Google Chairman Eric Schmidt Says Android is 'Pretty Clearly' Winning the Mobile War with Apple

Google taking over iOS?

So, Google just released the Google Maps app, but more importantly released URL API's that allow apps to link straight to Maps and other Google apps in the future.

Consider an iOS subnet of Google apps that entire circumvent the default apps. Use the Search app to find a location (using voice, no less), route it on Google Maps, set an event located there on Google Calendar, and send invites to it using Gmail. I think that is very incredible considering how locked down iOS is. Also, friends that get any links will open them in Chrome, automatically. The Search app would benefit greatly from a Google Now-like voice-activated search, for more hands-free fun.

Now consider how powerful that is on devices missing Siri, or iOS 6, or almost every advance Apple has implemented on mobile devices. iPod Touch 4th gen just became a lot more valuable.

With that groundwork laid, Siri's most used command could be "Launch Google Search".

You can pick up an android phone for less than a hundred bucks. Enough said.

wohoo! we're winning!

and for the record, i never stole anything, i just listened in for 3 years.

mrsir2009 said:

You can pick up an android phone for less than a hundred bucks. Enough said.

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You can get an iPhone 4S for $99 these days, and a 4 for free under contract.

I know. You're thinking the same thing I am. It's almost like Apple wants to invite the riffraff in.

coolspot18 said:

But ultimately Windows IS the dominate computing platform... and it shows in terms of stability, applications, accessories, etc.

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Posts like this really make me crave a downvote button.

Dominant, in terms of marketshare. The dominance ends there.

It is true Android is dominating the sales. With the Nexus 4 I can see why. Just a brilliant phone with great hardware and software.

Well, duh, Eric. When it's thousands of Android models against 2 or 3 iOS models, you should be winning!

In fact, you should be as embarrassed as hell that Android is leading by as little as it is.

That tells you how good iOS is compared to Android.

Footnote: I switched from an iPhone 4S to a Samsung Galaxy Note II a couple of months ago. The only reason I did it was for the size, and I still think iOS is better than Android on most counts and would recommend an iPhone unless you really, really, really have a good reason - such as insane size

davidjearly said:

Posts like this really make me crave a downvote button.

Dominant, in terms of marketshare. The dominance ends there.

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Market share is what the companies want. More money!
It also helps that Windows 7 and Windows 8 have been excellent operating systems and very reliable.

ChrisH3677 said:

In fact, you should be as embarrassed as hell that Android is leading by as little as it is.

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As little only in the USA

Renzatic said:

You can get an iPhone 4S for $99 these days, and a 4 for free under contract.

I know. You're thinking the same thing I am. It's almost like Apple wants to invite the riffraff in.

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If we're talking contracts, you can get Android phones for free on contract

I bet if you asked Samsung they would say they are number one. I mean Google isn't selling a Galaxy S3 are they? And Android is really just another Distro of Linux. Sure they've put a lot in to it, but it's free to download and modify and so their ownership over it and their ability to say they are winning anything is a bit of a stretch.

And lastly Apple with their modest 18% market share still rakes in something like 70%+ of all phone profits. From a business perspective Apple is definitely winning. I think Schmidt knows they could never do it the way Apple has because no one would pay Google for an iPhone priced device from them, just look at the Nexus 4 for proof of that.

Even here in England my phone company offered me a free S3 with a lower contract price than if I bought an iPhone 5. It was a £125 up front saving and about £15 less a month. Android wins market share by being cheaper, simple as that, the fringe geeks that actually want an Android device regardless of pricing differences make up a very small subset of customers.

Bantz said:

Market share is what the companies want. More money!
It also helps that Windows 7 and Windows 8 have been excellent operating systems and very reliable.

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Dominance does not equal money.

Marketshare does not equal money.

Why are people not getting this?

Nova Sensei said:

That's like Hyundai bragging about selling more cars than Rolls Royce.....

I'm not saying iOS is a Rolls Royce, but c'mon Eric, be real here.

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Come on... In 2007 iOS was a Rolls Royce compared to Android. Now iOS is a fine Mercedes, but the Samsung version of Android is the new Rolls Royce. No doubt unless you're completly ignorant and a fanboy with no ideas yourself.

