Android is fragmented? I'm so tired of hearing that from clueless iPhone users.
iOS is also fragmented if you want to compare: can you put iOS 4 on an original iPhone? How about on an iPhone 3G? Nope. Now that's fragmentation, my friend.
And, with Android 2.2 (and the upcoming 3.0 Gingerbread), it's even less of an issue.
Plus, you're wrong on the "kicking Android's butt" part outside of the U.S. Last quarter, Android outsold iPhone for the first time. It's all there. Yeah, I know--it's hard to accept.
You don’t understand what is meant by this context or are purposely trying to be obtuse. You can’t put Mac OS X on the first Mac either. You have to draw the line somewhere.
iOS is updated for ALL of Apple’s iPhones at the same time each year, and they supply updates for devices for three full years. The same can’t be said of Android, which is still shipping *new* items with version 1.6, has many devices still stuck on much older versions with no hope of being upgraded since it’s up to the vendor and/or carrier, no consistency among UIs, and even the ability for crapware apps and a lock out of search engines which is even worse than the $400 notebooks that are supplemented by such tactics.
While technically the introduction of a new device each year with better HW and more features does create a fragment it’s a simple linear model where the older device can’t get all the updates of the newer device and after 3 years of rich updates don’t get any new updates, compared to a fractured model that looks like it was created by Mandelbrot.
Q: When will iOS 5.0 become a beta?
Q: When will iOS 5.0 launch?
Q: What devices will be able to get the iOS 5.0 update?
Q: Will all iPhones sold after iOS 5.0 drops get iOS 5.0?
Q: When will Honeycomb become a beta?
Q: When will Honeycomb launch?
Q: What devices will be able to get the Honeycomb update at that time?
Q: Will all Android-based phones sold after Honeycomb drops get iOS 5.0?
In Spring next year, iPad sales will slow down because most people will wait for the next version. At that time a bunch of stupid analysts will claim Apple is in trouble (and iPad should go to funerals ...).
When the new version will be issued, sales will boom again, and the competitors will still be in the position that their "soon to come" tablet will kill Apple ...
I?ll see your prediction and add to it?
Even though overall marketshare will slowly decrease over time as other competitors who are technically in the same product category realize that following Apple?s lead in both HW and SW design is the only way for them to make any headway Apple?s economy of scale and increased YoY unit sales will have Apple?s revenue and profit continually taking a larger and larger share of the market.
You don’t understand what is meant or are purposely trying to be obtuse. You can’t put Mac OS X on the first Mac either. OH NO!
Let me attempt to make this clear to you; iOS is updated for ALL of Apple’s iPhones at the same time each year, and they supply updates for devices for three full years. The same can’t be said of Android, which is still shipping *new* items with version 1.6, has many devices still stuff on much older versions with no hope of being upgraded since it’s up to the vendor and/or carrier, no consistency among UIs, and even the ability for crapware apps and a lock out of search engines which is even worse than the $400 notebooks that are supplemented by such tactics.
While technically the introduction of a new device each year with better HW and more features does create a fragment it’s a simple linear model where the older device can’t get all the updates of the newer device and after 3 years of rich updates don’t get any new updates, compared to a fractured model that looks like it was created by Mandelbrot.
Q: When will iOS 5.0 become a beta?
Q: When will iOS 5.0 launch?
Q: What devices will be able to get the iOS 5.0 update?
Q: Will all iPhones sold after iOS 5.0 drops get iOS 5.0?
Q: When will Honeycomb become a beta?
Q: When will Honeycomb launch?
Q: What devices will be able to get the Honeycomb update at that time?
Q: Will all Android-based phones sold after Honeycomb drops get iOS 5.0?
Again, if you say you can’t see difference between these business models then I don’t know what to tell you except that you are in way over your head in this forum or you are purposely ignoring the facts.
