The real fun of Android isn't in Google Play, it's in rooting, flashing random stuff, and actually playing with your phone 
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Google Play Downloads Passed App Store Downloads For the First Time in Q2
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Of course money is a big issue for most consumers but all I'm saying, it's not ONLY about the money. Peeps want smartphones and I see a lot of Ostrich birds here a.k.a. Apple Fanboys who putting their heads in the ground saying as in a mantra together: Apple is better no matter what.
It's not only arrogant such attitude it's simply not true as well so it's basically silly. Yes I prefer the iPhone, but for crying out loud, let's stop stating that iOSX is superior in all aspect because it's not. It's about the experience as well. Why on earth do you think the iPhone became so popular? Not because it was cheap, hell no it was (too) expensive to begin with, it became popular because there was nothing like that around. Apple was the ONLY one that came with a smartphone at the time. Result? Line-ups when new iPhones came out. Today? No line-up at all, no more news about people urging to the stores for buying Apple products. Why? Because the smartphone in general isn't Apple exclusive any longer.
Now, you can argue, again, like all these fanboys out there that Apple in the best and the rest is crap, go ahead. But the reality is rather much more simplistic. Others have smartphones too. Some are worse then the iPhone others are better when you seriously look at hardware. But the fact remains, they all have more or less the same capabilities. One can check the internet, browse, check there e-mails, make a phone call, find where a street can be found, check out where the closest post office would be, playing games on it, making video's and pictures etc etc.
One can argue that one smartphone makes a slightly better picture then one other smartphone but that's hardly revolutionary any longer. All phones with Android on it can do pretty much the same activities as an iPhone and some smartphone outclass an iPhone all ready but that is also a matter of taste and personal view on it. Better or worse, the consensus is simple: the iPhone is no longer revolutionary. Anyone stating that doesn't simply understand where he or she is talking about.
So....... all smartphone companies these days come out with decent smartphones. Vulcan logic I would say. And yes, you can piss on plastic devices and state that your iPhone is so much better, but that doesn't interest the consumer one bit and quite frankly the consumer is right. All the consumers want is to have a smartphone and hell yes, if it can be done, all the aspects I mentioned, on a cheaper device why on earth would they spent hundreds of bucks more just to walk around with an Apple logo on it?
As long Apple, and especially the fanboys, keep laughing about cheaper devices the more ground Apple is loosing and Apple IS loosing ground rapidly. It's not because Apple LOVES plastic devices, the only reason why Apple is coming up with plastic devices is because those, don't fall of your chair now, plastic iPhones can pretty much do exactly the shame *beep* as the more expensive ones.
While certain fanboys are still crying about the inferior samsung devices to name a brand Apple finally understands that it IS about the masses in the context of market share and that you can keep going on shouting that "you're the best" but you will end up in a corner with a iPhone made of gold and diamonds where only some rich Oil diggers are interested in.
Of course the iPhone isn't made of gold and diamonds, but you get the picture.
So let's stop "laughing" about cheaper and so called worse smartphones, it's not about that, it's about accepting the fact all smartphones can pretty much do the same thing and that most consumers, quite understandable, won't spend hundreds of dollars more on expensive devises while the differences are to small worth paying for, and I can't blame them.
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True, "lower end ones" are no iPhones, in fact any other device that doesn't have the name iPhone on it are no iPhones. So far for Vulcan Logic. But you make the classic mistake insinuating that Apple is without any discussion the best. That's simply not relevant. Read the story above. It's all about the experience and the iPhone is no longer the only one able to address that experience.
Nope, it's not.
The biggest reason for getting android is by far the argument of wanting a smartphone, one that enables the customer to do pretty much the same things, and in some cases even more, as the iPhone can. The fact that a screen is even larger of that of an iPhone + that the device is able to do the same stuff makes people decide that that device has more to offer for less money. It's simple as that.
Most consumers don't even understand what android is all about and quite frankly most consumers of iPhones don't have a clue what iOS is all about. If you seriously think that all these elder people but also young kids those that never worked with Apple products are buying an Apple product because of it's OS then you should think again.
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The real fun of Android isn't in Google Play, it's in rooting, flashing random stuff, and actually playing with your phone
You dirty boy
Too much text to reply to... too many topics.
I'm just gonna go ahead and agree with you
I had a few apps on Google Play last year and what an awful experience. Because they have a 100% refund policy for the first 2 hours after you buy an App (it might have changed but used to be a full 24 hours) I had 70% of my sales refunded to people, they would buy my app, watch the videos and look at the photos and then return it for a full refund. Ugh!
bullsht. its 15mins (or even 10) to get refund. not 2h
I had a few apps on Google Play last year and what an awful experience. Because they have a 100% refund policy for the first 2 hours after you buy an App (it might have changed but used to be a full 24 hours) I had 70% of my sales refunded to people, they would buy my app, watch the videos and look at the photos and then return it for a full refund. Ugh!
Few apps... Man you sure gave them a fair try! Terrible experience, android 2.1, sucks, chopping, android... Did I say ANDROID??? uh oh!
Sorry but It just always makes me chuckle when I read something like this.
In around 1999 posts generalizing like that probably made somebody special but in 2013 it's just a proof of ignorance.
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Consumer mind shift. Many try hard to defend "their" brands but clearly a lot of people that likes android generates them revenue (has interests broader than just one half eaten friut). Can't change web address so you just go with the flow.
I don't understand your argument/stance. All iOS devices have access to the App Store as long as you have some sort of internet connection (3G/4G LTE, wifi). On the desktop just use iTunes to access the App Store. Why would you go to iCloud.com? Also all your devices (depending on the App store ID) has access to all your purchases.
