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Android Sales Overtake iPhone in the U.S.

148 points by yanw 16y ago

byoung2 16y ago
I think part of the loyalty numbers for iPhone users is the substantial investment they make in other Apple hardware, software, and App Store apps. Unfortunately, I don't have any hard data to back this up, but I imagine a large percentage of iPhone users have at least one other piece of Apple hardware, such as a Mac, iPad, iPod Touch, etc., that works seamlessly alongside the iPhone and iTunes. That makes it tougher to break away from the iPhone. My coworker is one such example. He has an iPhone, a Macbook, and a Mac Mini. He loves the fact that iTunes ties them all together, and wouldn't get a different phone because of it. Android doesn't have that kind of integration, simply because there isn't that tight integration. For example, my girlfriend and I both have Android phones, but everything else we have is Microsoft (2 laptops on XP and Vista, a media center PC and a Viliv S5 tablet on Windows 7, and an XBox 360). If Google could get all of those other devices dependent on Google software like Apple does with iTunes, they'd have a shot at keeping people loyal. You'll also notice that Microsoft missed a big opportunity here. In addition to all of that Microsoft hardware, we used to both have Windows Mobile phones, but there was nothing to tie them all together like iTunes. I would have thought something like XBox Live Marketplace could have worked (e.g. as a central place to buy content for all my devices, share contacts and data, etc.), but Microsoft never executed. Maybe with Windows Phone 7 they will...
- axod 16y ago
  Google showcased a ton of this at Google I/O. Android ties in really well to their webapps, Google TV (If that succeeds), etc. I remember one example was that you can go to maps.google.com and click on a phone icon, and it just sends it straight to your phone which opens a map in the same place. That's really useful integration. I forget the rest of the examples, but they were all pretty 'wow'. I think iTunes is an example of how not to do things. The iPhone is reliant on iTunes completely. With android, it stands on its own and can integrate with other things when you want it to.
  - byoung2 16y ago
    I remember one example was that you can go to maps.google.com and click on a phone icon, and it just sends it straight to your phone which opens a map in the same place That's in Android 2.2...which my phone (HTC Evo 4G) is supposed to be getting today!
    - axod 16y ago
      It's an awesome update. Got mine a few weeks ago now. Wifi access point tethering is awesome.
    - jrockway 16y ago
      You could have had it a few weeks ago, too, as Cyanogen released a stable-ish version for the Evo. (I have been using it since it was released. Getting rid of Sense was well worth the loss of the never-working 4G functionality.)
  - dannyr 16y ago
    If you have Android 2.2/Froyo, you can download both the Chrome Extensions & Android app. http://code.google.com/p/chrometophone/downloads/list http://code.google.com/p/chrometophone/downloads/list
    - Griever 16y ago
      Thanks for the link! This is actually really freaking cool.
    - rodh257 16y ago
      if you don't have 2.2, download an app called 'linkpush' sits in chrome and you click it, copies the url and then you can open the app on your phone to open it.
  - Samuel_Michon 16y ago
    "The iPhone is reliant on iTunes completely." Syncing of email, events, contacts, bookmarks, and files can all be done over the air, through MobileMe. Purchasing and downloading apps, music, podcasts and movies can also be done from the iPhone itself. You only need to connect to iTunes for activation and software updates.
- dlsspy 16y ago
  > He has an iPhone, a Macbook, and a Mac Mini. He loves the fact that iTunes ties them all together, and wouldn't get a different phone because of it. I have a macbook, mac mini, iPad and formerly used an iPhone. iTunes was the worst part of that. I simply never plug any of that stuff into my computer unless I really need to get photos or something off of it. That's a usability pain. It doesn't help that I have more music than can fit on my computer, so I also have to hook up an external drive whenever I use iTunes. Every one of my Apple devices has high speed internet service any time I'm using them. I carry a Nexus One now. My calendars, contact lists, etc... are always up to date. Things Android doesn't ship with are alway up-to-date, such as my instapaper offline reading list, twitter, RSS feeds, SMS and voicemail from google voice and other junk. And speaking of integration, the fact that my browser is notified of my SMS and I can respond from there is just awesome. And when I do respond from my browser, the message is marked as read on my phone. Apple is just way behind here.
  - old-gregg 16y ago
    +1. I absolutely love my Nexus One (we have iPhones in our family) and I believe that N1 represents the "next generation" of mobile devices, if you will. iPhone is stuck in the past - it requires a computer to be fully operational: a few months ago we went overseas and I wanted to put more stuff on it to listen/watch on the plane, but the people we were staying with only had a Linux laptop - iPhone was as useful as brick. Too bad N1 isn't available anymore: the overall experience/quality you get is incredible, plus absolute carrier independence, user experience and overall value: $60/mo for everything on T-Mobile without a contract, including tethering and cheap international calling via Google Voice, and yeah - proper utilization of Internet, without the need to sync with the most retarded piece of software ever known (iTunes). It even plays music to my stereo via Bluetooth: every time I walk into my apartment and experience the song transition from my headphones to my stereo I think "F&&& yeah, the future is here".
    - WiseWeasel 16y ago
      If the iPhone is stuck in the past, then Android devices are stuck in the future. It would be nice if I could transfer all my data from an Android device directly to my computer without having to send it to any third parties. iTunes may certainly be a bloated, unwieldy piece of software, but it offers some powerful functionality missing from the Android platform. As for A2DP stereo over BlueTooth, the iOS platform now supports that as well, though there may still be some limitations that make it less practical than the Android equivalent (possibly a lack of standardized method for controlling the music playback via BlueTooth - not sure if that's been added yet).
- cageface 16y ago
  The integration point for Google's stuff is the cloud, not physical devices. I expect this to gradually become a key differentiating factor. Apple is riding the coattails of an old paradigm, and, like Microsoft before them, they're too invested in the money they're making in the old paradigm to make the sacrifices necessary to properly address the new one.
  - el_chapitan 16y ago
    While I generally agree with your statement, I think that you may be jumping the gun a tad in terms of the market. The "coattails of the old paradigm" are going to be very important so long as a good network connection isn't guaranteed at all times. Amazing strides have been made to improve connectivity, but we're not there yet. So long as we're not there, you will continue to see the old paradigm.
    - cageface 16y ago
      Certainly timing is crucial in these things. Sun might have actually been a little too far ahead of its time in the 90's, for example. Ultimately though we should be thinking of local storage as cache and not anything more privileged.
  - byoung2 16y ago