Good points and well stated. I agree that it's certainly not the same business model. I also never stated that Android is NOT fragmented--it's just that I'm tired of hearing that statement because it affects the overall user experience less than it once did. If it was such a barrier to a good experience, then I think one would agree that Android wouldn't be where it is today in terms of market share and adoption rate. We cannot ignore the fact that Android is the only OS to have actually gained market share while every other one has lost share. In addition, your assertion that there are still devices coming out with 1.6 is true on one device--which will be updated to 2.2 within weeks. That's hardly an issue for 99% of users.
Regardless, I respect your points but still must state that iOS still has own fragmentation issue. Look what happened with iOS on the 3G. It was an absolute disaster.
At best, Apple's strategy can only lead to an early success followed by a downfall to a 5% world market share. Some people never learn. Greed and supersized egos. Alas.
\\\
While 5% is around the level of success for Apple's computers, I think that iPhone will do better. There are millions of people who bought an iPhone back when it was the best available phone, and they still like their iPhones a lot. I think that a lot of people will keep their iPhones, for various reasons, despite the availability of compelling choices in the current (and the future) marketplace. There's a lot to like about the iPhone, and inertia is strong among consumers.
The Mac NEVER had much market share. Things are different now with Apple.
They now make mass-market products aimed directly at the lowest common denominator. They now have some cache. They now are seen as a premium brand instead of a fringe brand.
I suspect the iPhone will remain popular, despite there being better choices available.
Mac OS X has a tiny market share. And yet Apple is apparently now the number 1 PC manufacturer in terms of profits.
iOS has a very large market share. And unit sales are increasing year on year. Apple is now taking almost half of all the cellphone profits in the industry and that share is going up.
Andoid as a free technology that is really quite good, it's not surprising that handset makers are making use of it. It's certainly cheaper than wasting $2b a year like Nokia does.
So if Oracle don't kill it, I can easily see Android getting 60% or more of the handset OS install base - as more manufacturers adopt it.
So would that mean that Apple had "lost"?
To whom exactly? In terms of revenues it would leave Apple massively ahead of any rival company, by a gigantic margin.
There is a significant segment of the tech community that does not like the way Apple plays gatekeeper regarding application approvals. So they will favor Android over Apple for sound philosophical reasons. ...
More like, "There is a segment of the tech community who stupidly believe Google's marketing about Android's openness. So they will favor Android over Apple for what the conceive as philosophical reasons, but really because they are too stupid to understand what's going on."
Android is fragmented? I'm so tired of hearing that from clueless iPhone users.
iOS is also fragmented if you want to compare: can you put iOS 4 on an original iPhone? How about on an iPhone 3G? Nope. Now that's fragmentation, my friend.
And, with Android 2.2 (and the upcoming 3.0 Gingerbread), it's even less of an issue.
Plus, you're wrong on the "kicking Android's butt" part outside of the U.S. Last quarter, Android outsold iPhone for the first time. It's all there. Yeah, I know--it's hard to accept.
Get over it, my friend. They aren't ``clueless iPhone users' '. They don't have iPhones. This board is hijacked by people, who never come around Apple products. Their entire knowledge is the collection of quotes pinched here and there on the web. You can tell them all you want about incompatibilities of OS versions run by iPads and iPhones. They don't know what that is about.
I recently switched to the Droid X after using iPhone 2g for 1 year and 3g for a year.
I can honestly say I regret that switch. For all the features the phone has I find the user experience is not as good as iOS.
Also I find it unacceptable that a new device is still using the older OS.
And why do we have to wait for the Carrier to push out the OS Updates?
Concerning Apps I dont have the secure feeling I had when using Apples App Store.
As soon as my financial situation permits I will be Running back to Apple and AT&T.
I agree with you here, for sure. That's the same annoyance with Blackberry--having to wait for the carrier to push out updates. However, the Droid X update is coming out this month. And, with the next iteration of Android 3.0, supposedly (we'll see) it will be less carrier and device dependent.
Get over it, my friend. They aren't ``clueless iPhone users' '. They don't have iPhones. This board is hijacked by people, who never come around Apple products. Their entire knowledge is the collection of quotes pinched here and there on the web. You can tell them all you want about incompatibilities of OS versions run by iPads and iPhones. They don't know what that is about.
