get them hooked a bit with these smaller games as opposed to the relatively simpler games you find on mobile devices these days, it increases the chances that they might want to invest in the PS3/PS4 whenever it comes out.
-I do like that with their current lineup of phones, Sony is try to to cater to every market segment rather than just focus on high end devices. I'd continue this, although maybe with fewer devices as the 2012 Sony Mobile lineup is pretty substantial.
-One product concept that I'd love to see is the full integration of the phone and the tablet. Sony was already partly there with the Tablet P, but I think they need to see it through to the next step. The idea would be to have a device that folds in half and on the outside would be a normal display just like any modern smart phone. When you want to get off the small screen and onto something bigger, just open it up and inside you'll find a single flexible OLED display the size of your typical tablet screen. We know Sony (and Samsung amongst others) are working on flexible OLEDs and Sony recently announced a 9.9" version, but quite honestly we don't know when they'll be ready to put those in products or if it's flexible enough for this application. If they could make this work though, I think it would be a huge seller. It'll be expensive as hell, for a phone/tablet all in one, I'd be willing to pay more.
-Leverage more tech from their digital imaging division. Sony has their Cybershot T series cameras which really aren't that much thicker than most phones, but has far better quality optics, and even a bit of optical zoom. I'd also want to see a xenon flash of course.
There were rumours going about not long ago about Sony doing exactly this for a fabled Xperia Z, but I think that was just random speculation.

Related

Android vs iPhone War

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.

What The OEM Needs

Before returning to Apple in 1997, Steve Jobs said that there was one thing wrong with Apple, "The products suck! There's no attraction in them anymore!" what he meant was that they had become boxes with generic designs and some chips thrown inside for good measure. They failed to induce lust within the consumer, did not make them wait in lines for their release, did not make them think about selling vital organs, apendages, wives, anything, just to lay their hands on a new Apple product.
Android OEMs seem to be suffering from a similar fate as Apple in its Jobs-less era. Though it has become highly successful in the low and middle-end market, Android has been unable to usurp the iron throne of the iPhone on top of the high =-end market, where all the large profit margins reside. A few phones are able to make a splash, but none of them have had as huge an impact as the iPhone. Even developers are getting tired of the highly fragmented platform and journalists are getting bored of reviewing similar looking devices coming out of a thousand different camps, as everyone and their mother, maybe even their grandmother along with a few nephews, think that it’s a good idea to 'develop' a new Android device.
What Android needs is a super sexy halo device, a flagship that through amazing design, stands out in the crowd and attracts customers towards it in droves. The iPhone was such a device and now even Microsoft’s Windows Phone has such a device in the shape of the Nokia Lumia 800 and it’s upcoming follower the Lumia 900.
The iPhone offers a perfect mix of stellar hardware married to beautiful, yet simple software. People are attracted by the design, and once they get it in their hands and explore the UI, it’s the begining of a love affair. With its latest iteration, Ice Cream Sandwich, Android has, for the first time, gained as beautiful an interface. All Android needs at this point is for some OEM to build a design, attractive enough to give consumers that initial push to fall in love with their OS and to take them to the level of sophistication, as their competitors.
Here are a few of my thoughts about what leading OEMs in the Android world can do to have any hope of being as sexy as their competition:
Samsung
Of all Android OEM’s, none have been as successful in the Android arena as Samsung. Owing to the fact that they produce their own chipsets, they are able to optimize their software much closer to their hardware and are thus able to create a blazing fast user experience. Even their designs are mostly serviceable, but they lose out on one key aspect: material quality. They tend to make all of their phones with cheap looking plastic, which is not preferable for customers who are spending exorbitant amounts of money to purchase their high-end phones. We need more metal, glass and polycarbonate, people!
HTC
Initially, HTC were on the right path; they made some pretty cool devices, like the Nexus One, the Desire S and the Legend, which proved successful for them. But they took that success to heart a little too vehemently. Now, all their devices seem so similar that one would need a microscope to differentiate them, the same wide speaker grills and curved edges; do not make a sexy device! Add to that the sheer volume of devices they produce, customers can get confused far too easily. Guys, churn out low to mid-end devices, all year, but focus all your attention and all your design chops on one high end device per year and build a brand around it. Fortunately, their new One series seems to be on the right track, let’s see what kind of impression it makes.
