iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android • Hacker News Board

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#71

Post by Tycho » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 12:54 PM UTC

I think it's important not to forget the iPod effect... ie. people saw other folk with a shiny new iPod, coveted it, then bought one without seriously considering the many other equally-capable alternatives (although arguably the iPod was always technically the best available).

The iPhone was originally so ahead of the competition (well, so was the iPod I guess) that its features were the 'wow' factor. It was a sleek, well designed object but I think its functionality overshadowed its beauty. Now that other phones have similar features, the time is right for Apple to revamp the design for aesthetic/form-factor reasons. Think about it: lots of people on the subway with these gorgeous, scratch-proof, slightly retro-looking, ultra-crisp smartphones shimmering beneath layers of glass on both sides, vs. a whole motley crew of less beautiful Android models rarely seen together. Which phone will people want?

Also: they compared the new glass to sapphire crystal, which in my experience NEVER gets scratches (its on my wrist watch cover). Does anyone know enough about the hardness of this material Apple are using to assert how scratch-resistant they'll really be?

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#72

Post by michaelcampbell » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 12:57 PM UTC

masklinn wrote: post #47

Osiris wrote: post #11

I think it's great that Apple puts so much effort into usability and aesthetics. They put a lot of polish onto their devices and apps that put almost everyone else to shame. It's true that the iPhone was a game changer. It's not surprising to see other companies stepping up to the challenge. As an Android user (myTouch, 128MB RAM sucks), I often wish for the polish of the iPhone and for access to some much better app…

> I can tether via USB or WiFi USB and Bluetooth tethering available on the iPhone > install apps from websites without using the Market True. > and use free turn-by-turn navigation all while while taking a phone call Always been available on the iPhone, you can do whatever you want while taking a call. With iOS 4, users will be able to do even more. > With Android I feel like I have freedom to do what I want Yeah es…

> > I can tether via USB or WiFi

> USB and Bluetooth tethering available on the iPhone

Neither of which are wifi.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#73

Post by michaelcampbell » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 1:00 PM UTC

louismg wrote: post #22

bdr wrote: post #5

I'd rather have speed and battery life than tethering. If "speed and battery life measures are subjective" is all you have to say, that sounds like intentional ignorance.

I would call it shortening. I've talked about Android a lot lately in previous posts, and after a time, it seems redundant. Speed is subjective, and I have seen comments regarding battery life that are all over the map. In my experience, the real-world battery life of EVO is about the same as iPhone 3G.

Based on some forums I read I think my experience might be atypical, but putting FroYo on my Moto Droid actually increased its battery life by at least 50%.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#74

Post by gmlk » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 1:37 PM UTC

Tycho wrote: post #71

I think it's important not to forget the iPod effect... ie. people saw other folk with a shiny new iPod, coveted it, then bought one without seriously considering the many other equally-capable alternatives (although arguably the iPod was always technically the best available). The iPhone was originally so ahead of the competition (well, so was the iPod I guess) that its features were the 'wow' factor. It was a sleek…

It's aluminosilicate glass or Al₂SiO₅ with a hardness of about 7 (Mohs scale) at best.

Sapphire crystal is Al₂O₃, which has a hardness of 9. So it's hard, but not that hard.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#75

Post by gte910h » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 2:25 PM UTC

pyre wrote: post #52

credo wrote: post #34

imo the "Code for Android first, and iPhone/iPad second" suggestion to "Apple developers" has very little merit for most Apple developers For developers, it will make more sense to distinguish between ideology/opinions of bloggers and cold market realities. For starters, revenue returns of Android apps are generally a small fraction of revenue returns for identical iPhone apps in spite of the fact that iPhone owners…

> As an example, when Twitter released their official Android Twitter app, only 27.3% of Android owners could even consider downloading it. The app wouldn't run on 82.7 of devices because of the fragmentation problem. Hopefully Twitter will get motivated enough to support Android 110%!

More likely, they'll wait until you all upgrade to 2.1 or 2.2.

Planned obsolescence is baked into the android ecosystem. Plan on buying a new andoid phone every 18 months to get all the new apps if you want to stay with the platform, it's all google is supporting (the newest stuff).