Agreed. It goes both ways. Clueless Android users do the same. I'm pretty respectful on this board, but I've noticed that not everyone is. Some have called my posts "stupid" and have even called me "loser," etc.
I may make a general reference to "clueless" iPhone users, but I don't bash a specific poster. Believe me, there are plenty of clueless Android/Blackberry/Winmo users as well.
Good points and well stated. I agree that it's certainly not the same business model. I also never stated that Android is NOT fragmented--it's just that I'm tired of hearing that statement because it affects the overall user experience less than it once did. If it was such a barrier to a good experience, then I think one would agree that Android wouldn't be where it is today in terms of market share and adoption rate. We cannot ignore the fact that Android is the only OS to have actually gained market share while every other one has lost share.
I can certainly see your point about the terminology. I dislike people using obsolete when obsolescing is more accurate, especially when they refer to a new computerized device as making the previous model obsolete.
Perhaps we should use a clearly term, e.g.: linear fragmentation v. divergent fragmentation.
Quote:
Regardless, I respect your points but still must state that iOS still has own fragmentation issue. Look what happened with iOS on the 3G. It was an absolutely disaster.
That was a bug and shouldn?t be included in a debate about fragmentation, unless you want to discuss the way Apple likely fragments their dev teams putting the most gifted on the iPhone 4, the next on the 3GS and the rest on the 3G. It?s been resolved with 4.1 from everyone I know, and it wasn?t even present on the 3G of one family member who installed 4.0 against by recommendation.
An Iphone Nano/Mini with a lover price point could do it.
The SonyEricsson mini experia 10 is an exempel that people wants smaller smart phones.
It looks sweet.
But do they add thickness to make up for the smaller faceplate? In the pics, it looks thick. I keep my phone in my front pocket, so thickness is more important to me than the circumference.
And screen size is important, especially with these little mini-screens that they use on phones. If anything, I'd want one of the new phones with screens larger than the iPhone, not smaller. I find myself using the iPhone less and less frequently for any task I can do on a bigger screen.
For example, I get notifications from certain networking sites. Its great getting the notification on my phone. But I walk over to the computer to read (and especially to respond) to the message.
I disagree. Even if the OS were better, it wouldn't matter cuz the hardware is junk.
I had to borrow a friends android phone while camping. My iPhone had no signal, and his had a weak one. I tried to make a call, and the phone reboot itself. This happened 2 more times before I moved around thinking it was a signal issue. It finally worked.
If the phone can't make the call due to a weak signal, why would it reboot???
On a separate occasion, we were out looking for a place to eat. I asked him to look up a place on google and after trying a few times, he had to reboot it. He said its finicky and he has to reboot it sometimes because it gets slow".
Why would anyone put up with this garbage? They just don't know any better.
Sure andorid is much better than the crap phones used to have... but iOS is in much higher class.
But what what stands out in your "i hate anything not Apple" anecdote is why didn't you do any of those things on YOUR iPhone? because you couldn't. The android phone (which phone and carrier?) was the only one working and with a signal....
A previous comment nailed it. As App Developers, we develop for 4 platforms - iOS, Android, Windows Phone and webOS, but when it comes to pricing a warranty for a client for an Android App, we have to consider - Dell Android? HTC Android? Samsung Android? 2.1? 2.2? Screen resolution? etc. etc.
It's very interesting you don't develop for BlackBerry. Why not? Thoughts on BlackBerry 6?
Quote:
Originally Posted by joindup
As a company that designs and build custom iOS-specific Chips, Batteries, Screens, Hardware and Software, Apple does create supply problems for itself. But not being able to build products fast enough to satisfy demand is a problem I'd like to have.
