Google Android passes Apple's iPhone in total US subscribers - comScore

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  • Reply 81 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Since one having slightly more or less OS marketshare isn?t an indicator of which one will be a better experience for an end user shouldn?t this entire article and discussion be a moot point?



    Having slightly more or less market share doesn't matter very much. Having a sufficient market share does. I figure that Apple and Android are likely to have sufficient market share for the foreseeable future, at least enough to attract developers and achieve sufficient economies of scale (at least among the major Android manufacturers).



    What I don't quite get is the stridency. Why can't both sides simply accept that competition is driving innovation and lower prices on both platforms. Both platforms seem to be evolving pretty quickly.



    As an end user, I don't really care if Apple is making high profits. It's not to my advantage and excessive profits rarely lead to efficient economic outcomes. As an end user I don't care which firms has a marginal advantage in market share.



    It's actually a shame because it drives out all rational discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each platform.
  • Reply 82 of 163
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    MS still holding onto about 10%. I think WP7 will be more successful than many think. I’d certainly choose it today over Android.



    Wow, am surprised there. I wouldn't get WP7 if it was given to me for free. And it's not just fanboism, WP7 has no good apps, a decent browsers and a terrible UI. I would rather keep a feature phone to tell you the truth. If I had to switch from iOS I would say Android or Palm would be my choices, though both OSs offer a worse experience then iOS in my view.
  • Reply 83 of 163
    penchantedpenchanted Posts: 1,070member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rigelian View Post


    As an end user, I don't really care if Apple is making high profits. It's not to my advantage and excessive profits rarely lead to efficient economic outcomes. As an end user I don't care which firms has a marginal advantage in market share.



    As a consumer, I am most interested in finding a solution which I feel is competitively priced and offers the most value. Each of us needs to work out our own value equation but I never think to myself "this company has a great product at a competitive price but I think they make too much money on it."
  • Reply 84 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ollebolle View Post


    an Android platform that is many times more wide spread than the iOS platform. That's why developers would be more likely to pass up on the iOS platform than the Android platform.



    ..



    iOs will never have as many applications, because Apple has a moral responsibility to curate their user's experience. There's plenty of porn on Android, so right there there's lots more Android software. But iOS software is much higher quality and has higher moral standards.



    If people want porn, they can buy an Android phone. There?s a porn store for Android. You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn, and your kids can download porn. That's the reality of Android.
  • Reply 85 of 163
    Wow, it took like, how many handsets/carriers? ...against 2-3 SKUs max on AT&T alone.



    In other news, Windows outsells MAC OS X...
  • Reply 86 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by penchanted View Post


    As a consumer, I am most interested in finding a solution which I feel is competitively priced and offers the most value. Each of us needs to work out our own value equation but I never think to myself "this company has a great product at a competitive price but I think they make too much money on it."



    You basically assume the question away by saying "competitively priced". As a consumer I would prefer that pricing shifts value from the manufacturer to the consumer. Why ? Because I am a consumer. Why would any rational consumer want it otherwise? If I am a shareholder my interests would be different.



    I still don't get it. Everyone has slightly different consumer preferences why would anyone expect everyone to align around the same platform? This is not a market that has such massive scale issues that it would lead to a natural monopoly.



    What this seemingly has devolved to is something akin to an argument of favorite sports teams, with increasingly dubious arguments being made for and against each. All heat, no light.
  • Reply 87 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MrGoodkat View Post


    Who cares about the figures, I have loved each and every one of my iPhones, and have no intention of swapping to another handset. Same reason why we only have Macs in our home, very reliable, they do exactly what you need and very stylish to boot



    Well said, my family are the same.



    When I have to bring in a Windoze laptop (Dell) home as I am on over night support, both my children identify it immediately, "Dad why are you bring that piece of crap (PC) home".

    They should know they have to use them at school, most times they don't work at all, or you have to wait forever while they boot.

    How come my 9 year old G4 boots in around 10 secs, my 5 year old MBP, in about 30 - 45 secs, while that pile of dog droppings (Dell laptop) takes 5 mins and 7 secs (yes I timed it on my iPhone).

    How come? The silence is deafening from the M$ apologists.

