Android Smartphone Sales Exceed iPhone in the U.S. for First Time

[Eric S.]

What a strange question. Perhaps you don't create and/or modify any playlists (?). I have tons. [but —beyond music —all sorts of stuff (contacts, events, bookmarks, notes, apps, etc.) gets synced.]

And backed up.

 

[Corbin052198]

but this is totally expected. there are tons of android based phones but one iphone...

What would be cool if jailbreaking could enable bual-booting of Android and iPhone OS

 

[0092762]

So "normal people" shouldn't be allowed a choice in things such as SMS apps or additional features without hacking?

"Normal people" are perfectly fine with the iphone SMS app, and getting additional features when Apple releases an OS upgrade.
Only geeks who spend too much time with their phones want all that stuff, not people who have important things to do.

 

[ataboc]

i really hope 4.0 lives up to it's hype and there's a jailbreak released lightning fast.


i've played with my buddy's droid and its just o k.

 

[kdarling]

This has only been the case since the iPhone became such a smash hit and is simply retaliatory/reactionary behavior by Verizon. As they say, a leopard cannot change his spots, and I'm sure Verizon is working to get back their infamous level of device lockdown.

The only truly locked down smartphone on the market is the iPhone. It has access to a single company-owned app store, with sometimes odd moral and political policies. No SIM unlocking. No theming. No ability to write and use even your own personal apps without paying $100 a year. Crippled Bluetooth.

Users have always been able to download any app, theme or multimedia to Verizon smartphones. Apple is a total control freak in comparison.

 

[LagunaSol]

The only truly locked down smartphone on the market is the iPhone. It has access to a single company-owned app store, with sometimes odd moral and political policies. No SIM unlocking. No theming. No ability to write and use even your own personal apps without paying $100 a year. Crippled Bluetooth.

Users have always been able to download any app, theme or multimedia to Verizon smartphones. Apple is a total control freak in comparison.

You talk nostalgically about these freewheeling days of liberation on Verizon as if they ever actually existed.

Remember the days when Verizon wouldn't even allow wifi on its devices? I do.

Apple has every right to control its own device, software, and development platform. It used to be that Verizon told device makers which features they could turn on and off, then they'd slap their crappy software on top of it all and throw their cheesy logo on the front as if they created the thing (oh wait, they still do that). And you know that's why the iPhone ended up an AT&T exclusive: because Verizon wasn't willing to cede control of the device to the device's actual maker.

Do you honestly think we'd be seeing Android phones on Verizon (sans Verizon software) had the iPhone not been such a huge success? Honestly?

Sister, please.

 

[lPHONE]

Apple needs to get the iPhone to the Chinese.


No, seriously.

 

[kdarling]

Remember the days when Verizon wouldn't even allow wifi on its devices? I do.

What you "remember" is the widespread ATT fanboy myth.

Verizon always allowed WiFi if the manufacturer included it. Verizon began selling WiFi smartphones when they showed up in 2005, just like every other carrier in the world, including Cingular. One year I believe that they even carried more WiFi smartphones than ATT.

However, it was not uncommon for manufacturers to leave WiFi out of their less expensive CDMA phones (and not just Verizon's) partly because CDMA carriers already had 3G available across their entire footprint... unlike the GSM carriers who needed WiFi to make up for their lack of 3G coverage. And partly to save licensing, parts and battery costs... the same reasons the first iPhone shipped without 3G at all.

Apple has every right to control its own device, software, and development platform.

So if a carrier controls its platforms, it's evil. When Apple exerts far more control, down to even our selection of app topics, it's good?

Interesting.

 

[Max(IT)]

Hardware, yes. OS, not even close.



Droid marketing sucks. Deal with it.



I never said otherwise.

Hardware yes, IN THIS MOMENT
don't forget: iPhone 3gs is almost one year old (and strictly related with iPhone 3g , that is 2 years old).

Are you serious!? I suppose you have never used a Android phone, because if you did, you would realize out ridiculous your statement was.

Name any app on the iphone and I can find it on Android with more features and functions. Not only that but the OS as a whole allows much much more customization and OS extras that Iphone currently or in 4.0 wont have PERIOD.

Now to step off my cheer section for android... i actually do find some applications on iphone are more polished than their android counterpart, that includes facebook for example.

Android can do everything plus more than the Iphone OS, the same cannot be said vice versa, at least not in the foreseeable future.

I'm more than serious: OS ? not even close.
And iPhone OS 4 is just around the corner ...

