Can Apple's iOS really beat Google's Android?

[slide]

Not sure if it will even matter which OS is better. The 2 phones will be judged on their overall performance, and one factor here accessibility of apps. Apple seems to be winning here, because there's only one apple app store, vs android's 4-7 stores. Too many stores confuses people.

Maybe, but the again some folks like me detest iTunes. To me it's the worst part of the iPhone.

I had lunch with a guy who owns maybe 10 T-Mob authorized stores. He was amazed at the speed of the iPhone - not so much in data comms but in how quickly it responds in general. Apparently nothing he sells can match it (he said).

 

[Jellotime91]

@slide,
iTunes =! App Store.

The App Store is effing amazing, and for me it's the biggest reason why I won't leave iOS.

iTunes (on the PC, at least) is a bloated piece of software that is very annoying and limited for the sake of being consistent. If it weren't for iTunes you wouldn't be able to seamlessly transition between one iPhone to the next. I still have text messages from 2008. Android has no equivalent to iTunes' services.

And having multiple app stores in my opinion makes Android a very weak platform. If all of the apps can't be downloaded universally on all phones, it defeats the purpose of putting Android on everything. Developers will not be submitting their apps to the Android Marketplace, Android PSN, HTC 99 Sense Store, Moto Blore, Verizon V-Cast FiOS Super 4G Store, and whatever the heck else the future brings...

 

[slide]

It's true that I don't mind the app store as much as I mind iTunes but I need to manage my apps in iTunes now and that's annoying. If the iPhone had competition in its management software including access to the store, we'd have a chance at a better UI and a better user experience.

I'm not about to drop the iPhone because of iTunes but it was a negative part of my buying matrix when I was considering what phone to replace my BB. I'm not saying that the Android solution is superior. Maybe it's inferior and probably it is, but Apple's could be much better too.

 

[coygianni]

@slide,
iTunes =! App Store.
iTunes (on the PC, at least) is a bloated piece of software that is very annoying and limited for the sake of being consistent. If it weren't for iTunes you wouldn't be able to seamlessly transition between one iPhone to the next. I still have text messages from 2008. Android has no equivalent to iTunes' services.

Well, i dont need messages from 2008...seems like clutter to me

But personally,
I used itunes with my brief stint with iphone...
True, u can have all ur apps you downloaded on another phone on ur latest phone

but google market pretty much does the same thing...without the contant need for itunes and having to sync the iphone to the mac/pc to delete this or that or blah blah blah

 

[coygianni]

Awww they give u cute names haha like iphone nanite

Anyway, my name is carmen....i am actually pretty dumb when it comes to all things apple.
I have been using droids on verizon since last november and before that i pretty much had lame ass phones before that(Storm, Omnia, Dare, alias 2, env touch, etc. etc.)

Personally,
I was on verizon and i had heard of the iphone but wasn't on at & t
I heard that it couldn't mms when it came out and u had to always send pix via email...no interest

i saw it and the overall look never really appealed to me as well

It wasn't till this year that i switched to at & t in august for the xperia x10(hated it) and got a captivate that i became remotely interested in the iphone 4....

I tried an iphone 3g out that my brother had and it was decent and the apps were decent
but i noticed that while apple had a little more variety....android has google beat when it comes to the number of free apps or at least apps that are .99 cent or less

money is not a problem for me, by any means but u can't beat free...or nearly free
I rarely buy an app on android because all the ones i use and want are free

my short time with the 3g(and the iphone 4), i did have to spend anywhere from 1.99-9.99 for apps...

I honestly think the iphone is king for now but i don't see it dominating too much longer...
I love the fact that out the box, iphone is easy to learn and easy to use....

Android comes in a variety of flavors and while the essentials are all the same with any phones...the UI such as blur, sense, touchwiz, stock, rachel etc etc...have new tricks that are confusing

I love itunes on my computer because it is a decent looking UI but having to constantly use it for my iphone is annoying...

I love the fact I can just set my captivate up as a USB and click pictures, ringtones, etc. etc. and not have to sync it to another program and i am good to go...

Expandable memory is always good which is an area google(as well as others) have apple beat....and now that u can use the sd card for apps takes away the argument that the 16, 32 and 64GB could be use for apps as well...