    This is just one example out of a hundred why Apple are the best.



    As long as Apple continues to innovate (let the copiers copy) and brings out great products, makes lots of money in doing so, so that the cycle perpetuates to infinity, then I will be happy.
  • Reply 88 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by m0rdread View Post


    This is a direct result of Apple’s love affair with AT&T. I understand AT&T took a risk when no one else did, but by the time the iPhone 3Gs came around, Apple should have offered it to any and all carriers that wanted it.



    By that time, the iPhone was an established hit, and I am sure carriers would be willing to work with Apple to get the phone on their networks. Oh and one cannot say the “quality” of AT&T network is what kept them on it. Because around this time there were floods of complaints on the internet about dropped calls, slow data, etc… Steve was even asked about this on occasion.



    Apple should have even made a CDMA version. Steve should have come on stage and said, here is the iPhone 3Gs, available on ALL networks! Why limit your customer base to just ONE carrier?



    Sure this would not have stopped Android, but it would have slowed it down significantly. Even now, with all the Verizon rumors going around, why are they just limiting themselves to Verizon?!?!? In EVERY other country in the world, the iPhone is available to more than one carrier. So why does Apple continue to have this love affair with AT&T?!?!?!?



    They don’t have to license iOS to others. They first have to make sure that everyone that wants an iPhone can get one. I for one flat out refuse to pay AT&T inflated prices. T-Mobile is much more economical for me, and the coverage is just as good at ATT in my area. Some people love Verizon, others Sprint, still others some other carrier, why should they be denied the phone?



    Simple really, if you did some research, Apple refused ATT to touch their phone in anyway, that means branding it, bloatware, skins etc. Apple has full control, as they should, this ensure that the UI experience is the ultimate for their customers.

    OS updates are not at the mercy of the carriers.

    Now androyd phones, well that is another story, which has been discussed a great deal here, so I won't go into it, you can check the archives on AI to educate yourself.
  • Reply 89 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tawilson View Post


    Yes and no. Apple is being forced to up their game and are doing a bloody good job, so far.



    However on the Android side of things, they aren't looking so great. The platform has got more fragmented. Phones from manufacturers are being locked out of new OS updates 6 months after they are released. More and more app stores are cropping up for the same platform, some with very potentially awful consequences/clauses (for developers - who incidentally help drive the usefulness/desire of a device), such as Amazon's awful "fire sale" policy.



    Android is looking more and more shite by the minute. Android 3.0 has thrown UI consistency and clarity out of the window and that's just on Google's apps. It's turning it a shocking mess. And there is still no decent way for developers to monetize their applications, especially globally.



    Thats what I tell the androyd fans, but their skulls are impervious to facts or logic.

    Just multiple this situation by a magnitude of 10, when all the tables are out there, and even more handsets, especially the el cheapos from China.

    My question is this, how will Joe or June Average be able to pick one from the others ?

    Choice is good, too much choice is not so good, way, way TOO much choice is a disaster, but standing on the pedestal is the one and true original, the iPad or its soon to be cousin, iPad 2.

    Which one would you choose if you were in this situation. Especially if you owned one previously or knew friends who did.
  • Reply 90 of 163
    penchantedpenchanted Posts: 1,070member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rigelian View Post


    You basically assume the question away by saying "competitively priced". As a consumer I would prefer that pricing shifts value from the manufacturer to the consumer. Why ? Because I am a consumer. Why would any rational consumer want it otherwise? If I am a shareholder my interests would be different.



    I agree - as a consumer, I would prefer to shift value from the manufacturer to myself.



    I have not assumed away the question because value is also a part of the equation and something that helps to determine if a product is "competitively priced." People make these choices every day: should I buy the store brand, the mainstream national brand or some premium brand without ever considering the companies' profitability. It always comes down to price and perceived value.
  • Reply 91 of 163
    So Apple is DOOMED?
  • Reply 92 of 163
    dskdsk Posts: 18member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by m0rdread View Post


    This is a direct result of Apple?s love affair with AT&T. I understand AT&T took a risk when no one else did, but by the time the iPhone 3Gs came around, Apple should have offered it to any and all carriers that wanted it.



