Apple Highlights Low Fragmentation Among iOS Devices in Direct Jab at Android

[lordofthereef]

You're comparing two things that happen on a much different scale.

The percentage of old/crippled Android phones running old OS versions is much higher on Android. Apple doesn't sell iOS devices with a 3 years old OS, and unless you have data to contradict that, app sales to iPhone 4 users are a more than probably a lot higher than to the $75 Android phone users you're describing. Developers who develop for both platform must know that.

The whole point of this is that the Android global marketshare majority doesn't mean much, and that the iOS apps ecosystem is still better overall than on Android, for both devs and users.

I don't think I am doing that at all. People buying older Android hardware are not the people that should be targeted by developers because they are not buying their devices for the latest, greatest apps. It's quite simple. For the record, the iPhone 4 is much more hardware-wise than these $50 handsets we speak of.

Some quick Googling showed that Android activations just about double iOS activations on a daily basis (some numbers put it closer to nearly tripling, but they are based on less sound statistical data). For some quick and simple math, that is 50 activations of iOS versus 100 activations on Android. If we take 75% of Android number, we have 25Android vs 50 iOS, speaking for latest OS upgrades. There is no denying that iOS outnumbers Android, but the numbers aren't the rdiculously abysmal numbers we are seeing some people spin. The sheer number of Android devices out there makes up for a lot of the disparity. If you need more information, just look at the sales numbers of Android flagships versus, say iPhone 5. Again, the iPhone 5 outsells any one Android phone (but together we are seeing a LOT of top end Android devices go out there). These are the comparisons that nobody (well, Apple, i their Keynote) is making, because it doesn't sound as awesome.

Market share should never be looked at as the sole metric for deciding platform success. This isn't a new thing with smartphones. It's been this way since we had the term "market share" in our vocabulary.

 

[MrNomNoms]

Yeah but all of iOS's new features aren't available on all devices. iOS will have even more features that won't be available on older devices.

Which is a load of crap - the issue isn't about 'new features' per se but the complete lack of Android OEM's actually supporting their customers for the long term. If I'm going to shell out slightly under a grand NZ$ for a Samsung Galaxy SIII then I sure as heck expect by this time to actually have received Android 4.2.2 rather than the current situation of joining the Galaxy SII customers of being thrown under the bus. That is the issue - the complete lack of any sort of sense of urgency by the likes of Samsung and HTC to actually support their end users for the long term when it comes to both updates to address bugs (security and run of the mill bugs) and provide functionality upgrades that most iPhone users will receive at minimum for 3 years. That is the issue - it is all about support or there lack of by Samsung and HTC.

The business models are different though...

If you compared the OS distribution between the iPhone and various Google Nexus models you'll see more of a similarity. Google isn't the reason all phones aren't getting the latest version of the OS its the carriers/manufacturers. I'm not saying its not a plus to usually have the latest OS on your phone but if you want that you can go buy a Google Nexus phone just like an iPhone.

The business model and the reasons and entirely irrelevant to the end user - the only thing that matters is iPhone users get updates and upgrades in a timely manner where as Android users are thrown under the bus within 6 months of purchasing their phone. On one hand you have Apple that takes care of its customers for 3 years where as OEM's such as Samsung and HTC can't even be bothered supporting a device that is slightly over a year old - Samsung Galaxy SIII (GT-i9300T) released in May 2012, Android 4.2.2 released in February 2013 and yet no update for the phone and we're already June 2013. So quick to take money off consumers but so slow at actually supporting the customer once the money has changed hands.

 

[inkswamp]

It's going to be more fragmented now once iOS7 is released. I have a feeling adoption rates will not be as high as previous iOS, people are afraid of change.

Apple's customers are demonstrably not afraid of change.

You should scroll back up and look at the upgrade numbers again. What exactly about that pie chart convinces you that iOS users are hesitant to upgrade?

You know, people always frame it as a "users don't want/fear to upgrade" proposition but that's not really the issue for the majority of users. The issue is ease of upgrade. I'm very much a computer geek so I can jump through whatever hoops are required to upgrade a device, but my wife isn't like that at all and I often view her as the yardstick for the "average" tech user.

I'll never forget the day she walked in to our bedroom with her iPhone in her hand (after 2 years of owning an Android phone) with a big smile on her face and said, "I just upgraded my phone." I thought she was kidding but she had. All she had to do was tap the confirmation button and let it do its thing.

That's absolutely unthinkable for most Android phones.