    The integration point for Google's stuff is the cloud, not physical devices That may be part of the problem with loyalty to Android. If everything is in the cloud, there is nothing tying me to a Google device. When I got my Android phone, I put in my Google account and got all of my contacts from Gmail and Google Voice, etc., but that is nothing new, as I had the same thing on Windows Mobile, and I could get the same thing on iPhone. When you get an iPhone, on the other hand, you have to create an iTunes account, and all the apps you buy, and all the backups for your phone happen there. It makes it easy to get another iPhone, or iPad, or iPod Touch, but it is harder to switch to Android or another platform.
    - billybob 16y ago
      "That may be part of the problem with loyalty to Android. If everything is in the cloud, there is nothing tying me to a Google device." ...Which is exactly why I'd like to get a Google device. And to the loyalty point: you don't HAVE to keep all of your users if you're getting more by the boatload. If the lack of lock-in draws more users than your competitor's lock-in keeps from leaving, hooray! The whole concept of lock-in is misguided. If people are loyal because, even though they DON'T LIKE your product, it's too hard to switch, that means that a lot of your users are out there griping about you. Plus it can't feel good to know that you have to tie your customers down to keep them. At some point, the dislike reaches a critical mass and people start leaving in droves. That's what's happening to BlackBerry now. And it's going to be hard to undo the harm to their reputation that years of frustrated users have done. Whereas if people could have left more easily, they would have seen the problem sooner.
- nlanier 16y ago
  I have an iMac, two macbooks, and an iPod touch. My phone of choice, however, is a Nexus One. After eating the cost of an unsubsidized unit, I pay sixty dollars a month for 900 minutes and unlimited everything else. SIXTY DOLLARS! If the iPhone experience is anything like the iPod touch experience - and I imagine it is - then I am more than happy with the N1. It does everything the iPhone does and it does most things better as far as I can tell.
niccolop 16y ago
I suppose this isn't at all surprising based on the iPhone/At&t tie up. It would be interesting to compare other countries where carriers haven't locked up the iPhone (e.g. UK or France). No doubt android is an excellent platform, but the barriers to obtaining an iPhone seem relatively higher than android.
- bad_user 16y ago
  > No doubt android is an excellent platform, but the barriers to obtaining an iPhone seem relatively higher than android. That's a feature of Android, not something that just happens because of factors outside the control of Apple or Google.
  - el_chapitan 16y ago
    Actually, it is something outside of the control of Google. Admittedly, they made the right choices to allow the OS to spread (I was going to say easier, but really they allowed it to spread at all). This didn't mean, however, that anyone else was going to pick it up and use it.
    - bad_user 16y ago
      Picking up Android is only a matter of how open and capable it is. Developing your in-house mobile OS is not easy or cheap. Companies like HTC/Motorola can't compete with Apple/RIM/Nokia only on hardware quality. Most phones are Java ME enabled for that reason, but it's a shitty platform and everybody knows it.
- ZeroGravitas 16y ago
  The big story in the UK over the last week has been phenomenal Android growth (up 350% in a single quarter). Obviously it's growing from a smaller base, and I don't know how close it is to catching either iPhone or iOS in installed base, but the trendlines look good for it.
TrevorFancher 16y ago
This is only interesting if you look at it the right way. The way I see it is that there are many manufacturers of Android phones, while every iPhone is manufactured by Apple. Also, every phone that runs iOS has specifications much more the same than that of every phone which runs Android. Apple's approach makes it easier for developers to get their app running consistently on as many devices as possible. http://gigaom.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/smartphone-switch.jpg http://gigaom.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/smartphone-switch.... is interesting, though. If the data is to be believed, 20% of Android users will buy a phone from Apple next time they make a purchase and 90% of iPhone users will buy another iPhone.
- wtallis 16y ago
  Those numbers for future purchases are pretty interesting, particularly if you consider where they lead. If those numbers hold relatively steady, then it suggests that Blackberry is doomed to drop below 10% of the installed base, and that Android won't ever be able keep hold of an installed base even one third the size of the iPhone's. In reality, a platform declining as steeply as Blackberry will probably accelerate it's decline until their only remaining customers are those who are locked-in, unless they can make their phones much more enticing before they've lost too many customers.
- Samuel_Michon 16y ago
  Interesting stats, indeed. These are Nielsen's, but Yankee Group reported on the same thing a week ago -- the results are nearly identical. "Subscriber migration to iPhone is a one-way trip" http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/07/27/not-great-news-for-google/ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/07/27/not-great-news-for-go...
gregholland 16y ago
Unfortunately, the Android Marketplace as well as the SDK still sucks for us developers. Buggy and inconsistent behavior across different devices; Bad performance (MotionEvent anyone?); The lack of paid apps in different countries and the prevalence of spammy crapware apps on the unregulated marketplace. I wonder if google will do anything to address these issues as Android gain a wider audience. Otherwise I can see this as a hindrance to the adoption of Android.
- muhfuhkuh 16y ago
  I agree. I would care so much more about this _iff_, as a software developer, I could capitalize on it. Looking at numbers from various posts and outlets, iPhone (or even iPad) app sales are orders of magnitude larger than equivalents on Android Market. If I were a _device_ manufacturer, the "Free as in Everything" aspect of Android is definitely alluring, as it saves from Symbian or WinMo royalties. That's where it matters: to the Motorolas, HTCs, and (eventually) Nokias of the world. For a hacker doing software, though, it just doesn't come close to the App Store as far as outlets for monetization. Also this: http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=9&qpcustom=iPhone&sample=34 http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.... It looks like Apple gains market share in web usage, and doubles Android in growth, according to the report. So, it looks like even though Android may overtake iPhone in sales, the users don't often use one of its primary features as a smartphone. Is it the browser experience or laggy hardware that stymies the growth?
- noodle 16y ago
  this kind of sounds like a problem that could be solved by a good startup, no?
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
- tlrobinson 16y ago
  Or Windows vs. Mac? (operating system for commodity PCs vs. complete package)
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
melling 16y ago
This trend was pretty easy to spot. Almost 6 months ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1129465 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1129465 The problem is that developers are making a lot more money on iPhone apps. I've heard several developers complaining that their apps don't sell on Android. Will this eventually change?