Motorola
Motorola, just needs focus! They are being acquired by Google, which is a huge deal! One would think that their collective vision of software would be better. After their ridiculous experiments with MotoBlur, their new skin is a major improvement, but there’s still a long way to go to achieve design parity with their competition. Also, they need to maintain the integrity of their brands; it wouldn't exactly inspire customer loyalty to have their newly minted devices one-upped just months after they bought them. For example, the Droid Bionic was released in September 2011, the Razr, two months later and the Razr MAXX a mere three months later, all at the same launch price of $299.99 on a two year contract. Such tactics do not inspire customer loyalty, as customers buy high-end phones with the assurance that theirs would be the best phone on the market for the foreseeable future. Again, focus on one flagship slab phone, coupled with another flagship QWERTY slider per year, and you're golden.
Sony
Sony is one of the strongest Android OEMs, right now in terms of design. Both the Xperia Arc and the newly announced Xperia S are pretty well-designed phones, but Sony always commits one fatal error, it does not iterate fast enough! The fact that the Xperia S is going to be launched with Gingerbread, instead of Ice Cream Sandwich and that it is using last year’s silicon (i.e. the Snapdragon S3, instead of the S4) cumulatively makes it a bittersweet deal. Good design needs substance as well, so ramp-up your game Sony, catch up already!
Android has now evolved into a pretty compelling platform with the advent of ICS. OEMs need to do justice to such attractive software and combine it with, simply put ‘amazing hardware’, to make sure that this sweet lass called Android, finally becomes sexy enough to attract as large a cult following as iOS.
Basically you've addressed the strategy each of the major players in Android need to take. I have generalised it a bit more other threads, saying that they need a strategy close to Sony and HTC, meaning more polish and support on a range of fewer phones. Although I do agree about Sony being behind on both OS and tech. While churning out numerous various iterations each year seems to be profitable, it is conversely damaging to these companies. The company's reputation becomes tarnished, and when they perfect the 'smaller range of phones with more polish' strategy, the companies should see more profitability.
Samsung while needing to put better build materials, also needs to reduce the sheer range of phones they put out each. Galaxy S series (1, 2 and upcoming 3) Galaxy Note, and Ace series really comprised the quintessential range of Samsung Android phones. The Galaxy Beam could be included when released. However you can't say that about the Galaxy R, W, Fit, Mini, Gio etc. It fails to really bring meaningful variation. Android is about options, but the difference in choices should be substantial or tangible.
I, often, go as far to say you have three level for consumers; high end, mid level, and budget. Now the major players excluding Sony, usually like to intergrate the lastest tech, which means that 4 - 5 months later the manufacture can introduce a new phone on just two levels or all three. So you've got a base range of 9 phones more or less each year. You might have a catergory of Special phone category for unique features like the Galaxy Beam or Xperia Sola or Padphone. A company should easily be able to provide excellent support for 9-10 phones. It might be a little more with 4g(or next gen)/International variations but is a new budget phone every 4 months necessary?
I really think customers would get this, but what do you think.
Agreed with pretty much all of it. Ever since after the Nexus One (arguably, before it as well), there have been too many Android devices that are practically clones. Although this is good because the more phones there are the more people will use Android (I guess), it's just overcrowding crap. And yes, Samsung's phones major downside is the stupid plastic they use, haha!
charmthief88 said:
Basically you've addressed the strategy each of the major players in Android need to take. I have generalised it a bit more other threads, saying that they need a strategy close to Sony and HTC, meaning more polish and support on a range of fewer phones. Although I do agree about Sony being behind on both OS and tech. While churning out numerous various iterations each year seems to be profitable, it is conversely damaging to these companies. The company's reputation becomes tarnished, and when they perfect the 'smaller range of phones with more polish' strategy, the companies should see more profitability.
Samsung while needing to put better build materials, also needs to reduce the sheer range of phones they put out each. Galaxy S series (1, 2 and upcoming 3) Galaxy Note, and Ace series really comprised the quintessential range of Samsung Android phones. The Galaxy Beam could be included when released. However you can't say that about the Galaxy R, W, Fit, Mini, Gio etc. It fails to really bring meaningful variation. Android is about options, but the difference in choices should be substantial or tangible.