 

[laurim]

My Gosh! who dubbed those Android codenames?

pot heads?

 

[LagunaSol]

In 2013, smart-phone preference is the new topic of contention, surpassing religion.

Though Android fanaticism certainly has a strong air of religious fervor about it...

 

[samcraig]

Though Android fanaticism certainly has a strong air of religious fervor about it...

As does Apple's.

 

[klamse25]

How many of us smug bastards are going to be linking this story to our android friends?

As a consumer, it doesn't matter.
The only thing I could see as a rebuttal is that carriers and OEMs control the update process on existing devices.
This argument is invalid, because Android is open source, so it can easily be ported by developers and flashed by the consumer.

 

[Explicitic]

Google needs to release these charts by OEM.

And to the guy a few posts above talking about the Android browser, technically the Android browser is the AOSP Browser that runs on CyanogenMod. It smashes just about anything else out there.

 

[tbrinkma]

Making an App work on 2.3+ is not at all hard in Android land. You target an API version - minimum and maximum and your app is pretty much guaranteed to work on those versions if you do it right. (OTOH if you are a sloppy developer or if you are developing something insanely complex then yes it's an effort - not insurmountable though.)

Hardware variations - yeah that now exists in iOS world as well - iPhone 4, 4S, 5, iPad mini, Retina, non-retina, and now there will possibly be a big screen iPhone. Not all devices have all features. I don't see how that is any different from Android.

The point being made is that if you have to target Android 2.3, you won't be able to new APIs provided in newer versions. That's the fragmentation that developers have to worry about most. If they want to use new features (as in less than 2 years old), they lose 1/3 to 2/3 of their potential market.

Then, on top of that, you throw the dozens of differently tweaked versions of Android, which add their own compatibility issues. *Then* you add the dozens of screen sizes and various other hardware combinations.

That adds up to a lot of extra if you want to develop and support an app that can be run the majority of Android phones.

In comparison, if you want to use the most current APIs on iOS today, you're losing only 7% of your potential market. Accounting for screen size & resolution adds *at most* 6 variants for UI, 4 if you account for the fact that going 'retina' simply means supplying higher-resolution images. In many cases, you end up with 2 variants, one for the iPhone/iPod Touch, and one for the iPad/iPad mini.

 

[LagunaSol]

As does Apple's.

It's not even close anymore. Visit any forum or tech blog on the Web. The Android fanatics are out in force 24/7, screaming and stomping their feet about crApple and their awesome new Samsung whatchamacallits. Add some paid Samsung astroturfing (true fact), and you've created an army of the most annoying fanboys in the history of fanboyism.

Android fanboys > Scientologists > Vegans > Ron Paul followers > Obama zealots > Apple fanboys.

 

[lordofthereef]

It's not even close anymore. Visit any forum or tech blog on the Web. The Android fanatics are out in force 24/7, screaming and stomping their feet about crApple and their awesome new Samsung whatchamacallits. Add some paid Samsung astroturfing (true fact), and you've created an army of the most annoying fanboys in the history of fanboyism.

Android fanboys > Scientologists > Vegans > Ron Paul followers > Obama zealots > Apple fanboys.

I visit plenty of blogs. Apple fans are just as bad. Really.

----------

Though Android fanaticism certainly has a strong air of religious fervor about it...

As does Apple's.

Android User: I am relevant!

iOS User: I am STILL relevant!

Both users to the other: You are not relevant!

And so, the world turns.

 

[tbrinkma]

Some quick Googling showed that Android activations just about double iOS activations on a daily basis (some numbers put it closer to nearly tripling, but they are based on less sound statistical data).

I'm curious how you can judge the soundness of the statistical data either way. We don't have the data from which the statistic is derived, we just have the final number. Without the source data, you can't make *any* claims about the accuracy of the final number.

 

[LagunaSol]

I visit plenty of blogs. Apple fans are just as bad. Really.

Tell you what, let's hit up The Verge, Engadget, CNET or any other supposedly "tech-neutral" site. You give me a nickel for every Android fanatic comment, I'll give you a nickel for every Apple fanboy comment.

Then we'll check Apple-centric sites vs Android-centric sites: the true test of hardcore dedication to trolling the other side. We'll up the ante. A quarter from you for every Android fanatic comment on an Apple-centric site, a quarter from me for every Apple fanboy comment on an Android-centric site.

I'll be retired by the end of the week.

