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Roessnakhan

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2007
3,518
510
ABQ
If I have an Apple iPhone, I can choose whatever watch I want (Apple Watch, Pebble, Microsoft Band or Google Wear)...

If I have an Android Phone, my options are limited. The Apple Watch is not compatible with my phone, so I can't get it. I only have 3 so-so options, compared to an iPhone user, which has 4 glorious options.

Why would anyone want to be LIMITED with an Android Phone then? I'd rather choose the phone that works with everything, not one that is LIMITED. (Same goes for iTunes, too - Android phones can't use it either..... man, Android is SOOOO limited)

Well, you can blame Apple for that.
 

neverendingscot

macrumors member
Feb 20, 2015
83
34
So are Apple devices now MORE 'open' than Android devices?

Having an Apple device gives me the option of BOTH the Apple Watch AND Android Wear watches.

While owning an Android, you are stuck in your 'walled garden' with ONLY access to Android Wear watches.

No, Android users have access to all the smart watches out there but the Apple Watch as far as I'm aware. They also have access to Pebble, which isn't an Android Wear watch, by the way. I don't really know what else is out there, doesn't seem to be much reason to look into anything else.

And frankly the Apple Watch is hideous. And the Pebble Watch will now work with any app that works with Android Wear. Think Apple is going to let the Pebble Watch have the same functionality with Apple Watch apps?

iOS is no more open than Android is. Apple is free to develop for Android if they want to but they refuse to. Google on the other hands chooses to develop for iOS. That doesn't mean iOS is more open, it just means Google is less stubborn.
 

LordVic

Cancelled
Sep 7, 2011
5,938
12,458
So are Apple devices now MORE 'open' than Android devices?

Having an Apple device gives me the option of BOTH the Apple Watch AND Android Wear watches.

While owning an Android, you are stuck in your 'walled garden' with ONLY access to Android Wear watches.

That is such a backwards way of looking at it.

what THIS mentality fails to acknowledge is that the reason Apple Watch is not compatible with Android is not that Android has limitations, its because Apple has imposed limitations in their watch preventing it from working with android.

Flip Side. Android Wear isn't coming to iOS compatibility because Apple is making iOS more open. its because Google is changing the Android Wear code to to be able to communicate with Apple's protocols.

Android wear is making the change and becoming more open. Not iOS


As for is this a good or bad thing? Meh, I have no horse in the race. But the more compatible things are with eachother the better
 

bbeagle

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2010
3,542
2,982
Buffalo, NY
iOS is no more open than Android is. Apple is free to develop for Android if they want to but they refuse to. Google on the other hands chooses to develop for iOS. That doesn't mean iOS is more open, it just means Google is less stubborn.

With an Apple Phone, I can use Google Pay OR Apple Pay.
With an Apple Phone, I can use iTunes OR Amazon Prime.
With an Apple Phone, I can use FaceTime OR Skype.
With an Apple phone, I can use an Apple Watch OR Google Wear
With an Apple phone, I can use Google Maps OR Apple Maps

Go ahead and spin it however you want, but I have more options using an Apple phone than using an Android phone.
 

amirite

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2009
880
691
If anything it would benefit Apple if iPhone users were able to see the poorer experience of Android Wear on iPhone.

Apple Watch has deep integration with iPhone. Android Wear would just display notifications.
 

heeloliver

macrumors 6502a
Sep 6, 2014
639
423
If I have an Apple iPhone, I can choose whatever watch I want (Apple Watch, Pebble, Microsoft Band or Google Wear)...

If I have an Android Phone, my options are limited. The Apple Watch is not compatible with my phone, so I can't get it. I only have 3 so-so options, compared to an iPhone user, which has 4 glorious options.

Why would anyone want to be LIMITED with an Android Phone then? I'd rather choose the phone that works with everything, not one that is LIMITED. (Same goes for iTunes, too - Android phones can't use it either..... man, Android is SOOOO limited)

it's up to apple to develop Apple Watch apps for Android, and they choose not to.
 
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LordVic

Cancelled
Sep 7, 2011
5,938
12,458
With an Apple Phone, I can use Google Pay OR Apple Pay.
With an Apple Phone, I can use iTunes OR Amazon Prime.
With an Apple Phone, I can use FaceTime OR Skype.
With an Apple phone, I can use an Apple Watch OR Google Wear

Go ahead and spin it however you want, but I have more options using an Apple phone than using an Android phone.

yes. True, but you're wrong in your analysis on why. Thats all.

its got more options because 3rd parties are choosing to program and develop to apple standards, Not that Apple has opened up. This is likely because from a 3rd party standpoint, Apple tends to make people more money in the long run.