I, often, go as far to say you have three level for consumers; high end, mid level, and budget. Now the major players excluding Sony, usually like to intergrate the lastest tech, which means that 4 - 5 months later the manufacture can introduce a new phone on just two levels or all three. So you've got a base range of 9 phones more or less each year. You might have a catergory of Special phone category for unique features like the Galaxy Beam or Xperia Sola or Padphone. A company should easily be able to provide excellent support for 9-10 phones. It might be a little more with 4g(or next gen)/International variations but is a new budget phone every 4 months necessary?
I really think customers would get this, but what do you think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Personal opinion differs for every company,
1. HTC - Last year, they produced many handsets, but none of none them was able to catch up with Samsung's flagship. They even produced two variants of their previous flagship Sensation which are Sensation XE and XL. In terms of design, XL was just a re-branded sensation with the beats logo, colored grills and increase in the CPU speed, while the XL was Xtra Large and was really costly. This played a major role in their loss of profit or revenue last year, Although i liked the Explorer, it was quite cool handset and showed improvement over it's predecessor Wildfire S.
2. Sony- Previous year, they just focus on their Xperia line of phones, one by one they just released Xperia series phones. They completely forgot their legendary series viz Walkman, Although the xperia smart phones were good- looking, sony's strategy failed to appeal to consumers much.
P.S. Sorry, it was Sony Ericson previous year.
3. Samsung- They are the most successful company in the Android smart phones arena. Producing smart phones like Galaxy SII and Galaxy Note, i think i don't need to say much about them. But, whereas they produced great phones, they also made some goofy mistakes, like producing clones of their previous flagship like Galaxy S Plus, Galaxy S advance and the recent Galaxy S blaze. In my opinion, Samsung currently holds a powerful portfolio of smartphone varying from Low-end droids to high end. But they also have some obsolete stuff in their portfolio which they should clean viz. Pop, fit, mini etc.

Best phone for gaming and gamers?

Is there a 'best phone for gaming'? I know it's a broad question, but I want my next phone to be really good for gaming in terms of tech specs and ideally in terms of community, exclusives etc.
If someone asked me what the best console setup is, I would say PS4 and for PC, Alienware is debatably the PC for gamers/gaming. Somewhat surprising that there isn't a best for mobile gaming. Suggestions?
When it comes to gaming on mobile devices, your choices are Android and iOS. There's lots of really cool games that are exclusive on iOS, so if you want the most variety, an iPhone (the Plus sized one) or iPad will give you the most games. That's a lot to spend just on a device to game on though.
Android obviously has the most variety of devices. My choice right now is the Nexus 6. Big screen, powerful front-facing stereo speakers. Hardware is slightly aged, but will still play any game I can throw at it. Previously I used a OnePlus One, and I can tell you that I'll never go back to bottom-firing speakers.
Interesting, I just read on techcrunch that the founder of Atari is working on a phone for gamers called wonder. Doesn't say when it will be out yet.... and doesn't look like techcrunch has a ton of faith in it. Hopefully this is what I'm looking for.
As much as I really love Android - as a developer, I have plenty of phones and tablets here! - I will have to say... if gaming is a priority, just get an iPhone. Mind you it's not about the "quality" or even performance (since most apps are cross-platform now anyway) but the different approach to monetization that's still present in many many titles. Most iPhone games can do just fine with 2$ versions and fair ads, while the Android equivalent doesn't make much from regulars users and needs to target whales instead (heavy grinding unless you pay).

Hey Android Users: Amazing Advantage Android Has Over iOS

Advantage Android Has Over iOS: Reasoning Why You Should Android Over iOS
Earlier this week I was going through my Android smartphone, and right beside me was my friend an iPhone user. So we decide to engage ourselves in some ‘Which Is Best‘ kind of challenge. So i try to point out the Advantage Android Has Over iOS to him. We both point out valid point why Android is better and why iPhone is better.
As someone who has at a time used phones from both sides of the fence, though, I thought it’d be fun to see if I could put down the Advantage Android Has Over iOS and what makes Android the better OS.
So if you’re an Android user like myself then consider yourself lucky because I’m about to outline some amazing advantage Android has over iOS and feature that makes Android lead in the smartphone market.
