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As someone with an app on the App Store, Apple's quality testing isn't as stringent as you'd think. And the approval process is still more inconsistent and arbitrary than it should be.

IMHO, I think people will keep buying into both platforms, as long as they keep being improved upon.

Very nice response. Common courtesy is still alive. Thanks.

I get regular reports regarding crashes (etc). No such thing will happen with Android to assure quality.

Can't imagine folks accepting downloading buggy apps. After completely testing on the emulator, I found a lot of differences moving to a real device. Without being able to test on all devices, apps are bound to fail.
 
Apple needs to be on a network that will grow with its demands. 4G+, worldwide usability, stronger connection... these things are what Apple will be looking for when AT&Ts contract expires.
 
Voted negative.

I'd MUCH rather see Apple use:
Quadband: GSM/GPRS/EDGE &
Quadband: UMTS (850/1700/1900/2100Mhz which supports NAM AWS for T-Mobile). Sure they'll get quick cash for a few months but is it not true that Verizon will have LTE running by mid/end of 2010 and pushing it in earnest BIG time?
 
As for the pirating, what did you expect? :rolleyes:

"3. Android phones will hardly ever be able to be updated to a new OS release."

Source or I call BS on this.

My app has not been pirated, you actually can protect them. But, I will admit that if someone was willing to put in an tremendous amount of effort, they 'might' be able to do it. So, my next upgrade simply forces them to do it again.

Think about your second comment. It is common to have an API denigrated, and since Apple forced me to test this possibility, what are the odds that a bunch of handset makers will keep upwards compatibility.

Here's a reference with similar concerns.

Upgrade Path to Android 2.0 Uncertain

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/181513/upgrade_path_to_android_20_uncertain.html
 
My app has not been pirated, you actually can protect them. But, I will admit that if someone was willing to put in an tremendous amount of effort, they 'might' be able to do it. So, my next upgrade simply forces them to do it again.

Think about your second comment. It is common to have an API denigrated, and since Apple forced me to test this possibility, what are the odds that a bunch of handset makers will keep upwards compatibility.

Pretty high, I'd say. Android has such incredible potential, but only time will tell if it can put a considerable dent in iPhone's market share. Personally I'm in no financial situation to get a new smartphone, so I have to wait anyway. :D
 
The timing indicates Apple is giving AT&T a "fair chance" as "loyalty" to their arrangement. Here's my theory why.

A year from now AT&T will have had time to provision all cell towers for fiber bandwidth. Most towers will have been made live for LTE or provisioned for it. The "all protocol" iPhone despite this fact being omitted from this story, MUST have LTE to be "all protocol".

As we all know so well Apple tends to abandon "old" technology. When LTE is here EDGE will be very old and the other protocols will be pretty old.

Apple may maintain "all protocol" compatibility in iPhone late 2010 but the emphasis will be LTE.

One wonders what else is in store. AT&T is doing MASSIVE network upgrades, has been for a couple of years, and plans to for a couple years forward.

Rocketman
 
I have a question for you cellphone signal knowledgeable types.

IF this rumored iPhone is released AND IF it is possible to stay with AT&T, do you think that you could jump on a CDMA band if the GMS signal was not available, or will you have to pick one band or the other when you activate the iPhone?

I live in a low population density area and LTE isn't coming to my area anytime soon.
 
Verizon iPhone would be interesting... but I don't see them ever shrinking the screen size. That just doesn't make sense. If anything, it would be getting slightly bigger.


I'm fine with shrinking the screen if it means the phone is smaller and resolution stays the same or increases.
 
Yes, people will buy them for awhile, but once they discover these problems, they will grab an iPhone. Most of this is due to the fact that Android phones will vary greatly and Android is open source. What does open source mean, well, that an bunch of incompetent handset manufacturers can mess around with it. It saves them a lot of development, so it's a good deal for them, but not for the poor customers.[--snip--]

1. Apps are not tested, they are just placed in Android Market.[--snip--]
2. Apps can be returned.[--snip--]
3. Android phones will hardly ever be able to be updated to a new OS release.[--snip--]
4. Apps are easily pirated.[--snip--]

So, in the end the user will get buggy apps. Developers will have their hard work stolen. Users will be stuck with whatever OS release comes with their phone.
Interesting points, but I don't like your reasoning. If you run the numbers, Apple's 40 testers need to go through an unnatural amount of apps. I don't think they're a QA department. Google has automated the process, like they do so many things.