Probably because you don't see the mass of iOS users proliferating android boards.
Android users can't use other Apple devices?
An Android user can't use an iOS device?
In my experiences with the Google Play, all of the apps have been garbage. Take Angry Birds for example. I don't really like the game, but my younger cousin does. When he got his Nexus 7 for Christmas and needed help setting it up and getting his favorite games from my iPad onto his tablet, I was in shock that it was still that bad.
When I had my phone, it was bad, but I had assumed it grew and got better.
Angry Birds for example, is only able to be played with ads. I couldn't find an ad free version as with iOS. I don't really care about angry birds, but as for my cousin who absolutely loves the game, those ads are terrible. Do you know how many times he accidentally tapped the ad and got completely lost on what he was doing?
Ads aren't THAT big of a deal for everyone, but the fact that he didn't even have to use his $20 gift card to get all of those games due to the apps which just plastered ads instead of charging for something they knew would be pirated is just ridiculous.
That and it was a little awkward when scrolling through the top apps with a 10 year old and seeing a porn app, which is absolutely ridiculous.
You may have a different experience with it and thats fine, but my personal experiences with it have been nothing but terrible even when I came to it with an open mind hoping to be surprised by the improvements.
Well then you missed what Google & Samsung have done since 2008...
So, how did Android become so popular in the smartphone market? And, what gave way to their momentum internationaly as well as in the US??
Riddle me, instead of smashing the keyboard with your paws..
There is no porn in the Play Store, I don't know what are you talking about
By the way, saying that ALL the apps are garbage just because there is no Angry Birds without ads says a lot.
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What gave the momentum is LOSING subsidies and being cheaper for markets without SUBSIDIES.
If you can't see that the market with biggest subsidies is where the iPhone has more market share the it is a waste of time trying to argue.
Can't speak for international but in America nearly everything is subsidized. Not just 2nd tier high end but from the low end all the way up to the very pricey high end models. This includes Apple as well as Android.
Subsidizing is the American culture. You rarely ever see people pay full price over here unless they're trying to stay contract free.
Edit - We are zombies to the 4 big carriers
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Because it's more comfortable to do on a full size computer screen for me when I'm not at my mac?
Also Hangouts is web based iMessage and Facetime are not. Google maps Apple maps is not. Google music vs itunes music is not. picassa vs iphoto. etc.
I don't know I just find it useful I can use any of these applications on any device rather than just iDevices.
I bet if Apple did or started to run everything web based apple fanboys would start going crazy about how great and innovative it is.
BTW I'm a tech fan that likes good tech products which includes Apple and Google products and currently own an iphone. Biases are for lemmings.
Never said they couldn't. But of course if that is how you want to spin it, by all means.
The above statement is so unjustified, so please explain why the data swings to what you are saying...
So, the fact that Google came up with Android devices that were entirely similar to the iPhone in '08 & developing a very similar iOS(mobile OS at the time) with the use of a touchscreen with a small amount of hard buttons gave a 2nd option to the market who were looking for an iPhone. Then voila... Android becomes popular and gains momentum within a year or two - how does this happen again?
They created a cheaper avenue of getting a phone similar to the iPhone(NO???)... then within months, not even years, they & tele co's made huge contracts and supported a subsidized culture for Android on their 2nd Tier at best touchscreen-centric smartphone(iPhone Poser)... (let me guess, you think this isn't factual information???)
Google copied Apple... and this time, just like every time, all they care about is adoption, and they will do it the cheapest way possible through a cheap platform. They want the Ads to drive the adoption of many things to be cheap(this happens in the background through contracts with developers/manufacturers/etc), and at times, the feeling of it being "free" on larger scale is what drives Google, and what always drove Google to what Google is.
By the way, and maybe you never though outside the box in your life - the first several iPhones were useless in many new markets in the northern hemisphere(especially polar areas) compared with Android phones till the iPhone 4S starting putting in GLONASS in their chipset lineup. So, as I stated in my first reply to you now - your above statement is so unjustified and you have little knowledge on market opportunity & markets in general.
Once again, please explain how the data swings to what you say...
I give up, you can't post what you post with a straight face, you must be laughing at use looking how we waste our time with your nonsense. It is impossible that someone with just a little knowledge of how mobile markets are can write that.
Strategy Analytics: Android Captures Record 80 Percent Share of Global Smartphone Shipments in Q2 2013
wow, Android is wiping iOS of the market in a way...
http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/...f-Global-Smartphone-Shipments-in-Q2-2013.aspx
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whoops sorry didn't see this post...
wow, Android is wiping iOS of the market in a way...
http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/...f-Global-Smartphone-Shipments-in-Q2-2013.aspx
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whoops sorry didn't see this post...
That, and also the bulk of downloads are likely "free" apps, which is why the article clearly says that revenue/profit still has Apple App Store on top.
This would be much different if the Google Play Store app sales can actually boast greater revenue than the Apple App Store.
Not sure this is all that surprising. More android phones on the market than iPhones. With that said, I purchased a S3 back in Nov. 2012. While I liked the phone, I did hate the google play store experience. Half of the apps promoted on the top apps list where for rooting, which made it difficult to explore new content. I actually came back to the iphone 5 in April.
Don't forget there are hundreds of app stores for android and you can sideload apps as well. In places like China very few download from Google play.
So actual download quantum is much much higher than ios.
You've brought up a very good point about the open architecture and freedom to source Android apps from several resources. Amazon comes to mind as a good source of apps for Android. I have got some from them that have been excellent.