Device Running Android is Everywhere
There is something for everyone on the Android platform. The sheer variety of Android smartphones from manufacturers like Samsung, Huawi, Tecno, Infinix, Meizu, and others is amazing. You can get a very solid phone, something with a huge touchscreen, a stylus, a rotating camera, an edge screen. Niche demand like dual SIM are catered for, and the flagship device are on the cutting edge when it comes to specs. There’s also other privilege you just can’t get on Apple iPhone device. Android apps can be downloaded from Google, Amazon, and other Android app stores that which you can’t get with iPhone.
Having Full Control
Yes, full control of your device. Your Android device can be rooted which have both its benefit and the risk side.
But even without rooting your Android device, you still have a whole lot to enjoy with Android. Android smartphone owners enjoy the fact that Android uses non-exclusive software format on like the iOS.
It’s the First to Get Hardware Upgrade
Apple start making their iPhone water resistance with the iPhone 7 and it’s adopt a more vivid OLED display with the newly released iPhone 8 and iPhone X. With the recent upgrade in iPhone hardware, it still doesn’t support microSD cards iPhone users don’t enjoy that privilege to expand their phone memory space.
Android phones have had all of these things, and more, for years. Wireless charging, faster charging, removable batteries, dual-SIM support, dual cameras — all of it is available, and usually available first, outside of Apple’s walls.
If there’s some niche feature you think would make your life easier, you’re much more likely to find it on Android.
Price That Fit Your Pocket
A wide variety of devices with different designs and specifications means that Android has something for you at just your budget. The exclusive nature of Apple’s iOS is in plain contrast to the inclusive nature of the Google Android. Almost anyone can afford an Android phone. It might not be super great, but there is solid budget option in the market that give people a true smartphone experience.
Affordability has been a key driver for Android dominance worldwide and it will continue to be. If you want premium devices that match and surpass the iPhone or iPad then you can find them, but if you want a budget device with amazing features, then Android is really your only choice.
Customizable
Android is an open source, most customizable mobile OS in the world, which is one of its big win. While Apple control iOS in order to maintain a homogenous software and hardware experience, Android lets you, the hardware manufacturer customize the device.
Widgets
Android’s widgets have long been a feather in its cap compare to the static row of icon you find in iOS. Widgets are still a major advantage for Android over the iOS. Simply put, you can see all of the information you want at a glance on your home screen without having to fire up an app.
Launchers
Grab an iPhone, sit next to another iOS user and compare your home screen. Oh wait, they look exactly the same! That’s not the story with Android.
If you are tired of the way your default launcher looks and want control over how your Android smartphone looks then you’ve to try out a custom launcher. You can choose from a wide variety of custom launcher app in Google Play and tweak everything from your home screen layout, to your page transitions, to effects and even gesture. There’s no risk involved with launcher apps and you can really open up a world of possibilities.
Your Turn
Something made you choose Android time and time again. What was it?
Take a minute and let everyone know your Android story in the comments.

Is it (money)wise to upgrade to the new Apple iPhone 13(Pro)?

Hi all,
Since the release of the new Apple 13 (Pro) device, the main question is: do the new features of this new Apple iPhone justify to upgrade from an Apple 11 or Apple 12? In a lot of reviews the new Apple 13 is mainly seen as an/compared to the Apple 12S with minor added features. What are the new features of the new iPhone 13 (Pro)?
1. Better camera's compared to it's predecessors
2. More storage
3. A bit faster processor
4. Faster loading and a bit greater battery
But the question still remains, is it worth to upgrade?
IMPO, this is not the case when you own, as I do, the Apple Pro 12 Max. It's only worth to upgrade when you are a die-hard photographer. Then you will enjoy and appreciate the added new features in the Apple iPhone 13, which are somewhat disappointing regarding the costs. Also the update from iOS 14.8 to iOS 15 do not lead to big improvements, which is Apple unworthy unfortunately. Also the use of the lightning cable has become obsolete as of today. Apple has to switch to the, at this very moment, generally accepted USB C cable. A severe omission. What are your experciences and considerations to buy the new Apple iPhone? Am I right or wrong?
kindest regards, kuzibri
Whether the iPhone are pricey or not, totally depends on what weights more on your value scale.
iPhone is simple, easy to use (ridiculously easy), and very powerful in many aspects.