Btw, I used to have a Nexus One, sold ...

 

[LagunaSol]

What you "remember" is the widespread ATT fanboy myth.

Who's an "ATT fanboy?" Not me. I think all carriers suck.

Verizon always allowed WiFi if the manufacturer included it.

O RLY?

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008...ry-storm-doesnt-have-wi-fi-or-tri-band-hsdpa/

Looks like what someone remembers is the widespread Verizon fanboy myth.

So if a carrier controls its platforms, it's evil. When Apple exerts far more control, down to even our selection of app topics, it's good?

Carriers don't have "platforms." They don't create devices. They don't create (usable) software. They are a delivery medium. A service.

Would you like Comcast to start selling computers with a Comcast OS? *shudder*

So yes, a carrier exerting control over devices they did not create and cramming their own crappy software onto those devices, it's evil. As in lame.

And I never argued Apple's app control was "good."

Interesting.

Common sense, really.

 

[jessea]

Is anybody really surprised by this?

 

[Max(IT)]

I suppose those of us that had one and didn't like it as a phone don't exist eh?

Cmon, try to be' honest: now you are in love with your Nexus One. It's fine. But it is IMPOSSIBLE to find someone who don't like the iPhone. Only real Apple heaters could say something like that, just because it has an apple on the back cover.

 

[Max(IT)]

Kinda like how the iPhone 2G can't be upgraded to 4.0, right?

Not at all: iPhone 2G is from 2007. There are 2009 and 2010 Android phones that you can't upgrade ...

 

[Max(IT)]

Android 2.1 already runs on the G1. Proof alone that Android is open enough for user created roms.

Will someone port OS4 to the iPgone 2g? Who knows.

OMG, "user created rom" ...
Wtf are you speaking of ?

Now I've seen you signature: ... Hackintosh ...
We have different ideas about "user experience", pal

 

[AppleFan1984]

'Tight Control' thats right, nobody read gizmodo.

Those who do may have seen this:
http://gizmodo.com/5427058/apple-gestapo-how-apple-hunts-down-leaks

And this:
http://gizmodo.com/5319275/report-iphone-leak-interrogations-drive-foxconn-employee-to-suicide

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

I suppose those of us that had one and didn't like it as a phone don't exist eh?

Cmon, try to be' honest: now you are in love with your Nexus One. It's fine. But it is IMPOSSIBLE to find someone who don't like the iPhone. Only real Apple heaters could say something like that, just because it has an apple on the back cover.

For me it simply wasn't a great phone.

Every now and then I got completely garbled audio during a call. I hated the intrusive notification system, it really does need work and the app approval process seemed a tad inconsistant at the time. Does my distaste for the iPhone as a phone make me an apple hater?

The amount of money my wife and I have spent on apple products/software would say otherwise.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

Android 2.1 already runs on the G1. Proof alone that Android is open enough for user created roms.



Will someone port OS4 to the iPgone 2g? Who knows.

OMG, "user created rom" ...

Wtf are you speaking of ?



Now I've seen you signature: ... Hackintosh ...

We have different ideas about "user experience", pal

People were whining that G1 users were stuck with Android 1.6 which is untrue. I suppose you won't have anything negative to say about the people who said "how do I know if 4.0 can't be hacked onto the 2g"?

User created Android 2.1 Rom = teh suck.
Hacked 4.0 rom for the iphone 2g = win!



My hackintosh was a geekified hobby to see if I could do it. It works perfectly and updates without issue but I also run (and use more often) Windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.4 on the thing.



I don't know what you're trying to say about "user experience" tho, could you please explain further?

 

[marksman]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)



People were whining that G1 users were stuck with Android 1.6 which is untrue. I suppose you won't have anything negative to say about the people who said "how do I know if 4.0 can't be hacked onto the 2g"?

User created Android 2.1 Rom = teh suck.
Hacked 4.0 rom for the iphone 2g = win!



My hackintosh was a geekified hobby to see if I could do it. It works perfectly and updates without issue but I also run (and use more often) Windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.4 on the thing.



I don't know what you're trying to say about "user experience" tho, could you please explain further?

Yeah because obviously the original iPhone and 1.6 android on the G1 have been out the same length of time.

Are you trying to pretend there are not issues with having a host of different manufacturers and specs using a single OS and getting the most out of it?

 

[ChazUK]

Yeah because obviously the original iPhone and 1.6 android on the G1 have been out the same length of time.

