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I'm in the who cares camp. Why? Because what does it mean anyway - bragging rights? Who cares? Rather - why should someone care?

ETA: Does anyone think this affects what phone someone would buy?

it means more sites will be optimized for mobile safari and that people actually use their iphones. a lot of the people with android are using them as feature phones or two people i know bought the cheapest one they could find just to get MS Exchange capability on it
 
it means more sites will be optimized for mobile safari and that people actually use their iphones. a lot of the people with android are using them as feature phones or two people i know bought the cheapest one they could find just to get MS Exchange capability on it

Any business worth its salt would create their website to dynamically change based on screen size of the visiting mobile device regardless of OS.

Who cares how people are using their phones anyway? I only care if I am using mine and if it works for what I need. This is my point. Why does anyone really care other than bragging rights "Ohhhh I have the same phone that gets the most traffic" - seems like a weird thing to get excited about.
 
It's probably because all the iPhone5 users are surfing the web and updating their facebook instead of bringing me my damn coffee!:D
 
Any business worth its salt would create their website to dynamically change based on screen size of the visiting mobile device regardless of OS.

Who cares how people are using their phones anyway? I only care if I am using mine and if it works for what I need. This is my point. Why does anyone really care other than bragging rights "Ohhhh I have the same phone that gets the most traffic" - seems like a weird thing to get excited about.

except that if iOS is your biggest user base you optimize for that first. just like we have seen with apps where most new/good apps come out for iOS first and with newer/better features on iOS
 
Maybe I'm reaching here. But doesn't this seem obvious. Those with S3's have had their devices for awhile and their usage has normalized. iPhone 5 users are "breaking in" their phones by surfing, downloading, etc all more than probably usual because they just got their phones.

I'm not trying to justify/skew the report. I just find it relatively meaningless.

I would guess a report in 3/6 months would be more meaningful.

You make a good point, however I think that to conclude that it's completely meaningless is not fair. Even taking that factor into account, it's pretty significant that a phone that's been out 3 weeks and one that probably 100s of thousands of people are still waiting to get, is being used more to surf the web than a phone that's been out for months.
 
except that if iOS is your biggest user base you optimize for that first. just like we have seen with apps where most new/good apps come out for iOS first and with newer/better features on iOS

It's not an either/or. If you're optimizing your site for mobile devices - you do it all at once. At least corporations would.

Now if you want to argue small business or individuals that might - I'll grant you that.

I work in the IT industry. We do a lot of backend and portal work. There hasn't been a single client (and we have major corporate clients) who would ever roll out their mobile site unless it was universal. It's not only smart - it's the most economical.
 
Apple iPhone Map Apps

You realize, I hope, that that are 3rd-party map apps that will using Google maps on your iPhone. I bought one (US$2.99) because I don't like the fact that the previous (4S) Apple Maps did not have voice directions and it is downright dangerous trying to navigate using Maps and drive simultaneously. It was so bad that we used my wife's Droid for GPS navigation when we drove. The accuracy of Google maps is far superior to Apple's as well.

But the secondary reason I bought the 3rd-party app was I got a choice of voices, from neutral to ultra sexy (that bothers my wife!). With the ultra-sexy voice option, I almost feel like I am having an affair with my phone when I drive. I would really like a "smart-ass" voice option, too ("Hey, moron! I told you to take the next left, now turn your ass around and do it like I told you to in the first place!" That would be killer!
 
And UBER Techies learn Objective C

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It seems that Android fans herald the GS3 as the flagship device for that OS

You mean Samsung has more S3 commercials running on TV than any other Android phone does this week. If that makes it the flagship then yes. And in a month there will probably be another flagship based on that criterion, and then another the month after that. There was a different one not too long ago as well. That's why these comparisons are understandable but ultimately meaningless.
 
This information doesn't really say much other than iPhone users are spending more time on their phones (and with all the unlimited data users using their phone as their personal hotspot).
 