Apple managed to benefit from this combination.
Of course there's a lot of cons and pros, but there's something you need to know, if you were to buy a phone from Apple, Apple has one line of phones, and they are the company's flagship products.
You know how much flagship devices cost, the difference lays in what each OS offers. I personally don't like Apple products. So much underestimates.
I also disliked Apple products due to their stuberness to let us choose our own home display, etc. I acknowledged though that they made beautiful devices (my wife is an Apple addict). But at a certain moment, Apple released the watch 6 of which I was stunned by it's possibilities compared to the Fitbit Versa 2. I relealized that when I wanted to buy this watch, I also needed to buy an iPhone. Not so an interesting idea, UNTILL Apple released iOS 14.5, with which it was possible to achieve what I wanted, e.g. compose my own home display. This was the moment to make the switch for me and after one year now, I totally do not miss Android at all. Using the Apple now, I noticed a few things in comparison with Android: 1. It never crashes, 2. Updates, in contrast to Android, are not only on a very regular basis, but devices are also supported for a long time. Now iOS 15 is released, which still works on an iPhone 6S. This is not the case with the support of any of the Android devices. Besides that, altough the iPhones are not cheap, the Samsung top devices are also vey expensive. My home display is now exactly the same as I had on my Android devices. Regards kuzibri
I picked up my second new Note 10+, 256gb, 12gb ram for $800 a week ago.
Anything without a SD card slot is dead to me.
A dual drive 1.25tb handheld PC... hell yeah.
Apples run very good, are very easy to use, and bore me to tears. I loathe them; they are overpriced and use CCP sweat cities to manufacture them. The bright icons and pastels drive me insane; Debbie would love them.
Samsung's are the most customizable stock phones on the planet. Unfortunately the 10+ and Android 10 were Samsung's and Android's best releases to date respectively. Which is why I went with a 2nd 10+, sad but true.
It's ok because even after 2 years the 10+ is just plain fun to use; fast, stable, excellent build Q with one of the best displays there is even today. No high refresh rates but better color rendering than even some newer flagship phones. The display has perfectly square corners, none of that horrible CRT roundness here. 7mm thick, even in a good case it's thin. Pics don't do it justice. The spen nests until needed as a remote shutter release or for Smart Capture which is great to have.
No way I would upgrade the Apple, but I'm extremely biased and hate pastels
blackhawk said:
I picked up my second new Note 10+, 256gb, 12gb ram for $800 a week ago.
Anything without a SD card slot is dead to me.
A dual drive 1.25tb handheld PC... hell yeah.
Apples run very good, are very easy to use, and bore me to tears. I loathe them; they are overpriced and use CCP sweat cities to manufacture them. The bright icons and pastels drive me insane; Debbie would love them.
Samsung's are the most customizable stock phones on the planet. Unfortunately the 10+ and Android 10 were Samsung's and Android's best releases to date respectively. Which is why I went with a 2nd 10+, sad but true.
It's ok because even after 2 years the 10+ is just plain fun to use; fast, stable, excellent build Q with one of the best displays there is even today. No high refresh rates but better color rendering than even some newer flagship phones. The display has perfectly square corners, none of that horrible CRT roundness here. 7mm thick, even in a good case it's thin. Pics don't do it justice. The spen nests until needed as a remote shutter release or for Smart Capture which is great to have.
No way I would upgrade the Apple, but I'm extremely biased and hate pastels
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Hi, very glad that I finally stirred up the discussion between Android and Apple users. As already mentioned, used to be a very satisfied Android user, but since Apple introduced the iOS 14, there is no difference anymore between an Android and Apple device. You're now able to make your own Home Screen, just like in Android. And let's be honest, which company gives updates so long to old devices as Apple. The most recent Apple iOS is 15 and runs on an Apple 6S. No Android device supports that long their devices. All in all, I do agree with earlier responders that Apple used to be boring, but that is now just ancient history since the release of iOS 14.5 and certainly now iOS15. Best regards, kuzibri
I haven't played with an Apple in 6 years... so there's that. That icon pack burns my eyes and display out though. Apple is going in unsavory directions on multiple fronts now. No SD card support alone though blows them out of the water.
As for updates once I have firmware that's fast, stable and fulfilling it's mission I leave it be. I rarely update and rarely have issues, that's not a coincidence. I may update my older 10+ running on 9 to 10, the same as the new one but that will be the last update.