- gregholland 16y ago
  I don't think it will change anytime soon. 1, The marketplace sucks compared to the app store in many ways. There are few ways to feature your apps on the marketplace vs apple which has the "what hot", "new and noteworthy", "top paid", "top grossing" categories. In comparison, the android marketplace doesn't. 2, On the apple app store, you are given more promotion room on your app page itself for more descriptive text and screenshots. 3, The android marketplace is FILLED with crap and spam apps, just go to the "whats new" section of your android marketplace and its filled with 95% crap-ware and those ringtone apps. There is no clear way for consumers to find good apps vs these garbage apps. This destroys the user's experience in the marketplace. 4, Related to above, the lack of regulation has fostered a system where comment spamming other apps's page and creating apps that does shady things with user's data is actually more profitable than creating quality apps. see here: http://tinyurl.com/2f3r4g9 http://tinyurl.com/2f3r4g9 5, There is a culture of "free" and "opensource" in the entire Android ecosystem and most apps are released for free or are ad-supported. Google seem to love this since if you use their ad system, they get a cut and therefore they don't seem to have an incentive to push paid apps to have wider availability. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to what Meego and Win7MO will bring for us developers. I hope they will follow Apple's model of having tighter control over their app stores rather than the mess that the Android marketplace is.
  - ben1040 16y ago
    One thing that may address your first two points is that Google demoed at I/O a web presence for the Android Market that would work in conjunction with the push service on the phone. Buy an app on the web and it's pushed to the phone. I imagine that if done right this would allow them to match Apple in terms of providing more real estate for promotional content from app developers, and reduce the barrier to buying since you can preview an app, hit "buy," and immediately have it on the phone. I also think the lack of a good web presence for Android Market is holding back device adoption. I know of several people who are dissatisfied with their iPhones but are hesitant to jump to Android without being able to see if there are third-party apps out there that are analogous to what they've already got on their iPhones. I agree that one of the major problems with the Android Market at present is certainly this culture of "I won't pay for an app -- and if I have to pay, I'll copy it to my SD card and delete it within the 24 hour return window." A developer has little incentive to make a really, really good paid app if a good proportion of their users would pirate it. There's a tipping point where you can instead make more money by making a mediocre ad-supported app.
ghb 16y ago
Shouldn't the headline read "Android Sales Overtake iOS in the U.S."?
- Samuel_Michon 16y ago
  No, because it didn't. The iPhone is only about half of iOS device sales. Besides, there are no Android devices that compete with the iPod touch and the iPad.
jacquesm 16y ago
Of course it did, it simply had to. Now the question is whether the android ecosystem can keep its users as good as the apple one can. I sure hope so, but it definitely isn't a given. Android is a big step in the right direction but there are still plenty of things that need fixing before they can compete with apple on anything else but units shipped. When developers have to seriously think about which platform to support first you can say they've achieved parity. That may be quite a while though.
- abstractbill 16y ago
  When developers have to seriously think about which platform to support first you can say they've achieved parity. I agree we're not quite at that point, but we are getting close. We (justin.tv) are putting some serious resources into Android development right now - not as much as for iPhone, but still, I'd say we're now treating them as nearly equally important platforms.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    That's because you're looking at android as a delivery medium, but not because you make money of your applications right ?
    - abstractbill 16y ago
      Yes that's a fair point - for now at least Android and iPhone are both strategically important to us, but not at all for the purposes of generating revenue.
andreyf 16y ago
I don't understand why people compare sales volume of iPhone to Android. Isn't that kind of like comparing MacBook Pro sales to Windows sales? People should either compare iPhones to Droids, or iOS devices to Android devices.
- jonknee 16y ago
  The iPhone is the only mobile phone running iOS so the only way to do market share for mobile phone operating systems means just counting the iPhone. If you're doing laptop OS marketshare it makes sense to just count Apple's laptops even though the same OS runs on other devices.
  - rimantas 16y ago
    Uhm. iPhone is the only phone running iOS, but there are other devices running it too, so if you count instalations of iOS you should consider iPod touch and iPad, if you count only iOS on iPhones then the remark is valid: it's comparing apples to oranges.
    - jonknee 16y ago
      ... Their are other devices running OS X too, but if we're talking OS market share for laptops those devices don't get counted. They are comparing Android phones vs. iOS phones. Perfectly legit. Apples to apples.
- felideon 16y ago
  Well iPhone kind of implies iOS, doesn't it? So yes, technically speaking they should have said iOS instead. In any case, I think the comparison is fair, and more analogous to comparing Mac OS to Windows.
  - Samuel_Michon 16y ago
    'IPhone' implies 'iOS', but half of all iOS devices are not iPhones. The iPhone is a smartphone model. It should be compared to other smartphone models, not other mobile OSes. But ofcourse, if iOS sales were compared to Android sales, there'd be no contest. I'm sure Android will overtake iOS at some point though; Android handsets are getting cheaper and cheaper, while Apple cares more about profit margin than unit sales.
tvon 16y ago
I wonder how much of a dent the iPod Touch would put into the numbers if it were counted. On a related note, it seems an iPod Touch sized clone for Android would be a worthwhile device for a company to make (especially if it fit in all those iPod Touch running armbands). I hear news snippets here and there, but you'd think there would be a worthy competitor at this point... (there could well be one I'm not aware of, but a quick google didn't turn much up). edit: Samsung YP-MB2 seems to be iPod Touch sized and "coming soon": http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-yp-mb2-poses-for-photo-20100802/ http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-yp-mb2-poses-for-photo-2...
- awad 16y ago
  I'm totally ignorant of the Android landscape but does it have a music player than can rival the iPod app music + iTunes syncing of an iPod Touch?
  - tvon 16y ago
    I haven't used it myself, but I hear DoubleTwist is a great Android app for music, and the desktop app seems pretty good. Also keep in mind that a lot of people loath iTunes (I think it's great on OSX, but I probably wouldn't want to use it in Windows).
  - sandipc 16y ago
    Definitely don't think any of the Android music apps are up to the level of the iPhone's iPod app / iPod touch's music app. Apple's UI for that app is beautiful. - a current android user
    - ZeroGravitas 16y ago
      Am I the only one annoyed by the "iPod" App on my iPhone? They really should split that into multiple apps for podcasts, audiobooks, video, music etc. I suppose it just mirrors the confusion of iTunes on the desktop which, despite the name, does a bit of everything these days.