Android on the other hand is a more open platform, and COULD support itunes, or facetime, or the apple watch as well, IF Apple chose to program them to
 

The Tuck

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2003
427
55
I've been waiting for this! Always made sense that since Google Glass was compatible with iOS that Android Wear should be as well.
 

LordVic

Cancelled
Sep 7, 2011
5,938
12,458
The Urbane doesn't run Android Wear

the Urbane does

the Urbane LTE does not.

there's two different products. the one with LTE cannot run Android wear because Android wear does not contain the necessary code to support LTE technology (thats not it's direction)
 

bbeagle

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2010
3,542
2,982
Buffalo, NY
it's up to apple to develop Apple Watch apps for Android, and they choose not to.

Correct. Apple chooses not to create app for Android.

By doing this, Apple guarantees that certain products will ONLY work for their system, thereby limiting competitor's options, and in effect, making their products better.

And Apple is making tons of money by doing this. Looks smart to me.
 
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Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
So are Apple devices now MORE 'open' than Android devices?

Having an Apple device gives me the option of BOTH the Apple Watch AND Android Wear watches.

While owning an Android, you are stuck in your 'walled garden' with ONLY access to Android Wear watches.

Mmm, no? You have a very funny definition of open
 

0000757

macrumors 68040
Dec 16, 2011
3,894
850
So are Apple devices now MORE 'open' than Android devices?

Having an Apple device gives me the option of BOTH the Apple Watch AND Android Wear watches.

While owning an Android, you are stuck in your 'walled garden' with ONLY access to Android Wear watches.

Let me go get the iPhone designed with the camera in mind because I do mostly photos. Actually I think I want to watch a lot of videos so I'll get the big QHD one. Nah I wanna play games I'll pay a little more for the powerhouse phone. You know I would like a cheap $200 disposable for my trip. Oh wait there's only 2 iPhones.

Not to mention you have the Pebble, Band, Actitive, and many other multiplatform watches, and when it comes to Android wear, I can get it round, metal, plastic, square, with a heart rate sensor, or with GPS, or with both, or with neither, or with a camera, or with space for my own music, or both, or neither, but the Apple Watch only has one.

I love my iPhone and definitely prefer it compared any other platform, but don't act like it's open when Android is "closed".

Can I change my default email client to Outlook, or my default music player to Spotify? No? Case closed.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
Surely Apple won't allow this! No?

They might not prefer it but so long as the apps follow the rules they risk bad PR if they don't approve the apps.

And consider switchers. Some android user might have one of these watches and loves it but he can't use it with an iPhone so he's holding off switching. If there was an app, he might switch his phone and later when his Android Wear needs to be replaced he's lured into switching to an Apple Watch
 

thekeyring

macrumors 68040
Jan 5, 2012
3,485
2,147
London
it's up to apple to develop Apple Watch apps for Android, and they choose not to.

Watch apps are iOS apps that live on the phone and use the WatchKit API. Apple couldn't get Android apps to work with the :apple: Watch any more than they can ask Android developers to create Android apps using other iOS APIs like Metal.
 
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SpinThis!

macrumors 6502
Jan 30, 2007
480
135
Inside the Machine (Green Bay, WI)
Microsoft doesn't make its money off hardware and Pebble doesn't make its own phones so no surprise both of those would be available on multiple platforms. As far as Google goes I doubt they really care if someone is rocking an iPhone as pretty much all their services are on iPhone
This. Like Microsoft, Google has always been a software company. They want to get their wares on as much hardware as possible. People don't stop buying Apple products because Microsoft makes PowerPoint.

What makes Apple unique is the integration of hard and soft. Having an app is in the App store is hardly a threat to Apple. If someone is that fickle and leaves iOS for Android because of a "great" experience with a watch, go right ahead. Those aren't Apple's customers and likely have zero investment in the ecosystem. Anyone who fails to understand that doesn't understand marketing.
 

bbeagle

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2010
3,542
2,982
Buffalo, NY
Can I change my default email client to Outlook, or my default music player to Spotify? No? Case closed.

Can an Android Phone change their default maps program to Apple Maps or their default music player to iTunes? Can an Android Phone even use iTunes Radio at all? No. Case closed.
 