At the end of the day, ANY company that offers refunds on digital products (that actually work) is flirting with financial ruin (or a money-losing business). Physical stores DO NOT give refunds on opened software for a reason.

Here, I'll create my own list of "why Android will fail to overtake the iPhone as best SmartPhone OS/platform" items:

1. It deals with SD cards, requiring software to do a "double-install" for media rich apps (to get at all the space on the SD card, as the internal ROM for apps is very small). It's like comparing PS3 installs to the Xbox install. On the PS3, you wait for the download, THEN you have to perform a lengthy install process. On XBox, download/install is one process that is continuous.

2. Uninstalling apps is a bad joke, and impossible for consumers to really enjoy (very Windows-esque).

3. As a media player, Droid/Android sucks. Can you start/stop your media player music inside of any app? No. There is hardly any "experience" refinement past its excellent multitasking/notifications handling and with 2.0, great contact integration.

4. Support. There are no Apple Genius' to help you with your Android phone. Consumer devices are ALL about customer service. This is why Apple has created an easy way to backup your entire phone, so that if there's a problem, they simply hand you a new one, and you restore your phone at home.

5. Media management (music, podcasts, videos, tv shows, movies). On the Android... its positively geek-tastic... or geek-a-licious. Whichever you prefer. That translates to "not consumer-friendly". I really hand Apple a LOT of credit for trying to move a "standard" forward that it supports through its ecosystem. Close-captioning, chapters, and now iTunes LP and Extras? They're almost single-handedly solving problems that have gone unsolved in the digital media industry for too long (and navigating through a gazillion patent lawsuits while they're at it).

The Android OS "upgrade" thing is sort-of true, but mostly not. I think most Android users have been upgrading, although that seemed questionable earlier on with T-Mobile's G1. The "space requirements" become a HUGE issue though. Moreover, there is NO FINANCIAL INCENTIVE for carriers to assist or support older phones "upgrading" to each new Android version. Why should they? With Apple... hey, why not, its more value to its platform. Google would gain value... not the carriers. But its not UP to just Google.

Personally, Apple's "side-loading" model has it right. Handling updates, backups, media sync, activation, and management through the desktop media player is EXCELLENT. Android will NEVER (well, never say never I guess)... but Android would be hard pressed to duplicate these features.

Personally, I think Google should acquire the SongBird team, and push "SongBird" as its media player of choice, and use it to handle Android backups, update, and management issues.

I run a Mac these days. If the management of my phone can't even kick me back to my Palm Desktop 4.0 days, then I'm going to cry foul. I don't want to go backwards.

~ CB
 
I have a question for you cellphone signal knowledgeable types.

IF this rumored iPhone is released AND IF it is possible to stay with AT&T, do you think that you could jump on a CDMA band if the GMS signal was not available, or will you have to pick one band or the other when you activate the iPhone?

I live in a low population density area and LTE isn't coming to my area anytime soon.

This is not a technology question but a contract question. Since when LTE is out there, both AT&T and Verizon will have it, they will have to have roaming agreements. At that point they might as well have entire network roaming agreements independent of protocol.

So the Verizon ad comparing networks is a "last gasp" of differentiation before a commodity world arrives.

Rocketman
 
So if the screen size becomes smaller, developers have to rewrite their apps? Well done indeed. :rolleyes:
 
You couldn't be more wrong

I also do not think Jobs will forgive Verizon for slamming his prize baby.

Jobs is a very smart guy. He made 'nice' with Microsoft so they wouldn't stop Office development a few years ago because he knew it could kill the Mac in the business world. He will also make 'nice' with Verizon because he is very well informed and knows there is a massive amount of dissatisfied people with ATT's network and the weakest part of the iphone is ATT. With millions of US customer pissed off at ATT,Verizon is a lock: iphones on the two largest networks in the USA? Just a small part of the world domination plan Jobs has put in motion.
:cool:

P.S. if the iphone has not migrated to Verizon when my 2 year contract is up in July 2010, well, it'll be good bye iphone and hello Droid....I need a phone with a signal, not 'searching'.
 
