Great to hear as competition keeps the market moving forward.
As for those BoGo deals, it appears they're seriously working well for Verizon given that the phone might be 'free', but still requires both activation and a new contract -
Very Smart Move on Verizon's Part since it keeps the customer with the newest handsets at a bargain, and when it boils down to it, that's all the customer really cares about.
What competition do you speak of?
The Android OS is free and all the smart phone makers, except Apple, are saturating that crap up the a**.
We're talking about the SAME mobile OS on every Android phone. that ain't competition.
And since Android is free how the hell does it outsell a paid OS like IOS4(has a team of programmers)? Makes no sense! Yeah Android has a team of programmers but when the iphone hits the market you're paying a massive team(hardware and software). When you buy Droid you're only paying for the hardware. Google makes it money from mobile advertising. Click away homey.
And here is the down fall of having so many people pimp out the same smart phone with the same OS:you get market saturation like you've never seen before.
Go onto ebay and take a look at all that aftermarket Android sh**!
You trying to tell me that the after-market Android crap won't affect the sells of new stuff eventually? Yeah it will!
The Android is an out of control business model where the players have cut up each other's profit margin. Just like the idiots in the pc game. OMFG!
Apple has a sustainable business model and absolute control over their incredible media ecosystem.
As a consumer, why would that be important to me?. Actually, why would either question be important to me?. As a consumer, the only important question is if i want to buy your product. As a shareholder, which company makes the most profit is important. As a developer, which company has the most market share is most important.
Hmmm, not sure about that. If market share was the most important factor, why doesn't RIM or Nokia have the largest collection of Apps?
I think Apple has shown that ecosystem design is important too, maybe more so. The iPad was a semi-new platform but app developers have tripped all over themselves to make apps for it. App World from RIM may never catch up.
With all due respect, the world is bigger than the US. Apple sells many iPhones and iOS devices around the world. Their "oversea" revenues are starting to rival "domestic" revenues. Whether/when Apple expands to a second US carrier is insignificant compared to when/whether Apple expands to more carriers in China.
Look at Nokia - their US market penetration is tiny but they remain the largest handset company in the world and has the greatest sales volume in almost every category.
All to say, if you want Apple to rule, think China and India.
Size alone is worth diddley-squat.
I'd rather that Apple be small and very profitable like where it is now, than be Nokia, large and barely hanging on (just like many PC makers).
For example, Android now has a larger marketshare, but that share is largely in the pre-2.x space which restricts developers from using some of the better features found in 2.0 and upwards. This will give an new developer pause, and cost an established developer additional development cycles in order to keep the whole marketshare on-board.
Good point. Android suffers from severe fragmentation.
I think it is not a single factor that has created the iOS success. As much as it is maligned, iTunes is another factor that cultivates iPhone loyalty. Syncing is easy. Purchasing is easy. App installation is easy. There seems to be no problem sharing apps and contents on multiple iOS devices after a single purchase (shocked that music companies have not jumped on this). And, when a user invests in hording all sort of iTunes contents, it's hard to lost them or relinquish the ease of access.
I miss the BB keyboard and BBM. But that loss is more than compensated by the iAdvantages mentioned.
Are there a lot of smaller wireless carriers in the US that are accounting for that 19% of smartphone unit sales not taken up by the big four? Or do these stats only account for sales made directly through the carriers, meaning the 19% could be coming from Best Buy et al.? If it's the former, it sounds like quite a large portion.
10 years ago, there were around 7,000 US carriers. While that number has shrunk considerably since, there are still hundreds to thousands of US carriers. We just very rarely hear about them.
Combined the top 4 carriers have about 80% of the market. So 19% of smartphones sold to other carriers is about right.
Yesterday morning I OTAd my DROID to Android Froyo/2.2 and asked the spouse to use it for the day instead of the usual iPhone4 just to see what the reaction would be.
All I heard this morning was, 'Wow, this phone is really fast'... 'can I customize my home screen to do what Launcher Pro Plus does?' ... "I noticed that you have a choice of MMS, music players, and other programs, is there anyway for me to change the ones on my iPhone?"... and on and on... though sadly the answer to all questions was, "No, Apple doesn't ' allow that kind of thing with their core apps".
Personally, That's what I (and many others) like most about Android-based smartphones... C H O I C E
Android is infinitely customizable in almost every way, designed to function/look the way most beneficial to the user, not just an appliance that forces the user to accept what has been given to them.
Tell your wife you told a little lie, or kind of. There are plenty of music players, mms and many other programs for the iPhone. And up until this week, you could not download the froyo 2.2 for your phone on the same date that it was released for others. SO you have Froyo, but did you get the whole update? or did Verizon nix a couple of features, such as wifi sharing, so you have to (according to Verizon) pay for their service. When iOS is updated, it pertains to all of their current models (within last 2 years) and is not held back by the manufacturer or the carrier. Android is great, but sadly, the updates and features are so fragmented that developers are having a hard time making one app for all, and consumers are starting for feel "feature envy" from other phones using the "same" Android operating system. If I buy an iPhone today, I don't have to worry about a new model coming out in 3 months like the Android phones. Why would I want to buy a phone that will be obsolete in just 4-6 months?
