Counterpoint: Android surging because it gives consumers the gift of choice.

[Codiusprie]

Android will be the standard operating system on all cellphone devices within 5 years.

This almost made me spit up my morning coffee. This seems to be the height of fanboyism. Lets be realistic here, even if from here on out Apple makes horrible products that nobody wants, people will still be holding onto their iphone 4s for a couple of years. WP7 is just fixing to come out. Nokia still sells phones LIKE CRAZY everywhere that isn't America, and dumb phones will always have their place. Not everybody uses smart phone features, nor do they want to pay the smart phone price.

[LatinaC09]

Well let's hope Apple doesn't just give up which I don't believe they ever will. I don't think anyone here would really want Android OS to monopolize everything. Competition is a good thing believe it or not. I love my Droid and would probably never switch to an iPhone but it's still nice to have options.

[CAPcadetJC]

This is completely true. EVERY SINGLE PERSON I have talked to that has an android phone on verizon or sprint or TMobile has said if the iPhone was available on their network they would buy it. Im in the same boat. I completely disagree with how Apple locks everything down and love how open Google is, but the FACT (not opinion) is that the iPhone is thinner, has a better screen, has more features than any CURRENT android phone, better apps and games, has a much, much smoother and superior interface. If Android were to come out with a phone that was actually AS good, doesnt have to be better, but needs to be AS good. If the iPhone came out on Verizon or another network, it would be almost game over for android IMHO

ya mind sharing what apps/games are missing from android? and what features are better? anyone can make random claims like that, BACK IT UP.

I for one love the glass tower game on my roommate's iphone. I wish there was one for android but I have not been able to find one.

[slugger393]

Android will be the standard operating system on all cellphone devices within 5 years.

This almost made me spit up my morning coffee. This seems to be the height of fanboyism. Lets be realistic here, even if from here on out Apple makes horrible products that nobody wants, people will still be holding onto their iphone 4s for a couple of years. WP7 is just fixing to come out. Nokia still sells phones LIKE CRAZY everywhere that isn't America, and dumb phones will always have their place. Not everybody uses smart phone features, nor do they want to pay the smart phone price.

I'm talking about the majority-share cellular phone device market share - both dumbphones and smartphones.

Android's already being moved on to some true 'dumbphones.'

Why would anyone be a fanboy of a mobile operating system? I'm talking about diversification, economies of scale and the various factors that will yield a significant cellular phone OS market share for the Android platform over the next 5 years.

[souljerr]

Well let's hope Apple doesn't just give up which I don't believe they ever will. I don't think anyone here would really want Android OS to monopolize everything. Competition is a good thing believe it or not. I love my Droid and would probably never switch to an iPhone but it's still nice to have options.

Totally agree. It's this competition that pushes companies to keep delivering / innovating.

[Darkseider]

My wife went from an iPhone 3G to a Motorola Backflip on AT&T when it first released in March and she is FAR happier with the Backflip. Next upgrade she is looking at the Captivate or whatever new shiny Android AT&T has available. iPhone is a name and that's all. When you compare an iPhone 4 to a high end Android handset the iPhone pales in comparison. When Gingerbread is released along with the newer dual core Cortex A9 handsets the iPhone will already be showing its' age and it will widen the gap even more.