Maybe you, but not me, not here. When there's such a demand for phones, that you're losing sales, this is a more serious problem than most think. It's one thing if customers hear "Sorry, five-week wait", and they choose to wait. That's one thing. But it's a whole 'nuther story if they walk out of the store with an Android phone. Those people may be satisfied with Android, and buy apps, and stick with the platform. That's lost money on Apple's end, for years on end. If Apple made enough to keep up with demand, then perhaps they could sell over 200,000 per day.
Right now, Apple makes about 160,000 iPhones per day, and that's not enough. Foxconn's building another factory that will make another 200,000 per day, meaning within a year, Apple could make 360,000 iPhones per day. But another thing I hear is that smartphone demand is increasing by 100% year to year. So it's not impossible to think that by 2012, demand for iPhones could reach 500,000 per day. This supply shortage problem is likely a chronic issue for Apple, I'm afraid. It's easier to keep up with iOS demand if Apple allows multiple manufacturers to use many more factories to build iOS phones. Steve won't do that, however, and I can't entirely blame him for that.
The one thing that may save Apple, here, is Android's Oracle patent suit. If Apple and Microsoft can work separately or together to sell to HTC, Samsung, and all these other Android makers, the concept that continuing to support the platform is an expensive mistake, then perhaps the Android makers will stop developing Android products. Then, customers would be forced to switch from Android. This gives Apple the chance to, in the meantime, build enough factories to make a million iPhones, or more, per day, and hopefully get back on the right track with supply vs. demand.
I'm sure some people want a smaller phone, but most of the Android handsets I've seen are as big or even bigger than the iPhone. That tells me there's a big market for large screen phones.
But it tells you nothing about whether there is a significant market for small form-factor phones.
IMO, future "phones" will not be standalone devices that you carry separately. They will be integrated into other common stuff, or fit completely within the ear like a bluetooth headset or a hearing aid.
There's already integration of the phone into your pocket computer, but as of now, the phone function is what is emphasized. I think that the concept of "phone which is kinda like a crappy little computer" will be replaced by "hot shit pocket computer, which, of course, also includes a phone".
Is there any chance we could see unit sales, by model? How does iPhone 4 compare to the Droid Incredible? EVO 4G? Blackberry Storm? Why isn't this information out there like these OS numbers?
Comments
Android is rising because Apple is letting Android rise. .
How does that fit into Apple's strategy?
Android is fragmented? I'm so tired of hearing that from clueless iPhone users.
iOS is also fragmented if you want to compare: can you put iOS 4 on an original iPhone? How about on an iPhone 3G? Nope. Now that's fragmentation, my friend.
And, with Android 2.2 (and the upcoming 3.0 Gingerbread), it's even less of an issue.
Plus, you're wrong on the "kicking Android's butt" part outside of the U.S. Last quarter, Android outsold iPhone for the first time. It's all there. Yeah, I know--it's hard to accept.
You don’t understand what is meant by this context or are purposely trying to be obtuse. You can’t put Mac OS X on the first Mac either. You have to draw the line somewhere.
iOS is updated for ALL of Apple’s iPhones at the same time each year, and they supply updates for devices for three full years. The same can’t be said of Android, which is still shipping *new* items with version 1.6, has many devices still stuck on much older versions with no hope of being upgraded since it’s up to the vendor and/or carrier, no consistency among UIs, and even the ability for crapware apps and a lock out of search engines which is even worse than the $400 notebooks that are supplemented by such tactics.
While technically the introduction of a new device each year with better HW and more features does create a fragment it’s a simple linear model where the older device can’t get all the updates of the newer device and after 3 years of rich updates don’t get any new updates, compared to a fractured model that looks like it was created by Mandelbrot.
Really, as an iPhone user, that's my main reason for not trying an Android phone. I've already committed to the App Store.
Apple's lock-in strategy seems to be succeeding.
In Spring next year, iPad sales will slow down because most people will wait for the next version. At that time a bunch of stupid analysts will claim Apple is in trouble (and iPad should go to funerals ...).
When the new version will be issued, sales will boom again, and the competitors will still be in the position that their "soon to come" tablet will kill Apple ...
I?ll see your prediction and add to it?
