Live data from Hacker News

Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

techcrunch.com

11–20 of 60 posts

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#11

My prediction is that we will be in the same situation with iPhone vs Andriod that we are now with Mac vs Windows in 5-7 years. Andriod will be the cheaper but less polished product sold to the masses, while the iPhone will be a more upscale, more expensive product for the people with discriminating taste. Right now there is a lot of innovation going on in the mobile market, but the reality is that soon some features…

The gap in usability between Android devices and the iPhone is pretty small. With Sense from HTC, it's even smaller. I've been lucky enough to get to test-drive the HTC Incredible and it's most certainly on par with anything the iPhone currently offers. Google is pushing Android in the right direction at a really fast clip.

I absolutely think Android will dominate in terms of market-share in the next two years (unless Apple starts loosening control over the iPhone). I think that issues like how applications are distributed and those particulars over multi-tasking (Android still has an entire class of Apps that won't run on iPhone OS 4.0) are going to continue to play a big role in the competitive environment for years to come. I just don't see Apple coming off of it's hard line position on these things.

In the end I think Android wins because it simply opens the door for more innovation from a much larger group of smart people. It enables broader categories of application development. At the same time the shotgun strategy phone development is a proven one. Just look at Series 60 or even windows PC's for a roadmap.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#12
Please forgive the metacomment, but god TechCrunch is terrible, I've never been so frustrated reading a blog

1) What's with the unreadable, unlinked graphs? I can barely make them out

2) I tried to go to the source by clicking the "released" link, which took me to... another TechCrunch article!

3) All the other links in the article are to other TechCrunch articles too! How's that for sourcing...

4) I looked all over for a Source: link at the bottom, like Engadget and virtually every other news aggregator blog out there has, but unless I'm blind, no dice.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#13
post #11

My prediction is that we will be in the same situation with iPhone vs Andriod that we are now with Mac vs Windows in 5-7 years. Andriod will be the cheaper but less polished product sold to the masses, while the iPhone will be a more upscale, more expensive product for the people with discriminating taste. Right now there is a lot of innovation going on in the mobile market, but the reality is that soon some features…

The gap in usability between Android devices and the iPhone is pretty small. With Sense from HTC, it's even smaller. I've been lucky enough to get to test-drive the HTC Incredible and it's most certainly on par with anything the iPhone currently offers. Google is pushing Android in the right direction at a really fast clip. I absolutely think Android will dominate in terms of market-share in the next two years (unles…

I think Apple will have to loosen its grip the same way it had to do it for their desktop/laptop offerings. They used to offer really cools stuff but then the cost of not having them be able to talk to the beige boxes became too high.

Also you are comparing HTC Incredible to 3G/3GS. I guess we'll see if the 4G iPhone is actually another step above everybody else.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#14

My prediction is that we will be in the same situation with iPhone vs Andriod that we are now with Mac vs Windows in 5-7 years. Andriod will be the cheaper but less polished product sold to the masses, while the iPhone will be a more upscale, more expensive product for the people with discriminating taste. Right now there is a lot of innovation going on in the mobile market, but the reality is that soon some features…

I agree, but only if Apple allows unsigned apps on the iPhone. Then its a matter of taste & money. Money that I would be willing to spend if I owned the phone after purchasing it, like I own my MacBook Pro.

My hope is that Android is so successful that Apple has to allow unsigned App. Until then I am happy developing apps for Android.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#15
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The gap in usability between Android devices and the iPhone is pretty small. With Sense from HTC, it's even smaller. I've been lucky enough to get to test-drive the HTC Incredible and it's most certainly on par with anything the iPhone currently offers. Google is pushing Android in the right direction at a really fast clip. I absolutely think Android will dominate in terms of market-share in the next two years (unles…

I think Apple will have to loosen its grip the same way it had to do it for their desktop/laptop offerings. They used to offer really cools stuff but then the cost of not having them be able to talk to the beige boxes became too high. Also you are comparing HTC Incredible to 3G/3GS. I guess we'll see if the 4G iPhone is actually another step above everybody else.

> Also you are comparing HTC Incredible to 3G/3GS. I guess we'll see if the 4G iPhone is actually another step above everybody else.

Well if you try and review the iPhone 4G you get arrested.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#16
post #14

My prediction is that we will be in the same situation with iPhone vs Andriod that we are now with Mac vs Windows in 5-7 years. Andriod will be the cheaper but less polished product sold to the masses, while the iPhone will be a more upscale, more expensive product for the people with discriminating taste. Right now there is a lot of innovation going on in the mobile market, but the reality is that soon some features…

I agree, but only if Apple allows unsigned apps on the iPhone. Then its a matter of taste & money. Money that I would be willing to spend if I owned the phone after purchasing it, like I own my MacBook Pro. My hope is that Android is so successful that Apple has to allow unsigned App. Until then I am happy developing apps for Android.

I think it will have to. On the other hand, I try to remind myself that 95% of iPhone/SmartPhone users out there don't care about Apple's embargo on certain apps. The most visible one was Google Voice, and that's still in a very closed beta. Things will dramatically change when the Andriod phones have something the iPhone doesn't that matters to those 95%.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#17

I don't see how this can be true. iPhone far outsells Android, no?

I don't see how this is surprising. iPhone is a single device. There are many Android phones with many more to come. I would be surprised if any one device (say, Motorola's Droid for example) surpassed the iPhone but the Android OS as a whole? Not surprised.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#18
post #14

My prediction is that we will be in the same situation with iPhone vs Andriod that we are now with Mac vs Windows in 5-7 years. Andriod will be the cheaper but less polished product sold to the masses, while the iPhone will be a more upscale, more expensive product for the people with discriminating taste. Right now there is a lot of innovation going on in the mobile market, but the reality is that soon some features…

I agree, but only if Apple allows unsigned apps on the iPhone. Then its a matter of taste & money. Money that I would be willing to spend if I owned the phone after purchasing it, like I own my MacBook Pro. My hope is that Android is so successful that Apple has to allow unsigned App. Until then I am happy developing apps for Android.

You're effectively saying, I hope that Apple becomes such a minority platform that they're forced to open up. But why would you want to develop for a minority platform, even if the stop actively chasing people away? It's a catch-22.

This stance benefits Apple now, when they have the early mover advantage, and delays the advance of Android but unless they're very quick to change strategies and smooth things over with developers then it's only going to accelerate things when (and it seems like a when, not if) they become a minority platform.

Re: Android Passes iPhone Web Traffic In U.S.

#19
Of all the apps I use on a daily basis I can think of only one that has AdMob ads running. I think what this says more than anything else is that the apps being written for Android are being forced to rely on ad sales as their revenue model more than the apps being written for iPhone.
Post reply on HN