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You weren't talking to me when you said that. You were talking to your pet stereotype. But I wonder what you want people to deal with.

Android is number one in install base by a good margin. But Apple, and iPhone users, enjoy all the benefits of being number one.

Profit
Control
Developers
Apps
Accessories
Feature usage
Integration

Maybe that will change if Android's lead continues to increase. But nothing for iOS users to "deal with" right now.
Hehe, you clearly have no idea what you're talking about probably because you're not a developer. Like I've said, just deal with it, stop posting butthurt comments ("The install base is larger but derp derp derp derp...").
 
Dear Apple fanatics,

More people are using Android than iOS.

Just. Deal. With. It.

Kind regards,

Normal person

False. iOS is on many, many more devices than Android. Android is on more _phones_. Which is awesomely useless fact. OS install is the only thing that matters, not device-specific installs.


EDIT: In light of the facts discovered below, my statement of "many, many more" is clearly wrong. It's a push at this point, and until definitive third-party numbers with a well-defined measurement criteria is shown, nobody's really sure which OS has more _overall_ share.
 
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http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/04...s-apple-still-trouncing-android/?mod=yahoo_hs
iOS up by 59% overall (US)

http://www.comscore.com/Press_Event...nes_Tablets_and_Other_Connected_Media_Devices
iOS up by 116% (EU)

Edit: These are all from April of 2011 -- if anyone can find more recent numbers, I'd be interested to see them. Android has had quite an increase in smartphone in the time since, but Apple's iPad growth has been _astronomical_ in the same time period -- don't forget, April 2011 is just _barely_ into iPad 2 lifecycle.

Some interesting takes on just the phone marketshare argument from (admittedly _very_ pro-Apple) MG Siegler: http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/02/wi...ed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Techcrunch+(TechCrunch)
 
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http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/04...s-apple-still-trouncing-android/?mod=yahoo_hs
iOS up by 59% overall (US)

http://www.comscore.com/Press_Event...nes_Tablets_and_Other_Connected_Media_Devices
iOS up by 116% (EU)

Edit: These are all from April of 2011 -- if anyone can find more recent numbers, I'd be interested to see them. Android has had quite an increase in smartphone in the time since, but Apple's iPad growth has been _astronomical_ in the same time period -- don't forget, April 2011 is just _barely_ into iPad 2 lifecycle.

Some interesting takes on just the phone marketshare argument from (admittedly _very_ pro-Apple) MG Siegler: http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/02/wi...ed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Techcrunch+(TechCrunch)

Those numbers doesn't back your claim, they are too old, Android devices with Google Apps services has gone from 150 million on May 2011 to 400 million yesterday
 
Those numbers doesn't back your claim, they are too old, Android devices with Google Apps services has gone from 150 million on May 2011 to 400 million yesterday

If you have any newer data showing a comparison, I'd love to see them. Until we see otherwise, it's all anecdotal evidence, and I'm more likely to go with the status quo: iOS in a substantial lead.
 
Those numbers just don't add up. If you have 7.8 million iPad users in the US and there is over 100 million smartphone users in the US, this still doesn't account for the 20% difference even when you assume that there are no Android tablet users.

37.9 million iOS users (Apple has 30.2% in this thread's smartphone statistic)
23.8 million Android users (Google has 50.1% in this thread's smartphone statistic)

The iPad statistic fits nearly perfectly with the smartphone statistic, while the Android statistic does not even account for half of the number of Android smartphone users.

Somethings wrong here, don't you think?
 
Those numbers just don't add up. If you have 7.8 million iPad users in the US and there is over 100 million smartphone users in the US, this still doesn't account for the 20% difference even when you assume that there are no Android tablet users.

37.9 million iOS users (Apple has 30.2% in this thread's smartphone statistic)
23.8 million Android users (Google has 50.1% in this thread's smartphone statistic)

The iPad statistic fits nearly perfectly with the smartphone statistic, while the Android statistic does not even account for half of the number of Android smartphone users.

Somethings wrong here, don't you think?

I think, as MG points out in his article, nobody is _really_ sure about what's going on. It's all a degree of conjecture, and due to the differing nature of what's reported (sampling vs. actual company-reported stats, "sold" vs "shipped" vs "installed"), nobody actually has any idea what's up.

Android _might_ very well be in the lead in overall marketshare now, but Apple also _might_ be ahead. It's certainly not as clear-cut as people on either side would have you believe. Even the phone-only marketshare can be manipulated, as MG shows. My gut feeling is that Android is ahead still on phones, but behind on overall OS installs (although both margins are closing -- Apple is getting closer on phones and Android is getting closer on overall). Windows 8 is going to make things interesting when it gets here, too.
 
If you have any newer data showing a comparison, I'd love to see them. Until we see otherwise, it's all anecdotal evidence, and I'm more likely to go with the status quo: iOS in a substantial lead.

400 million Android devices yesterday according to Vic Gundrota

365 million iOS devices according to Tim Cook at WWDC

Who is leading?
 
So if we compare 400 million activations with 365 million sold phones (I assume, based on your comment, that this is the "devices sold" statistic), which statistic is better according to you?

Devices that are re-sold are re-activated. In previous years, Google has been upfront with saying that they only count initial activations. But I've seen no such clarification for this most recent number. Again, going with status quo, we can assume that this is only first-time activations, in which case Android is clearly ahead. But a 300% increase year-on-year is _astronomical_, and something doesn't smell right about that level of increase, to be honest.

Once again, nobody's _really_ sure what's going on here. These aren't peer-reviewed scientific journals, where the methodology and criteria for measurement are well-known. These are fluff pieces put out by the PR machines of two very large companies, and they're always going to be skewed to present their company in a positive light.