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#76

Post by gte910h » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 2:25 PM UTC

dagw wrote: post #69

SkyMarshal wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hopefully Google and the Android kit makers will get motivated enough to standardize Android a bit more, enough to at least provide platform consistency across brand implementations. Also, hopefully they do it in collaboration with the hardware manufacturers, instead of in spite of them.

I doubt it will happen. One of Android's big selling points for phone manufacturers was that they could use Android as a free and solid base to add their own unique additions to. There really is little interest from them to make Android phones generic and interchangeable. If the platforms are too consistent then there is no reason people won't replace their Samsung Android phone with an HTC Android phone next time th…

Additionally, handset makers have a contrary interest to keeping things updated. They literally make money when you decide you have to buy a new phone because your old one can't run the newest apps.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#77

Post by gte910h » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 2:28 PM UTC

credo wrote: post #34

imo the "Code for Android first, and iPhone/iPad second" suggestion to "Apple developers" has very little merit for most Apple developers For developers, it will make more sense to distinguish between ideology/opinions of bloggers and cold market realities. For starters, revenue returns of Android apps are generally a small fraction of revenue returns for identical iPhone apps in spite of the fact that iPhone owners…

> If you're not comfortable with Objective-C, it makes sense to go with Android because Android apps are a lot easier to develop.

I disagree here. Unless you're a java developer, objective C apps are a lot easier to develop. If you're not, the iPhone tools blow away the Android ones. It's only third party toolkits like Air for Android (which is quite sexy, and about to be publicly available soon), etc, which makes android easier. Android development is possible, sure, but it's not easier, especially when you look at all the screen resolutions, OS versions, etc.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#78

Post by runevault » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 3:08 PM UTC

louismg wrote: post #39

swannodette wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why you're getting downvoted. I've noticed that the Hacker News trolls really come out of the woodwork on Apple related submissions: in terms of the submission, senseless upvoting/downvoting and gradeschool level utterances. I suppose the general quality of the thoughtful submission/discussion on HN has to be offset by something .

I don't even see the option to downvote. Maybe I have to be more of a vet to get that privilege. I appreciate all discussion here, especially that which challenges my assumptions.

Downvote requires ~200 karma, or did when I got it a month or so ago.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#79

Post by crocowhile » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 4:07 PM UTC

credo wrote: post #34

imo the "Code for Android first, and iPhone/iPad second" suggestion to "Apple developers" has very little merit for most Apple developers For developers, it will make more sense to distinguish between ideology/opinions of bloggers and cold market realities. For starters, revenue returns of Android apps are generally a small fraction of revenue returns for identical iPhone apps in spite of the fact that iPhone owners…

What made the twitter app work on only 27% of phones? I Doubt is the display resolution or the buttons configuration. Must be simply the OS version. In that case, it's quite a universal problem, one that apple is going to have too now that people have to deal with two OS versions and at least 4 devices (iphone 3g, iphone 4g, ipad, itouch).

A wise developer would just code something that would work on any version above 1.6

If I were making mobile apps, I'd probably make an iphone version and an android version.

Re: iPhone 4 Is Nice, But It's Not Enough to Slow Android

#80

Post by SkyMarshal » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 5:45 PM UTC

dagw wrote: post #69

SkyMarshal wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hopefully Google and the Android kit makers will get motivated enough to standardize Android a bit more, enough to at least provide platform consistency across brand implementations. Also, hopefully they do it in collaboration with the hardware manufacturers, instead of in spite of them.

I doubt it will happen. One of Android's big selling points for phone manufacturers was that they could use Android as a free and solid base to add their own unique additions to. There really is little interest from them to make Android phones generic and interchangeable. If the platforms are too consistent then there is no reason people won't replace their Samsung Android phone with an HTC Android phone next time th…

All true, but it's also true that it's ultimately in all their best interests to build a strong app ecosystem for the platform as a necessary but not sufficient requisite for competing with Apple.

The individual hardware makers may not think that way, but Google certainly should be, and is in a position to frame that problem and take the lead in solving it.