("Hey, moron! I told you to take the next left, now turn your ass around and do it like I told you to in the first place!" That would be killer!

You already said you were married ;)

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This information doesn't really say much other than iPhone users are spending more time on their phones (and with all the unlimited data uses using their phone as their personal hotspot).

So you're saying people who have Android phones enjoy real life more instead of staring at a 4" screen? ;)
 
Agreed, that pie chart didn't do the trick for me either.

But THIS one . . .

Image

DARN YOU! Now I can't stop thinking of pie... with thanksgiving only a few weeks away, I'm trying not to eat pie... cause you know there is a pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pies with my name on them (for after the turkey)...
 
1. Google Maps was never error-free either. I ran into problems/errors with it weekly.

Huge understatement. I find problems with Google Maps constantly. I think others do too but because it has the benefit of being the de facto map source, people just shrug it off. When a newcomer to the game tries it, they get jumped on.

Just last week, my wife and I were driving to Seattle for a concert and we stopped midway along I-5 to get directions on Google maps. Google literally told us to drive back up I-5 for 20 miles in the opposite direction, leave the interstate, follow some back roads back to I-5 and then continue. Bizarre but I just laughed it off because I know that's an anomaly. Apple Maps isn't getting the same benefit. People see problems and freak because it's a new product.
 
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


With millions of units shipped, and demand significantly outstripping supply, the initial launch of the iPhone 5 can probably be described as successful. Ad tracking firm has released some data comparing iPhone 5 mobile ad impressions to those from the Galaxy S III, a popular Android phone released by Samsung.

According to the firm, the three-week old iPhone 5 saw significantly more web traffic than the Galaxy S III, a phone that has been out for months.
Another study, this time from 451 Research/ChangeWave Research, found that one third of North American consumers were "somewhat" or "very" likely to purchase the iPhone 5, a number that is some 10% higher than the consumers who were planning to buy the iPhone 4S.

The firm also found that 9 in 10 users hadn't experienced any significant problems with Apple's new mapping software, something that has received a great deal of attention in the press recently.

Article Link: Chitika: iPhone 5 Passes Samsung Galaxy S III in Web Usage

...and this is with Apple having trouble getting up to speed. ;)
 
Just last week, my wife and I were driving to Seattle for a concert and we stopped midway along I-5 to get directions on Google maps. Google literally told us to drive back up I-5 for 20 miles in the opposite direction, leave the interstate, follow some back roads back to I-5 and then continue. Bizarre but I just laughed it off because I know that's an anomaly. Apple Maps isn't getting the same benefit. People see problems and freak because it's a new product.

Ahh - but at least Google Maps gave you roads that exist ;)
 
Three years ago iPhone was outselling all Android phones combined. Today Apple fans are happy if it outsells Galaxy SIII (which is just one of three Samsung's top of the line phones: S3, Nexus and Note 2).

Three years ago, Android phones still ranged from 'passable' to 'utter *****'. (And Android fans *still* harped that it was better *despite* the lower sales numbers.) These days, Android phones range from actually passable to wonderful. (And now Android fans claim that better sales numbers, for all Android handsets combined vs. the latest iPhone model, are *proof* that their favorite Android handset is better than the iPhone.)

There's only two other markets in the world where people talk about one vendor's product vs. the entire rest of those markets. Oddly enough, they just so happen to be the other two markets where Apple is a significant player. (Computers, and digital music devices.)

There was a time when the Ford Taurus outsold *every* other car in it's class. Not as individuals, but as a whole. That is *amazing* from a success stand point, and I don't think there's been a model of car that has done that since. On the other hand, there have been several cars which have outsold each other car in its class for a period of time.

The strange fascination that Android fans seem to have with being able to 'unseat' a device which had been selling better than everything else in its class *combined*, so that it is only outselling each *individual* device in its class is mind boggling.

