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At least with the iPhone there's a clearly documented and understandable progression of models, each obviously and unambiguously better than the one before. I

At least with the iPhone there's a clearly documented and understandable progression of models, each obviously and unambiguously better than the one before. I wouldn't know where to start with Android, let alone how to explain it to someone who doesn't care about anything other than having a nice mobile telephone. There's also the issue of upgrades. Every iPhone user can run the latest OS (minus the features the hardware can't support), and it's easy to upgrade without losing your data. How do you explain the Android upgrade process to an Android user?

LaPingvino 16y ago
Things get clearer when you look from a phone maker's point of view. Android's goal is to be there for phone makers to be put on their new phones. Just like Symbian and the like. You can make iPhone-killer phones with it. You can make crap with it. We all want iPhone-killer phones so we can show off, right? But that's not the point of the OS. That's the duty of the phone makers. For a fair comparison, compare e.g. the Nexus One with the iPhone, not Android as a whole.
- masklinn 16y ago
  You missed the issue he was trying to point out. If you want to choose an iPhone, you have a 3GS (low end), a 4/16 and a 4/32. The progression from one to the other is clear and well delineated, the choice is not hard. Now if you want an android phone, you have the N1, the Evo 4G, the Droid Incredible (which is not the same thing as the Droid or the Droid Eris), the Desire and probably half a dozen others for the latest generation on Snapdragon and 2.1 alone.
  - dagw 16y ago
    Look at it the other way around. If you want an iPhone, you have essentially one from factor to chose from. If you don't like it, tough. With Android I can pick the hardware features I want, screen size, processor speed and battery life, camera quality, hardware keyboard etc. etc. and then pick up the phone that fulfils my requirement list. Basically it all depends which approach you take to buying a phone. Do you start with an OS requirement or do you start with a set of hardware and form-factor requirements.
ZeroGravitas 16y ago
I admit I've not gone through this yet but have been looking into how my wife's nexus one will upgrade to froyo, but I was under the impression that your phone just got the update over the air, I assume it tells you it's updated and restarts. Is this wrong? edit: no it looks like it's right: http://google.com/support/android/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=173738 http://google.com/support/android/bin/answer.py?hl=en&an... I'd guess it's only going to get easier now that they're out of the early sprint stage and most of the "apps" part of the OS (e.g. maps, directions, browser as opposed to the JIT) will simply just get better.
- masklinn 16y ago
  That's for the N1. Most Android-bearing phones are not N1s, and their ability to be updated at all depends on both the builder and the carrier. Many earlier (as in "from last year") android phones still cannot get 2.1 (let alone Froyo) via official channel. Some likely won't ever.
masklinn 16y ago
> Every iPhone user can run the latest OS (minus the features the hardware can't support) Not entirely true: the 2G does not get iOS 4 at all, and the 3G likely won't get iOS5.

LaPingvino 16y ago

Things get clearer when you look from a phone maker's point of view. Android's goal is to be there for phone makers to be put on their new phones. Just like Symbian and the like. You can make iPhone-killer phones with it. You can make crap with it. We all want iPhone-killer phones so we can show off, right? But that's not the point of the OS. That's the duty of the phone makers. For a fair comparison, compare e.g. the Nexus One with the iPhone, not Android as a whole.

masklinn 16y ago
You missed the issue he was trying to point out. If you want to choose an iPhone, you have a 3GS (low end), a 4/16 and a 4/32. The progression from one to the other is clear and well delineated, the choice is not hard. Now if you want an android phone, you have the N1, the Evo 4G, the Droid Incredible (which is not the same thing as the Droid or the Droid Eris), the Desire and probably half a dozen others for the latest generation on Snapdragon and 2.1 alone.
- dagw 16y ago
  Look at it the other way around. If you want an iPhone, you have essentially one from factor to chose from. If you don't like it, tough. With Android I can pick the hardware features I want, screen size, processor speed and battery life, camera quality, hardware keyboard etc. etc. and then pick up the phone that fulfils my requirement list. Basically it all depends which approach you take to buying a phone. Do you start with an OS requirement or do you start with a set of hardware and form-factor requirements.

ZeroGravitas 16y ago

I admit I've not gone through this yet but have been looking into how my wife's nexus one will upgrade to froyo, but I was under the impression that your phone just got the update over the air, I assume it tells you it's updated and restarts. Is this wrong? edit: no it looks like it's right: http://google.com/support/android/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=173738 http://google.com/support/android/bin/answer.py?hl=en&an... I'd guess it's only going to get easier now that they're out of the early sprint stage and most of the "apps" part of the OS (e.g. maps, directions, browser as opposed to the JIT) will simply just get better.

masklinn 16y ago
That's for the N1. Most Android-bearing phones are not N1s, and their ability to be updated at all depends on both the builder and the carrier. Many earlier (as in "from last year") android phones still cannot get 2.1 (let alone Froyo) via official channel. Some likely won't ever.

masklinn 16y ago

> Every iPhone user can run the latest OS (minus the features the hardware can't support) Not entirely true: the 2G does not get iOS 4 at all, and the 3G likely won't get iOS5.