----------

And what are the differences? Both are unique device measures

No, they're not.

A single device can be re-activated multiple times, and each activation is "reported".

While a device can be re-sold many times, only the original one is "reported".

In Android's favor, they've traditionally only counted cellular packages for their "activation" numbers -- wi-fi only devices didn't count into it.
 
I'm pretty sure Apple includes refurbished phones in sales, bpaluzzi. I know that's not the same as buying a phone on eBay though.

Interesting - I hadn't thought about "official" re-sales like that. I'd also assume that they include those numbers, for the same reason that I assume Android is now reporting re-activated devices -- it looks better for the company.

Would be interested in seeing an official declaration one way or the other, though.
 
Interesting - I hadn't thought about "official" re-sales like that. I'd also assume that they include those numbers, for the same reason that I assume Android is now reporting re-activated devices -- it looks better for the company.

Where does your assumption come from that Google has changed the way they report activated devices?

AFAIK, Google has always said that they only count a device once. Moreover, they're only going to see the activation if the device used Google services. There are untold millions of Android devices that have their own little app markets and would not be counted.

Counting re-activations is something that carriers do. Carriers tend to report all activations, which includes hand-me-down and resold devices that can easily boost numbers by 20%, judging from resale surveys. To a carrier, of course, activations are what matters, not new device sales.

As for numbers such as 400 million vs 350 million, etc, everyone forgets to take the time period into account. How many years did it take to sell all those in each case?

For that matter, why does it matter how many were sold years ago? Will people keep using such "totals" 20 years from now? What matters is current sales. E.g. No one cares how many billions of cassette tape players were sold in "total". :)
 
Where does your assumption come from that Google has changed the way they report activated devices?

AFAIK, Google has always said that they only count a device once. Moreover, they're only going to see the activation if the device used Google services. There are untold millions of Android devices that have their own little app markets and would not be counted.

My assumption is due to the increase from 100 to 400 million in a year's time, and from the fact that they didn't specifically mention that they only count a device once, when (as you said), they have been very upfront with that in the past. We also don't know what type of "activation" that means - traditionally it hasn't been google services, it's been cellular network activations (according to Vic in the past).

For that matter, why does it matter how many were sold in the past? Will people keep using "totals" 20 years from now? No one cares how many billions of cassette tape players were sold in total :) What matters is current sales.

Nobody cares only because cassettes aren't the main method of physical media anymore. CDs are 30 years old, and the number of CD players sold is still an important metric. While current sales are important, the _real_ important metric is total devices _still in use_. That's the installed marketbase that matters.
 
I said it before and I'll say it again. 2 iPhones =/= 200 Android phones.

Especially considering the fact that Apple actually makes money selling the phones they make.

I just don't see the comparison sorry :/

Edit: It seems I did forget about the 3GS. A $0.99 3 year old phone that is going to be discontinued by the end of the year...And still sells better than most free Android phones.

Yes I agree 1000%, especially after stuff like this comes out, where I never see anything negative about Apple and iOS.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/26/technology/google-android/index.htm
 
Devices that are re-sold are re-activated. In previous years, Google has been upfront with saying that they only count initial activations. But I've seen no such clarification for this most recent number.

Why they have to say nothing when the activation process has been clarified many times?

But a 300% increase year-on-year is _astronomical_, and something doesn't smell right about that level of increase, to be honest.

And this is the point, YOU don't believe it, nothing more

A single device can be re-activated multiple times, and each activation is "reported".

False, or do you have any source to back this?

----------

We also don't know what type of "activation" that means - traditionally it hasn't been google services, it's been cellular network activations (according to Vic in the past).

False, for Google activations has been always Google Services activation.

Please, stop talking about you don't know
 
My assumption is due to the increase from 100 to 400 million in a year's time,

Not so surprising. The market is exploding this year.

Leaving out tablets and other Android devices, there will probably be 600 million smartphones sold worldwide this year, half of which will be Android.

Huwai is reporting a 500% increase in smartphone sales this year. They will sell 60-100 million this year by themselves, and they're among the smallest of Android makers. ZTE is also expecting at least a 400% increase.

and from the fact that they didn't specifically mention that they only count a device once, when (as you said), they have been very upfront with that in the past.

The numbers are easily explainable without resorting to making new assumptions.

We also don't know what type of "activation" that means - traditionally it hasn't been google services, it's been cellular network activations (according to Vic in the past).

Google has never counted by network activations. That's more of an iPhone counting method used by carriers.

Google stated long ago that they count the first use of embedded Google Services such as the Play Store (aka Market).

While current sales are important, the _real_ important metric is total devices _still in use_. That's the installed marketbase that matters.

Yep, the current user base is one good metric.
 
Why they have to say nothing when the activation process has been clarified many times?

Why stop now?


And this is the point, YOU don't believe it, nothing more

Really, you needed to point out that me saying that "something smells wrong to me" is an opinion? And MG Siegler's tech crunch piece makes the same argument about the values.


False, or do you have any source to back this?


Have you ever re-activated a 2nd hand phone?

False, for Google activations has been always Google Services activation.

Please, stop talking about you don't know

If only you were correct.
Unless, of course, you know something that Andy Rubin doesn't.
https://plus.google.com/112599748506977857728/posts/Kkjf8oESTZs

Perhaps you should take your advice about speaking when you don't know the facts.

----------

Not so surprising.

Is it within the realm of possibility -- certainly. The iPad's growth over the last 2 years shows just how quickly new tech can take off these days.



Google has never counted by network activations. That's more of an iPhone counting method used by carriers.

Google stated long ago that they count the first use of embedded Google Services such as the Play Store (aka Market).

Andy Rubin: "...and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
https://plus.google.com/112599748506977857728/posts/Kkjf8oESTZs
 
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