Google has announced a raft of new services which take Android a few steps closer to iOS in terms of media handling, but they are still somewhat disparate in the way they will be delivered to the user. The fight will come down to an all-in-one service verses multiple services which potentially offer more flexibility.
MUSIC
Music Beta lets Android users, and desktop web browser users, upload their own music to Googles online space and then stream it whenever they want to. This is similar to the recently launched Cloud service from Amazon, but is potentially much more flexible. Licensing agreements with music publishers are still to be signed, but this is a good start for Android.
We don’t have an official Google music store at this time, but for most users (including those using iOS) Amazon provides a more than capable solution here.
FILM
Movie rentals will be coming to the Android Market and films can be streamed to desktops, Android smartphone and tablets. The pricing looks competitive and the model has a big advantage in that there are few alternatives for Android users, as I discussed here today. I received an email last Friday suggesting Google were going to launch this and my journalistic eye told me that it wouldn’t happen anytime soon- shows what I know!
There were many other announcements yesterday which show that Android will have a lot of weight, and money, behind it for some time to come.
So, today’s question of the day is… Are you tempted by Android more today that a few days ago and do you think that Android is catching iOS in almost every area?
My personal view is that Android is quickly catching iOS in multiple areas, particularly smartphone hardware where some devices have surpassed the iPhone 4, but that it has slightly further to go to match iOS for stability, consistency and overall user experience. What I also see is Android developing much faster than iOS which leads me to believe that it will catch up in almost all areas sooner rather than later. This is ultimately good for all smartphone users because even the mighty Apple will have to respond, and only a fool would bet against something remarkable coming out of Cupertino this year.
While you ponder your answer, consider this.
New features, but will a new handset be required to access them? Manufacturers and networks are terrible at providing Android updates. You are normally stuck with the version shipped with the handset.
In respect to Austin, OS updates must be an area to be avoided for Telcos especially considering how the Telco have a habit of “tampering” with the OS prior to model release. The last thing they probably want to do is have to test OS updates + modifications with existing handsets since they are too busy “tampering” with the new handsets.
This is why I buy unlocked handsets only.
I am holding great hope for Android as my next handset, for one thing, I am sick of on-screen keyboards, and I doubt Apple are going to provide a model with a physical keyboard. And Android’s widget screen/s would appear to hold the best information summary options I have seen so far, unlike (non-jailbroken) iOS and WP7.
These internet based media provision options may be enthusiastically embraced by some, but I habour concerns about external agencies maintaining records about what movies and music I own, and where I should listen too it. One database glitch or hack could wipe out your collection. I much prefer buying media on CD/DVD/BD and then transporting it to the device of my choice, be it player under TV or something more portable.
Shaun made the point in the last paragraph. Android is “catching up” to iOS in these areas. I already have something that handles media. Is Android or anything else that much better that I have to have it? Not for me. The news is interesting but that’s all.
I look forward to the next iOS without worrying about providers or openness or closedness, or locked or unlocked. While it may seen slow at times, I do appreciate an incremental and evolutionary approach rather than a revolutionary approach that requires me to learn lots of new interface features all at once.
Bob
It is a start but the key issue I have is “Stream”.
Who is going to pay for the huge data costs of streaming your own music? This was not mentioned anywhere.
It is ok that the Apple TV streams films, but its at home in a fixed environment running off my broadband without the same data capping as a mobile phone contract has.
@gavinfabl : Good point! I’m sure the Telco’s would be more than happy to charge you for that.
Given the price of RAM expansions, and the sheer size of them, why would you bother. Unless, of course, you bought a handset that doesn’t have much memory, or allow expansion (ie. iOS, WP7, or WebOS).
Or maybe that’s the plan….