Google Android delays advantage Apple and iPhone 3G

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple's second-generation mobile handset will have a several month head start on those based around Google's upcoming Android mobile platform, as the search giant and its partners are reportedly struggling to push the first models to market by year's end.



The Wall Street Journal reports that Google, which said in November that it along with more than 30 partners would begin releasing the first Android-based mobile phones during the second half of the year, now says those handsets won't arrive till the fourth quarter. Some partners, however, are finding they'll need even more time than that.



For instance, the financial paper said that T-Mobile's first Android-based handset is now due during the fourth quarter, but the project is consuming so many of Google's resources that a similar initiative by Sprint Nextel won't be ready by year's end as originally planned.



Similarly, the world's largest wireless carrier, China Mobile, had also anticipated marketing an Android handset to its more than 400 million subscribers in the third quarter, but people familiar with the situation say the carrier may see those plans pushed out till early next year.



For its part, Sprint is is said to have sought development of its own brand of services based off Android for a phone that would run on its current 3G network, rather than bundle those the standard services Google has built into its mobile platform. Those plans may now be up on the chopping block, according to the Journal, as the carrier considers scrapping them in favor of throwing its resources behind a handset that would operate on its future 4G network.



Meanwhile, China Mobile is reportedly finding it difficult to both intertwine the Google software with its own branded data services, as well as translate it from Roman characters into Chinese.



"Meanwhile, the Android software has yet to win broad support from large mobile-software developers," the Jornal said. "Some say it is difficult to develop programs while Google is making changes as it finishes its own software."



Google's Android takes design cues from Apple's iPhone software.



Android's rocky start underscore the challenges faced by Google -- or any other high tech firm -- when trying to manage a large group of hardware, software and service providers. By contrast Apple, whose upcoming iPhone 3G is expected to present one of the strongest tests of Google's Android strategy, maintains a tight grip on nearly every aspect of the handset's design.



Android's new slide-to-unlock system.



Google, aware of the benchmarks in service, quality and user experience set by the original iPhone, is further reported by the Journal to have seeded to its handset partners several prototype devices, including one that "has a long touch-screen, similar to the Apple iPhone, a swivel-out full keyboard, and a trackball for navigation similar to the kind on some BlackBerrys."



More information on the Apple-inspired Google Android platform is available in AppleInsider's Android topics page, or in specific reports on the software's initial announcement, notes of interest, development kit, and recent refinements.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 48
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Android has a lot of promise, but I have seen no video that has demonstrated that it's near a release date. I had no idea that it was expected to launch in mainstream devices later this year.
  • Reply 2 of 48
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    I'm somewhat eager to see Android out there...it will spawn some healthy competition between Apple, Google and Everyone Else. It could possibly also bring back 1995 in the sense that Android will be good enough for everyone but I think that's highly improbable now that kids/teens/young adults are now the people that think Apple is cool. I think things are only going to go uphill for Apple for at least the next decade.



    A wildly popular Android also means more Webkit share. Which means more companies will finally get their heads out of their asses and stop supporting IE6, start adopting web standards, perhaps stop relying on Flash and remove artificial Safari-blocking code.
  • Reply 3 of 48
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Android has a lot of promise, but I have seen no video that has demonstrated that it's near a release date. I had no idea that it was expected to launch in mainstream devices later this year.



    True...and like MS, Google will have one heck of a job to support all the different phone hardware and configurations that Android will have to deal with. Hardware keyboards, trackballs, touch, different CPUs, different display sizes. I'd be surprised if Android didn't have a rocky start.
  • Reply 4 of 48
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,616member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kim kap sol View Post


    A wildly popular Android also means more Webkit share. Which means more companies will finally get their heads out of their asses and stop supporting IE6, start adopting web standards, perhaps stop relying on Flash and remove artificial Safari-blocking code.



