Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
IMO Apple's biggest mistake (as far as stopping Android) was coming to Verizon one year too late.

The sad thing is this:

Apple had a HUGE tech advantage with their touch-screen iOS software. They were light-years ahead of the competition when the original iPhone debuted. They could've licensed the software with some decently strict quality controls (screens must be X size, processor must be X fast, etc.) and stomped the market while Android was still an idea in some moron's head at Google.

They could've been Microsoft for the new-era: iOS on every Phone, iOS on every tablet, etc.

And they made the same, stupid mistake as they did in the 80s: they picked device profitability over software profitability. They've locked themselves into a cycle where they need to constantly hit their hardware revisions out of the ballpark, both in specs and aesthetics, to keep pace.
 
When android phones are literally being given away, what is the surprise with the 'surge'? One system is popular because people want it, but the other will eventually surpass it because its an open system on many different phone platforms that are often included for "free".

Kind of like Microsoft and Apple in the 80s, and we all saw how that turned out. If Apple should learn anything from history, they better start lowering the prices of iPhones and include some features that Android has built in. Ahem, voice texting...ahem.

I, for one, am very concerned.
 
What has Android gained with its increased market share?

Devs are still making more apps and money for and from iOS.

Apple is making way more money then Android phone makers.

Accessory makers are making more money.

Consumers get updates and apps before Android, for the most part.

Jailbreaking, while hopefully becomes less needed as iOS grows, is easy for anyone that can use an iPhone. Rooting on an Android is not as easy for every single model.

I'm a google fan and an Android user, but I am switching to the iPhone 5. One less to add to the Android surge.
 
lost souls

Where are those holy souls who claimed that Android was finished when iPhone launched on Verizon. I still see a 7% growth for Android compared to a negligible 0.02% for iPhone. According to a survey, the Thunderbolt is selling more than the iPhone at most of Verizon stores nationwide. :D
 
Where are those holy souls who claimed that Android was finished when iPhone launched on Verizon. I still see a 7% growth for Android compared to a negligible 0.02% for iPhone. According to a survey, the Thunderbolt is selling more than the iPhone at most of Verizon stores nationwide. :D

I don't think the Verizon iPhone release will affect Android much, but these numbers hardly justify gloating. They only contain 2-3 weeks of Verizon iPhone sales out of the 3 months they are reporting.
 
Where are those holy souls who claimed that Android was finished when iPhone launched on Verizon. I still see a 7% growth for Android compared to a negligible 0.02% for iPhone. According to a survey, the Thunderbolt is selling more than the iPhone at most of Verizon stores nationwide. :D

They *are* finished. Fragmandroid sunk into generic Wintel land when Google decided to screw over the user by licensing out their OS to anyone and everyone. If you don't give a **** about your product and have a fundamental disrespect for the average user, you adopt a horizontal business model because you lack the talent, skill, drive - you name it - to make your own hardware. It takes balls. When you have no real talent, you take the lazy way out, claim greater market share and stand with the likes os Dell, Acer, MS, whatever.

The result: generic OS running on generic phones.

And the consequences are beginning to show. Fragmentation writ large. Last call at the "but it's open!" party being over hours ago, everyone's beginning to wake up to the real headache that Android is.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._worried_about_fragmentation_survey_says.html

"Open" is useless and rather laughable when a closed, controlled platform continues to set the bar year after year.
 
"Open" is useless and rather laughable when a closed, controlled platform continues to set the bar year after year.

And yet the Android is surging year after year, leaving the iPhone stagnant at 23%.

Also, if you go by the history of humanity, a closed model is doomed to fail no matter what the current status is. Humans, by nature, can't remain closed for a long time. :cool:
 
Two words: UI responsiveness. The huge boost the A4 provides makes the iPhone 4 worlds better than the iPhone 3/3GS. In relation to Android devices, their UI responsiveness SUCKS, even when they're running a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which makes using them an exercise in frustration.

iOS rocks the socks off Android from a UI responsiveness perspective, and this is a CRUCIAL PIECE in growing and maintaining a user base. Most people don't care about the tech specs. They just want a device that meets their needs and feels "fast," and Apple has been able to provide that far better than any other smartphone maker.

UI sucks on Android devices?
You never had one and you are a retard cause you try to make a point without having ANY experience on the topic you are commenting on.
Typical ifanboy trying to justify his purchase.

I have both ip4 and the original desire. Never ever had any issues with responsiveness. Only issue here is you all frustrated and looking dumb doing it.
 
um....what didn't you understand? There was FUD about android being fragmeneted, yet two releases make up 90% of the install base. Ok, what stats would you like to deal from? otherwise stop running your jib when your obviously just regurgitating what you read here.
How does that disprove what he said? It's a pretty silly argument considering that Google is making news for a serious effort to reduce fragmentation.

And your statistics only apply to phones that access the Android Market. That cuts out millions of Android phones, particularly in China. The ones that don't use the Android market being the largest source of fragmentation.
 
um....what didn't you understand? There was FUD about android being fragmeneted, yet two releases make up 90% of the install base. Ok, what stats would you like to deal from? otherwise stop running your jib when your obviously just regurgitating what you read here.

Did you read what I actually wrote? Your statistics are not complete. And then there is the fact that Google considers fragmentation to be a major problem.

More importantly, fragmentation is not only about OS version. It's also about UI and hardware features.
 
IMO Apple's biggest mistake (as far as stopping Android) was coming to Verizon one year too late.

Why do people assume that this is a zero sum game? Apple doesn't have to "stop" android and probably doesn't care if the market is saturated with low end android phones. One is a generic platform customized by a bunch of hardware makers with varying quality and no defined set of specs. iOS is a vertically integrated platform from a single vendor.

Any low cost generic mobile operating system was always going to show up to cover the needs of carriers desperate to get subscribers to spend a lot of money in 'data 'plans since iPhones proved people could be convinced that searching the web from a phone is a necessity and voice minutes are now too plentiful and devalued.

The likely scenario is that Apple, HP, Microsoft/Nokia and RIM will split the market with the generic android handsets, which are iPhone clones. At least the other big vendors have a different interface and user experience to offer something new to the consumer.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.