The fabled Google Android? It is entirely the piece of junk one ought to expect from a development process driven by committees and steered by non-creative minds. And it appears that many would-be buyers know it.
The actual numbers are around 100k/day (iPhone) vs 60k/day (Android).
Considering that Sony Ericsson and LG still coming up to speed, so those sales are mostly HTC+Motorola, that's pretty impressive.
It's also missing the point that others are free to design their own UI on top of Android and indeed the big players are. Sense (HTC) is really rather nice and definitely doesn't feel like it was designed by a committee.
It's also missing the point that others are free to design their own UI on top of Android and indeed the big players are. Sense (HTC) is really rather nice and definitely doesn't feel like it was designed by a committee.
But this can be a downside as well. You say 'Android' and people associate the one with the other, but there are a multitude of 'Android' devices which are either inherently incompatible (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20002508-1.html) or whose basic interfaces are different enough because of that customization that it can be confusing to initial users.
Also, the fragmentation of Android by hardware leads to fragmentation by software. Software designed for too large of a screen might not work on smaller screens. Software designed with a hardware keyboard in mind might not work on the onscreen keyboard.
People are still selling Android phones with version 1.6 on them, which won't run software requiring newer versions (which software won't show up in the marketplace at all, confusing users).
Customization is great, but by not mandating any sort of rules, the market is getting fragmented in a lot of different ways, and people are just going to get more confused, presented with an overwhelming list of options. This one has a hardware keyboard, this one has better GPS, this one has newer software, this one is faster, this one has a higher-resolution screen. The very purpose behind Android - customization, distinguishing yourself from the competition - is what fragments the market.
Apple's approach, however, is very simplistic. Here's the iPhone. How much storage do you want? 16GB? Ok, here you go. Apps will work. Accessories will work. Cables will work. Cases will fit. There's little to no confusion for the user.
That seems to be what the original article is suggesting. Simplicity and ease of use that starts before you even make your purchase.
I would quantify that: "Software badly designed for too large of a screen might not work on smaller screens. Software badly designed with a hardware keyboard in mind might not work on the onscreen keyboard."
Semi-earnest question: I don't understand why fragmentation on Android is apparently a massive downside, but on iPhone and iPad it's suddenly a great opportunity. Are the different resolutions not fragmentation? Can the iPad not use an external hardware keyboard as well as the touch keyboard? Is compass-less iPhone 3G being sold alongside the 3GS not fragmentation? Will the AR apps work?
People are still selling Android phones with version 1.6 on them, which won't run software requiring newer versions (which software won't show up in the marketplace at all, confusing users).
This is the same for the App Store and firmware upgrades, and is a good deal more sensible than the alternative option of letting people buy/install software that won't work.
It's not remotely the same. All iPhones made to date run the current OS, and are prompted to upgrade to it when users activate their phones or sync their music libraries or back up. Android's OS is upgraded by the carrier; most carriers aren't even a little bit interested in doing it; the few that are interested spend more time dithering than Google spends cooking up each new release.
Meanwhile, iPhone OS 4 will support all phones except the first generation (even if the second-gen phones won't support multitasking, they'll still run the third-party apps). No comparable statement can be made about any Android OS release, referring to handsets of any age, from any vendor.
True, but the best alternative would be to show a "cannot install please upgrade your software sign" otherwise, how are people to know that their phone is out of date?
Others are free to design their own UI on top of Android and indeed the big players are. Sense (HTC) is really rather nice and definitely doesn't feel like it was designed by a committee.
But if you're writing an Android app, should you use the Android HIG, the Sense HIG, the Blur HIG, or the Nexus HIG?
That's a very good point, but I'd say that mostly the interface philosophies co-exist reasonably well, even on one device.
Because apps tend to be full screen it's not such a big deal to have them behave a little differently.
The hard buttons tend to have predictable behavior and important stuff like 'how does suspend/multitasking work?' is the same on all devices.
It's also quite nice being able to use good apps designed for another look-and-feel anyway and decide yourself if an out-of-place interface if worth it. For example people use iTunes on Windows even though it has it's own UI toolkit, because overall it is worth it.
I'm definitely noticing a lot more people carrying Android phones in the last few months. I also know people that originally wanted an iPhone, but couldn't afford it, so they got a cheap android phone. Now they're in the Android ecosystem, and might get a more powerful one the next time around. I can see it taking off in the next year or so.
One also needs to keep in mind that there are more iPod Touches sold than iPhones currently. It's much easier to drop $200 for an iPod Touch if you want to upgrade your current music player and don't want a phone contract to go with it... iPod still has a monopoly on the portable mp3 music device market.
You're comparing Android sales to iPhone sales in the iPhone's worst buying season, though. Expect the iPhone numbers to blow up when it's been one month instead of ten since the last hardware refresh.
The link actually shows that this (100k/mo) was the iPhone's best quarter to date. They sold more in Q1 2010 than they did in the quarter when the 3GS was introduced.
Apple's Q1 includes the winter holiday season. I'd wager normal people don't know or look at a manufacturer's release cycles. They know the gift-giving cycles.
The fabled Google Android? It is entirely the piece of junk one ought to expect from a development process driven by committees and steered by non-creative minds. And it appears that many would-be buyers know it.
The actual numbers are around 100k/day (iPhone) vs 60k/day (Android).
Considering that Sony Ericsson and LG still coming up to speed, so those sales are mostly HTC+Motorola, that's pretty impressive.
It's also missing the point that others are free to design their own UI on top of Android and indeed the big players are. Sense (HTC) is really rather nice and definitely doesn't feel like it was designed by a committee.
Edit: Here's a source for the sales numbers http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10005344/android-unit-sa... - I'm afraid the opinion about Sense is just my own personal view.