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Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

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Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#41

Post by zweben »

hboon wrote: post #33
not_an_alien wrote: post #21

While people will want to dismiss this because it's based in several devices, prior to the release of the new iPhone, and because it's still restricted to AT&T - all valid facts - the important thing to notice here is trend. Android devices have been gaining market pretty solidly lately; first the AdMob ad pushing statistics, now unit sales... this seems to be one from many more that will come. Apple has no reason to…

Not necessary. Their strategy seems to be going for the mass market with their iPhone-OS-based products rather than a niche with OS X-based products. Look at their: 1. Pricing for iPhone (after the initial launch), iPod touch and iPad launch price. They aren't the most expensive "smartphones" and tablets. 2. App store app prices, especially for iPhones/iPod touch. They don't control the prices, but they provide a lis…

Looking only at the price they charge consumers doesn't give an accurate picture of their pricing strategy. Most estimates I've seen peg the average total revenue Apple makes per iPhone hardware sale at about $600, most of this paid to Apple by AT&T. Once that's taken into account, the iPhone probably has one of the highest revenues per unit on the market.

So their strategy is really to make a product that everyone wants, and to use that popularity to get phone companies to sell a high-margin niche product at mass market prices.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#42

Post by martythemaniak »

hboon wrote: post #33
not_an_alien wrote: post #21

While people will want to dismiss this because it's based in several devices, prior to the release of the new iPhone, and because it's still restricted to AT&T - all valid facts - the important thing to notice here is trend. Android devices have been gaining market pretty solidly lately; first the AdMob ad pushing statistics, now unit sales... this seems to be one from many more that will come. Apple has no reason to…

Not necessary. Their strategy seems to be going for the mass market with their iPhone-OS-based products rather than a niche with OS X-based products. Look at their: 1. Pricing for iPhone (after the initial launch), iPod touch and iPad launch price. They aren't the most expensive "smartphones" and tablets. 2. App store app prices, especially for iPhones/iPod touch. They don't control the prices, but they provide a lis…

Can you name a major market where the majority of users own the same exact product? People like different cars, different appliances, different houses, etc. How do you expect the phones to be different?

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#43

Post by melling »

martythemaniak wrote: post #5

I think Android outselling the iPhone (and eventually overtaking it in raw numbers) will soon become pretty obvious. Android is a pretty mass-market product - its flexibility means that manufacturers can put a wide array of products and users can make those products their own. I really don't think a single product (especially a tightly-defined one like the iPhone) can meet even a majority of people's needs.

Becoming pretty obvious? I thought it was really obvious almost 3 months ago.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1129465

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#44

Post by slyn »

krschultz wrote: post #23
revaaron wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience over the last few weeks spent using a new Nexus One as a former iPhone certainly supports this. Frankly, I'm stunned at the difference in quality and breadth of applications available in the App Store vs Android Market- compared to the App Store, the Market is like Softpedia or Tucows...

The install base of the iPhone still dwarfs Android, this is unit sales for one quarter. The iPhone has been out for a while longer than Android. But if this quarter a sign of things to come, what platform do you want to be selling apps on long term?

Both?

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#45

Post by webwright »

martythemaniak wrote: post #42
hboon wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not necessary. Their strategy seems to be going for the mass market with their iPhone-OS-based products rather than a niche with OS X-based products. Look at their: 1. Pricing for iPhone (after the initial launch), iPod touch and iPad launch price. They aren't the most expensive "smartphones" and tablets. 2. App store app prices, especially for iPhones/iPod touch. They don't control the prices, but they provide a lis…

Can you name a major market where the majority of users own the same exact product? People like different cars, different appliances, different houses, etc. How do you expect the phones to be different?

I can think of a major market: operating systems.

Phones aren't like cars, they are more like computers (and becoming more so).

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#46

Post by ben1040 »

blhack wrote: post #20
revaaron wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

@symesc: I just switched from an iPhone to a N1 for the same reason. An inferior phone for a dozen reasons- but a switch I plan to stick with, for now.

An inferior phone for a dozen reasons Could you elaborate on that? Everybody I know who has an N1 loves it...

I can't speak on behalf of the grandparent poster but my gripes are not at all with the N1 hardware itself -- in fact the N1 is quite possibly the best put together phone I've owned. My issues are with Android and how it still feels rough around the edges.