- ElliotH 16y ago
hop 16y ago
If you want a smartphone and are already with Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint, you're options are pretty much limited to Android. When the iPhone expands carriers, probably next year when AT&T and Verizon move to faster LTE networks, it will be a different story. Verizon currently has 91.2 million customers and AT&T has 87 million.
- josefresco 16y ago
  Will it? I'm not so sure. The few million left who don't have an iPhone aren't enoungh to slow androids snowballing (with increasing speed) growth. For consumers now, a full touchscreen smartphone is enough, they don't care what OS it has. The ones that do are AT&T customers already. The real question now that android is the 'windows' of the mobile world is where will Win phone 7 fit in the landscape? Premium offering to compete with Apple? Or a consumer OS like desktop windows that will go against Android
  - hop 16y ago
    When every Verizon store, kiosk, and multitude of resellers are able to finally show the iPhone next to an Android phone, Apple will take a big slice of Android's pie. Verizon has 90M subscribers and the cell phone buying cycle is only 1.5 years - Apple will sell millions to Verizon customers.
known 16y ago
Android = OS iPhone = Gadget
moultano 16y ago
I'm just glad android seems to have passed the threshold beyond which companies have to care about it. A good android app is becoming a necessary part of any consumer cloud-based service (kindle, nook, etc.) just as a good iphone app has been for a while.
bajsejohannes 16y ago
If the movement between the user groups remain the same, then in 10 years time, it will have stabilized on around 6% blackberry, 70% iphones, and 24% android (ignoring everyone going to "other smartphone os") (Finally I got to use Markov chains! Code here for anyone interested: http://codepad.org/cstzwXbG http://codepad.org/cstzwXbG )
- Dn_Ab 16y ago
  Unfortunately I must say that this method is flawed. The are two key implicit assumptions that break the whole thing. The lesser one first - You are assuming that the sample you have taken is a good estimate of the true probabilities. You have assumed that the probabilities will remain the same. This latter assumption is the next problem. you heard of the black swan concept? The future is predictable except for the unpredictable parts. I say this because I too have been thinking about this and wondering what kind of model would be the least worst indicator since all predictors are poor the longer the timespan as a ratio of stability of system in study. I am thinking something inspired by the N body problem and swarm based optimization would be cool to look at. Alas, I have not the time to pursue this.
hop 16y ago
This is pre iPhone 4 information, it doesn't take into account the biggest phone launch in history. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/08/02/nielson_android_flourished_before_iphone_4_but_apple_most_desired.html http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/08/02/nielson_androi...
- cheald 16y ago
  Not to discount the size of the launch, but it's estimated that 77% of iPhone 4 purchases were upgrades from earlier-generation iPhones. Still an impressive launch, but Apple didn't grow their marketshare by 3 million handsets. http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/25/77-of-iphone-4-sales-were-upgrades/ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/25/77-of-iphone-4-sales-...
  - Zev 16y ago
    Getting 700,000 users in one weekend is nothing to be ashamed of. And quite likely enough to pull the gap much closer, or reverse it to put the iPhone back at top.
  - nixy 16y ago
    And those iPhone 3G(S) that were being replaced were simply thrown in the bin? Or were they passed on to the second hand market?
    - palish 16y ago
      My fiancee's 3GS was passed to me, and my iPhone 1 was thrown in the bin.
      - napierzaza 16y ago
        For sure iPhone 2Gs are being thrown out at this point. But are Android phones' stale dates any better? They much much worse.
0ptr 16y ago
It doesn't matter whether this is based on pre-iPhone4 data or not. Trend is quite clear and there's simple logic behind it. Apple has quite narrow market segment. They are making more money with less customers which is exactly the right thing to do from company perspective. However Android is gaining new markets with new form factors, different pricing points etc. That's why it is inevitable.
evilmushroom 16y ago
Look-- even if you're a rabid iPhone fanboy, you should want Android to be super successful. The more successful it is, the harder Apple will work to make their product even better. Likewise Android fanboys should want iPhone to be successful---- competition will keep these guys on their toes. I say this looking at the blatantly Apple bias that floats on this site. Why put down the other system? I prefer Android but think they're both great phones. (I had a 3GS for awhile)
- Samuel_Michon 16y ago
  "I say this looking at the blatantly Apple bias that floats on this site." Interesting, given the upvoting behavior on HN suggests that there's a strong Android preference. Maybe that can be explained by the fact that there are currently more opportunities for developers on the iOS, but a typical HN users might favor the perceived freedom an Android handset or jailbreaked iPhone offers.
- vermontdevil 16y ago
  Well said. I've been telling everyone that we are in a good position with all the competition. If Android or iOS or Win7 cease to exist as some seem to clamor, it will hurt all of us. Competition is good not greed.
malkia 16y ago
I have Android phone just because it has keyboard, and I didn't want to move our family plan to AT&T (I'm with T-Mobile). I still like the keyboard more, but I wish the phone was more like an iPhone.
Xixi 16y ago
Considering how much at&t seems to suck, this is hardly surprising. And indeed Android seems to be a very US-centric thing so far. Take France for instance, where all careers are selling the iPhone : * iPhone : 2.25 million units currently in service * Android : 220,000 units currently in service That's a 10 to 1 ratio ! (as of April 2010, so pre iPhone 4 launch) http://www.geeketchic.fr/geek-blog/admob-android-vs-iphone-os.html http://www.geeketchic.fr/geek-blog/admob-android-vs-iphone-o... Conclusion : study carefully your target market before deciding on which platform to launch an app.
- palish 16y ago
  You seem to be suggesting that the choice of AT&T was a bad one. How quickly we forget that AT&T was the only carrier that would allow Apple to develop the phone almost completely without influence. Verizon was choice #1, but they refused to allow Apple to have the control it wanted, then issued some kind of silly statement along the lines of "We felt that the user experience was beyond our control with the kinds of demands Apple was asking for". Which is true, but something Verizon just couldn't bear the thought of.
- ergo98 16y ago
  >as of April 2010, so pre iPhone 4 launch That's pre-almost every Android handset worth owning overseas, around the time that the Desire was starting to make an appearance. The iPhone 4 was a big launch. Yet in that same time period a lot of very, very credible Android handsets have launched. The Samsung Galaxy S will be one of the most interesting of all.
dotcoma 16y ago
OR: Apple selling close to 10% of all mobile phones in the US with just 2 models (iPhone 3GS and 4) without spending a penny on ads in a market they entered only three years ago... http://www.dotcoma.it/2010/08/03/in-news-that-isnt.html http://www.dotcoma.it/2010/08/03/in-news-that-isnt.html

