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Welcome to the new reality. The speed at which Google can release Android and the speed at which manufactorer's can implement/upgrade Android are two very, very

Welcome to the new reality. The speed at which Google can release Android and the speed at which manufactorer's can implement/upgrade Android are two very, very different things. And unlike Android, Apple does not have this release/implement gap. Because less than 8% of Android users use 4.0 and Google is already about to unveil 5.0, we have to compare differently. Google may have released these features into the wild faster than Apple, but when iOS6 launches this summer and then passes the Android 4.0 install base in what, 2 weeks, there will then be more Apple users using these features than Android users. I think that will be the future going forward: Apple will take longer to release a feature, but will reach critical mass for the feature much, much faster than Google. And like Windows and it's hardware partners, I think that there is jack-diddly-squat that Google can do about it. They can whine but they have no say, as their in-house devices sell like crap compared to Samsung's flagships or Apple's phones. I think hardware will move similarly: Android manufacturer, eager for ANY advantage, will implement brand new technology on their product lines. They can also pull this off because they don't push iPhone-like quantities (minus the rare Samsung flagship launch). It's easier to put brand new tech in a device that is only selling 50,000/mo and will hit maybe 1 million total, because you don't have to have a source for 5,000,000 of that part by launch day...

michaelbuckbee 14y ago
I like your analysis, but I'm curious how you would factor in Google's purchase of Motorola? An effort to decrease the release gap?
- spiralpolitik 14y ago
  One that could blow up their faces if the other vendors feel that Motorola is getting special treatment. The bigger worry for Google is if Samsung decides it doesn't need Google anymore, forks and goes it alone in an attempt to match Apple. At that point Google Android is left with a bunch of manufacturers almost all of which are losing money. Not a great position to be in.
  - taligent 14y ago
    Remember Samsung did just become a platinum members of the Linux Foundation. It really wouldn't surprise me if Samsung was looking to assert much more control over Android even to the point of forking it.
    - myko 14y ago
      Forking it and losing access to Google Play? I find that highly unlikely. They already control their devices, TouchWiz isn't simply a different launcher - what more control could they want (at such great cost)?
vibrunazo 14y ago
> Google may have released these features into the wild faster than Apple, but when iOS6 launches this summer and then passes the Android 4.0 install base in what, 2 weeks, there will then be more Apple users using these features than Android users That's incorrect. All of the features announced in ios 6 (and ios 5) are catching up with features available to android 2.3 users. Pointing out that ICS only runs on 7% of devices while ios 5 runs on 80% is fun marketing games. But technically, that's like comparing apples to robots. Google has updated their apps slowly over time, as they're being developed, for devices with old OS version. While apple waits for these big announcements for the big marketing show. So android users will always be getting the fresh new features before ios users. Some of those android users with newer features will be running android 2.3. Why are we even bringing up the OS version when comparing features available to older OS versions? (For example, you don't need to upgrade to android 4.0 to upgrade the Google Play Store app to the latest version. Which has all these social integration such "your friend has liked this app". Which is a brand new feature on ios, that android 2.3 users have already been enjoying for quite a while.)
- taligent 14y ago
  > Pointing out that ICS only runs on 7% of devices while ios 5 runs on 80% is fun marketing games. How is this fun, marketing games ? It is a fact.
  - myko 14y ago
    It's fun marketing games as it is irrelevant, these features have been on Android since 2.3 so that's where the comparison should be.
    - clarky07 14y ago
      Certainly all the features consumers want aren't on 2.3. The latest and greatest android is 4.x and it has lots of nice features. 5.0 will be out soon with more good features. Even if 2.3 was amazingly awesome and way better than anything else available, 20% of Android is still on 2.2.

michaelbuckbee 14y ago

I like your analysis, but I'm curious how you would factor in Google's purchase of Motorola? An effort to decrease the release gap?

spiralpolitik 14y ago
One that could blow up their faces if the other vendors feel that Motorola is getting special treatment. The bigger worry for Google is if Samsung decides it doesn't need Google anymore, forks and goes it alone in an attempt to match Apple. At that point Google Android is left with a bunch of manufacturers almost all of which are losing money. Not a great position to be in.
- taligent 14y ago
  Remember Samsung did just become a platinum members of the Linux Foundation. It really wouldn't surprise me if Samsung was looking to assert much more control over Android even to the point of forking it.
  - myko 14y ago
    Forking it and losing access to Google Play? I find that highly unlikely. They already control their devices, TouchWiz isn't simply a different launcher - what more control could they want (at such great cost)?

vibrunazo 14y ago

> Google may have released these features into the wild faster than Apple, but when iOS6 launches this summer and then passes the Android 4.0 install base in what, 2 weeks, there will then be more Apple users using these features than Android users That's incorrect. All of the features announced in ios 6 (and ios 5) are catching up with features available to android 2.3 users. Pointing out that ICS only runs on 7% of devices while ios 5 runs on 80% is fun marketing games. But technically, that's like comparing apples to robots. Google has updated their apps slowly over time, as they're being developed, for devices with old OS version. While apple waits for these big announcements for the big marketing show. So android users will always be getting the fresh new features before ios users. Some of those android users with newer features will be running android 2.3. Why are we even bringing up the OS version when comparing features available to older OS versions? (For example, you don't need to upgrade to android 4.0 to upgrade the Google Play Store app to the latest version. Which has all these social integration such "your friend has liked this app". Which is a brand new feature on ios, that android 2.3 users have already been enjoying for quite a while.)

taligent 14y ago
> Pointing out that ICS only runs on 7% of devices while ios 5 runs on 80% is fun marketing games. How is this fun, marketing games ? It is a fact.
- myko 14y ago
  It's fun marketing games as it is irrelevant, these features have been on Android since 2.3 so that's where the comparison should be.
  - clarky07 14y ago
    Certainly all the features consumers want aren't on 2.3. The latest and greatest android is 4.x and it has lots of nice features. 5.0 will be out soon with more good features. Even if 2.3 was amazingly awesome and way better than anything else available, 20% of Android is still on 2.2.