Which is the problem. This is what defines an also-ran. When competing in the same space as Apple you need to be "oh so groundbreaking and innovative", or your device will simply fade into the background in due course. "Good enough" is never good enough. So are these "competitors" actually going to challenge Apple or not?? Or are they just in the game to offer more "variety"?? When is Apple going to get some REAL competition?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Google Launches Nexus One: T-Mobile Plan Available Now, Verizon and Vodafone Coming Soon
- Thread starter QCassidy352
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Which is the problem. This is what defines an also-ran. When competing in the same space as Apple you need to be "oh so groundbreaking and innovative", or your device will simply fade into the background in due course. "Good enough" is never good enough. So are these "competitors" actually going to challenge Apple or not?? Or are they just in the game to offer more "variety"?? When is Apple going to get some REAL competition?
+1
also, I still don't get how multitouch is a gamebreaker for anyone.
And I don't understand complaints about the UI. You can pick what icons go on the homescreens and the app drawer thing is basically the same as on an iPhone only you scroll up and down.
Yeah, with the staggering interest in Android, they sure are fading! Android is real competition. The only people that don't see it are drunk on Steve's special Kool Aid.
No, no you don't get it. Android isn't as "polished" and "refined" as iPhone.
S
So when the consumer reads (and comprehends) that the Nexus is compatible with 32GB SD cards, it's his responsibility to do research to determine whether there even is such a thing???
I don't know what exactly your problem is. If they are not available right now, they probably will be available with the next generation of Flash chips. Google just says "max 32GB", just like Apple (or everyone else) gives "max GB" specs for their computers, regardless if the memory modules are insanely expensive or hard to come by.
It is safe to say that, for the moment, you can't have more than 16GB in your Nexus phone, which might bug some people. But no need to blow this issue out of proportions.
So I guess Apple is also an also-ran, seeing how they failed to overtake Blackberry and Nokia and are still hanging to 3rd place.
The thing is, every new phone that comes out doesn't need to be groundbreaking. Contrary to what you think, not everyone likes the iPhone hardware or software. Sometimes, "slightly different" is good enough for the sale.
The fact that Android has picture backgrounds and widgets on the home screen is probably enough for a few people to ditch the iPhone or even just get an Android. The fact that Android devices come in all flavors and size, including physical keyboards, might just turn people to those devices instead of the iPhone.
Choice is not a flaw. The highlander marketing and economics really have got to stop. "There can be only one" made for a good movie, but it makes for rather bland and boring products.
Especially considering all these devices like the Droid and Nexus One are multi-touch capable and enabled out of the box. Trying to repeat they aren't ad nauseum doesn't make it true. But what did you expect from the "Apple does no wrong" crowd, they are going to repeat the same myths over and over again :
- 256 MB app storage limit
- No multi-touch
- Different hardware means harder apps.
Yet they ignore the facts :
- App binaries are small, data is what makes Apps big. Android Market apps stored on your phone's internal memory read their data off the SD card. Non-issue.
- Android 2.0 introduced multi-touch. Droid and Nexus One have multi-touch screens. In the US, the stock apps don't have multi-touch, but Android Market apps with multi-touch work just fine. Pinch and zoom in your browser ? Install Dolphin off the Android Market on your Droid. Non-issue.
- The iPhone is as much a diverse platform as Android, much more so seeing how every device came out of Apple. There's currently 4 targets : iPod Touch 8G, iPod Touch 32 and 64 GB, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS. This summer's iPhone, which will probably go to a higher res display, will add a 5th. The new iPod Touch in September a 6th... and so on. Fragmentation is the name of the game in tech. Programmers have been dealing with this problem for the last 30 years. Non-issue.
Exactly, it's barely different than any other Blackberry touch phone. It's boring looking and doesn't have the aesthetic touch Apple products do have. I really don't see whats so darn special...
Having used a Blackberry Storm 2 extensively, as well as the Droid, I'd say you're completely wrong. They are very different.
Apple iPhone: 3,756,465 hours of Web surfing with optional cold-fusion battery.
*Note: cold-fusion battery not yet available.
After reading that a Google insider claimed the Nexus One was "an iPhone on beautiful steroids," I was expecting something really cool. Apparently he was wrong about the beautiful part. And the steroids.
Or, they are more likely to dismiss completely usable systems with the damning curse of "fugly".
Something that Apple has had to settle quite a few of, for misleading consumers.
HTC is very much like Foxconn - they build lots of handsets that carry other brands. They're probably quite happy to have the little "HTC" on the back of the Nexus One.
Except Cold Fusion is not even discovered or yet theoritically explained. 32 GB MicroSDHC has been announced and working prototypes made. Quite a few stages of difference.