148 points by yanw 16y ago

I think part of the loyalty numbers for iPhone users is the substantial investment they make in other Apple hardware, software, and App Store apps. Unfortunately, I don't have any hard data to back this up, but I imagine a large percentage of iPhone users have at least one other piece of Apple hardware, such as a Mac, iPad, iPod Touch, etc., that works seamlessly alongside the iPhone and iTunes. That makes it tougher to break away from the iPhone. My coworker is one such example. He has an iPhone, a Macbook, and a Mac Mini. He loves the fact that iTunes ties them all together, and wouldn't get a different phone because of it. Android doesn't have that kind of integration, simply because there isn't that tight integration. For example, my girlfriend and I both have Android phones, but everything else we have is Microsoft (2 laptops on XP and Vista, a media center PC and a Viliv S5 tablet on Windows 7, and an XBox 360). If Google could get all of those other devices dependent on Google software like Apple does with iTunes, they'd have a shot at keeping people loyal. You'll also notice that Microsoft missed a big opportunity here. In addition to all of that Microsoft hardware, we used to both have Windows Mobile phones, but there was nothing to tie them all together like iTunes. I would have thought something like XBox Live Marketplace could have worked (e.g. as a central place to buy content for all my devices, share contacts and data, etc.), but Microsoft never executed. Maybe with Windows Phone 7 they will...

axod 16y ago
Google showcased a ton of this at Google I/O. Android ties in really well to their webapps, Google TV (If that succeeds), etc. I remember one example was that you can go to maps.google.com and click on a phone icon, and it just sends it straight to your phone which opens a map in the same place. That's really useful integration. I forget the rest of the examples, but they were all pretty 'wow'. I think iTunes is an example of how not to do things. The iPhone is reliant on iTunes completely. With android, it stands on its own and can integrate with other things when you want it to.
- byoung2 16y ago
  I remember one example was that you can go to maps.google.com and click on a phone icon, and it just sends it straight to your phone which opens a map in the same place That's in Android 2.2...which my phone (HTC Evo 4G) is supposed to be getting today!
  - axod 16y ago
    It's an awesome update. Got mine a few weeks ago now. Wifi access point tethering is awesome.
  - jrockway 16y ago
    You could have had it a few weeks ago, too, as Cyanogen released a stable-ish version for the Evo. (I have been using it since it was released. Getting rid of Sense was well worth the loss of the never-working 4G functionality.)
- dannyr 16y ago
  If you have Android 2.2/Froyo, you can download both the Chrome Extensions & Android app. http://code.google.com/p/chrometophone/downloads/list http://code.google.com/p/chrometophone/downloads/list
  - Griever 16y ago
    Thanks for the link! This is actually really freaking cool.
  - rodh257 16y ago
    if you don't have 2.2, download an app called 'linkpush' sits in chrome and you click it, copies the url and then you can open the app on your phone to open it.
- Samuel_Michon 16y ago
  "The iPhone is reliant on iTunes completely." Syncing of email, events, contacts, bookmarks, and files can all be done over the air, through MobileMe. Purchasing and downloading apps, music, podcasts and movies can also be done from the iPhone itself. You only need to connect to iTunes for activation and software updates.
dlsspy 16y ago
> He has an iPhone, a Macbook, and a Mac Mini. He loves the fact that iTunes ties them all together, and wouldn't get a different phone because of it. I have a macbook, mac mini, iPad and formerly used an iPhone. iTunes was the worst part of that. I simply never plug any of that stuff into my computer unless I really need to get photos or something off of it. That's a usability pain. It doesn't help that I have more music than can fit on my computer, so I also have to hook up an external drive whenever I use iTunes. Every one of my Apple devices has high speed internet service any time I'm using them. I carry a Nexus One now. My calendars, contact lists, etc... are always up to date. Things Android doesn't ship with are alway up-to-date, such as my instapaper offline reading list, twitter, RSS feeds, SMS and voicemail from google voice and other junk. And speaking of integration, the fact that my browser is notified of my SMS and I can respond from there is just awesome. And when I do respond from my browser, the message is marked as read on my phone. Apple is just way behind here.
- old-gregg 16y ago
  +1. I absolutely love my Nexus One (we have iPhones in our family) and I believe that N1 represents the "next generation" of mobile devices, if you will. iPhone is stuck in the past - it requires a computer to be fully operational: a few months ago we went overseas and I wanted to put more stuff on it to listen/watch on the plane, but the people we were staying with only had a Linux laptop - iPhone was as useful as brick. Too bad N1 isn't available anymore: the overall experience/quality you get is incredible, plus absolute carrier independence, user experience and overall value: $60/mo for everything on T-Mobile without a contract, including tethering and cheap international calling via Google Voice, and yeah - proper utilization of Internet, without the need to sync with the most retarded piece of software ever known (iTunes). It even plays music to my stereo via Bluetooth: every time I walk into my apartment and experience the song transition from my headphones to my stereo I think "F&&& yeah, the future is here".
  - WiseWeasel 16y ago
    If the iPhone is stuck in the past, then Android devices are stuck in the future. It would be nice if I could transfer all my data from an Android device directly to my computer without having to send it to any third parties. iTunes may certainly be a bloated, unwieldy piece of software, but it offers some powerful functionality missing from the Android platform. As for A2DP stereo over BlueTooth, the iOS platform now supports that as well, though there may still be some limitations that make it less practical than the Android equivalent (possibly a lack of standardized method for controlling the music playback via BlueTooth - not sure if that's been added yet).
cageface 16y ago
The integration point for Google's stuff is the cloud, not physical devices. I expect this to gradually become a key differentiating factor. Apple is riding the coattails of an old paradigm, and, like Microsoft before them, they're too invested in the money they're making in the old paradigm to make the sacrifices necessary to properly address the new one.
- el_chapitan 16y ago
  While I generally agree with your statement, I think that you may be jumping the gun a tad in terms of the market. The "coattails of the old paradigm" are going to be very important so long as a good network connection isn't guaranteed at all times. Amazing strides have been made to improve connectivity, but we're not there yet. So long as we're not there, you will continue to see the old paradigm.
  - cageface 16y ago
    Certainly timing is crucial in these things. Sun might have actually been a little too far ahead of its time in the 90's, for example. Ultimately though we should be thinking of local storage as cache and not anything more privileged.
- byoung2 16y ago
  The integration point for Google's stuff is the cloud, not physical devices That may be part of the problem with loyalty to Android. If everything is in the cloud, there is nothing tying me to a Google device. When I got my Android phone, I put in my Google account and got all of my contacts from Gmail and Google Voice, etc., but that is nothing new, as I had the same thing on Windows Mobile, and I could get the same thing on iPhone. When you get an iPhone, on the other hand, you have to create an iTunes account, and all the apps you buy, and all the backups for your phone happen there. It makes it easy to get another iPhone, or iPad, or iPod Touch, but it is harder to switch to Android or another platform.
  - billybob 16y ago
    "That may be part of the problem with loyalty to Android. If everything is in the cloud, there is nothing tying me to a Google device." ...Which is exactly why I'd like to get a Google device. And to the loyalty point: you don't HAVE to keep all of your users if you're getting more by the boatload. If the lack of lock-in draws more users than your competitor's lock-in keeps from leaving, hooray! The whole concept of lock-in is misguided. If people are loyal because, even though they DON'T LIKE your product, it's too hard to switch, that means that a lot of your users are out there griping about you. Plus it can't feel good to know that you have to tie your customers down to keep them. At some point, the dislike reaches a critical mass and people start leaving in droves. That's what's happening to BlackBerry now. And it's going to be hard to undo the harm to their reputation that years of frustrated users have done. Whereas if people could have left more easily, they would have seen the problem sooner.
nlanier 16y ago
I have an iMac, two macbooks, and an iPod touch. My phone of choice, however, is a Nexus One. After eating the cost of an unsubsidized unit, I pay sixty dollars a month for 900 minutes and unlimited everything else. SIXTY DOLLARS! If the iPhone experience is anything like the iPod touch experience - and I imagine it is - then I am more than happy with the N1. It does everything the iPhone does and it does most things better as far as I can tell.