Security simply isn't an issue. My current way outdated load is 16 months old, still fast and stable. No breaches.
All my critical data is redundantly backed up, a forced reload is the worst that could happen. Down time 2 hours, 6 if I need to repopulate the SD card. Any major firmware upgrade would cause far more downtime and worse could permanently degrade performance or capabilities.
I see no real advantage to updating an old device with a bloated OS it's hardware wasn't designed to handle. OS's tend to get larger, not smaller and are designed/optimized with the current hardware in use. So that 3, 5 whatever years support doesn't impress me in the least.
Tough choices if you are even considering one platform let alone two. I probably would wait to latter in 2022, even 2023. My next new purchase will be probably 2023 or latter. This year is a bust for Samsung and likely 2022. Apple may or may not be faring as badly, but there are supply chain issues worldwide. China is also having power infrastructure issues as well as a growing political storm both of their own making. I expect especially the latter to grow worse not better in the next 3 years.
kuzibri said:
Hi, very glad that I finally stirred up the discussion between Android and Apple users. As already mentioned, used to be a very satisfied Android user, but since Apple introduced the iOS 14, there is no difference anymore between an Android and Apple device. You're now able to make your own Home Screen, just like in Android. And let's be honest, which company gives updates so long to old devices as Apple. The most recent Apple iOS is 15 and runs on an Apple 6S. No Android device supports that long their devices. All in all, I do agree with earlier responders that Apple used to be boring, but that is now just ancient history since the release of iOS 14.5 and certainly now iOS15. Best regards, kuzibri
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I don't mean to be rude, I'm sorry, but .. do you really want to compare the customisation level between Apple & Android?
Apple is never close to a customisable OS, it has always been late to the party. Not just the home screen, there's a lot of features took it years to implement, though they were on Android for a long.
I used iPhone 11 Pro Max for about a week. I don't know, but I never got relieved about it. Leaving all the customisation behind, and step into a kindergarten?
One thing I hated was Apple's underestimation, they act & think on your behalf. If they thought a regular user don't need to manage files, they'll not integrate any support for file manager.
That's exactly how their security system works, if they thought something can risk the device, they don't build a firewall, they just eliminate the target. A very good example is the recent Visa payment hacking issue, where a warning was sent to remove the Visa as a payment method.
I see this very ridiculous, it gets the job done, but in a non-professional way.
In the other hand, Android does not think on your behalf, it gives you what an iPhone lacks, an option. A vast range of options, and if something doesn't suit you, you can change it. Or simply, build it.
I think I may use an iPhone when I'm dying or something. At least I won't have anything else to do but socialising.
Hi, "@Mohamedkam000: do you really want to compare the customisation level between Apple & Android?". No that is not my purpose. My point is that untill recentrly there were two incompatible worlds, e.g. the Android world vs the Apple one. Now, due to the the release of iOs 14.5 Apple offers somewhat more possibilities to customize your device. Untill recently I belonged to the Android world and my motto was always "Apple is for dummies", although I was also always under the impression of the build quality of the devices, which is beyond doubt. Since it's possible to customize your iPhone, it has become easier, certainly if you just like me want the Apple watch but not the iPhone, to make the switch to Apple. There is now more or less an "in-between" world. That's my point, no more or less. Kind regards, kuzibri
BTW: let's be honest, the best OS for mobile devices that even existed was Windows Mobile, which was as versatile as it could be. I owned an HTC HD2 with windows mobile, android and apple on one phone and all working perfect.
kuzibri said:
Hi, "@Mohamedkam000: do you really want to compare the customisation level between Apple & Android?". No that is not my purpose. My point is that untill recentrly there were two incompatible worlds, e.g. the Android world vs the Apple one. Now, due to the the release of iOs 14.5 Apple offers somewhat more possibilities to customize your device. Untill recently I belonged to the Android world and my motto was always "Apple is for dummies", although I was also always under the impression of the build quality of the devices, which is beyond doubt. Since it's possible to customize your iPhone, it has become easier, certainly if you just like me want the Apple watch but not the iPhone, to make the switch to Apple. There is now more or less an "in-between" world. That's my point, no more or less. Kind regards, kuzibri
BTW: let's be honest, the best OS for mobile devices that even existed was Windows Mobile, which was as versatile as it could be. I owned an HTC HD2 with windows mobile, android and apple on one phone and all working perfect.