Even though overall marketshare will slowly decrease over time as other competitors who are technically in the same product category realize that following Apple?s lead in both HW and SW design is the only way for them to make any headway Apple?s economy of scale and increased YoY unit sales will have Apple?s revenue and profit continually taking a larger and larger share of the market.
You don’t understand what is meant or are purposely trying to be obtuse. You can’t put Mac OS X on the first Mac either. OH NO!
Let me attempt to make this clear to you; iOS is updated for ALL of Apple’s iPhones at the same time each year, and they supply updates for devices for three full years. The same can’t be said of Android, which is still shipping *new* items with version 1.6, has many devices still stuff on much older versions with no hope of being upgraded since it’s up to the vendor and/or carrier, no consistency among UIs, and even the ability for crapware apps and a lock out of search engines which is even worse than the $400 notebooks that are supplemented by such tactics.
While technically the introduction of a new device each year with better HW and more features does create a fragment it’s a simple linear model where the older device can’t get all the updates of the newer device and after 3 years of rich updates don’t get any new updates, compared to a fractured model that looks like it was created by Mandelbrot.
Again, if you say you can’t see difference between these business models then I don’t know what to tell you except that you are in way over your head in this forum or you are purposely ignoring the facts.
Good points and well stated. I agree that it's certainly not the same business model. I also never stated that Android is NOT fragmented--it's just that I'm tired of hearing that statement because it affects the overall user experience less than it once did. If it was such a barrier to a good experience, then I think one would agree that Android wouldn't be where it is today in terms of market share and adoption rate. We cannot ignore the fact that Android is the only OS to have actually gained market share while every other one has lost share. In addition, your assertion that there are still devices coming out with 1.6 is true on one device--which will be updated to 2.2 within weeks. That's hardly an issue for 99% of users.
Regardless, I respect your points but still must state that iOS still has own fragmentation issue. Look what happened with iOS on the 3G. It was an absolute disaster.
At best, Apple's strategy can only lead to an early success followed by a downfall to a 5% world market share. Some people never learn. Greed and supersized egos. Alas.
While 5% is around the level of success for Apple's computers, I think that iPhone will do better. There are millions of people who bought an iPhone back when it was the best available phone, and they still like their iPhones a lot. I think that a lot of people will keep their iPhones, for various reasons, despite the availability of compelling choices in the current (and the future) marketplace. There's a lot to like about the iPhone, and inertia is strong among consumers.
The Mac NEVER had much market share. Things are different now with Apple.
They now make mass-market products aimed directly at the lowest common denominator. They now have some cache. They now are seen as a premium brand instead of a fringe brand.
I suspect the iPhone will remain popular, despite there being better choices available.
Mac OS X has a tiny market share. And yet Apple is apparently now the number 1 PC manufacturer in terms of profits.
iOS has a very large market share. And unit sales are increasing year on year. Apple is now taking almost half of all the cellphone profits in the industry and that share is going up.
Andoid as a free technology that is really quite good, it's not surprising that handset makers are making use of it. It's certainly cheaper than wasting $2b a year like Nokia does.
So if Oracle don't kill it, I can easily see Android getting 60% or more of the handset OS install base - as more manufacturers adopt it.
So would that mean that Apple had "lost"?
To whom exactly? In terms of revenues it would leave Apple massively ahead of any rival company, by a gigantic margin.
#androidisnotacompany
C.
I can honestly say I regret that switch. For all the features the phone has I find the user experience is not as good as iOS.
Also I find it unacceptable that a new device is still using the older OS.
And why do we have to wait for the Carrier to push out the OS Updates?
Concerning Apps I dont have the secure feeling I had when using Apples App Store.
As soon as my financial situation permits I will be Running back to Apple and AT&T.
"Google...17 percent, Apple...23.8"
and
In June, Android passed iOS to become the third-most-popular mobile phone OS in the world, according to Gartner.
Seems something is conflicting. Or some whacked stat interpretation is going on.