The numbers would, of course, be easier to compare if more Android handset manufacturers would limit themselves to release rates less than a device a day. :rolleyes: (I'm thinking it was HTC that was recently discovered to have averaged just shy of a two device per day release rate for the first half of this year, but I could be misremembering the manufacturer.)

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This!
Who cares??? Seriously.

I can tell you for a fact that anyone using something other than the stock Android browser on a GS3 will not be included in this analysis.
The stock browser sucks btw and I know a lot of people who change it fairly soon after getting the phone.

Dolphin browser for example doesn't report anything about what phone you have in it's UA string. Only screen resolution, OS and supported protocols.
Same with Chrome, it does not report the device ID, so how can they tell what piece of hardware is using the browser?

Beyond the fact that a typical UA string includes a fair bit of information, servers often query the browser for more information than just what's included in the UA string (resolution, plug-in support, etc.).

It's been estimated that, just based on the information a server can get from a browser, even with the mass of ostensibly-identical Windows installs out there, most systems can be uniquely identified *just* based on that information. (And this doesn't include cookies in any form.)

If you think that not including something in a UA string means the server has no way to know it, you don't have a clue. :rolleyes:
 
I was being mostly sarcastic.

The fact is - all sorts of people own iPhones just like all sorts of people own Android phones. Sweeping generalizations don't work.

While I agree that generalizations aren't accurate, I will say that they're right. I was formerly a big Android fanboy. I flashed ROMs and spoke praise about how perfect my phone was comparatively to the iPhone 4 (the newest at the time). I never played games because when flashing ROMs, your phone is essentially wiped each time, so when I flashed one, I rarely felt like re-downloading apps. Thus, I was stuck in a loop of being too busy customizing my phone to use it. Also note that due to how easy it is to side-load paid apps for free, I never actually paid for any applications. Eventually I got sick of constantly customizing, so I went ahead and bought the 4S on launch day. I've never had a single complaint. I purchase tons of apps, browse the web daily, and actually USE my phone.

My Dad was always against Apple products, given that he had always heard that a Mac was just an expensive PC with no games or software. However, after seeing me on my iPhone and Mac, he went ahead and got an iPad 3rd gen when they were released. It took him about an hour to figure out (which is great considering he hadn't figured out anything after a year on his old Android phone). He uses that iPad tons, and now that he went ahead and grabbed a 4S once the price dropped recently, he's doing the same on his phone.

All in all, what I'm trying to say is, regardless of what kind of Android fan it is, there are VERY few who actually use their phones for apps and such.
 
More mind boggling (other than a vested interest because you own stock) is even caring whether the phone you use/like is the best selling or where it ranks. It's personal preference. Ratings, reviews, specs, etc do matter. But there are plenty of things that get great reviews that don't sell well. Devices that have great specs that don't sell well. Etc. At the end of the day - I care more about what my device can do for me. I don't care whether or not my friend, neighbor, guy down the street, etc has. I don't live their life nor is their use case mine.

As an aside - that's another reason I prefer using something like WhatsApp vs iMessage and Tango instead of FaceTime. I, as a user, shouldn't have to care/worry about what phone another person has. I just want to be able to get my message or video call through.


Three years ago, Android phones still ranged from 'passable' to 'utter *****'. (And Android fans *still* harped that it was better *despite* the lower sales numbers.) These days, Android phones range from actually passable to wonderful. (And now Android fans claim that better sales numbers, for all Android handsets combined vs. the latest iPhone model, are *proof* that their favorite Android handset is better than the iPhone.)

There's only two other markets in the world where people talk about one vendor's product vs. the entire rest of those markets. Oddly enough, they just so happen to be the other two markets where Apple is a significant player. (Computers, and digital music devices.)

There was a time when the Ford Taurus outsold *every* other car in it's class. Not as individuals, but as a whole. That is *amazing* from a success stand point, and I don't think there's been a model of car that has done that since. On the other hand, there have been several cars which have outsold each other car in its class for a period of time.