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I can go ahead and bring the pros and cons of iOS, but that's a long fight. So I'm gonna stick into the reasons you're providing to justify iPhone.
kuzibri said:
due to the the release of iOs 14.5 Apple offers somewhat more possibilities to customize your device
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I don't think you ever tried custom ROMs on Android phones. CyanogenMod? What about MIUI custom ROMs of 2014? How about the famous LineageOS?
Okay let go of the systems, how about Xposed? Ever used it? Ever used Dr. Ketan's ROMs? I'm asking to see if you had any experience in deep customisation.
Okay, do you know that you can change the home screen launcher on Android? You can change icons? You can use themes? Not just a wallpaper, a full theme.
If you know that, I wonder how can you even think about saying the iPhone is comparable to the customisation level on Android.
kuzibri said:
"Apple is for dummies"
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The company does literally acknowledge this phrase. And they are right to assume that. But, they are profiting from their right assumption.
Apple treats people like babies, people don't need the complications of programming and themes and customisation and other stuff. People just need to pay and use the limited things Apple offers.
kuzibri said:
want the Apple watch but not the iPhone
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Safety features like Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, and high and low heart rate notifications make Apple Watch great for older family members, even if they don't own an iPhone.
Calling, texting, and location sharing provide an easy way to stay connected with the family. Where I live, no one cares about smart watches, so I can't speak about it.
One last thing:-
iPhone has been released earlier than Android, it was revolutionary back then, and as you know, first impressions has a very huge impact on the customer's preference.
I have a relative that is using an iPhone for appearances, but his actual primary phone is an Android. It simply helps him a lot in his work, for he don't need a laptop to manage files or something.
@Mohamedkam000 said: I don't think you ever tried custom ROMs on Android phones. CyanogenMod? What about MIUI custom ROMs of 2014? How about the famous LineageOS?" Yes in my Android time I have used a lot of custom ROM's, like f.i. CyanogenMod, Artemis Rom, etc. So I'm familiar to customizations. To state that the iWatch is only for older family members is IMPO at least shortsighted. It's by far the best smartwatch available at this very moment (except for battery life). My sole purpose is to bring the Android and Apple world somewhat closer together instead of the current "War of the worlds". Both make beautiful devices with it'own pros and cons. Kind regards kuzibri
kuzibri said:
@Mohamedkam000 said: I don't think you ever tried custom ROMs on Android phones. CyanogenMod? What about MIUI custom ROMs of 2014? How about the famous LineageOS?" Yes in my Android time I have used a lot of custom ROM's, like f.i. CyanogenMod, Artemis Rom, etc. So I'm familiar to customizations. To state that the iWatch is only for older family members is IMPO at least shortsighted. It's by far the best smartwatch available at this very moment (except for battery life). My sole purpose is to bring the Android and Apple world somewhat closer together instead of the current "War of the worlds". Both make beautiful devices with it'own pros and cons. Kind regards kuzibri
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Unless Apple changes its ecosystem of which it does not allow its devices to work well with other rival products, there's no way the two worlds could join.

			
				
Hi @Mohamedkam000 , regarding this "Unless Apple changes its ecosystem of which it does not allow its devices to work well with other rival products, there's no way the two worlds could join." If we're holding on to these points of view, indeed the two worlds will never join. It's a matter of giving and taking. F.i. you ask Apple to change their ecosystem in order to work well with each other. But, what do yo have in return for Apple? That's the main problem for this dead end. As I see it, Apple has a lot of knowledge about securing the privacy of their users, while Android suffers once and a while from mal/ransomware due to the opensource of the OS. See what I mean? Regards, kuzibri
BTW: this does not mean that I'm able on my own to solve that problem not are you, but if we cooperate in this line, we might be able to convince some leading persons of both sides to do something about this.