There is a significant segment of the tech community that does not like the way Apple plays gatekeeper regarding application approvals. So they will favor Android over Apple for sound philosophical reasons. ...
More like, "There is a segment of the tech community who stupidly believe Google's marketing about Android's openness. So they will favor Android over Apple for what the conceive as philosophical reasons, but really because they are too stupid to understand what's going on."
Android is fragmented? I'm so tired of hearing that from clueless iPhone users.
iOS is also fragmented if you want to compare: can you put iOS 4 on an original iPhone? How about on an iPhone 3G? Nope. Now that's fragmentation, my friend.
And, with Android 2.2 (and the upcoming 3.0 Gingerbread), it's even less of an issue.
Plus, you're wrong on the "kicking Android's butt" part outside of the U.S. Last quarter, Android outsold iPhone for the first time. It's all there. Yeah, I know--it's hard to accept.
Get over it, my friend. They aren't ``clueless iPhone users' '. They don't have iPhones. This board is hijacked by people, who never come around Apple products. Their entire knowledge is the collection of quotes pinched here and there on the web. You can tell them all you want about incompatibilities of OS versions run by iPads and iPhones. They don't know what that is about.
I recently switched to the Droid X after using iPhone 2g for 1 year and 3g for a year.
I can honestly say I regret that switch. For all the features the phone has I find the user experience is not as good as iOS.
Also I find it unacceptable that a new device is still using the older OS.
And why do we have to wait for the Carrier to push out the OS Updates?
Concerning Apps I dont have the secure feeling I had when using Apples App Store.
As soon as my financial situation permits I will be Running back to Apple and AT&T.
I agree with you here, for sure. That's the same annoyance with Blackberry--having to wait for the carrier to push out updates. However, the Droid X update is coming out this month. And, with the next iteration of Android 3.0, supposedly (we'll see) it will be less carrier and device dependent.
Secure feeling about apps? What is that exactly?
It's certainly cheaper than wasting $2b a year like Nokia does.
.
Still throwing around your false numbers again, can you please post correct information.
Get over it, my friend. They aren't ``clueless iPhone users' '. They don't have iPhones. This board is hijacked by people, who never come around Apple products. Their entire knowledge is the collection of quotes pinched here and there on the web. You can tell them all you want about incompatibilities of OS versions run by iPads and iPhones. They don't know what that is about.
Agreed. It goes both ways. Clueless Android users do the same. I'm pretty respectful on this board, but I've noticed that not everyone is. Some have called my posts "stupid" and have even called me "loser," etc.
I may make a general reference to "clueless" iPhone users, but I don't bash a specific poster. Believe me, there are plenty of clueless Android/Blackberry/Winmo users as well.
One fact, though, is that I'm far from clueless.
Good points and well stated. I agree that it's certainly not the same business model. I also never stated that Android is NOT fragmented--it's just that I'm tired of hearing that statement because it affects the overall user experience less than it once did. If it was such a barrier to a good experience, then I think one would agree that Android wouldn't be where it is today in terms of market share and adoption rate. We cannot ignore the fact that Android is the only OS to have actually gained market share while every other one has lost share.
I can certainly see your point about the terminology. I dislike people using obsolete when obsolescing is more accurate, especially when they refer to a new computerized device as making the previous model obsolete.
Perhaps we should use a clearly term, e.g.: linear fragmentation v. divergent fragmentation.
Regardless, I respect your points but still must state that iOS still has own fragmentation issue. Look what happened with iOS on the 3G. It was an absolutely disaster.
That was a bug and shouldn?t be included in a debate about fragmentation, unless you want to discuss the way Apple likely fragments their dev teams putting the most gifted on the iPhone 4, the next on the 3GS and the rest on the 3G.
Apple needs to diversify its iphone segments.
An Iphone Nano/Mini with a lover price point could do it.
The SonyEricsson mini experia 10 is an exempel that people wants smaller smart phones.
It looks sweet.
But do they add thickness to make up for the smaller faceplate? In the pics, it looks thick. I keep my phone in my front pocket, so thickness is more important to me than the circumference.
