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The stats in the title are interesting in their own right, but the article itself reads like an advertisement. The author seems to be flabbergasted by the fact

The stats in the title are interesting in their own right, but the article itself reads like an advertisement. The author seems to be flabbergasted by the fact that android devices and the decisions surrounding them are not made by a single company. Walled gardens have their perks. More open ecosystems have their own perks, they're just different.

potatolicious 16y ago
I think the author's point is that Android users aren't really even getting the "open" perk in exchange for the "fast updates" perk - as evidenced by Google's capitulation to carriers on tethering. The way I read it, his point is that it seems (for the end user) things are just as closed as iOS, and you don't even get the updates. Personally I think this is going to be the Android issue to come. Apple customers can expect significant upgrades to the functionality of their phone over the lifetime of the device, Android users cannot even expect bugs to get fixed. WP7 users... I'm not sure they can really expect anything.
- kstenerud 16y ago
  Both Apple and Google are chipping away at the carriers. You can't just throw ultimatums at the big players in the arena and expect them to say "Oh ok. We'll make it all open, sure!". Apple has capitulated on a number of issues. So has Google. But you know what? We now have phones that are orders of magnitude more open than they've ever been thanks to the quid-pro-quo of those two pioneering companies. Google initially came on too strong, but found they didn't have the clout to push the level of openness they wanted, and so now they're taking a gentler approach. The carriers need to see a benefit to themselves before they move, and even then they'll move very slowly. Google and Apple know this, which is why they apply pressure gently and steadily. They understand and exploit the politics, which is why they are so successful. The proof is in the pudding. Just look at the market share.

potatolicious 16y ago

I think the author's point is that Android users aren't really even getting the "open" perk in exchange for the "fast updates" perk - as evidenced by Google's capitulation to carriers on tethering. The way I read it, his point is that it seems (for the end user) things are just as closed as iOS, and you don't even get the updates. Personally I think this is going to be the Android issue to come. Apple customers can expect significant upgrades to the functionality of their phone over the lifetime of the device, Android users cannot even expect bugs to get fixed. WP7 users... I'm not sure they can really expect anything.

kstenerud 16y ago
Both Apple and Google are chipping away at the carriers. You can't just throw ultimatums at the big players in the arena and expect them to say "Oh ok. We'll make it all open, sure!". Apple has capitulated on a number of issues. So has Google. But you know what? We now have phones that are orders of magnitude more open than they've ever been thanks to the quid-pro-quo of those two pioneering companies. Google initially came on too strong, but found they didn't have the clout to push the level of openness they wanted, and so now they're taking a gentler approach. The carriers need to see a benefit to themselves before they move, and even then they'll move very slowly. Google and Apple know this, which is why they apply pressure gently and steadily. They understand and exploit the politics, which is why they are so successful. The proof is in the pudding. Just look at the market share.