niccolop 16y ago

I suppose this isn't at all surprising based on the iPhone/At&t tie up. It would be interesting to compare other countries where carriers haven't locked up the iPhone (e.g. UK or France). No doubt android is an excellent platform, but the barriers to obtaining an iPhone seem relatively higher than android.

bad_user 16y ago
> No doubt android is an excellent platform, but the barriers to obtaining an iPhone seem relatively higher than android. That's a feature of Android, not something that just happens because of factors outside the control of Apple or Google.
- el_chapitan 16y ago
  Actually, it is something outside of the control of Google. Admittedly, they made the right choices to allow the OS to spread (I was going to say easier, but really they allowed it to spread at all). This didn't mean, however, that anyone else was going to pick it up and use it.
  - bad_user 16y ago
    Picking up Android is only a matter of how open and capable it is. Developing your in-house mobile OS is not easy or cheap. Companies like HTC/Motorola can't compete with Apple/RIM/Nokia only on hardware quality. Most phones are Java ME enabled for that reason, but it's a shitty platform and everybody knows it.
ZeroGravitas 16y ago
The big story in the UK over the last week has been phenomenal Android growth (up 350% in a single quarter). Obviously it's growing from a smaller base, and I don't know how close it is to catching either iPhone or iOS in installed base, but the trendlines look good for it.

TrevorFancher 16y ago

This is only interesting if you look at it the right way. The way I see it is that there are many manufacturers of Android phones, while every iPhone is manufactured by Apple. Also, every phone that runs iOS has specifications much more the same than that of every phone which runs Android. Apple's approach makes it easier for developers to get their app running consistently on as many devices as possible. http://gigaom.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/smartphone-switch.jpg http://gigaom.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/smartphone-switch.... is interesting, though. If the data is to be believed, 20% of Android users will buy a phone from Apple next time they make a purchase and 90% of iPhone users will buy another iPhone.

wtallis 16y ago
Those numbers for future purchases are pretty interesting, particularly if you consider where they lead. If those numbers hold relatively steady, then it suggests that Blackberry is doomed to drop below 10% of the installed base, and that Android won't ever be able keep hold of an installed base even one third the size of the iPhone's. In reality, a platform declining as steeply as Blackberry will probably accelerate it's decline until their only remaining customers are those who are locked-in, unless they can make their phones much more enticing before they've lost too many customers.
Samuel_Michon 16y ago
Interesting stats, indeed. These are Nielsen's, but Yankee Group reported on the same thing a week ago -- the results are nearly identical. "Subscriber migration to iPhone is a one-way trip" http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/07/27/not-great-news-for-google/ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/07/27/not-great-news-for-go...

gregholland 16y ago

Unfortunately, the Android Marketplace as well as the SDK still sucks for us developers. Buggy and inconsistent behavior across different devices; Bad performance (MotionEvent anyone?); The lack of paid apps in different countries and the prevalence of spammy crapware apps on the unregulated marketplace. I wonder if google will do anything to address these issues as Android gain a wider audience. Otherwise I can see this as a hindrance to the adoption of Android.

muhfuhkuh 16y ago
I agree. I would care so much more about this _iff_, as a software developer, I could capitalize on it. Looking at numbers from various posts and outlets, iPhone (or even iPad) app sales are orders of magnitude larger than equivalents on Android Market. If I were a _device_ manufacturer, the "Free as in Everything" aspect of Android is definitely alluring, as it saves from Symbian or WinMo royalties. That's where it matters: to the Motorolas, HTCs, and (eventually) Nokias of the world. For a hacker doing software, though, it just doesn't come close to the App Store as far as outlets for monetization. Also this: http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=9&qpcustom=iPhone&sample=34 http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.... It looks like Apple gains market share in web usage, and doubles Android in growth, according to the report. So, it looks like even though Android may overtake iPhone in sales, the users don't often use one of its primary features as a smartphone. Is it the browser experience or laggy hardware that stymies the growth?
noodle 16y ago
this kind of sounds like a problem that could be solved by a good startup, no?