(Not to mention you can't swap a battery in an iPhone, make the operation more complicated then just buying a potential Cold Fusion battery for the consumer).
There is nothing wrong with the claim. We've seen computers advertised as capable of being extended to XX capacity before it was available before. Contrary to what Apple says, this doesn't confuse anyone with better than 1st grade reading skills.
I'm sure glad you're intelligent enough to discern something that's been announced from something that's fictional, otherwise I'd think you were serious.
http://www.memorysuppliers.com/sandisk-microsd-32gb.html
Here's one important difference: when an iPhone OS update is announced, it's available for every iPhone/iPod touch model immediately. Are some features limited to newer models? Of course. But no one is stuck with an old version of the OS.
G1 owners are still waiting for official Android 2.0 support. Droid owners probably won't get Android 2.1 right away. And what about some of the HTC models that are stuck on previous versions of Android? Throw on custom skins and UI tweaks by every carrier and manufacturer to muddy the waters even more.
Fragmentation.
I don't know that MacRumors' official Mr. Microsoft wants to start talking about settling lawsuits...
See that's where you're wrong. There is no need to be groundbreaking with every new product the way the original iPhone was. Hell, even Apple hasn't been exactly groundbreaking with every new iPhone revision. Actually, they were groundbreaking once more and that was with the App Store. Other than that, I see only smallish improvements.
A lot of people out there are buying Android phones right now. For them, the offered phones are good enough. Apparently, they don't see any benefit to get an iPhone. Some are on the wrong network and don't want to switch. Some like to have a keyboard, even if it's crap. Some want to fiddle around with the software on their phone without the need to jailbreak it. Some simply don't like Apple products for their own reasons. Who cares ?
It is impossible to make everyone happy just with one single phone! That was never Apple's intention anyway. They only make (mostly) good stuff and put a good price tag on it. Then they rake in their profits and that's it. If they wanted to make everyone happy (Nokia-style), they'd bombard us with dozens of different iPhones at dozens of price points.
So I guess Apple is also an also-ran, seeing how they failed to overtake Blackberry and Nokia and are still hanging to 3rd place.
The thing is, every new phone that comes out doesn't need to be groundbreaking. Contrary to what you think, not everyone likes the iPhone hardware or software. Sometimes, "slightly different" is good enough for the sale.
The fact that Android has picture backgrounds and widgets on the home screen is probably enough for a few people to ditch the iPhone or even just get an Android. The fact that Android devices come in all flavors and size, including physical keyboards, might just turn people to those devices instead of the iPhone.
Choice is not a flaw. The highlander marketing and economics really have got to stop. "There can be only one" made for a good movie, but it makes for rather bland and boring products.
Especially considering all these devices like the Droid and Nexus One are multi-touch capable and enabled out of the box. Trying to repeat they aren't ad nauseum doesn't make it true. But what did you expect from the "Apple does no wrong" crowd, they are going to repeat the same myths over and over again :
- 256 MB app storage limit
- No multi-touch
- Different hardware means harder apps.
Yet they ignore the facts :
- App binaries are small, data is what makes Apps big. Android Market apps stored on your phone's internal memory read their data off the SD card. Non-issue.
- Android 2.0 introduced multi-touch. Droid and Nexus One have multi-touch screens. In the US, the stock apps don't have multi-touch, but Android Market apps with multi-touch work just fine. Pinch and zoom in your browser ? Install Dolphin off the Android Market on your Droid. Non-issue.
- The iPhone is as much a diverse platform as Android, much more so seeing how every device came out of Apple. There's currently 4 targets : iPod Touch 8G, iPod Touch 32 and 64 GB, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS. This summer's iPhone, which will probably go to a higher res display, will add a 5th. The new iPod Touch in September a 6th... and so on. Fragmentation is the name of the game in tech. Programmers have been dealing with this problem for the last 30 years. Non-issue.
I run a G1, but my hacked ROM has multitouch enabled. Dolphin browser for me now
Yeah, I think they said some insanely long time, like.......days. I think I'll manage for the time being.
I run a G1, but my hacked ROM has multitouch enabled. Dolphin browser for me now
How's Dolphin? I hadn't even heard of it until this thread. I was looking for fart apps instead, and completely missed it.
Except iPod Touch owners who didn't want to fork over 10 dollars. And my current 4 targets didn't mention OS versions. That would just multiply targets like crazy (older iPod Touches with OS 2.0, iPhones on 3.0, iPhones on 3.1, iPod Touches on 3.0, iPod Touches on 3.1...).
The fact is, the iPhone platform is fragmented at the hardware level with discrepencies in what different models can do (GPS, Compass, Camera, 3G, processor speed, GPU speed, RAM etc...) and there is some level of software fragmentation too.