 

[Virinprew]

If you look at feature set of the OSes - Android 2.3 had all of the features of iOS7 So big deal Apple - same OS from 2007-2013 and ONE relatively significant iOS7 update that even tries to match Android 2.3!

Besides, Android people don't need to wait for an OS update to update most of their OS - it's called modularization peeps! (Chrome, Google Services(GMail, Play Store, various frameworks), Launchers, Keyboards - everything updates outside of the OS. So yeah, big deal with the numbers Apple - they don't mean as much as you make it sound they do.

"Android 2.3 had all of the features of iOS7"
Care to elaborate?

 

[crackbookpro]

You sunk my battleship!

(google /\ /\)

More than anything, this should show the world that Apple cares... Google does not. Google wants you to buy the latest & greatest, because they never have a point/time of total customer satisfaction on many levels.

Job well done Apple

 

[parapup]

I guess you don't write code or support them for a living...

Haha, kind of cute that people assert stuff based on false assumptions. Guys - plenty of Android developers out there - not many think there's a big problem. Only the wusses (i.e. the ones coming from iOS mindset) do. The proof is out there. No need to accuse me of being a non-developer to prove otherwise.

 

[richard371]

Fragmentation is probably the biggest thing I cannot stand about Android. I have an S4 that I uses once in awhile but there is a major issue with audio clipping when using certain headphones not to mention other bugs. Samsung has supposedly fixed these in a FW update that some countries have gotten but by the time the local carriers test and release it it will be Christmas. I love how with iOS everyone gets the updates at the same time. Also the bloatware they put on Androids is a mess.

 

[pirg]

Haha, kind of cute that people assert stuff based on false assumptions. Guys - plenty of Android developers out there - not many think there's a big problem. Only the wusses (i.e. the ones coming from iOS mindset) do. The proof is out there. No need to accuse me of being a non-developer to prove otherwise.

What's your source that "not many think there's a big problem"?

And your source that "only the wusses" think it is?

This should be great.

 

[parapup]

"Android 2.3 had all of the features of iOS7"
Care to elaborate?

You know it - Notifications, Multitasking, OTA, etc. And some that iOS still doesn't have - NFC, Keyboards, SIP, Intents, core app updates separated from OS updates etc.

 

[bag of kittens]

I don't think I am doing that at all. People buying older Android hardware are not the people that should be targeted by developers because they are not buying their devices for the latest, greatest apps. It's quite simple. For the record, the iPhone 4 is much more hardware-wise than these $50 handsets we speak of.

Some quick Googling showed that Android activations just about double iOS activations on a daily basis (some numbers put it closer to nearly tripling, but they are based on less sound statistical data). For some quick and simple math, that is 50 activations of iOS versus 100 activations on Android. If we take 75% of Android number, we have 25Android vs 50 iOS, speaking for latest OS upgrades. There is no denying that iOS outnumbers Android, but the numbers aren't the rdiculously abysmal numbers we are seeing some people spin. The sheer number of Android devices out there makes up for a lot of the disparity. If you need more information, just look at the sales numbers of Android flagships versus, say iPhone 5. Again, the iPhone 5 outsells any one Android phone (but together we are seeing a LOT of top end Android devices go out there). These are the comparisons that nobody (well, Apple, i their Keynote) is making, because it doesn't sound as awesome.

Market share should never be looked at as the sole metric for deciding platform success. This isn't a new thing with smartphones. It's been this way since we had the term "market share" in our vocabulary.

Speaking of marketshare, there was a really interesting set of graphs produced by The Atlantic this week, about where Android users are geographically, vs. iOS users:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jo...s-any-city-and-you-know-where-rich-live/5961/

If you look at these maps, iOS outperforms in urban/metropolitan areas on the coasts, and Android makes up in the suburban/rural areas. It isn't a huge disparity, but it is noticeable.

Which helps explain why such a large Android user base is using old OS versions. They simply want a smartphone at a low cost, without as much thought on having the latest and greatest.

 

[djstile]

Thus, as I said no different from Android. (Except, there is - on iOS, iPhone 5 will show older apps centered - on Android they are scaled automatically.

Yeah and they look like stretched SD programming on a 4K TV - terrible. If you don't believe me, try running last years ESPN Fantasy Football app on the GS3. It really looks like it was created for use on a phone with a smaller screen (which it probably was). There are countless examples of this on any number of other apps.

 

[parapup]

Speaking of marketshare, there was a really interesting set of graphs produced by The Atlantic this week, about where Android users are geographically, vs. iOS users:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jo...s-any-city-and-you-know-where-rich-live/5961/

I know for sure the Atlanta maps are wrong. Ask anyone living in Atlanta and they'll tell you the money isn't where the map claims it to be.