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

tlrobinson 16y ago
Or Windows vs. Mac? (operating system for commodity PCs vs. complete package)
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

melling 16y ago

This trend was pretty easy to spot. Almost 6 months ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1129465 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1129465 The problem is that developers are making a lot more money on iPhone apps. I've heard several developers complaining that their apps don't sell on Android. Will this eventually change?

gregholland 16y ago
I don't think it will change anytime soon. 1, The marketplace sucks compared to the app store in many ways. There are few ways to feature your apps on the marketplace vs apple which has the "what hot", "new and noteworthy", "top paid", "top grossing" categories. In comparison, the android marketplace doesn't. 2, On the apple app store, you are given more promotion room on your app page itself for more descriptive text and screenshots. 3, The android marketplace is FILLED with crap and spam apps, just go to the "whats new" section of your android marketplace and its filled with 95% crap-ware and those ringtone apps. There is no clear way for consumers to find good apps vs these garbage apps. This destroys the user's experience in the marketplace. 4, Related to above, the lack of regulation has fostered a system where comment spamming other apps's page and creating apps that does shady things with user's data is actually more profitable than creating quality apps. see here: http://tinyurl.com/2f3r4g9 http://tinyurl.com/2f3r4g9 5, There is a culture of "free" and "opensource" in the entire Android ecosystem and most apps are released for free or are ad-supported. Google seem to love this since if you use their ad system, they get a cut and therefore they don't seem to have an incentive to push paid apps to have wider availability. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to what Meego and Win7MO will bring for us developers. I hope they will follow Apple's model of having tighter control over their app stores rather than the mess that the Android marketplace is.
- ben1040 16y ago
  One thing that may address your first two points is that Google demoed at I/O a web presence for the Android Market that would work in conjunction with the push service on the phone. Buy an app on the web and it's pushed to the phone. I imagine that if done right this would allow them to match Apple in terms of providing more real estate for promotional content from app developers, and reduce the barrier to buying since you can preview an app, hit "buy," and immediately have it on the phone. I also think the lack of a good web presence for Android Market is holding back device adoption. I know of several people who are dissatisfied with their iPhones but are hesitant to jump to Android without being able to see if there are third-party apps out there that are analogous to what they've already got on their iPhones. I agree that one of the major problems with the Android Market at present is certainly this culture of "I won't pay for an app -- and if I have to pay, I'll copy it to my SD card and delete it within the 24 hour return window." A developer has little incentive to make a really, really good paid app if a good proportion of their users would pirate it. There's a tipping point where you can instead make more money by making a mediocre ad-supported app.

ghb 16y ago

Shouldn't the headline read "Android Sales Overtake iOS in the U.S."?

Samuel_Michon 16y ago
No, because it didn't. The iPhone is only about half of iOS device sales. Besides, there are no Android devices that compete with the iPod touch and the iPad.

jacquesm 16y ago

Of course it did, it simply had to. Now the question is whether the android ecosystem can keep its users as good as the apple one can. I sure hope so, but it definitely isn't a given. Android is a big step in the right direction but there are still plenty of things that need fixing before they can compete with apple on anything else but units shipped. When developers have to seriously think about which platform to support first you can say they've achieved parity. That may be quite a while though.

abstractbill 16y ago
When developers have to seriously think about which platform to support first you can say they've achieved parity. I agree we're not quite at that point, but we are getting close. We (justin.tv) are putting some serious resources into Android development right now - not as much as for iPhone, but still, I'd say we're now treating them as nearly equally important platforms.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  That's because you're looking at android as a delivery medium, but not because you make money of your applications right ?
  - abstractbill 16y ago
    Yes that's a fair point - for now at least Android and iPhone are both strategically important to us, but not at all for the purposes of generating revenue.

andreyf 16y ago

I don't understand why people compare sales volume of iPhone to Android. Isn't that kind of like comparing MacBook Pro sales to Windows sales? People should either compare iPhones to Droids, or iOS devices to Android devices.

jonknee 16y ago
The iPhone is the only mobile phone running iOS so the only way to do market share for mobile phone operating systems means just counting the iPhone. If you're doing laptop OS marketshare it makes sense to just count Apple's laptops even though the same OS runs on other devices.
- rimantas 16y ago
  Uhm. iPhone is the only phone running iOS, but there are other devices running it too, so if you count instalations of iOS you should consider iPod touch and iPad, if you count only iOS on iPhones then the remark is valid: it's comparing apples to oranges.
  - jonknee 16y ago
    ... Their are other devices running OS X too, but if we're talking OS market share for laptops those devices don't get counted. They are comparing Android phones vs. iOS phones. Perfectly legit. Apples to apples.
felideon 16y ago
Well iPhone kind of implies iOS, doesn't it? So yes, technically speaking they should have said iOS instead. In any case, I think the comparison is fair, and more analogous to comparing Mac OS to Windows.
- Samuel_Michon 16y ago
  'IPhone' implies 'iOS', but half of all iOS devices are not iPhones. The iPhone is a smartphone model. It should be compared to other smartphone models, not other mobile OSes. But ofcourse, if iOS sales were compared to Android sales, there'd be no contest. I'm sure Android will overtake iOS at some point though; Android handsets are getting cheaper and cheaper, while Apple cares more about profit margin than unit sales.

tvon 16y ago

I wonder how much of a dent the iPod Touch would put into the numbers if it were counted. On a related note, it seems an iPod Touch sized clone for Android would be a worthwhile device for a company to make (especially if it fit in all those iPod Touch running armbands). I hear news snippets here and there, but you'd think there would be a worthy competitor at this point... (there could well be one I'm not aware of, but a quick google didn't turn much up). edit: Samsung YP-MB2 seems to be iPod Touch sized and "coming soon": http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-yp-mb2-poses-for-photo-20100802/ http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-yp-mb2-poses-for-photo-2...

awad 16y ago
I'm totally ignorant of the Android landscape but does it have a music player than can rival the iPod app music + iTunes syncing of an iPod Touch?
- tvon 16y ago
  I haven't used it myself, but I hear DoubleTwist is a great Android app for music, and the desktop app seems pretty good. Also keep in mind that a lot of people loath iTunes (I think it's great on OSX, but I probably wouldn't want to use it in Windows).
- sandipc 16y ago
  Definitely don't think any of the Android music apps are up to the level of the iPhone's iPod app / iPod touch's music app. Apple's UI for that app is beautiful. - a current android user
  - ZeroGravitas 16y ago
    Am I the only one annoyed by the "iPod" App on my iPhone? They really should split that into multiple apps for podcasts, audiobooks, video, music etc. I suppose it just mirrors the confusion of iTunes on the desktop which, despite the name, does a bit of everything these days.
ElliotH 16y ago

hop 16y ago

If you want a smartphone and are already with Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint, you're options are pretty much limited to Android. When the iPhone expands carriers, probably next year when AT&T and Verizon move to faster LTE networks, it will be a different story. Verizon currently has 91.2 million customers and AT&T has 87 million.

