Summer of 2010: Android's Last Hurrah?

[jroc]

This article makes more sense to me;

Why the 'Smartphone Wars' Seem So Familiar Posted on Monday Aug 23, 2010 1:31 PM

Why the 'Smartphone Wars' Seem So Familiar - PCWorld

Nice article.

 

[cereal killer]

Article should have read the "5 reasons Android will continue to rise"

I mean seriously. That article is ludicrous.

 

[infinity8x3]

Yeah to me there is no coolness factor in the iPhone any more. And it's not the phones fault it's apples.

I go to best buy and see all the ppl that don't know crap about technology hurdled around and drooling over the mac section.

I just roll my eyes and walk past them on my way to get a new nvidia gfx card. (good luck putting one of them in a mac)

Why do ppl spend so much money on behind the curb technology just for it's name sake. They don't care about numbers they care about a name. And I honestly think that they don't know any better. It's kinda pitiful. It's like they think becuase it costs so much more it has to be better. Oh well I'm kinda glad I don't have more money than I have sense.

 

[markwebb]

Article should have read the "5 reasons Android will continue to rise"

I mean seriously. That article is ludicrous.

I agree. It is an obviously biased article in support of their "home" company and probably published to shore up support.

 

[jstafford1]

If this article was written 2 years ago it might have made sense. But where they state that Android is inferios to iOS is rediculous. At the very least they are even. Android 2.2 is definately on par with iOS 4. And with 3.0 coming soon Android is set to blow by iphone. The real issue isn't the OS its the implimentation. And some of that is lacking for Android. But if you compare top models to top models. The Androids are better than the iphone. The jump from iOS3 to iOS4 seems less that 2.1 to 2.2. That's my opinion take it for what it is.

 

[Backnblack]

I'm sure we can come up with Five reasons why RIM has peaked....

 

[RW-1]

The battle here is we're back to the OEM's/carriers having control, adding usless UI"s and bloat on top of what is essentially an open source OS.

Google has lost control here. If they went back and made a successor to the Nexus, or co developed another phone whereas they had control over the SW, and then actually placed IN stores instead of that sad evolution of web order only, we would see a change.

I mean it! Google has to get back on track to what they wanted, versus where we are now. The SW should be left to them and the OEM's make the hardware. And we all put the carriers in their place.

What would you all think if all of a sudden alt launchers that replaced the OEM UI's were no longer allowed?

The saving grace to this is our modding community. Because where Google fails to regain control over the carriers changing what we get for our $$$, we regain that control over what we want on them, how we can use them in certain situations, and upgrade when able.

So I leave it with this, Gingerbread is supposed to be a total overhaul of the UI and google experience, yet I bet other than our community, the basic lemmings out there will not see it. It will be hidden, covered over by Sense, blur and bloat ... and it will be our jobs once again to either restore it to whatever google had in mind, or to enable alternatives available, such as ADW and Launcher Pro.

 

[Backnblack]

The battle here is we're back to the OEM's/carriers having control, adding usless UI"s and bloat on top of what is essentially an open source OS.

The only way it'll stay free from carrier UI's is for Google to produce their own devices....They tried and Failed with the NexusOne......

 

[RW-1]

The battle here is we're back to the OEM's/carriers having control, adding usless UI"s and bloat on top of what is essentially an open source OS.

The only way it'll stay free from carrier UI's is for Google to produce their own devices....They tried and Failed with the NexusOne......

Yup, covered that. But they didnt fail with the unit, they failed at the marketing, and that stupid decision to go online only, without CS in place.

If IN a store, where EU's could go if there were issues, that thing would have faired much better.

 

[jsh1120]

Threads like this would be a lot shorter if posters actually read the article upon which the thread is based.

In general, authors shouldn't be blamed for headline writers' work. The article does not say that the Android O/S has "peaked." What is says is...

"...It’s unlikely that Google will be able to maintain the breakneck pace of Android’s rise in the face of growing competition..."

"...The astonishing rise of Android phones from 0.7 million a year ago to 10.6 million phones as of the end of June has proven to be one of the biggest strategic moves in tech since, well, since Apple decided to get into the phone business.

But that breakneck dash was at a pace that Google has no chance of repeating ever again..."