Also, the iphone UI with IOS 4 seems a bit more appealing but it still looks just like everybody elses iphone...unless u jailbreak and i do like the fact that i can have my phone look my way and arrange things MY WAY

Overall, i love android but i don't like the...beta feel to it.
IOS is very beautiful and seamless(second only to WEBOS in my opinion)..
Which is why i am considering going back to the iphone 4 or expanding over to WP7

i believe i am the average consumer because while i want the bells and whistles, i want something decent that is not going to break the bank as well as something i don't have to jailbreak or root
to get it do something...other phones can already do....

 

[Jellotime91]

Well, i dont need messages from 2008...seems like clutter to me

But personally,
I used itunes with my brief stint with iphone...
True, u can have all ur apps you downloaded on another phone on ur latest phone

but google market pretty much does the same thing...without the contant need for itunes and having to sync the iphone to the mac/pc to delete this or that or blah blah blah

Hmm right until you buy an Android phone which doesn't have access to the same marketplace... Then you're SOL.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

as said, there are a ton of android stores. Not all apps are in each store, and you mwould need to sign up for each and spread your credit card through out.

Apple, on the other hand. one ID gets you access to all the itunes stores, plus the online Apple retail store.

 

[Ipheuria]

Android isn't open it's customizable, Google simply uses it as a marketing tool to get users to buy the phones. It is open to the manufacturer and carriers who skin it how they want. When you need to root the phone to make changes that proves the original platform aint open. I can JB an iPhone to customize the OS too. I have been using an Android phone with FroYo and customization is cool but when I have 24 choices and each choice has a subset of another ten options you know what that means? it means it becomes tedious and users will stop customizing and use the basic functions of the phone. The Android OS is very unpolished and hobbyish from the onscreen keyboard to the features. The marketplace is very scattered. There are definately cool things I'd love on the iPhone like the widgets and pull down taskbar but there are a hell of alot more things I love to use on the iPhone anyday.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

Android isn't open it's customizable, Google simply uses it as a marketing tool to get users to buy the phones. It is open to the manufacturer and carriers who skin it how they want. When you need to root the phone to make changes that proves the original platform aint open. I can JB an iPhone to customize the OS too. I have been using an Android phone with FroYo and customization is cool but when I have 24 choices and each choice has a subset of another ten options you know what that means? it means it becomes tedious and users will stop customizing and use the basic functions of the phone. The Android OS is very unpolished and hobbyish from the onscreen keyboard to the features. The marketplace is very scattered. There are definately cool things I'd love on the iPhone like the widgets and pull down taskbar but there are a hell of alot more things I love to use on the iPhone anyday.

I could see Apple doing a bit of lion in iOS and you swipe to the left and have yoiur command center, where you can get access to widgets or notifications. Even search.

 

[coygianni]

I am trying to figure out where do you get the multiple stores from?
lol

it is all one market place...

for instance sony xperia runs android 1.6 which came out in august(even though 1.6 has been available since mid 2009 and currently android 2.2 is the latest OS which makes it about 3 OS back...2.0, 2.01, and currently 2.2)

but it has access to the same market as my samsung captivate running android 2.1
the only difference is that some apps made not show up in the market for the xperia that would show up for the captivate

It's one market nonetheless and your credit card info is in one place...
i wanted to clarify that because it seems to be a misconception...there are no multiple stores

 

[maverick96]

I am trying to figure out where do you get the multiple stores from?
lol

it is all one market place...

for instance sony xperia runs android 1.6 which came out in august(even though 1.6 has been available since mid 2009 and currently android 2.2 is the latest OS which makes it about 3 OS back...2.0, 2.01, and currently 2.2)

but it has access to the same market as my samsung captivate running android 2.1
the only difference is that some apps made not show up in the market for the xperia that would show up for the captivate

It's one market nonetheless and your credit card info is in one place...
i wanted to clarify that because it seems to be a misconception...there are no multiple stores

I will agree with this, not sure what others are saying about multiple stores or markets? I will say though that iTunes is FAR more polished for use on the iPhone than Androids market place is on Android phones. I have yet to use a phone that is as fluid or responsive as the iPhone. I have tried out almost every single Android phone so far and none of them seem to really compare in usability to iOS.