josefresco 16y ago
Will it? I'm not so sure. The few million left who don't have an iPhone aren't enoungh to slow androids snowballing (with increasing speed) growth. For consumers now, a full touchscreen smartphone is enough, they don't care what OS it has. The ones that do are AT&T customers already. The real question now that android is the 'windows' of the mobile world is where will Win phone 7 fit in the landscape? Premium offering to compete with Apple? Or a consumer OS like desktop windows that will go against Android
- hop 16y ago
  When every Verizon store, kiosk, and multitude of resellers are able to finally show the iPhone next to an Android phone, Apple will take a big slice of Android's pie. Verizon has 90M subscribers and the cell phone buying cycle is only 1.5 years - Apple will sell millions to Verizon customers.

known 16y ago

Android = OS iPhone = Gadget

moultano 16y ago

I'm just glad android seems to have passed the threshold beyond which companies have to care about it. A good android app is becoming a necessary part of any consumer cloud-based service (kindle, nook, etc.) just as a good iphone app has been for a while.

bajsejohannes 16y ago

If the movement between the user groups remain the same, then in 10 years time, it will have stabilized on around 6% blackberry, 70% iphones, and 24% android (ignoring everyone going to "other smartphone os") (Finally I got to use Markov chains! Code here for anyone interested: http://codepad.org/cstzwXbG http://codepad.org/cstzwXbG )

Dn_Ab 16y ago
Unfortunately I must say that this method is flawed. The are two key implicit assumptions that break the whole thing. The lesser one first - You are assuming that the sample you have taken is a good estimate of the true probabilities. You have assumed that the probabilities will remain the same. This latter assumption is the next problem. you heard of the black swan concept? The future is predictable except for the unpredictable parts. I say this because I too have been thinking about this and wondering what kind of model would be the least worst indicator since all predictors are poor the longer the timespan as a ratio of stability of system in study. I am thinking something inspired by the N body problem and swarm based optimization would be cool to look at. Alas, I have not the time to pursue this.

hop 16y ago

This is pre iPhone 4 information, it doesn't take into account the biggest phone launch in history. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/08/02/nielson_android_flourished_before_iphone_4_but_apple_most_desired.html http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/08/02/nielson_androi...

cheald 16y ago
Not to discount the size of the launch, but it's estimated that 77% of iPhone 4 purchases were upgrades from earlier-generation iPhones. Still an impressive launch, but Apple didn't grow their marketshare by 3 million handsets. http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/25/77-of-iphone-4-sales-were-upgrades/ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/25/77-of-iphone-4-sales-...
- Zev 16y ago
  Getting 700,000 users in one weekend is nothing to be ashamed of. And quite likely enough to pull the gap much closer, or reverse it to put the iPhone back at top.
- nixy 16y ago
  And those iPhone 3G(S) that were being replaced were simply thrown in the bin? Or were they passed on to the second hand market?
  - palish 16y ago
    My fiancee's 3GS was passed to me, and my iPhone 1 was thrown in the bin.
    - napierzaza 16y ago
      For sure iPhone 2Gs are being thrown out at this point. But are Android phones' stale dates any better? They much much worse.

0ptr 16y ago

It doesn't matter whether this is based on pre-iPhone4 data or not. Trend is quite clear and there's simple logic behind it. Apple has quite narrow market segment. They are making more money with less customers which is exactly the right thing to do from company perspective. However Android is gaining new markets with new form factors, different pricing points etc. That's why it is inevitable.

evilmushroom 16y ago

Look-- even if you're a rabid iPhone fanboy, you should want Android to be super successful. The more successful it is, the harder Apple will work to make their product even better. Likewise Android fanboys should want iPhone to be successful---- competition will keep these guys on their toes. I say this looking at the blatantly Apple bias that floats on this site. Why put down the other system? I prefer Android but think they're both great phones. (I had a 3GS for awhile)

Samuel_Michon 16y ago
"I say this looking at the blatantly Apple bias that floats on this site." Interesting, given the upvoting behavior on HN suggests that there's a strong Android preference. Maybe that can be explained by the fact that there are currently more opportunities for developers on the iOS, but a typical HN users might favor the perceived freedom an Android handset or jailbreaked iPhone offers.
vermontdevil 16y ago
Well said. I've been telling everyone that we are in a good position with all the competition. If Android or iOS or Win7 cease to exist as some seem to clamor, it will hurt all of us. Competition is good not greed.

malkia 16y ago

I have Android phone just because it has keyboard, and I didn't want to move our family plan to AT&T (I'm with T-Mobile). I still like the keyboard more, but I wish the phone was more like an iPhone.

Xixi 16y ago

Considering how much at&t seems to suck, this is hardly surprising. And indeed Android seems to be a very US-centric thing so far. Take France for instance, where all careers are selling the iPhone : * iPhone : 2.25 million units currently in service * Android : 220,000 units currently in service That's a 10 to 1 ratio ! (as of April 2010, so pre iPhone 4 launch) http://www.geeketchic.fr/geek-blog/admob-android-vs-iphone-os.html http://www.geeketchic.fr/geek-blog/admob-android-vs-iphone-o... Conclusion : study carefully your target market before deciding on which platform to launch an app.

palish 16y ago
You seem to be suggesting that the choice of AT&T was a bad one. How quickly we forget that AT&T was the only carrier that would allow Apple to develop the phone almost completely without influence. Verizon was choice #1, but they refused to allow Apple to have the control it wanted, then issued some kind of silly statement along the lines of "We felt that the user experience was beyond our control with the kinds of demands Apple was asking for". Which is true, but something Verizon just couldn't bear the thought of.
ergo98 16y ago
>as of April 2010, so pre iPhone 4 launch That's pre-almost every Android handset worth owning overseas, around the time that the Desire was starting to make an appearance. The iPhone 4 was a big launch. Yet in that same time period a lot of very, very credible Android handsets have launched. The Samsung Galaxy S will be one of the most interesting of all.

dotcoma 16y ago

OR: Apple selling close to 10% of all mobile phones in the US with just 2 models (iPhone 3GS and 4) without spending a penny on ads in a market they entered only three years ago... http://www.dotcoma.it/2010/08/03/in-news-that-isnt.html http://www.dotcoma.it/2010/08/03/in-news-that-isnt.html