Are you trying to pretend there are not issues with having a host of different manufacturers and specs using a single OS and getting the most out of it?

People were criticizing the G1 for not having Android 2.1 and for Android not being "open". I showed Android 2.1 running on the G1, thanks to it being "open".

The iPhone 2G is currently stuck on 3.1.3 with no way to upgrade whatsoever. Then people start to say someone "might" hack 4.0 onto the 2g.

I have never said that the current OS situation with Android was perfect so I have no idea where you got that from.

Soon we won't have a single OS, we'll be stuck with 2G owners with 3.1.3 and no iAd functionality (what happens to ad supported apps here?), 3G owners with 4.0+ but no multitasking, 3GS owners with 4.0+ with multitasking plus whatever comes extra to the next iPhone that the 3GS is missing. iPad will be stuck on 3.2 until fall and iPod touch owners will have varying splintered OS versions depending on if they want to pay to upgrade.

Hardly a "single OS" situation IMO.

 

[LagunaSol]

The iPhone 2G is currently stuck on 3.1.3 with no way to upgrade whatsoever. Then people start to say someone "might" hack 4.0 onto the 2g.

One complication to your argument is you present various iPhone hardware generations to prove iPhone OS fragmentation.

The rub is you have various current makes and models of Android handsets (being sold right now) that ship with (and may be permanently stuck with) various Android OS iterations.

A different level and type of fragmentation entirely.

 

[ChazUK]

The rub is you have various current makes and models of Android handsets (being sold right now) that ship with (and may be permanently stuck with) various Android OS iterations.

A different level and type of fragmentation entirely.

I agree it really is a **** situation. Nexus One on 2.1, Droid on 2.1, Desire on 2.1, Hero on 1.5, Motoblur devices on 1.6...

With a FroYo update imminent and Hero owners still waiting for 2.1, the situation is pathetic IMO. I think the Nexus One will get 2.2 almost instantly while HTC/Motorola/LG/Samsung et;al all scramble to update their most recent devices only.

 

[Max(IT)]

This is great news for google. However, I know that this is merely a result of being in more places for cheaper prices. From what I've seen, the majority of people that buy an android phone don't even know what android is. They simply see a phone in the store that looks cool, and has an affordable price tag. My fear for google is that once the iPhone comes to more carriers android will be thrown to the side once again.

They simply see a phone similar to the iPhone, cheaper and with a different carrier
you can say whatever you want, but Android is just another "iPhone wannabe". The best among them.

 

[Max(IT)]

Simply put the Android OS is so much further advanced then the iPhone OS. My boss has the Droid the physical phone does not please me at all, however when comparing how the phone operates and how well integrated everything is. At least from Google's end the Android OS is a lot lot better, now with the Nexus One, Google has the physical phone, as well as the better OS.

"Well integrated" ?!?
Android OS is powerfull, but it is a mess ...

 

[Max(IT)]

One would like to believe that, but Apple lost the PC war because customers didn't mind buying crap as long as it was cheaper, and didn't give a fig for brand loyalty.

Apple lost the PC war ? Are you serious ? Name a single computer manufacturer that could influence the pc market more than Apple. Name a single manufacturer that could actually "innovate" and others follow. Hp, Dell ... they have huge market share, but they are simply producing more of the same ...
Apple is not perfect, but sometimes they really change the pc market (and they DID change the phone market).

 

[Max(IT)]

People were criticizing the G1 for not having Android 2.1 and for Android not being "open". I showed Android 2.1 running on the G1, thanks to it being "open".

The iPhone 2G is currently stuck on 3.1.3 with no way to upgrade whatsoever. Then people start to say someone "might" hack 4.0 onto the 2g.

I have never said that the current OS situation with Android was perfect so I have no idea where you got that from.

Soon we won't have a single OS, we'll be stuck with 2G owners with 3.1.3 and no iAd functionality (what happens to ad supported apps here?), 3G owners with 4.0+ but no multitasking, 3GS owners with 4.0+ with multitasking plus whatever comes extra to the next iPhone that the 3GS is missing. iPad will be stuck on 3.2 until fall and iPod touch owners will have varying splintered OS versions depending on if they want to pay to upgrade.

Hardly a "single OS" situation IMO.

I would like to' inform you iPhone os 3.1.3 is the LATEST os so far, so the iPhone from 2007 is still supported today. You cannot install 2.1 version of Android on 2009 AND 2010 models (for some models you need an hack).
You are trying mirror climbing very hard, but it is not the same