I have both... And I still buy Apple stuff, but they are going downwards in quality faster than dead bird from the sky

AppleInTheMud said:

Come on... In 2007 iOS was a Rolls Royce compared to Android. Now iOS is a fine Mercedes, but the Samsung version of Android is the new Rolls Royce. No doubt unless you're completly ignorant and a fanboy with no ideas yourself.

I have both... And I still buy Apple stuff, but they are going downwards in quality faster than dead bird from the sky

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Either you dont know how to make an analogy, or you've just invalidated your own argument.

If iOS was a Rolls Royce in 2007, it hasn't suddenly metamorphosed into a Ford Ka in 2012. It is still a Rolls Royce.

Moreover, with each release iOS has improved, as has the iPhone - so there is no way it is anything less than a Rolls Royce - by your own logic.

davidjearly said:

Dominance does not equal money.

Marketshare does not equal money.

Why are people not getting this?

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More users buying your apps
More manufacturers paying for Google Licenses.
More advert money.

Seems like in the smartphone industry market share is very important.

We don't exactly see Ford saying they're clearly winning against BMW.

More users buying your apps
More manufacturers paying for Google Licenses.
More advert money.

Seems like in the smartphone industry market share is very important.

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That's Google's business model, which differs from Apple's. That's why both can co-exist. Google did not enter the market with an identical plan as Apple.

Android's competition is MS, because they compete on the same terms.

davidjearly said:

Either you dont know how to make an analogy, or you've just invalidated your own argument..

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No, he has used "compared to". So in the past A was Rolls Royce compared to B. But now B has improved a lot more than A and it has converted in the Rolls Royce of the two

Toyota Corolla is the world's best selling car. Is it the best selling because it's the best car? No. This has been said many times in the MS vs Apple war, but it can be said again in this context: in order for Apple to succeed it is not necessary for Android to lose. The balance sheet proves this.

I don't think Android is clearly winning, because the numbers they are using are Pre-iPhone 5 numbers, Apple has yet to release the iPhone 5 in all of their markets and Apple is STILL opening up more cell carriers. China Mobile being one of the last big ones and once they get China Mobile turned on and see at least 6 months worth of sales history, right now, all i see is a see saw effect. Yeah, Android is doing better in Europe. Maybe because of their preference to a USB port vs a LIghtning port.

Personally, it might have been "better" purely from a compatibility standpoint to have done micro USB from the start, but I understand why Apple decided on the Lightning.

I think Apple is winning at the selling product to the type of market of users that typically spend more on third party apps, hardware, and content, Apple's actually making a decent profit to continue development.

Apple definitely figured out how to have lots of third party hardware developers support Apple's hardware and that's a big reason why to buy Apple iPhones and iPads.

Android may be winning, but not better

I really desperately want to like Android, I think the hardware is far Superior to the iPhone, iOS is boring, plain and I'm tired of being locked into Apple's world. But it is easy and through apps you can do whatever you want.

However, every time I delve into the Android World I just find myself disappointed.

It is buggy, I find most of the functions kind of obtuse, Google Play has made accessing stuff even more convoluted by adding yet another layer on top of everything. It take 3 or 4 steps to do everything - finding apps, taking a photo, playing music. It just feels like a hobby.

Flamebait from a CEO... *checks thread*... Yep, it worked, lots of people are now angry and flaming the heck out of him.

Good job guys, you let some guy's random comments get the better of you.

malexandria said:

It take 3 or 4 steps to do everything - finding apps, taking a photo, playing music.

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What are you talking about?

AppleInTheMud said:

Come on... In 2007 iOS was a Rolls Royce compared to Android. Now iOS is a fine Mercedes, but the Samsung version of Android is the new Rolls Royce. No doubt unless you're completly ignorant and a fanboy with no ideas yourself.

I have both... And I still buy Apple stuff, but they are going downwards in quality faster than dead bird from the sky

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I have an SGIII and an iPad. The biggest difference I see is in the ecosystem. Play is rubbish, the App Store is good. Other than that, i'm sure iOS and Android could bothfulfill my needs in a phone. That's all i need to know. I guess that makes me an "ignorant fanboy".

Android has more active handsets because it comes on phones that people in developing nations can afford. That's really the long and short of it.

What will happen if AT&T and Verizon drop phone subsidies following T-Mobile example?

What will happen if Google/Amazon start selling smartphones at cost like they are doing right now with tablets?

Mr. Google: you are not in the competition at all

To be in the competition you have to invent something - you still have not invented any thing new, you simple copied Apple