    It's not love affair. It was apple doing extortion on cell operators on who is going to give them 10% share of every call being made. That being said, it's perfectly legal as long as both parties think they have interest in it and what they did they passed the costs on the consumer, YOU.



    If apple as a company makes such huge profits that means that the company charges you much more than it spends on everything else, so you pay quite a high premium. Which is of course also not bad as long as you know what you're getting into and understand that they do it for shareholders and not for you.
  • Reply 93 of 163
    dskdsk Posts: 18member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Google maybe the free OS but the actual money and risk is being put in by the manufacturers who are all going to be cutting each other's throats. Apple meanwhile sale on.



    That was the same model that worked successfully with windows platform. You have 5-6 major producers of hw that have significant share and a trillion of minor ones. None of them with some development strategy seems to be in problems after 20 years of pursuing of same platform.
  • Reply 94 of 163
    penchantedpenchanted Posts: 1,070member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dsk View Post


    If apple as a company makes such huge profits that means that the company charges you much more than it spends on everything else, so you pay quite a high premium. Which is of course also not bad as long as you know what you're getting into and understand that they do it for shareholders and not for you.



    You do realize that the vast majority of iPhone users have no idea of Apple's profitability.



    Oil companies, cable companies and cell carriers, yes; handset makers and CE companies, not so much.
  • Reply 95 of 163
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    What about when you throw in tablet users (iPad) and other device (iPod Touch) all using iOS, all able to be targeted by the same developers on the iOS platform.



    Then there's the fact that America isn't the iPhone's only market, that the majority of iPhones are sold outside the US..



    The numbers the fanboys conveniently forget.



    Well since the US only takes up 5% of the worlds population you would hope that the majority of the sales are outside the US.
  • Reply 96 of 163
    avidfcpavidfcp Posts: 381member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Which trend? Zero profits?



    Hi. I have an iPhone last gen. Contract up for wife and I. Now, rather than knock, drop, kick et-cetera, the Droids, as I keeps looking at the iPhone 4, let's just say that evryone I know that has one of the newer one, loves it and there are some orrery cool apps out there too to keep you busy for a long time. My favorite is a simple bouceback text you can on and off, so if your really busy and keeps texting you, they get an automated reply saying whatever you want, like thanks for texting me but I am busy at the moment. Then there are a few that have flash as well as allow you to watch netflix for you phone free if you have any netflix agreement.



    Some phones also had face time before the iPhone and also world over 3g:4G and while I don't think Apple has anything to worry about, yet, operative word being "yet", Google started as a search engine, now has

    this, their OS and who knows what else. Their online mail app gets stinger every day

    and fore, while mobile me has some cool stuff, it's buying it on Amazon

    for almost half the price, it's having the @mac that keeps me, otherwise I would have dumped it a few years ago. It's late and I got up to go to the bathroom so HAPPY NRW YEAR AND BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS. MAY YOU ALL HAVE AN AWESOME 2011 WITH MANY DREAMS COMING TRUE!!!



    That said Apple needs to get on the ball. They all but dropppef the Pro Creative with updates to slow )Logic, 64 bit FCP) and at the same time release a mid- range tower, add more memory slots for quad which should be in threes asr adding something in the 4th slows it down, so 3, 6, 9. Add newer FireWire,er optical, USB 3. More FireWire for iMacs ( both should be the faster FireWire and USB. And for the phones figure out a netflix and free tv websites without flash or in time they could get into a bind as Googles OS is not out yet they offer almost eveything mme offers free and like I said Droid lover really LOVE their droids and tgis is just not going to go away, Google will get stinger, for example Google TVs that work wirelessly with game consoles, phone, datebook, calander. Like I said, their online email has many plug INS that do some preety powerful things already. Apple simply cannot sit on their laurels. Not this time



    tower
  • Reply 97 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    My verizon friend just bought a Droid X due to her old phone finally burning out. They practically gave away the DroidX phone. She didn't have to pay anything for it except just an extra $10/mo for the plan. That kind of gives me an idea about what they're doing.



    She was actually waiting for an iPhone and knows about the impending arrival. She just could not wait any more. What a pity as the first thing she mentioned about her DroidX is how complicated it is to use. She has an iPod touch and loved its simplicity.