Fanaticalism

macrumors 6502a
Apr 16, 2013
908
158
So are Apple devices now MORE 'open' than Android devices?

Having an Apple device gives me the option of BOTH the Apple Watch AND Android Wear watches.

While owning an Android, you are stuck in your 'walled garden' with ONLY access to Android Wear watches.

How did you come to this conclusion? There are tons of platforms for Android devices in the wearables space. The only reason an AW watch will be compatible with an :apple: device is because Google is making it so. When was the last time you could use an :apple: product with a non-:apple: product? Nothing has changed.
 

neverendingscot

macrumors member
Feb 20, 2015
83
34
If I have an Apple iPhone, I can choose whatever watch I want (Apple Watch, Pebble, Microsoft Band or Google Wear)...

If I have an Android Phone, my options are limited. The Apple Watch is not compatible with my phone, so I can't get it. I only have 3 so-so options, compared to an iPhone user, which has 4 glorious options.

Why would anyone want to be LIMITED with an Android Phone then? I'd rather choose the phone that works with everything, not one that is LIMITED. (Same goes for iTunes, too - Android phones can't use it either..... man, Android is SOOOO limited)

Android is only limited if you are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem and want all iOS devices.

I use several great apps on my Android that aren't available on iPhone. Does that mean Apple is limited? No. And keep in mind some of these apps are Google apps. And on Android, I'm not limited to choosing which email or browser app is my default, on iOS I am stuck on what Apple has chosen to be the default.

Android is only limited in the smartwatch market if you want the Apple Watch as the only other major smartwatch competitor is Pebble, and that works on iOS and Android. I'm not sure what other major competitors there really are in the smartwatch world, outside of Apple, Android, and Pebble though. You may think some of these Android smartwatches are so-so, but I got the LG Watch and have been pretty happy with it. If it makes me happy, how is that so-so? I don't like what I've seen out of the Apple smartwatch, that doesn't mean it's so-so.

I got an Android smartwatch a few months back, but with the recent developments with Pebble, I'd much rather have that than an Android or Apple smartwatch. I am most certainly not limited from that standpoint given Pebble is "universal."

And even when I had a "dumb" phone with an iPod Touch, I avoided using iTunes at all costs. I actually use a Chromebook quite frequently, and I have an iPod Nano. I sure don't feel limited because I can't use iTunes on there. I wouldn't even have iTunes installed on my Windows machine if it weren't for the fact that we have a family iTunes account so we can all access the same movies purchased through there by him and my brother. When I eventually get a Macbook Air in a few months, I also don't intend to use iTunes for anything other than that.
 

Fanaticalism

macrumors 6502a
Apr 16, 2013
908
158
I may not be the candidate for an AppleWatch but I'll be damned if I buy a watch made from a competitor (Google). Chances are it won't be 100% compatible with my iPhone and I'll be at the slave of that Google for proper updates. No thanks!

You're confusing Android OEM skins with Android. Stock Android gets updates right away as they come directly from Google; no OEM re-skinning or carrier testing/manipulation.
 

thekeyring

macrumors 68040
Jan 5, 2012
3,485
2,147
London
Very few people who have decided to buy an iPhone will change their mind and buy an Android just to use an Android Wear watch.
 

neverendingscot

macrumors member
Feb 20, 2015
83
34
Can an Android Phone change their default maps program to Apple Maps or their default music player to iTunes? Can an Android Phone even use iTunes Radio at all? No. Case closed.

I've used Apple maps and iTunes Radio when I had an iPod Touch. I've used iTunes Radio on a laptop. I haven't missed them at all since I got rid of my iPod Touch and started using Rdio. I use a free GPS app on my Android (not Google Maps) that was much better than Apple Maps.
 

matrix07

macrumors G3
Jun 24, 2010
8,226
4,891
That is such a backwards way of looking at it.

what THIS mentality fails to acknowledge is that the reason Apple Watch is not compatible with Android is not that Android has limitations, its because Apple has imposed limitations in their watch preventing it from working with android.

Flip Side. Android Wear isn't coming to iOS compatibility because Apple is making iOS more open. its because Google is changing the Android Wear code to to be able to communicate with Apple's protocols.

Android wear is making the change and becoming more open. Not iOS


As for is this a good or bad thing? Meh, I have no horse in the race. But the more compatible things are with eachother the better

No, it's because Goolge doesn't care **** about Android. They just want eye balls. Different philosophy for different company. If you don't know that by now you're just a G-sheep.
 
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