 

[Jellotime91]

I am trying to figure out where do you get the multiple stores from?
lol

it is all one market place...

for instance sony xperia runs android 1.6 which came out in august(even though 1.6 has been available since mid 2009 and currently android 2.2 is the latest OS which makes it about 3 OS back...2.0, 2.01, and currently 2.2)

but it has access to the same market as my samsung captivate running android 2.1
the only difference is that some apps made not show up in the market for the xperia that would show up for the captivate

It's one market nonetheless and your credit card info is in one place...
i wanted to clarify that because it seems to be a misconception...there are no multiple stores

The different markets are a future which Android is heading towards very soon. Verizon is working on a V Cast android store, and Sprint is rumored to be working on theirs, too. Sony is also working on a marketplace for their PSP Android phone, and you know they aren't going to allow the Android Marketplace on there (cheaper games). I have no doubt that any carrier with high Android sales will start making their own marketplaces as well.

 

[coygianni]

The different markets are a future which Android is heading towards very soon. Verizon is working on a V Cast android store, and Sprint is rumored to be working on theirs, too. Sony is also working on a marketplace for their PSP Android phone, and you know they aren't going to allow the Android Marketplace on there (cheaper games). I have no doubt that any carrier with high Android sales will start making their own marketplaces as well.

but that is why android is an open OS...it allows you to have more options...i don't see anything wrong with that....it's all about choices

 

[anon(4698833)]

Android isnt an open OS...just because a phone can be hacked (See: Rooted, JB'ed) doesnt mean its an open operating system. And truth be told, 75% of the crap that android allows you to do to it causes it to lose about 60% of its battery life, so whats the point? To overclock it and impress a bunch of geek friends sitting around a table getting aroused because their phone could show a number on the screen for a few seconds?

 

[Ipheuria]

but that is why android is an open OS...it allows you to have more options...i don't see anything wrong with that....it's all about choices

I know a number of people have bought into Google's open buzz word but like I said before Android is not open. I have an android phone, if you have to root a phone to run an OS version it's not open. If you have to root a phone to put themes on it's not open, if you have to root a phone to do freaking screenshots it's not open. If that was the case iPhone is more open than Android since screenshots has been a function of the firmware since the first generation. Android is customizable not open it's very different, and it is not always the best thing. So your question is definitely phrased wrong "Can Google's Android one day beat iOS?" is the real question. Sure no one knows the future, the OS has got potential but it is sure as hell alot less polished and lacking features that a closed OS has hmmmm

 

[iquinn]

if the iPhone can beat Android as a mobile phone OS. I still don?t think it can in the long run, but a CDMA or dual-band iPhone will certainly give Android a run for its money in the mobile space. However, I?ll gladly take some fragmentation if it means I can have a variety of devices made smarter, better, and more connected by their use of Android. Hardware and software developers don?t think of iOS as an embedded operating system. Android, on the other hand, can absolutely be the embedded OS for a new generation of devices. And several million smartphones along the way.

I decided I had to get in on this one. I think that when the iPhone goes to VZW as well as the Asian markets with a CDMA that IOS will indeed be the dominant operating system. At least as far as mind and profit share go Apple has an appeal that can not be overlooked or underestimated. IOS is far more straight forward and mass market friendly then Android. Anyone can pick up an iPhone and instantly know how to use it. The same can not be said for Android as it can be tweaked both by the handset makers and the carriers. Most consumers in my opinion would prefer IOS if they could get it on the carrier of their choosing.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

but that is why android is an open OS...it allows you to have more options...i don't see anything wrong with that....it's all about choices

having 5 or 6 diferent stores is not open. its just confusion.

 

[maverick96]

To overclock it and impress a bunch of geek friends sitting around a table getting aroused because their phone could show a number on the screen for a few seconds?

This made me laugh...good stuff...LOL

 

[maverick96]

having 5 or 6 diferent stores is not open. its just confusion.

I agree^ They should focus strictly on googles market and have all the different manufacturers add things to it, that would certainly be interesting....

 

[mullrat]

Hey to the guy who says there aren't multiple stores. You're right. But there will be. Even now Verizon has a section in the market app labeled Verizon for all of their apps. Like navigator. Pretty soon there won't be anything else. Amazon, nook all these android devices will have their own stores.

But this is true. Right now there arent any alternative stores. But it is just around the corner.