Yesterday at the Google Developer Conference, an announcement was made that Google is activating 100,000 Android handsets every day. If we take that figure and exclude Sundays, that makes 2.6 million per month and 31.2 million per year. There is no guarantee that this figure will remain so high and also no guarantee that it won’t go further, but at first glance this means that Android is on course to become the largest smartphone OS by far very soon.
With this kind of momentum, the Google Market will surely improve and so will the methods to get music and films to each device. With the ability to install apps and games to memory cards, the green light has been given for some stellar titles to make their way over and at last the iPhone could have some real competition.
This is great news for everyone, including iPhone users.
I would suggest with the HTC HD2, Incredible, Desire & Evo 4G the iPhone already has good competitors. Many of my colleagues have selected the Desire over the iPhone; unfortunately the Desire is very very short supply at the moment (especailly on Orange).
“I would suggest with the HTC HD2, Incredible, Desire & Evo 4G the iPhone already has good competitors.”
On the hardware front, maybe. I think Shaun was referring to the relative quantity and quality of apps available for both platforms and the lack of an equivalent to the iTunes ecosystem on Android.
Do we have to see them as direct competitors? There is a huge market for smartphones and a wide diversity of people. Personally I am not bothered about an iTunes type of ecosystem but I know that others love it. The brilliance of the iPhone is that it is so intuitive to use. Android seems to appeal to more geeky types (and I’m putting myself in that category). I actually don’t want it to become more like the iPhone. I want choice.
Android has to widen its appeal beyond “geeky types” if Google wants to capture a broader cross-section of the population. Android’s numbers look good at the moment primarily because it is widely available on every carrier in the US while the iPhone is available on only one. If the iPhone were on Verizon it would be a different story, I suspect. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world Android is fairing less well.
Of course, there’s no need for Android to look and feel exactly like the iPhone, but the lack of an ecosystem of media and entertainment services like iTunes is a definite gap, as is the paucity of really good third party apps and games. Some of the moves made by Google recently may plug those gaps, as Shaun rightly points out. However, there are still roughly twice as many iPhone OS devices (excluding the iPad) being sold each quarter worldwide as there are Android devices, so perhaps it’s a bit premature to be discussing Android dominance.
For me apples Eco system is what makes the whole experience worth while. The iPod touch first opened that up to me. Next Friday my ipad (seriously can’t come quick enough) and finances permitting an iPhone 4g and in an ideal world a mac too.
I do love my hd2, but somehow less might be more.
I should probably clarify what I meant. I don’t mind if there is a iTunes type ecosystem. I realise that this will broaden Android’s appeal. What I don’t want to happen is that we get locked into that ecosysytem. Part of Android’s appeal is that you can tweak it & do things differently. You want to install a dodgy beta prog which might brick your phone, you can. Custom rom: no prob.
I’ve seen a few HTC Desires out and about now – and by the look of the owners it’s definitely spread beyond geeks
Competition is good IMO.