Google disputes Apple's indirect claims about Android activations
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs suggested Wednesday that reported Android activations from Google are falsely inflated because they include upgrades -- an insinuation that the search giant quickly disputed.
Kicking off his keynote Wednesday, Jobs said that more than 120 million iOS devices have shipped since the iPhone first launched in 2007. Then, in a thinly veiled attack against Google's Android mobile operating system, he revealed how many iOS devices are activated daily.
"People are throwing around a lot of numbers as to how many of their operating systems they're activating per day," Jobs told the crowd. "We are activating a little over 230,000 iOS devices per day. And that's new activations."
He continued: "We think that some of our friends are counting upgrades in their numbers. If we counted upgrades in our numbers, they'd be way higher than 230,000. But we think the most appropriate way to count them is just new activations."
Those "friends," of course, are officials at Google, who recently claimed that more than 200,000 Android devices were being activated every day.
But a spokesperson for Google disputed Jobs' claims. In a statement given to Fortune, the company suggested that Jobs' comments were inaccurate.
"The Android activations numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market, since we only include devices that have Google services," the spokesperson said.
Earlier this year, it was alleged that Jobs feels betrayed by Google, a company that Apple was close partners with until it began producing phones that resemble the iPhone. The New York Times alleged that Jobs felt Google "violated the alliance" between the two companies.
At Wednesday's keynote, Jobs also revealed that more than 6.5 billion applications have been downloaded from the App Store on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. That's 200 applications every second.
There are currently more than 250,000 applications available on the App Store, Jobs also said. Of those, 25,000 are available for the iPad and its 9.7-inch display.
Kicking off his keynote Wednesday, Jobs said that more than 120 million iOS devices have shipped since the iPhone first launched in 2007. Then, in a thinly veiled attack against Google's Android mobile operating system, he revealed how many iOS devices are activated daily.
"People are throwing around a lot of numbers as to how many of their operating systems they're activating per day," Jobs told the crowd. "We are activating a little over 230,000 iOS devices per day. And that's new activations."
He continued: "We think that some of our friends are counting upgrades in their numbers. If we counted upgrades in our numbers, they'd be way higher than 230,000. But we think the most appropriate way to count them is just new activations."
Those "friends," of course, are officials at Google, who recently claimed that more than 200,000 Android devices were being activated every day.
But a spokesperson for Google disputed Jobs' claims. In a statement given to Fortune, the company suggested that Jobs' comments were inaccurate.
"The Android activations numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market, since we only include devices that have Google services," the spokesperson said.
Earlier this year, it was alleged that Jobs feels betrayed by Google, a company that Apple was close partners with until it began producing phones that resemble the iPhone. The New York Times alleged that Jobs felt Google "violated the alliance" between the two companies.
At Wednesday's keynote, Jobs also revealed that more than 6.5 billion applications have been downloaded from the App Store on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. That's 200 applications every second.
There are currently more than 250,000 applications available on the App Store, Jobs also said. Of those, 25,000 are available for the iPad and its 9.7-inch display.
Comments
Steve Jobs wouldn't be a good CEO if he told the complete truth.
More like compulsive lying, if you believe his wikipedia page. Let's not forget that Internet Explorer is the best browser for the Mac and AT&T is the best cellular provider.
Steve Jobs wouldn't be a good CEO if he told the complete truth.
Tells the truth = Ordinary Worker
Tells incomplete truth = CEO
Tells complete lies = Politician
At the time IE was the best browser option for the Mac. AT&T has been the best carrier option for Apple. These are true at one particular time but things change and it doesn't mean they have to remain true.
More like compulsive lying, if you believe his wikipedia page. Let's not forget that Internet Explorer is the best browser for the Mac and AT&T is the best cellular provider.
I'll have to have a rerun of the event unless someone here knows otherwise.
Tells the truth = Ordinary Worker
Tells incomplete truth = CEO
Tells complete lies = Politician
He he and the truth shall set you free.
Do you think money has something to do with it?
I actually listened to event whilst driving home in my car and don't remember Jobs mentioning Google or Android at all.
I'll have to have a rerun of the event unless someone here knows otherwise.
I was listening as well and got the impression that he was correcting the media's numbers about activations in general (including iOS devices). I don't remember other companies being mentioned at all.
Tells the truth = Ordinary Worker
Tells incomplete truth = CEO
Tells complete lies = Politician
How true, how true!
But a spokesperson for Google disputed Jobs' claims. In a statement given to Fortune, the company suggested that Jobs' comments were inaccurate. "The Android activations numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market, since we only include devices that have Google services," the spokesperson said.
07/20/2010: Apple announces 100M iOS devices sold (Q3 conference call).
09/01/2010: Apple announces 120M iOS devices sold (special iPod event).
That's 500,000 sales per day during that period. Apple's 230,000 activations per day don't include over half of the devices it sells, which don't have a cellular network activation.
Here's another one. iPhone sales are close to Android. Even if Android has more smartphone share, that means Android should have similar activation numbers to the iPhone. Of 230,000 iOS devices, I estimate only 100,000 are iPhones (making about 9 million a quarter, an accurate figure). How can Android be selling twice the # of smartphones as iPhone does and not directly benefit Motorola and HTC? Wouldn't we all notice it by now?
...AT&T has been the best carrier option for Apple. These are true at one particular time but things change and it doesn't mean they have to remain true.
For Apple is right. For their customers? That's another story.
I was listening as well and got the impression that he was correcting the media's numbers about activations in general (including iOS devices). I don't remember other companies being mentioned at all.
No other companies mentioned but Jobs said "we think some of our friends included upgraded in their..."
He insinuated third parties count figures for APPLE that include upgrades.
You cannot just take statements out of their context though.
At the time IE was the best browser option for the Mac. AT&T has been the best carrier option for Apple. These are true at one particular time but things change and it doesn't mean they have to remain true.
Well, at the time I had selected Netscape and Verizon so I disagreed with both of his assertions.