    How can one compete when shops are practically giving the phones away?







    No offence, but if she can't figure out Android in a few days then she's better off with a Nokia and an ipod click-wheel. It's not rocket science, Apple have just dumbed things down so much that people mistake a lack of choice for simplicity of use. Try getting music on and off without itunes, or getting it to work with bluetooth in your car and see how simple Apple make it.



    With regards to the Verizon iPhone, it affects no-one outside of the US, and to be honest it will leave a vacuum at AT&T, one they will have to fill. Guess what platform they will fill it with? You will see a lot of the marketing dollars that AT&T used for the iphone now promoting Android (and other platforms such as webOS, WP7 and Meego when it arrives.) It will make an interesting study.
  • Reply 98 of 163
    jetzjetz Posts: 1,293member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ollebolle View Post


    seriously? now its google + samsung + LG + philips + sony ericsson + every other android device maker vs Apple when it comes to platforms



    the levels are not equal



    Why not?



    The goalposts seem to be moving all the time. First the argument was that all Androids would never outsell the iPhone. Seriously. Go back and read comments on this forum from early 2010. Then when that happened, the argument changed to, "Just wait for the iPhone 4." The iPhone 4 didn't do anything to stop Android's momentum. Then Jobs cleverly changed the debate by make it all about all iOS devices. Now that's the new goalpost?



    What's the goalpost going to be once the flood of Android tablets start doing to the iPad what Android did to the iPhone's numbers?



    And yes it should be all those OEMs + Google. Because Google is not a hardware company and those OEMs don't make the software. So the comparison makes sense. This is also why this whole Google made $1 billion from mobile and Apple made $30 billion from mobile doesn't make sense either. Google doesn't get hardware profits.



    None of this is to detract from Apple's success. They make phenomenal products (some of which I love and use). But the twisted fanboy logic just gets ridiculous sometimes.



    I'd suggest that the only comparison that matters for consumers is total ecosystem marketshare. That's what attracts developers. And of course, if you are a shareholder, then profit shares matter. Consumers who extol the virtues of profit share though seem rather moronic too me. Only fanboys take pride in fattening a company's profits.
  • Reply 99 of 163
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jetz View Post


    Why not?



    The goalposts seem to be moving all the time. First the argument was that all Androids would never outsell the iPhone. Seriously. Go back and read comments on this forum from early 2010. Then when that happened, the argument changed to, "Just wait for the iPhone 4." The iPhone 4 didn't do anything to stop Android's momentum. Then Jobs cleverly changed the debate by make it all about all iOS devices. Now that's the new goalpost?



    What's the goalpost going to be once the flood of Android tablets start doing to the iPad what Android did to the iPhone's numbers?



    And yes it should be all those OEMs + Google. Because Google is not a hardware company and those OEMs don't make the software. So the comparison makes sense. This is also why this whole Google made $1 billion from mobile and Apple made $30 billion from mobile doesn't make sense either. Google doesn't get hardware profits.



    None of this is to detract from Apple's success. They make phenomenal products (some of which I love and use). But the twisted fanboy logic just gets ridiculous sometimes.



    I'd suggest that the only comparison that matters for consumers is total ecosystem marketshare. That's what attracts developers. And of course, if you are a shareholder, then profit shares matter. Consumers who extol the virtues of profit share though seem rather moronic too me. Only fanboys take pride in fattening a company's profits.



    exactly
  • Reply 100 of 163
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jetz View Post


    Why not?



    The goalposts seem to be moving all the time. First the argument was that all Androids would never outsell the iPhone. Seriously. Go back and read comments on this forum from early 2010. Then when that happened, the argument changed to, "Just wait for the iPhone 4." The iPhone 4 didn't do anything to stop Android's momentum. Then Jobs cleverly changed the debate by make it all about all iOS devices. Now that's the new goalpost?



    The majority of posters here have been stating that Android should best iOS in OS marketshare. It?s a free OS that can be used by all and iOS is only used on Apple?s products. That alone should tell you that Android The fact that it took Android long to creep ahead of a iOS is the real story here.
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