Not really a developer "migration", per say... but I can go through a iPhone magazine, read about the cool apps and then look for them on the Android market. (shazam, and a few others that only iPhone users were privied to). They're not necessarily migrating, but they are easily porting iPhone apps. You might call that a migration of sorts.
Wait for the iPhone to come to Verizon, Sprint and T-mobile.
As reported by CNN this week, a Yankee Group study reveals that an astounding four out of five current Android users have no plans to buy another Android phone. And that?s game over.
Tell your wife you told a little lie, or kind of. There are plenty of music players, mms and many other programs for the iPhone. And up until this week, you could not download the froyo 2.2 for your phone on the same date that it was released for others. SO you have Froyo, but did you get the whole update? or did Verizon nix a couple of features, such as wifi sharing, so you have to (according to Verizon) pay for their service. When iOS is updated, it pertains to all of their current models (within last 2 years) and is not held back by the manufacturer or the carrier. Android is great, but sadly, the updates and features are so fragmented that developers are having a hard time making one app for all, and consumers are starting for feel "feature envy" from other phones using the "same" Android operating system. If I buy an iPhone today, I don't have to worry about a new model coming out in 3 months like the Android phones. Why would I want to buy a phone that will be obsolete in just 4-6 months?
Yes, it's true. Carriers are nixing some features and who knows why. Sprint wants $30 /mo for tethering. Or you can download an app from the Android market that allows you to do it for next to nothing. I find that in the Android environment, I can find a "legal" workaround for just about everything.
This is a good example of how the Android market is confusing to regular people. They can't even decide what the things are called.
No more confusing than the (equally ignorant) faction of society that refers to any/all SUVs as Jeeps, when JEEP is clearly a brand name, not a category of vehicle.
Comments
Great to hear as competition keeps the market moving forward.
As for those BoGo deals, it appears they're seriously working well for Verizon given that the phone might be 'free', but still requires both activation and a new contract -
Very Smart Move on Verizon's Part since it keeps the customer with the newest handsets at a bargain, and when it boils down to it, that's all the customer really cares about.
What competition do you speak of?
The Android OS is free and all the smart phone makers, except Apple, are saturating that crap up the a**.
We're talking about the SAME mobile OS on every Android phone. that ain't competition.
And since Android is free how the hell does it outsell a paid OS like IOS4(has a team of programmers)? Makes no sense! Yeah Android has a team of programmers but when the iphone hits the market you're paying a massive team(hardware and software). When you buy Droid you're only paying for the hardware. Google makes it money from mobile advertising. Click away homey.
And here is the down fall of having so many people pimp out the same smart phone with the same OS:you get market saturation like you've never seen before.
Go onto ebay and take a look at all that aftermarket Android sh**!
You trying to tell me that the after-market Android crap won't affect the sells of new stuff eventually? Yeah it will!
The Android is an out of control business model where the players have cut up each other's profit margin. Just like the idiots in the pc game. OMFG!
Apple has a sustainable business model and absolute control over their incredible media ecosystem.
As a consumer, why would that be important to me?. Actually, why would either question be important to me?. As a consumer, the only important question is if i want to buy your product. As a shareholder, which company makes the most profit is important. As a developer, which company has the most market share is most important.
Hmmm, not sure about that. If market share was the most important factor, why doesn't RIM or Nokia have the largest collection of Apps?
I think Apple has shown that ecosystem design is important too, maybe more so. The iPad was a semi-new platform but app developers have tripped all over themselves to make apps for it. App World from RIM may never catch up.
With all due respect, the world is bigger than the US. Apple sells many iPhones and iOS devices around the world. Their "oversea" revenues are starting to rival "domestic" revenues. Whether/when Apple expands to a second US carrier is insignificant compared to when/whether Apple expands to more carriers in China.
Look at Nokia - their US market penetration is tiny but they remain the largest handset company in the world and has the greatest sales volume in almost every category.
All to say, if you want Apple to rule, think China and India.
Size alone is worth diddley-squat.
I'd rather that Apple be small and very profitable like where it is now, than be Nokia, large and barely hanging on (just like many PC makers).
He agrees that market share is the most important. But Isn't iOS market share over 100 million?
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
"Share" is a percentage number.
For example, Android now has a larger marketshare, but that share is largely in the pre-2.x space which restricts developers from using some of the better features found in 2.0 and upwards. This will give an new developer pause, and cost an established developer additional development cycles in order to keep the whole marketshare on-board.
Good point. Android suffers from severe fragmentation.
Size alone is worth diddley-squat.
I'd rather that Apple be small and very profitable like where it is now, than be Nokia, large and barely hanging on (just like many PC makers).
The iPod has demonstrated this is not an either/or thing. Apple is not destined to be Dell or Nokia if they dominate the smart phone space.
Android phones or actual DROIDs?
The difference being Android is a mobile OS (on many different networks/carriers) but DROID is a line of Verizon-exclusive smartphones.
This is a good example of how the Android market is confusing to regular people. They can't even decide what the things are called.