Again, 30 years of dealing with this has taught programmers never to hard code anything or rely on a particular feature being functional. Good programmers are used to this.
What, the 3GS was such an improvement over the 3G! Seriously, dude, a Compass. A friggin Compass. And video capabilities on the camera, that's groundbreaking. Was there even such a thing in cellphones before the 3GS (Yes, I know there was, this whole paragraph will be sarcasm for you sarcasm detector impaired people) ???? And... and... a faster processor!
What's that you say ? The Nexus One has a faster processor than even the 3GS and the same GPU ? That's rubbish, specs aren't important.
Price
The Nexus is cheaper. Ok you can say you have to buy a SD card to bring it up to the same spec as a 3G(S) If you are brining it up to the same spec surely you have to do the following to the Iphone
Buy a 5 megapixel camera with flash...
Upgrade the CPU from 412MHZ/600MHZ to 1GHZ
Sound canceling
I am sure there is more
Also as stated before if your 16GB iphones gets full you need to buy a 32GB one, Nexus can be upgraded
More apps are on there way and who wants crappy £5 games anyway. Feel free to name a few useful apps that the nexus one won't have? Also the Nexus supports flash and hence there are many on line games and apps you can use.
The trackball allows you to scroll without putting your hand on the screen, which is far easier.
I am not saying this is going to be an iphone killer, it won't. I just don't think you can say it is more expensive or has worse specs. I think the next few android devices will make apple worry or hopefully innovate.
The Nexus is cheaper. Ok you can say you have to buy a SD card to bring it up to the same spec as a 3G(S) If you are brining it up to the same spec surely you have to do the following to the Iphone
Buy a 5 megapixel camera with flash...
Upgrade the CPU from 412MHZ/600MHZ to 1GHZ
Sound canceling
I am sure there is more
Also as stated before if your 16GB iphones gets full you need to buy a 32GB one, Nexus can be upgraded
More apps are on there way and who wants crappy £5 games anyway. Feel free to name a few useful apps that the nexus one won't have? Also the Nexus supports flash and hence there are many on line games and apps you can use.
The trackball allows you to scroll without putting your hand on the screen, which is far easier.
I am not saying this is going to be an iphone killer, it won't. I just don't think you can say it is more expensive or has worse specs. I think the next few android devices will make apple worry or hopefully innovate.
How's Dolphin? I hadn't even heard of it until this thread. I was looking for fart apps instead, and completely missed it.
It seems faster than the default browser and the multitouch zooming isn't as twitchy as the hacked one offered by cyanogen. I'm keeping it
It seems faster than the default browser and the multitouch zooming isn't as twitchy as the hacked one offered by cyanogen. I'm keeping it
Sweet, I'm downloading it tonight. Thanks!
Oh crap, I forgot my phone doesn't support multitouch!! What will I do? LOL
Nah not really. You do have slight variations, but basically you have only two kinds of apps: the ones that make sense only on the road, and the rest. You can still install on-the-road-apps on your iPod touch, but you won't find as much use for them.
Hardly any app/game _requires the faster hardware revisions, they are just nicer to use.
The situation on Android looks much more complicated with different makers not providing the latest OS revisions and stuff like that. Google should really clean that up and give everyone the option to get the same OS and API level so that all apps can run everywhere. Apple did a good job in that area (all iPods + iPhones running the very same OS revisions), no doubt about it. We'll have to wait and see how they handle the higher screen resolutions, but I have no doubt, they'll find a good solution.
They won't. They'll always have their following. The sad thing is even when better products come along they won't matter. Here's the thing, no ONE phone will ever compete with the iPhone because no one else makes ONE phone. The Nexus One isn't about being better than the iPhone, its about being the next best thing Android has to offer. Don't dismiss what google is doing just because you'd rather own an iphone.
At the very least recognize that the better Android gets the sooner the iPhone will adopt multi-tasking...then Apple can work on new features, instead of cycled features from other phones.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android Eclair; en-gb Build/ECLAIR) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17)
iPhone os has just as much potential for fragmentation, especially with iPod touch owners who refuse to pay for yet another firmware update.
LagunaSol said:
iPhone os has just as much potential for fragmentation, especially with iPod touch owners who refuse to pay for yet another firmware update.
The update is $3.99. It was $10 at the beginning, but they dropped the price pretty quickly after the release of 3.0.
Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that OS-wise Apple has exerted their control over the platform for the benefit of the user. Google should have done the same. Maybe they'll change their opinion on that issue. I hope so.
Buy an iPhone what else
I'll expect my ponytail and katana in the mail following my purchase