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11 comments

1 Buck  Fri, May 13, 2011 9:59:41am

Apples problem is that they only have ONE PHONE.

If you want to count the legacy iPhones then you will see some fragmentation as well. (eg Mobile version of iMovie to be iPhone 4 only)

So, as an example, if you want one with a sliding keyboard? You are out of luck.

If you want your phone to have a removable battery? Sorry....no go.

And so on...

The idea of having many different hardware companies compete is a good one. They also need to keep up with the OS versions. Again, in order to compete.

My Samsung Captivate is up to 2.2... and I am promised 2.3 (the same as the Nexus S) very soooooooon.

2 surlymarv  Fri, May 13, 2011 10:36:05am

You're acting like it's just Apple vs. Android when in fact it's Apple vs. HTC vs. Samsung vs. LG, etc. There are a bunch of companies making Android phones so you can't act like they should all be making the same phone. It's not a direct comparison. That's kind of like saying Apple sucks because they can't run some app that's only available for Android. There are always going to be things Android phones can do that iPhones cannot because there are new phones coming out every month.

It basically boils down to this: simplicity=iPhone, customization=android

You're right that Apple gains an advantage with user friendliness. This doesn't mean their phones are better except from a business standpoint. As a consumer, I couldn't care less about that.

3 MichaelJ  Fri, May 13, 2011 10:58:57am

re: #2 surlymarv

Did you really say that as a consumer you could care less about user friendliness? I think user friendliness is extremely important to most consumers. It is one of the main things that clearly defines a device and in turn motivates sales of that device. Economics 101 here.

Buck, if you want those things, you clearly do not want an iPhone. The fragmentation you mention with legacy iPhones is silly - as the hardware improves, it can do more. It's not because iOS lacks the necessary features to implement it as is the case with Netflix' Android app.

4 Buck  Fri, May 13, 2011 11:33:43am

re: #3 MichaelJ

The fragmentation you mention with legacy iPhones is silly - as the hardware improves, it can do more.

Then you have to accept that there is only ONE phone. Give consumers choice.

I also reject the Android is hard to use, or even Apple has a great user friendliness.

Those reviews are always iPhone users, who are used to doing things the Apple way. I have used many different smartphones, including Windows Mobile, iPhone 4 and now I am using a Android phone. I certainly do not think that there was this huge user friendliness difference that I gave up to use my current phone. In someways it is easier.

It came with the HOTSPOT or Internet access point software built in, and easy to use. The google suite of apps works really well together. It is easier to use the contacts built into GMAIL, and the integrated calendar.

Don't just drink the kool aid. Apple is not better, 'just because they say so'.


I

5 surlymarv  Fri, May 13, 2011 11:50:24am

re: #3 MichaelJ

No that's not what I'm saying at all, please reread my post. I said as a consumer I don't really care about Apple having a good business model.

I also said that iPhones are more user friendly; this does not imply that Android phones are incredibly difficult to use. I'm referring to the fact that while dragging and dropping songs is trivial for many people, there are others who simply want to hit a sync button in iTunes and complain if they are expected to do more.

As far as Economics 101, Mr. Professor, you are correct in backing up my claim that Apple has a good business model. A major factor driving both innovation and sale price, however, is competition. Android phone manufacturers face competition not only with the iPhone which runs a different OS but with multiple other manufacturers running the same OS. This is a good thing.

6 MichaelJ  Fri, May 13, 2011 12:12:15pm

I am not suggesting that there shouldn't be competition. The article I posted speaks to one of the fundamental problems with Android. It is more fractured, not as easy to use and not as easy to develop for. Apple has a very clear advantage in this area.

As for Apple only having ONE PHONE, I only need ONE PHONE. If the iPhone doesn't do it for me, then I will choose ONE OTHER PHONE. I think most people only need ONE PHONE.

Finally, although competition is one of the factors that drives innovation and price, design drives the entire package. Good design is what wins in the end.

7 MichaelJ  Fri, May 13, 2011 12:40:56pm

re: #1 Buck

So, as an example, if you want one with a sliding keyboard? You are out of luck..

You are only out of luck if you don't like looking for ways to customize your iPhone.

8 Randy W. Weeks  Fri, May 13, 2011 12:52:02pm

I'm pretty sure Apple is satisfied with how they handle their iPhone business.

9 surlymarv  Fri, May 13, 2011 1:01:06pm

re: #6 MichaelJ

I don't think we're actually disagreeing much, just making different points, so I apologize for the snark. Again, I absolutely agree with you that Apple has the advantage (for now) and I can see why you would like the simplicity of only having to choose from one phone. I disagree, though, that the fractured state of Android development is a bad thing overall. Sure it might make it harder to choose between phones, but this is also an advantage because you have far more options to choose from. You have multiple carriers (although iPhone recently broke free from that barrier to some degree) as well as tons of more specific features like screen size, slide-out keyboard, etc.

And Apple doesn't exactly have only ONE PHONE. They come out with a new model every year and much like you can't run Netflix on a Motorola Droid (for now), you can't run iMovie on an iPhone 3GS. I realize this isn't a perfect comparison because there are far more issues with cross development on Android but maybe the Netflix example is just not the best.

Apple took the approach of total control over their technology and I'm not going to argue they've done a poor job of it but their advantage in the market has a lot to do with being early and having a solid product line to build upon, especially the iPod. While the iPhone store is still better (mainly because it's more lucrative for developers) it also has its limits. There are tons of apps available for Android that don't exist on the iPhone like Grooveshark, Google Voice, and video game emulators.

10 surlymarv  Fri, May 13, 2011 1:11:50pm

re: #8 LoneStarSpur

Yup, they're making a killing, but again they control 100% of the profits on the iPhone while the Android profits are split being several companies.

11 MichaelJ  Fri, May 13, 2011 2:16:54pm

re: #9 surlymarv

The ONE PHONE in caps was in reference to comment #1 by Buck. I don't necessarily like the simplicity of having only one choice, but the one choice is a damn good one in this case, so it mitigates that concern. As I said, if I didn't like the iPhone, I would simply choose from the vast array of other smartphones out there to find the one that meets my needs the best. That is Apple's business model, though, and one of it's strengths. Streamlined product lines. If they thought they needed to have another version of the hardware, they would make it. For a huge number of people though, the one iPhone is quite good enough.

I disagree with your Netflix/iMovie comparison, though. The reason iMovie will not work on older iPhones is that the older hardware isn't robust enough. Pure processing limitations. The reason Netflix doesn't work on other Android devices is software.

Finally, Grooveshark will work if you jailbreak your iPhone and Google Voice is available for the iPhone, but I personally think that available apps is part of the overall choice one makes when getting a smartphone in the first place. I don't really care who has what - I just care that the device I use has what I want. apology accepted, btw.


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