The strange fascination that Android fans seem to have with being able to 'unseat' a device which had been selling better than everything else in its class *combined*, so that it is only outselling each *individual* device in its class is mind boggling.

The numbers would, of course, be easier to compare if more Android handset manufacturers would limit themselves to release rates less than a device a day. :rolleyes: (I'm thinking it was HTC that was recently discovered to have averaged just shy of a two device per day release rate for the first half of this year, but I could be misremembering the manufacturer.)


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You gave one/two use cases and want to "verify" the generalization. Sorry. Doesn't work. You (and I) are also not the general public.

While I agree that generalizations aren't accurate, I will say that they're right. I was formerly a big Android fanboy. I flashed ROMs and spoke praise about how perfect my phone was comparatively to the iPhone 4 (the newest at the time). I never played games because when flashing ROMs, your phone is essentially wiped each time, so when I flashed one, I rarely felt like re-downloading apps. Thus, I was stuck in a loop of being too busy customizing my phone to use it. Also note that due to how easy it is to side-load paid apps for free, I never actually paid for any applications. Eventually I got sick of constantly customizing, so I went ahead and bought the 4S on launch day. I've never had a single complaint. I purchase tons of apps, browse the web daily, and actually USE my phone.

My Dad was always against Apple products, given that he had always heard that a Mac was just an expensive PC with no games or software. However, after seeing me on my iPhone and Mac, he went ahead and got an iPad 3rd gen when they were released. It took him about an hour to figure out (which is great considering he hadn't figured out anything after a year on his old Android phone). He uses that iPad tons, and now that he went ahead and grabbed a 4S once the price dropped recently, he's doing the same on his phone.

All in all, what I'm trying to say is, regardless of what kind of Android fan it is, there are VERY few who actually use their phones for apps and such.
 
You mean Samsung has more S3 commercials running on TV than any other Android phone does this week. If that makes it the flagship then yes. And in a month there will probably be another flagship based on that criterion, and then another the month after that. There was a different one not too long ago as well. That's why these comparisons are understandable but ultimately meaningless.

No. He means that, since before it's release, Android fans have been comparing iOS and the current iPhone to the GS3. They show up here and endlessly tout it as the ultimate in Android phones. Saying, even before it was released, how much faster it was, how much nicer the screen looked, etc.

Strangely, now that the iPhone 5 has been released, and it can be compared to the GS3, the GS3 has suddenly become 'just another Android phone, why do you iPhone folks fixate on it so much?'. :rolleyes:

I don't understand the behavior, because there's nothing wrong with the GS3. It's a perfectly good phone. It's not the best one for everyone, but then again, *no* phone is.
 
Huge understatement. I find problems with Google Maps constantly. I think others do too but because it has the benefit of being the de facto map source, people just shrug it off. When a newcomer to the game tries it, they get jumped on.

Just last week, my wife and I were driving to Seattle for a concert and we stopped midway along I-5 to get directions on Google maps. Google literally told us to drive back up I-5 for 20 miles in the opposite direction, leave the interstate, follow some back roads back to I-5 and then continue. Bizarre but I just laughed it off because I know that's an anomaly. Apple Maps isn't getting the same benefit. People see problems and freak because it's a new product.

ha ha ha

had that when i drove from NYC to The Poconos a few years back. google maps screwed me with an extra hour or two of travel over some tiny country roads

on the way back i bought a paper map and took a longer but faster way via all highways
 
I wonder what the breakdown

of wifi v. cellular is on this.

Maybe the carriers will take a second look at being bitchy about iPhone subsidy costs if the data usage supports it. (just some thoughts)
 
Skyfire works fine for flash video for me, as long as there is no adverts over the video (some sports flash streamin has them). Cant click them off (as far as im aware) cant complain tho

Yeah I use that too. Of course that only works for video. Now if only apps could be made to be true desktop replacements. The YouTube app on the iPhone is crap but at least you can get high quality videos on it which you can't on their mobile site on iPad.
 
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