BTW2: Also see this regarding customizations regarding icons on an iPhone: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/customizations-on-the-apple-iphone.4342639/. It's only an example of many other apps.
kuzibri said:
Hi @Mohamedkam000 , regarding this "Unless Apple changes its ecosystem of which it does not allow its devices to work well with other rival products, there's no way the two worlds could join." If we're holding on to these points of view, indeed the two worlds will never join. It's a matter of giving and taking. F.i. you ask Apple to change their ecosystem in order to work well with each other. But, what do yo have in return for Apple? That's the main problem for this dead end. As I see it, Apple has a lot of knowledge about securing the privacy of their users, while Android suffers once and a while from mal/ransomware due to the opensource of the OS. See what I mean? Regards, kuzibri
BTW: this does not mean that I'm able on my own to solve that problem not are you, but if we cooperate in this line, we might be able to convince some leading persons of both sides to do something about this.
BTW2: Also see this regarding customizations regarding icons on an iPhone: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/customizations-on-the-apple-iphone.4342639/. It's only an example of many other apps.
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iPhone is safer than Android, but not more secure. For a device that receives so many patches for vulnerabilities, it doesn't seem to be better than Android.
I mean .. I've never heard of an essay alerting Android users to remove their Visa from the device. Android does fix the vulnerability. Apple does remove the reason the vulnerability is their in the first place.
Android is used by many, many people around the world, it is a very attractive target for hackers, of course it'll get some attacks. But, most of them does exploit the negligence of the phone owner. Like the latest report of malware-infected apps.
Example: Samsung has allowed iOS devices to connect to her Watch products for a long, maybe sometimes there's some missing features, but that's because it is created for Samsung devices.
On the other hand, Apple smartwatch does not allow any Android device to pair with it, it simply refuses to pair. If it was really a give-and-take, then Apple will take and not give.
Hi @Mohamedkam000 , regarding this: "On the other hand, Apple smartwatch does not allow any Android device to pair with it, it simply refuses to pair. If it was really a give-and-take, then Apple will take and not give.", see this video:
. It's not flawless, but it's possible.
Pairing Android watches to an iPhone is also not very easy and has it's disadvantages: https://www.lifewire.com/pairing-android-wearables-with-the-iphone-3875746. Regards kuzibri
kuzibri said:
Hi @Mohamedkam000 , regarding this: "On the other hand, Apple smartwatch does not allow any Android device to pair with it, it simply refuses to pair. If it was really a give-and-take, then Apple will take and not give.", see this video:
. It's not flawless, but it's possible.
Pairing Android watches to an iPhone is also not very easy and has it's disadvantages: https://www.lifewire.com/pairing-android-wearables-with-the-iphone-3875746. Regards kuzibri
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I thought we were talking about what is official, and what can be done without using back-door. Hacks happen due to an existing restriction, iPhone does not need to hack anything to connect to Samsung Watch, it is allowed to. Sometimes with limited features, and you know why.
I know there is Jailbreak on iPhone, too. But have you thought about the word itself? Jail? Break? iPhone is a Jail? Like .. I've never seen a company that makes choices on behalf of their customers like Apple do. It'll probably take them years to, for example, add another user-prefered customisation features.
Mohamedkam000 said:
I thought we were talking about what is official, and what can be done without using back-door. Hacks happen due to an existing restriction, iPhone does not need to hack anything to connect to Samsung Watch, it is allowed to. Sometimes with limited features, and you know why.
I know there is Jailbreak on iPhone, too. But have you thought about the word itself? Jail? Break? iPhone is a Jail? Like .. I've never seen a company that makes choices on behalf of their customers like Apple do. It'll probably take them years to, for example, add another user-prefered customisation features.
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I just replied to your remark that Apple does not allow to pair with Android Smartwatches at all, no more or less. The only Smartwatch I know that supports both Android and, in a bit minor fashion, Apple's iOS, are the Fitbit devices due to their own Fitbit OS. Maybe in the near future Google Smartwatches are able of paring to Apple due to the fact that Google bought Fitbit.
Depending on what factors more heavily on your value scale, you can decide whether the iPhone is expensive or not. The iPhone is straightforward, really simple to operate, and extremely powerful in many ways. Apple was successful in gaining from this combo.
There are undoubtedly many advantages and disadvantages, but if you were to get an Apple phone, you should be aware that the business only produces one line of phones, which are its flagship models.
The pricing of flagship devices is well known; the differences are in the features that each OS provides. Apple items don't appeal to me personally. Much is understated. But I had spent a lot of money to buy it.

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