I miss the BB keyboard and BBM. But that loss is more than compensated by the iAdvantages mentioned.
Oh well, one lives in hope.
Android users are Cheap Penny Pinching Freeloaders. They don't buy Apps.
There is no money in ANDROID.
Report: 98.9% Of Downloads On The Android Market Are Free
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2010/03...989-free-apps/
Android Market a haven for cheapskates
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/new...en_cheapskates
Male Android Cheapskates To Dominate Mobile Market
http://phandroid.com/2010/02/27/male...mobile-market/
Its not the market share that is important to consumers. Which company makes the most profits?
Definitely! Consumers root for the product that overcharges them the most.
...wait
Are there a lot of smaller wireless carriers in the US that are accounting for that 19% of smartphone unit sales not taken up by the big four? Or do these stats only account for sales made directly through the carriers, meaning the 19% could be coming from Best Buy et al.? If it's the former, it sounds like quite a large portion.
10 years ago, there were around 7,000 US carriers. While that number has shrunk considerably since, there are still hundreds to thousands of US carriers. We just very rarely hear about them.
Combined the top 4 carriers have about 80% of the market. So 19% of smartphones sold to other carriers is about right.
iPhone
iPad
iTunes
Pixar
iMac
MacBooks
OSX
iOS
Sh*t, I bet Steve is pretty freaking happy right about now.
Bill Gates is happier, he doesn't work anymore. Apple doesn't do well sans Steve.
Agreed, and my experience is very similar.
Yesterday morning I OTAd my DROID to Android Froyo/2.2 and asked the spouse to use it for the day instead of the usual iPhone4 just to see what the reaction would be.
All I heard this morning was, 'Wow, this phone is really fast'... 'can I customize my home screen to do what Launcher Pro Plus does?' ... "I noticed that you have a choice of MMS, music players, and other programs, is there anyway for me to change the ones on my iPhone?"... and on and on... though sadly the answer to all questions was, "No, Apple doesn't ' allow that kind of thing with their core apps".
Personally, That's what I (and many others) like most about Android-based smartphones... C H O I C E
Android is infinitely customizable in almost every way, designed to function/look the way most beneficial to the user, not just an appliance that forces the user to accept what has been given to them.
Tell your wife you told a little lie, or kind of. There are plenty of music players, mms and many other programs for the iPhone. And up until this week, you could not download the froyo 2.2 for your phone on the same date that it was released for others. SO you have Froyo, but did you get the whole update? or did Verizon nix a couple of features, such as wifi sharing, so you have to (according to Verizon) pay for their service. When iOS is updated, it pertains to all of their current models (within last 2 years) and is not held back by the manufacturer or the carrier. Android is great, but sadly, the updates and features are so fragmented that developers are having a hard time making one app for all, and consumers are starting for feel "feature envy" from other phones using the "same" Android operating system. If I buy an iPhone today, I don't have to worry about a new model coming out in 3 months like the Android phones. Why would I want to buy a phone that will be obsolete in just 4-6 months?
What developer migration?
Not really a developer "migration", per say... but I can go through a iPhone magazine, read about the cool apps and then look for them on the Android market. (shazam, and a few others that only iPhone users were privied to). They're not necessarily migrating, but they are easily porting iPhone apps. You might call that a migration of sorts.
Wait for the iPhone to come to Verizon, Sprint and T-mobile.
As reported by CNN this week, a Yankee Group study reveals that an astounding four out of five current Android users have no plans to buy another Android phone. And that?s game over.
http://www.beatweek.com/news/6810-ve...droid-debacle/
Please read the corrected article, not the misinformation originally posted by venture beat, which they have since retracted.
Tell your wife you told a little lie, or kind of. There are plenty of music players, mms and many other programs for the iPhone. And up until this week, you could not download the froyo 2.2 for your phone on the same date that it was released for others. SO you have Froyo, but did you get the whole update? or did Verizon nix a couple of features, such as wifi sharing, so you have to (according to Verizon) pay for their service. When iOS is updated, it pertains to all of their current models (within last 2 years) and is not held back by the manufacturer or the carrier. Android is great, but sadly, the updates and features are so fragmented that developers are having a hard time making one app for all, and consumers are starting for feel "feature envy" from other phones using the "same" Android operating system. If I buy an iPhone today, I don't have to worry about a new model coming out in 3 months like the Android phones. Why would I want to buy a phone that will be obsolete in just 4-6 months?
Yes, it's true. Carriers are nixing some features and who knows why. Sprint wants $30 /mo for tethering. Or you can download an app from the Android market that allows you to do it for next to nothing. I find that in the Android environment, I can find a "legal" workaround for just about everything.
Apple is doomed.
Yes, shure. So who will be selling me my iP4 whe appl goes bottom line?
Looks like I spoke too soon.
Oh well, one lives in hope.
And this was before davesw chimed in. Sigh...
This is a good example of how the Android market is confusing to regular people. They can't even decide what the things are called.
No more confusing than the (equally ignorant) faction of society that refers to any/all SUVs as Jeeps, when JEEP is clearly a brand name, not a category of vehicle.