Personally, Apple's "side-loading" model has it right. Handling updates, backups, media sync, activation, and management through the desktop media player is EXCELLENT. Android will NEVER (well, never say never I guess)... but Android would be hard pressed to duplicate these features.

Great point. Who will ever create a sync mechanism and it certainly is not going to work well across multiple vendors.

Oh, who can forget iTunes. A Google music search doesn't really qualify, although I like being able to do it.
 
*Shrink* the screen? Seriously? Anybody who believes that must be nuts.

Then I guess Steve Jobs is nuts! :D

He did it (shrink) with the iPod, iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Apple packaging of their products. He'll do it to the iPhone!

I'm not saying that I agree or think it is a smart move. I'm just saying the man has an thickness anti-infatuation. Thin is sexy to him. We gotta get used to it. Steve probably has something up his sleeve to help all the people that will be going blind trying to look at an ever shrinking screen of information! :D
 
Jobs is a very smart guy. He made 'nice' with Microsoft so they wouldn't stop Office development a few years ago because he knew it could kill the Mac in the business world. He will also make 'nice' with Verizon because he is very well informed and knows there is a massive amount of dissatisfied people with ATT's network and the weakest part of the iphone is ATT. With millions of US customer pissed off at ATT,Verizon is a lock: iphones on the two largest networks in the USA? Just a small part of the world domination plan Jobs has put in motion.
:cool:

P.S. if the iphone has not migrated to Verizon when my 2 year contract is up in July 2010, well, it'll be good bye iphone and hello Droid....

You've got to 'know' your history. MS threatened to stop making Office for the Mac to force Apple to drop their suit for stealing the Mac interface.

In those days, there was no history of software copyrights or patents, so Apple had not choice. Robber Barons always use the same tactics.

My favorite 'Robber Barons' story was done by Stanford. They used to be called the Indians, which was not PC so they asked the students for a new name. They decided that 'Robber Barons' was appropriate for Leland Stanford. Clearly, as always, the students were ignored, although I like Cardinals.
 
Jobs is a very smart guy. He made 'nice' with Microsoft so they wouldn't stop Office development a few years ago because he knew it could kill the Mac in the business world. He will also make 'nice' with Verizon because he is very well informed and knows there is a massive amount of dissatisfied people with ATT's network and the weakest part of the iphone is ATT. With millions of US customer pissed off at ATT,Verizon is a lock: iphones on the two largest networks in the USA? Just a small part of the world domination plan Jobs has put in motion.
:cool:

Uhh.. why the hell would Jobs need to 'make nice' with a company that did him wrong by laughing him out of the building when he pitched the iPhone to them originally? It isn't his obligation to 'make nice with them', but in fact the opposite. Verizon needs to kiss his arse, clean the floors of his house with a toothbrush, and serve him food every day for the next 2 years in an Apple+ATT french maid outfit to get the iPhone over to them. They screwed up, not Jobs.

P.S. if the iphone has not migrated to Verizon, well, when my 2 year contract is up in July 2010, good bye iphone and hello Droid....

Have fun with the Droid. I'll gladly use your bandwidth for you. ;)

BL.
 
As long as ATT gets the better model and continues subsidized pricing, I dont care. All i know is im not paying 700$ for a phone. But i really dont think this is gonna happen.
 
This rumor is such garbage. Why?

-exactly where is the info coming from? Apple hasn't even rolled out production on the new model and no carrier would have even seen the phone yet. The are only a few handful of people that even have an idea of what the next-gen iPhone will look like. The original iLounge photos were just potential prototypes that were obviously never used.

-a 2.8in screen LOL, please. While the screen could retain the same 480x320 resolution, there would other problems that would come up such as a smaller keyboard, harder to read screen (most difficult on older people) and harder to use gestures. Apple likes to keep symmetry across its product and introducing a screen in size similar to a 5G iPod video is ridiculous.

-Even Verizon themselves said the ball is in Apple's court and no deal has officially been reached. Does this report from a company I've never heard of suddenly know something that a CEO doesn't? If Verizon and Apple would have had a deal in place the CEO would have still denied the story but would have let it out through unofficial channels that the iPhone would come to Verizon. He would be barely able to contain the glee and he'd want to keep as many subscriber as possible.


Every year these nonsensical rumors come out just for page hits and they never turn out to be right. This is just another case.
 
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