That is almost certainly true. It doesn't mean that Android devices won't continue to proliferate. It does mean that an an annual growth rate of 1400% won't happen again.

 

[ruinah]

I read it, but some of the comments (like the Nokia MeeGo) is more of a "gonna happen." Another example:

Android's greatest threat is that the iPhone moves to Verizon in the U.S....But Android has been seen as the iPhone alternative. If Verizon has the iPhone, it won't need as strong an alternative.

They're basically saying the only reason people buy Androids is because they're on Verizon and can't get an iPhone.

I hear this a lot. People say they are getting a Droid because the iPhone isn't on Verizon. Once they get one though, they soon forget about the iCrap.

 

[RETG]

Article has more merit than most here will admit. Too many people have the feeling that only their phone platform is viable. Android is a great platform, the best out there now for personal use, but as Android came out of nowhere, so can the others if they release the right phones and make the right changes to their software.
If Palm is released with a new system developed by HP, it will cut into Androids share, but will also cut into MS and RIM. Palm, like MS and RIM are (or at least were) more business related.
Nokia is a large factor. If they have success with the new system, they will cut into android sales. Nokia is one heck of a large company in the cell phone market and if they launch a winner, it will hurt Android sales; maybe not in this country but overseas.
MS is not dead, yet. Although I believe they would cut into Android and RIM. But never rule out MS, they are too large and too rich to rule out until the last person turns out the lights.
The Torch did not save BB, but it sure helped keep it going. Biggest problem with the Torch is it is only on AT&T, if it had also gone to Verizon and others, it would have had a lot greater impact. Don’t rule out RIM. No one can compete, yet, on their corporate business due to their security setup.
If the iPhone goes to Verizon, it will cut into Android sales that is a given. But I don’t believe it will cut into Android sales as much as it will cut into AT&T business. Many of those iPhone zombies will drop AT&T in a flash and jump over to Verizon just to keep their sacred iPhones on a provider that actually has nationwide service and is more reliable across the USA.
The article does have merit. They are saying the Androids growth will not be what it was but they are not saying Android won’t remain popular, or even possibly take over the market in the future. Just it will slow down due to new possible releases from other platforms.
Don’t shoot me, yet. I have a BB (in fact two Tours). The personal one will be gone in December and replaced, most likely, with an Android. However, I have not ruled out MS (doubt if Palm will rise before the start of the year). Right now, it sure looks like an Android; especially with all the new ones being released in November. I will not stay with RIM for personal use; however, my government supplied BB Tour will remain since no one can come close the security offered by RIM, and more importantly, this Federal officer has about as much say in what type of smartphone the government purchases as I do about any government policy; which translates to nothing.

 

[aaf709]

what they don't get is we actually want competition. we don't want to be the best, we want android to keep pushing and updating. they also aren't looking at the fact that it's starting to not be "cool" anymore to have an iphone. more and more i'm seeing people with shameful looks on their faces pulling iphones out of their pockets, or explaining why they have one before anyone asks. they're just not as cool as they used to be.

You reminded me of a couple of commercials that came out when the iPhone first appeared. They were shot in a mall with a microphone and a simple background. It was a chance for the average person to answer the question "Why did you buy an iPhone?" Unfortunately, it sounded more like people trying to justify an expensive phone. Nobody talking about speed or playing music or apps (granted there weren't many back then).

The first said, "I used to carry a phone for calls, a phone for texting and a digital camera. Now I just carry my iPhone."

I had a Moto E815 which did all three. Granted the E815 had a 1MP camera vs the original iPhone's 2MP, but a phone just for texting?

The other was an airline co-pilot who said, "The tower wouldn't let us take off due to weather. I used my iPhone to check the internet for weather conditions. I found it would be clearing so I called the tower. They let us take off right away."

The tower must've been in awe of his knowledge of the weather. Evidently the tower had no way of their own to gather weather information. Again, my E815 could do that as well.

 

[Happystranger]

don't even have to read the article

Android is picking up and everyone is anxious to see what Google does next.

if anything it's Blackberry's last hurrah

+1, I'm sure Blackberry will really feel the hurt once the Droid Pro comes out with the GSM capabilites. Sorry BB, but the Storm series really hurt RIM.

 

[Insult2Injury]

That article was a joke