    Come on now lad, get a grip of yourself. Get back to reality, Joe public are all sheep and will be using IE x for years to come. Unfortunately.
  • Reply 5 of 48
    From video footage i have seen of Android it looks just as complicated to navigate as the typical software on current mobiles. I'm sure it'll have some cool stuff but mobile companies are going to have to come up with some decent hardware for consumers to really appreciate what it can do.



    Apple has the advantage in that it creates beautiful hardware and software that just works, plus it's a sub-zero product. With the new prices of 3G iPhone a lot of iPod/iTouch users will see the iPhone as the next logical step. It's possible the games already over before it's even begun.
  • Reply 6 of 48
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post


    Come on now lad, get a grip of yourself. Get back to reality, Joe public are all sheep and will be using IE x for years to come. Unfortunately.



    You're probably right.
  • Reply 7 of 48
    boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kim kap sol View Post


    I'm somewhat eager to see Android out there...it will spawn some healthy competition between Apple, Google and Everyone Else. It could possibly also bring back 1995 in the sense that Android will be good enough for everyone but I think that's highly improbable now that kids/teens/young adults are now the people that think Apple is cool. I think things are only going to go uphill for Apple for at least the next decade.



    A wildly popular Android also means more Webkit share. Which means more companies will finally get their heads out of their asses and stop supporting IE6, start adopting web standards, perhaps stop relying on Flash and remove artificial Safari-blocking code.



    I'm wondering whether Android will be more like Windows or more like OS/2 in its market penetration. Unlike the desktop computer market, cellphones are a much more limited playground, and top-to-bottom control probably has more of a positive effect.
  • Reply 8 of 48
    godriflegodrifle Posts: 267member
    ...is up with that headline?
  • Reply 9 of 48
    macfandavemacfandave Posts: 603member
    I hear they are getting Duke Nukem Forever ported to Android for the launch.
  • Reply 10 of 48
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by godrifle View Post


    ...is up with that headline?



    Yes...it's an odd headline...'advantage' in this case is used as a verb. Still, the headline doesn't sound right. I don't know why headlines have to sacrifice comprehensiveness for brevity. "Google Android delays give Apple and iPhone 3G an advantage" would be slightly longer but makes a shit of a lot more sense.
  • Reply 11 of 48
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    Great news for Apple and RIM, terrible news for consumers. Looking at the WSJ article, looks like there are serious delays being caused by all the incumbants. I had such high hopes for ditching my iPhone later this year; I figured HTC would finally have something interesting that drops Windows Mobile.



    The really good news for Apple is that it might encourage China Mobile to embrace the iPhone rather than pour more energy into Android for the short term.



    So, aside from the crap about mobile internet advertising revenue, what exactly does Google stand to gain with Android?
  • Reply 12 of 48
    boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
    Quote:

    So, aside from the crap about mobile internet advertising revenue, what exactly does Google stand to gain with Android?



    That's a really good question. Since the iPhone is far and away the most common mobile platform to browse the web on in the US, and is pretty competitive worldwide despite being in a small number of markets with a limited offering, I would think Google would be very well served by partnering with Apple on it. Instead, they're alienating Apple and undermining that success.



    Google won't be hurt by it in the short term, but it doesn't seem like a very wise long-term strategy.
  • Reply 13 of 48
    gee4orcegee4orce Posts: 165member
    Android will be Google's Vista.



    I am working on an application for iPhone, and a co-developer is working on the Android version. The iPhone app is nearly complete and looks slick. The Android version - well - isn't. It's not even partially complete, and probably a good six months away from actually being releasable, and, incredibly, Google's own APIs for their online services aren't compatible with Android !



    Whilst my collegue is trying to figure out how to get a basic UI up and running that doesn't look like ass, I'm busy profiling my application in instruments and Shark to squeeze the last ounce of performance out of the iPhone. There are no tools remotely comparable to this on Android.
  • Reply 14 of 48
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,882member
    Google is trying to do for mobile phones what DOS/Windows did for personal computers.