1) Lack of an integrated mail tool. I really don't care so much about POP/IMAP folder integration but why do I need two email apps, one for Gmail and one for IMAP. The stock IMAP client sucks for that matter and I've had a lot better luck with Jesse Vincent's K9Mail fork off the core mail app.

2) The pull down notification bar seems clunky. On one hand it's nice to see at a glance all the things that happened on my phone while I wasn't using it. However when "you have unread mail" or "missed call" is mixed in with "XYZ song is playing" it gets sort of muddled.

3) Deleting an app is quite possibly the most unintuitive thing on the whole phone. If you're used to just hitting an "X" on the home screen from the iPhone you're in for a disappointment.

None of these are dealbreakers for me and in general I am still very satisfied with my N1. However it seems to me that Android is still very much a platform for hackers. For example, Android has a running process list with an option to kill tasks on the phone. Not so on the iPhone, because the OS developers clearly decided their users shouldn't even have to think about this.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#47

Post by dave1619 »

listic wrote: post #17
dave1619 wrote: post #4

Android is definitely picking up pace. I just hope Apple releases an iPhone for Verizon. I think that will give the iPhone a boost. Apple should also release an iPhone Nano, a smaller version of the iPhone. Maybe also have colors.

Hm, iPod nano might actually be a viable idea. I mean, now, when Apple (a) stopped sticking to the only resolution for all iPhone OS devices and (b) is putting much higher resolution screen into older package - maybe it might make sense for them to also put old resolution (320 x 480) into smaller package? The problems I see in these approach are the following: 1. How can one meaningfully make iPhone smaller/more ener…

Yeah, good points. I think they can make the screen a bit smaller than the current iPhone, but keep the 320x480 resolution. This way apps will still be usable. But they can also remove space from the top and bottom of the phone and make it a lot thinner. Overall, I think they can really shrink the iPhone significantly. This could appeal to lots of people. Especially, now the iPad is out and people don't mind having a smaller iPhone to compliment their iPad.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#48

Post by jasonwocky »

dannyr wrote: post #15
davidedicillo wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that doing great applications that sells well it's harder when you need to make them looks polished like iphone ones with such a big variety of devices. Soon your fridge will use Android, that doesn't mean I'd like to develop apps for it. Also iPhone users have been "trained" for years with iTunes to buy digital content.

When the IPhone was selling more than Android, Apple defenders were saying that you should choose a platform that has a bigger market (i.e. IPhone). Now that Android is outselling the IPhone, you should now choose based how many users actually buy digital content.

I don't see a distinction between "bigger market" and "how many users actually buy digital content". I think these are the same thing.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#49

Post by ergo98 »

ben1040 wrote: post #46
blhack wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An inferior phone for a dozen reasons Could you elaborate on that? Everybody I know who has an N1 loves it...

I can't speak on behalf of the grandparent poster but my gripes are not at all with the N1 hardware itself -- in fact the N1 is quite possibly the best put together phone I've owned. My issues are with Android and how it still feels rough around the edges. 1) Lack of an integrated mail tool. I really don't care so much about POP/IMAP folder integration but why do I need two email apps, one for Gmail and one for IMAP.…

>For example, Android has a running process list with an option to kill tasks on the phone.

Android does not have this. There are third party applications that do task management, however the word "placebo" applies to most advocates of them, and user task management should never be necessary. If the system needs resources it dehydrates tasks and terminates them, and this is a cardinal foundation of the platform.

The new iPhone multitasking system works in a very similar manner to how Android has always worked, it should be mentioned.

>Lack of an integrated mail tool. I really don't care so much about POP/IMAP folder integration but why do I need two email apps, one for Gmail and one for IMAP.

Because the gmail app has different features and functions?

> Deleting an app is quite possibly the most unintuitive thing on the whole phone.

Now this is just weird. The most obviously way to uninstall an app is to simply go into downloads (where you installed it) and pick uninstall. The second to go into applications in settings and uninstall.

Your gripes are seemingly that you've been mentally debilitated by using the iPhone, and now you use everything relative to how the iPhone works.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#50

Post by jacoblyles »

Volscio wrote: post #26
blhack wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An inferior phone for a dozen reasons Could you elaborate on that? Everybody I know who has an N1 loves it...

Just went from iPhone 2G/AT&T to HTC Droid Incredible/Verizon. SO much better in every way.

Except viewing in the sunlight.
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