----------

Yeah and they look like stretched SD programming on a 4K TV - terrible. If you don't believe me, try running last years ESPN Fantasy Football app on the GS3. It really looks like it was created for use on a phone with a smaller screen (which it probably was). There are countless examples of this on any number of other apps.

The black bars, iPhone apps on iPad - they are equally horrible looking to me - so what's your point?

----------

What's your source that "not many think there's a big problem"?

And your source that "only the wusses" think it is?

This should be great.

Hey let's cite AppleInsider for this one - only 24% percent think it is a big problem.

 

[inkswamp]

You know it - Notifications, Multitasking, OTA, etc. And some that iOS still doesn't have - NFC, Keyboards, SIP, Intents, core app updates separated from OS updates etc.

So what? Those features may have been first on Android but they're usually implemented so poorly and badly designed that most users can't be bothered with using them or get almost no benefit from it.

My favorite example of a feature that was Android-first is copy and paste. Android had it well before iOS. I know because I had an Android phone at the time. But trying to use copy-and-paste on an Android phone was a crap shoot. Not all applications supported it and those that did would sometimes implement it in ways that involved using different controls (so you'd literally have to change the way you were doing things between apps to get something to copy/paste.) And in some cases, the phone would go through the motions as if you were copying something, but nothing ever got copied to the clipboard. It was an absolute exercise in frustration for the user which rendered the feature almost useless.

The first intuitive, usable, stable, system-wide and consistent implementation of copy-and-paste on a modern smartphone came with iOS. The same goes for most of the features you're talking about too. Android gets there first but it usually does so in a half-a**ed way.

 

[nagromme]

...
More than anything, this should show the world that Apple cares... Google does not. Google wants you to buy the latest & greatest, because they never have a point/time of total customer satisfaction on many levels.

Job well done Apple

More accurately, Google DOES care about customer satisfaction... but WE are not the customers! The key parties that Google's business model needs to please are advertisers first (Google makes their vast income almost solely from selling our personal info to them for purposes of ad targeting), then phone manufacturers and carriers second (because those partners push Google's tracking and ad products out to the world) and then users. Users do matter to Google, but they're pretty far down the list. Follow where the money comes from.

Google's business model is just different--they cannot simply choose to make the best things they can, and earn user loyalty. Users don't pay them. They need to be pervasive above all. Anything anyone uses that is NOT Google (like pre-Reader RSS apps, Bing search, Facebook, Skype, Windows, iOS, you name it) is a problem: it limits their ability to collect personal data, control it, and sell it. Expect Google to keep cloning everything they can--and then giving it away for free rather than competing on quality. Different model. (Even their core strength--awesome search--has gotten bloated up with ads and a worse user experience. I miss the old Google.)

Fragmentation is probably the biggest thing I cannot stand about Android. I have an S4 that I uses once in awhile but there is a major issue with audio clipping when using certain headphones not to mention other bugs. Samsung has supposedly fixed these in a FW update that some countries have gotten but by the time the local carriers test and release it it will be Christmas. I love how with iOS everyone gets the updates at the same time. Also the bloatware they put on Androids is a mess.

The biggest things I can't stand about Android, in addition to this fragmentation and rapid obscolescence (lack of even vital security updates, commonly) are:

- No full, painless, backup/restore. If your iPhone goes under a bus and then you replace it under warranty (or when you upgrade to a new one) everything right down to your wallpaper is painlessly transferred. A phone is highly personal--more so than a computer, maybe. It's like a person's home in a way. Their "stuff" matters. The way they organize their stuff matters. You can't uproot someone every time they get a new device!

- You can't trust apps. They can kill your battery or worse. They often do. The non-curated app selection should at least offer greater choice to go with the risk... and it doesn't. You get a lot of neat system hacks and a far worse selection of real apps. So many of my favorite apps do not exist on Android. What's missing on iOS? Favorite system hacks. Cool? Sure. But not the same thing at all. (And on tablets it's especially bad for Android. Poor quality, low selection.)

 

[Dudical]

This probably doesn't directly affect anyone here. Why are people getting so upset about this?

Let's take two scenarios:
1. Android is 90% fragmented.
2. Android is 0% fragmented.

In both of these scenarios, my day will go exactly the same way. So will yours (unless you're an Android developer).

Take a deep breath, look out the window at something nice... it's just a phone.