And screen size is important, especially with these little mini-screens that they use on phones. If anything, I'd want one of the new phones with screens larger than the iPhone, not smaller. I find myself using the iPhone less and less frequently for any task I can do on a bigger screen.
For example, I get notifications from certain networking sites. Its great getting the notification on my phone. But I walk over to the computer to read (and especially to respond) to the message.
I disagree. Even if the OS were better, it wouldn't matter cuz the hardware is junk.
I had to borrow a friends android phone while camping. My iPhone had no signal, and his had a weak one. I tried to make a call, and the phone reboot itself. This happened 2 more times before I moved around thinking it was a signal issue. It finally worked.
If the phone can't make the call due to a weak signal, why would it reboot???
On a separate occasion, we were out looking for a place to eat. I asked him to look up a place on google and after trying a few times, he had to reboot it. He said its finicky and he has to reboot it sometimes because it gets slow".
Why would anyone put up with this garbage? They just don't know any better.
Sure andorid is much better than the crap phones used to have... but iOS is in much higher class.
But what what stands out in your "i hate anything not Apple" anecdote is why didn't you do any of those things on YOUR iPhone? because you couldn't. The android phone (which phone and carrier?) was the only one working and with a signal....
A previous comment nailed it. As App Developers, we develop for 4 platforms - iOS, Android, Windows Phone and webOS, but when it comes to pricing a warranty for a client for an Android App, we have to consider - Dell Android? HTC Android? Samsung Android? 2.1? 2.2? Screen resolution? etc. etc.
It's very interesting you don't develop for BlackBerry. Why not? Thoughts on BlackBerry 6?
As a company that designs and build custom iOS-specific Chips, Batteries, Screens, Hardware and Software, Apple does create supply problems for itself. But not being able to build products fast enough to satisfy demand is a problem I'd like to have.
Maybe you, but not me, not here. When there's such a demand for phones, that you're losing sales, this is a more serious problem than most think. It's one thing if customers hear "Sorry, five-week wait", and they choose to wait. That's one thing. But it's a whole 'nuther story if they walk out of the store with an Android phone. Those people may be satisfied with Android, and buy apps, and stick with the platform. That's lost money on Apple's end, for years on end. If Apple made enough to keep up with demand, then perhaps they could sell over 200,000 per day.
Right now, Apple makes about 160,000 iPhones per day, and that's not enough. Foxconn's building another factory that will make another 200,000 per day, meaning within a year, Apple could make 360,000 iPhones per day. But another thing I hear is that smartphone demand is increasing by 100% year to year. So it's not impossible to think that by 2012, demand for iPhones could reach 500,000 per day. This supply shortage problem is likely a chronic issue for Apple, I'm afraid. It's easier to keep up with iOS demand if Apple allows multiple manufacturers to use many more factories to build iOS phones. Steve won't do that, however, and I can't entirely blame him for that.
The one thing that may save Apple, here, is Android's Oracle patent suit. If Apple and Microsoft can work separately or together to sell to HTC, Samsung, and all these other Android makers, the concept that continuing to support the platform is an expensive mistake, then perhaps the Android makers will stop developing Android products. Then, customers would be forced to switch from Android. This gives Apple the chance to, in the meantime, build enough factories to make a million iPhones, or more, per day, and hopefully get back on the right track with supply vs. demand.
I'm sure some people want a smaller phone, but most of the Android handsets I've seen are as big or even bigger than the iPhone. That tells me there's a big market for large screen phones.
But it tells you nothing about whether there is a significant market for small form-factor phones.
IMO, future "phones" will not be standalone devices that you carry separately. They will be integrated into other common stuff, or fit completely within the ear like a bluetooth headset or a hearing aid.
There's already integration of the phone into your pocket computer, but as of now, the phone function is what is emphasized. I think that the concept of "phone which is kinda like a crappy little computer" will be replaced by "hot shit pocket computer, which, of course, also includes a phone".
Just curious.