    It's not going to succeed this time.



    DOS/Windows is an exception, albeit a very big one, but an exception nonetheless brought about by the unwitting generosity of IBM.



    Playsforsure flopped. All game consoles are closed systems. iPod is closed. And in smart phones the two pacesetters are closed. It seems that in complex consumer products, when not conferred the advantage of monopoly power, open systems cannot compete with closed systems because their ability to offer a quality product is being sabotaged by the sheer complexity of having to work with multiple hardware platforms.
  • Reply 15 of 48
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Waaaaahhhhh!!!!!

    Google PROMISED to have Android out by now.

    They're liars liars liars liars and corporate jerks who just want to make a profit and hate us really cool Sudoku developers.



    That felt soooo good.



    The real problem with Android is that its destined to become the next Windows (in the bad sense) as it is forced to accommodate every god-awful hardware platform that anyone comes up with. And each of those platforms has a fresh chance to make Android look bad.



    I've been enjoying all of the breathless news accounts of how Apple (who's lapped the field twice now on the competition) is shaking in its boots about Android.
  • Reply 16 of 48
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kim kap sol View Post


    Yes...it's an odd headline...'advantage' in this case is used as a verb. Still, the headline doesn't sound right. I don't know why headlines have to sacrifice comprehensiveness for brevity. "Google Android delays give Apple and iPhone 3G an advantage" would be slightly longer but makes a shit of a lot more sense.



    could it be the effects of Wimbeldon starting?



    advantage Apple ?
  • Reply 17 of 48
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gee4orce View Post


    Android will be Google's Vista.



    I am working on an application for iPhone, and a co-developer is working on the Android version. The iPhone app is nearly complete and looks slick. The Android version - well - isn't. It's not even partially complete, and probably a good six months away from actually being releasable, and, incredibly, Google's own APIs for their online services aren't compatible with Android !



    Whilst my collegue is trying to figure out how to get a basic UI up and running that doesn't look like ass, I'm busy profiling my application in instruments and Shark to squeeze the last ounce of performance out of the iPhone. There are no tools remotely comparable to this on Android.



    Fascinating insight from the ground-level.



    Thanks.
  • Reply 18 of 48
    Quote:

    is forced to accommodate every god-awful hardware platform that anyone comes up with. And each of those platforms has a fresh chance to make Android look bad.



    If we were talking desktop computers i would have totally disagreed with you, but not now were talking mobile platform. Just like the typical windows user, the vast majority of mobile users will be happy with the Netto style interface of Android brought about by their current mobiles. The big difference is most people will also own iPod's and are able to make the comparison.



    One device to rule them all is the goal and Apple are so close to forging it. Let's just hope their 3rd party friends don't rain on their parade.
  • Reply 19 of 48
    cavallocavallo Posts: 57member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kim kap sol View Post


    Yes...it's an odd headline...'advantage' in this case is used as a verb. Still, the headline doesn't sound right. I don't know why headlines have to sacrifice comprehensiveness for brevity. "Google Android delays give Apple and iPhone 3G an advantage" would be slightly longer but makes a shit of a lot more sense.



    I'm glad someone pointed this out. My initial reaction was "I could have sworn 'advantage' was a noun."



    Verbing weirds language.
  • Reply 20 of 48
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kim kap sol View Post


    Yes...it's an odd headline...'advantage' in this case is used as a verb. Still, the headline doesn't sound right. I don't know why headlines have to sacrifice comprehensiveness for brevity. "Google Android delays give Apple and iPhone 3G an advantage" would be slightly longer but makes a shit of a lot more sense.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cavallo View Post


    I'm glad someone pointed this out. My initial reaction was "I could have sworn 'advantage' was a noun."



    Verbing weirds language.



    It is also a transitive verb, but it's still awkward sounding. The use, as shown, is very different from the examples in the OS X dictionary.
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