Android spanking iOS in world's BIGGEST mobile market

[afv011]

Android is absolutely creaming iOS in the world’s biggest mobile phone market, according to new stats from Beijing-based Analysys International, which estimate the Google platform now accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Chinese smartphones.

Source

[ilovejedd]

Frankly, the only reason why the iPhone (and smartphones in general) have major marketshare in the US is because people don't have to pay full price for the device. If people had to pay full price for it (iPhone 4 8GB: $549; iPhone 4S 16GB: $649, 32GB: $749, 64GB: $849), there'd be a lot less people using the iPhone.

Meanwhile, you can buy low-end Android phones for as low as $100 without contract.

[Jadon]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

you can buy low-end Android phones for as low as $100 without contract.

As low as $50 on sale. I paid $70 for mine, and use it like an iPod. It's quite sufficient for audiobooks, simple games, FBreader in the doctor's office. (It also paid for itself, since I use it to run an app for a site to which I belong, making a buck a day.) I never use it as a phone, since I'm not the phone type.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by Jadon

As low as $50 on sale. I paid $70 for mine, and use it like an iPod. It's quite sufficient for audiobooks, simple games, FBreader in the doctor's office. (It also paid for itself, since I use it to run an app for a site to which I belong, making a buck a day.) I never use it as a phone, since I'm not the phone type.

I do the same thing with my older Android phone. It's a great little media thing for one of the kids to sit in the back seat and watch cartoons on.

I see cheap Android phones all the time, and will often do a quick Google search to see how well they hold up and if they have better specs/performance than my old phone to see if it's worth "upgrading" for a bigger screen or something.

[ectoplasm]

What? No mention of Microsoft's feeble attempt at a phone OS? ;-) It's nice to see the situation reversed in the phone space as compared to the desktop. Now if only MS can be unseated from their desktop monopoly, the sweetness would be complete.

[afv011]

Android has really matured over the past months, it's heads and shoulders above the competition.

Those who think that iOS is easier to use and "just works", should watch this video.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by afv011

Android has really matured over the past months, it's heads and shoulders above the competition.

Those who think that iOS is easier to use and "just works", should watch this video.

Good video, I agree with everything he said, however he does really highlight Android strengths, though they are features that are very important to me.


=X=

[Dopedangel]

I think it will take 2 years more for Android to really reach its true potential as Google is slowly removing stuff from android that hinders or takes time for OEM to modify. One of the major reason that majority of the people are still using gingerbread. And still manufacturers are releasing new devices with gingerbread.
In 2 years I expect Android to reach a point where it can be updated over the air without breaking the skins and mods put in by OEM over it.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

I think it will take 2 years more for Android to really reach its true potential as Google is slowly removing stuff from android that hinders or takes time for OEM to modify. One of the major reason that majority of the people are still using gingerbread. And still manufacturers are releasing new devices with gingerbread.
In 2 years I expect Android to reach a point where it can be updated over the air without breaking the skins and mods put in by OEM over it.

ICS has already taken steps in that direction, the OEMs have to agree to somewhat more stricter rules when releasing Android phones so there is less divergence and hence it is easier to upgrade devices further down the road.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by afv011

Android has really matured over the past months, it's heads and shoulders above the competition.

Those who think that iOS is easier to use and "just works", should watch this video.

Even knowing all of the stuff in the video, having been an Android user, I switched to iOS and haven't looked back. I found that, for me, the consistency of performance and behavior far outweighed all of the things that he pointed out.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by =X=

Good video, I agree with everything he said, however he does really highlight Android strengths, though they are features that are very important to me.


=X=

Yes, great video. Don't miss Part 2 and Part 3.

[monkeyluis]

Originally Posted by afv011

Android has really matured over the past months, it's heads and shoulders above the competition.

Those who think that iOS is easier to use and "just works", should watch this video.

I did watch it. & I have always thought ICS was beautiful, & wish my iOS device would do a few of the things it doe. But he was not completey honest in a few areas or may just not have known how to properly use iOS.

[monkeyluis]

Originally Posted by afv011

Yes, great video. Don't miss Part 2 and Part 3.

So I'm watching part 2. Ummm, I can do quite a bit of what's he's saying. Lol. He is not even close to being honest or really doesn't know how iPhone works. Seriously, I'll give him plenty of pluses the android category, but c'mon.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

So I'm watching part 2. Ummm, I can do quite a bit of what's he's saying. Lol. He is not even close to being honest or really doesn't know how iPhone works. Seriously, I'll give him plenty of pluses the android category, but c'mon.

He said more than once that he had an iPhone for three weeks. He was also showing an iPad 3 -- if that was his first iPad he may have had a combined experience of less than a month on iOS, which isn't much.

[monkeyluis]

Originally Posted by twowheels

He said more than once that he had an iPhone for three weeks. He was also showing an iPad 3 -- if that was his first iPad he may have had a combined experience of less than a month on iOS, which isn't much.

Yeah I know. Which is why I'm confused as to his half truths. He said you can save a link on the desktop & then have it on the phone. iOS can do this. He mentioned having all of his bookmarks sync'd between devices, while he didn't mention specifically that iOS can't do this, he is creating a device vs device video, point is that this can also be done with ios. He says you can't buy an app on the desktop & have it automagically go to your iOS device, wrong, it's entirely possible. He was trying to copy an address in a different browser without success & making it the fault of ios, this is wrong, in safari this can be done. He has that search bar up top, cool. Then mentions the search bar in ios, but fails to mention it will also search the web, not just co tacts, apps, mail, etc. Siri can also give you all types of results as well, but he fails to mention that. We don't have widgets though. I wouldn't mind those. & system wide sharing I would like.

Those are just a few examples.