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Having done quite a bit of Android development in the past few months, and for the foreseeable future, I'd have to say that people really are missing the point

Having done quite a bit of Android development in the past few months, and for the foreseeable future, I'd have to say that people really are missing the point of OS releases. The way Google is currently updating their core apps is the right way to do it, and should have been done from the beginning. Honestly, it seems counter-intuitive that it isn't that way on iOS. I realize why, Apple does stuff that requires tight OS-level integration that they don't expose to others. But the fact that Google and BlackBerry do this means to me that Apple made an architectural choice that will ultimately slow their speed of deployment of key updates. BlackBerry and Google can update their maps apps whenever they want, and regularly do. Apple had to wait for an OS release. With all that said, I am tremendously disappointed that we didn't see another Android point release. I understand why to an extent, but there are glaring omissions in the OS that make it exceedingly difficult to build an app that has significant features that interface with hardware and peripherals. The Camera API is lackluster, and the Bluetooth support (Or lack thereof ) is just shameful. The only saving grace of Android is that you can fix these problems yourself, if you know what you're doing. But it isn't easy, and is beyond they capabilities of most devs. Here's hoping Apple announces something awesome at WWDC. I still love Android for what it is, but they do need to catch up in a few key areas.

drivebyacct2 13y ago
Android is getting a better BT stack for 4.3. Big improvements including LE and multimedia protocol (the name escapes me). Rumor has it, it was meant to be announced yesterday. The Bluetooth group accidentally releasing something acknowledging new functionality in a new point release of Android (oops, not yet!)
- HorizonXP 13y ago
  AVRCP? Is that what you meant? I honestly haven't explored the Bluetooth stack too extensively, but I know the lack of a unified LE stack hurt a number of people I know developing products. And it will have ramifications for a long time due to the slow pace of OS updates on the platform. It's the decisions that Google made when implementing the Camera and MediaRecorder classes that hurt me the most, and will continue to for a long time going forward. What's easy on iOS and BlackBerry 10 is exceedingly difficult on Android. It's a PITA, but also a good thing for me since it makes the barrier to entry by my competitors much higher that I can rest a bit easier. And I can take a page from Google's book and port it back to older OS versions to fix it on all devices so that other devs can use it. Such are the pros and cons of the platform.
  - drivebyacct2 13y ago
    I can't really speak to the other points in your post, I either don't know or have no experience, etc. That having been said, if you want more BT info, I can help :P edit: forget those links, I should've known to just seek out the Android Police article - most details including AVCHR or whatever it is: http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/15/bluetooth-low-energy-and-avrcp-1-3-coming-to-android-with-api-level-18/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/15/bluetooth-low-energy...
    - HorizonXP 13y ago
      Good to see this. But like I said, because they're so late to the party, the impact it has had on the peripheral and hardware scene will last for a few more years still.
simonh 13y ago
I think you're underestimating the value of the publicity Apple gets with each new iOS update. By releasing a slew of new features in one go, at a high profile keynote presentation, they get maximum exposure. If they just pushed out a safari update randomly during the year the geeky tech press might cover it, but they'd get zero mainstream media coverage. For Google it makes no difference because they werent going to get the mainstream coverage anyway. When there's a new iOS version and iPhone out my wife asks about it because all her nursey mates on the ward are talking about it. It's think how much that's worth.

drivebyacct2 13y ago

Android is getting a better BT stack for 4.3. Big improvements including LE and multimedia protocol (the name escapes me). Rumor has it, it was meant to be announced yesterday. The Bluetooth group accidentally releasing something acknowledging new functionality in a new point release of Android (oops, not yet!)

HorizonXP 13y ago
AVRCP? Is that what you meant? I honestly haven't explored the Bluetooth stack too extensively, but I know the lack of a unified LE stack hurt a number of people I know developing products. And it will have ramifications for a long time due to the slow pace of OS updates on the platform. It's the decisions that Google made when implementing the Camera and MediaRecorder classes that hurt me the most, and will continue to for a long time going forward. What's easy on iOS and BlackBerry 10 is exceedingly difficult on Android. It's a PITA, but also a good thing for me since it makes the barrier to entry by my competitors much higher that I can rest a bit easier. And I can take a page from Google's book and port it back to older OS versions to fix it on all devices so that other devs can use it. Such are the pros and cons of the platform.
- drivebyacct2 13y ago
  I can't really speak to the other points in your post, I either don't know or have no experience, etc. That having been said, if you want more BT info, I can help :P edit: forget those links, I should've known to just seek out the Android Police article - most details including AVCHR or whatever it is: http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/15/bluetooth-low-energy-and-avrcp-1-3-coming-to-android-with-api-level-18/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/15/bluetooth-low-energy...
  - HorizonXP 13y ago
    Good to see this. But like I said, because they're so late to the party, the impact it has had on the peripheral and hardware scene will last for a few more years still.

simonh 13y ago

I think you're underestimating the value of the publicity Apple gets with each new iOS update. By releasing a slew of new features in one go, at a high profile keynote presentation, they get maximum exposure. If they just pushed out a safari update randomly during the year the geeky tech press might cover it, but they'd get zero mainstream media coverage. For Google it makes no difference because they werent going to get the mainstream coverage anyway. When there's a new iOS version and iPhone out my wife asks about it because all her nursey mates on the ward are talking about it. It's think how much that's worth.