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Which countries are you referring to, exactly? In Australia for instance, an iPhone is about $630 AU, a Droid 2, $650. I think it makes sense to compare phones

Which countries are you referring to, exactly? In Australia for instance, an iPhone is about $630 AU, a Droid 2, $650. I think it makes sense to compare phones of similar capabilities.

cryptoz 16y ago
> Which countries are you referring to, exactly? The answer to that is the GP's: "In much of the rest of the world". Australia is considered to be a rich, "Western" nation. Much of the rest of the world is poor, not rich. They do not have Apple stores or, in many cases, fast wired Internet connections. You've got to break out of your mind's box where thinking that Western countries dominate; in terms of population, they don't. At all. > I think it makes sense to compare phones of similar capabilities. What about in places where the iPhone isn't for sale, directly? What will you do then? If you would like an example, take Tanzania. They have wireless networks, but (to my knowledge) no iPhone. The vast majority of the world cannot afford iPhones, but they are able to connect to wireless networks.
- code_duck 16y ago
  Okay, Android phones are definitely more expensive than phones that aren't available. I never said, implied or referenced any sort of idea that Western countries dominate in terms of population. Thanks for clearing this up, though.
martythemaniak 16y ago
India, China, Eastern Europe, Latin America... take your pick. When I go shopping for a phone this year, I'll be comparing the iPhone5 with the latest dual-core 4+" 1280x760 Android monstrosity, then drop 600+ on either. When the newly minted middle class in those countries goes shopping for a phone this year, they'll look at a reasonable 3.5" 480x320 Android for $150-200, compare it with some aging Nokia dinosaur and make their pick. The iPhone is not going to be figuring into their thoughts very much.
- code_duck 16y ago
  Anyway, you asked me 'now do you understand the point of the article'. I think I already did, thanks, and as far as I can tell, Android being at a particularly advantage overseas vs. iOS is neither the point of FW's post or the article he linked to. In fact, all he said is '. And many of these devices will be running Android, not iOS'. As far as I can tell, HN has seemed to turn this into "Android will be devastating iOS because people in Kiribati can't afford an iPhone!!". Okay, but that isn't what either article was asserting.
  - martythemaniak 16y ago
    Well, if you follow the link in Fred Wilson's blog post, the title is "2011 will be the year Android explodes". FW is merely agreeing with that original point.
- chancho 16y ago
  I think Fred's point was that it's an entirely new market opening up. As you say, a middle-class value-conscious market. It will be a huge market, so businesses need to get out in front of it. But replicatorblog's point (as I understand it) is that iOS will still own the high-end of that market, and that segment is worth more $$$ than its number's suggest. If you're in control of the high-end, you can exert undue influence on consumer mind-share and developers. That matters for something. Anyway, IMO this is not an iOS-vs-Android issue. New markets are going to open up, Android will be there. iOS will still be a cash-cow. Win-win, everybody celebrate (except Microsoft)

Which countries are you referring to, exactly? In Australia for instance, an iPhone is about $630 AU, a Droid 2, $650. I think it makes sense to compare phones of similar capabilities.

cryptoz 16y ago

> Which countries are you referring to, exactly? The answer to that is the GP's: "In much of the rest of the world". Australia is considered to be a rich, "Western" nation. Much of the rest of the world is poor, not rich. They do not have Apple stores or, in many cases, fast wired Internet connections. You've got to break out of your mind's box where thinking that Western countries dominate; in terms of population, they don't. At all. > I think it makes sense to compare phones of similar capabilities. What about in places where the iPhone isn't for sale, directly? What will you do then? If you would like an example, take Tanzania. They have wireless networks, but (to my knowledge) no iPhone. The vast majority of the world cannot afford iPhones, but they are able to connect to wireless networks.

code_duck 16y ago
Okay, Android phones are definitely more expensive than phones that aren't available. I never said, implied or referenced any sort of idea that Western countries dominate in terms of population. Thanks for clearing this up, though.

martythemaniak 16y ago

India, China, Eastern Europe, Latin America... take your pick. When I go shopping for a phone this year, I'll be comparing the iPhone5 with the latest dual-core 4+" 1280x760 Android monstrosity, then drop 600+ on either. When the newly minted middle class in those countries goes shopping for a phone this year, they'll look at a reasonable 3.5" 480x320 Android for $150-200, compare it with some aging Nokia dinosaur and make their pick. The iPhone is not going to be figuring into their thoughts very much.

code_duck 16y ago
Anyway, you asked me 'now do you understand the point of the article'. I think I already did, thanks, and as far as I can tell, Android being at a particularly advantage overseas vs. iOS is neither the point of FW's post or the article he linked to. In fact, all he said is '. And many of these devices will be running Android, not iOS'. As far as I can tell, HN has seemed to turn this into "Android will be devastating iOS because people in Kiribati can't afford an iPhone!!". Okay, but that isn't what either article was asserting.
- martythemaniak 16y ago
  Well, if you follow the link in Fred Wilson's blog post, the title is "2011 will be the year Android explodes". FW is merely agreeing with that original point.
chancho 16y ago
I think Fred's point was that it's an entirely new market opening up. As you say, a middle-class value-conscious market. It will be a huge market, so businesses need to get out in front of it. But replicatorblog's point (as I understand it) is that iOS will still own the high-end of that market, and that segment is worth more $$$ than its number's suggest. If you're in control of the high-end, you can exert undue influence on consumer mind-share and developers. That matters for something. Anyway, IMO this is not an iOS-vs-Android issue. New markets are going to open up, Android will be there. iOS will still be a cash-cow. Win-win, everybody celebrate (except Microsoft)