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I agree that this is the problem with this specific article. But I don't think Android in the current state lacks anything to the iPhone. There are zillions of

I agree that this is the problem with this specific article. But I don't think Android in the current state lacks anything to the iPhone. There are zillions of great apps in the Market. The evidence that the Samsung Galaxy S series are selling a lot proves that high-end Android phones are going very well.

fleitz 15y ago
The problem on Android is the unknowns. You don't know whether your hardware vendor will supply updates. Or whether your carrier and vendor will get in some spat over who knows what. And then when you buy the latest greatest you have to be sure you're picking the popular phone that actually gets apps tested against it, etc, etc, etc. And then what particular carrier installs the least crapware, etc. Does it have the right chip that will have acceleration in the future? Does the battery last 2 hours or 20? How many extra batteries should I buy for my particular Android phone? Does my iPhone have the right external buttons to make the apps I want to use most productive, etc? Should I get a phone with or without a physical keyboard? Apple's value prop is primarily that their providing a known commodity, you know the apps are going to work, it's almost impossible to choose the 'wrong' iPhone, and Apple doesn't get into silly spats with carriers about updates. You can definitely put together an Android experience that's on par with Apple but you're rolling the dice unless you wait 6 months to buy the hardware. And then there's the issue of going to the multitude of stores to find out which one has the phone for the cheapest.
- lookelsewhere 15y ago
  Software updates and pre-installed crapware, as you mentioned, are now a thing of the past when you consider the works of the community creating customized roms for just about any Android device out there. The device owner can simply apply an update or delete any app themselves after rooting. Yes, rooting is risky and hardware manufacturers should keep their damned devices updated, but the process is simple enough to perform and the benefits are really great.
  - fleitz 15y ago
    Yes, I could probably spend 3 to 4 hours of my time fucking around with a phone to get it to work, but why would I want to do that? And more importantly why would I want to pay for that experience? Even if I do get the phone working, at best it's on par with iPhone. IMHO the only thing that Android has going for it is that Scala sucks less than Obj-C. It's like changing the oil on my car, yes I know how to do it, I even have jack stands, yet I take it to the shop and pay someone else to do it? Why? Because my time is worth more than it costs.
    - juliano_q 15y ago
      Personally, change the rom/kernel and try different stuff on my phone is a big part of the fun to me. Even the standard roms (like the one for the Galaxy S II) are quite decent now, you just have to change it if you like to try different stuff. I have a Nexus S and even always having the latest version available to my phone I am always changing roms because I like it. My wife have a Galaxy S and she is pretty happy with the last official update provided by Sammy.

fleitz 15y ago

The problem on Android is the unknowns. You don't know whether your hardware vendor will supply updates. Or whether your carrier and vendor will get in some spat over who knows what. And then when you buy the latest greatest you have to be sure you're picking the popular phone that actually gets apps tested against it, etc, etc, etc. And then what particular carrier installs the least crapware, etc. Does it have the right chip that will have acceleration in the future? Does the battery last 2 hours or 20? How many extra batteries should I buy for my particular Android phone? Does my iPhone have the right external buttons to make the apps I want to use most productive, etc? Should I get a phone with or without a physical keyboard? Apple's value prop is primarily that their providing a known commodity, you know the apps are going to work, it's almost impossible to choose the 'wrong' iPhone, and Apple doesn't get into silly spats with carriers about updates. You can definitely put together an Android experience that's on par with Apple but you're rolling the dice unless you wait 6 months to buy the hardware. And then there's the issue of going to the multitude of stores to find out which one has the phone for the cheapest.

lookelsewhere 15y ago
Software updates and pre-installed crapware, as you mentioned, are now a thing of the past when you consider the works of the community creating customized roms for just about any Android device out there. The device owner can simply apply an update or delete any app themselves after rooting. Yes, rooting is risky and hardware manufacturers should keep their damned devices updated, but the process is simple enough to perform and the benefits are really great.
- fleitz 15y ago
  Yes, I could probably spend 3 to 4 hours of my time fucking around with a phone to get it to work, but why would I want to do that? And more importantly why would I want to pay for that experience? Even if I do get the phone working, at best it's on par with iPhone. IMHO the only thing that Android has going for it is that Scala sucks less than Obj-C. It's like changing the oil on my car, yes I know how to do it, I even have jack stands, yet I take it to the shop and pay someone else to do it? Why? Because my time is worth more than it costs.
  - juliano_q 15y ago
    Personally, change the rom/kernel and try different stuff on my phone is a big part of the fun to me. Even the standard roms (like the one for the Galaxy S II) are quite decent now, you just have to change it if you like to try different stuff. I have a Nexus S and even always having the latest version available to my phone I am always changing roms because I like it. My wife have a Galaxy S and she is pretty happy with the last official update provided by Sammy.