iOS and Android have never been at a loss for die-hard fans, but ever since Android was introduced they have both been competing for the virgin customer. In my opinion what dispenses points of market share one way or the other boils down to 2 things: Who strikes first, and the impact caused during that first strike. When it comes to technology they constantly outdo each other. But what, from the jockeys' seat, might look like a daily photo-finish actually looks like Android never left the gate, to most bettors.
Android's roll-out was in many ways analogous to that of iPhone OS. The first Android phone didn't reach the market until September, 2008, and although then the difference in capabilities between the two platforms was vast they've matured technologically to the point where they are more or less evenly capable. For the record, this article's focus is not the difference in original roll-out dates of the platforms.
When a customer purchases an iPhone he can't make a wrong choice. There's only one choice (in 2 colors, 2 memory capacities). There won't be any guilt associated with having selected the wrong device. Even better: he can rely on Apple's track record to hope that, although the hardware will look two generations less tasty in 2 years, the manufacturer won't consider his phone obsolete during that time and he'll be entitled to prompt bug fixes and releases of the best features his hardware can handle. Warm and fuzzy at no extra cost. Your phone may come to be 2 years old, but it will never feel quite that old.
If the customer purchases an Android device the experience is the opposite. Many flavors to choose from, from a choice of manufacturers, most with a good portion of bloatware, some with spyware right out of the box. Of course no one will tell this to the customer before the purchase, so some guilt is included for free with every purchase. But wait, there's more! Even after Google tried to get manufacturers to make a commitment to keep the phones regularly up to date with reasonably recent features and bug fixes the task is easier said than done and probably not policed. Your phone may come to be 2 years old, and it will most definitely feel 2 years old.
But but but... Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is awesome! Yes. But it was ready last year. When you finally find a phone with it on your carrier it will already be last year's OS. It will have bloatware. It's software, so it will have bugs. But fear not: since you will never see an update from the manufacturer they will never be fixed on your phone.
Some History
When Apple came out with the iPhone in January, 2007, it certainly was a game-changer, but being the first of its kind also meant that some lessons would only be learned with time. Some things were foreseeable. Clearly Apple was planning to roll out more apps as time went by. Some other things escaped Apple's foresight. During the first 2 years Apple modified the OS to devote more resources to call handling, changed the keyboard to allow multi-touch key presses, and introduced much desired features like a dedicated Gmail account type button in Settings.Android's roll-out was in many ways analogous to that of iPhone OS. The first Android phone didn't reach the market until September, 2008, and although then the difference in capabilities between the two platforms was vast they've matured technologically to the point where they are more or less evenly capable. For the record, this article's focus is not the difference in original roll-out dates of the platforms.
Android's Permanent 2-year Lag
The case of the virgin customer is unique. Whatever the phone selected the customer is likely to be pleasantly surprised to find what a phone has become. And if the customer is like most mobile phone owners he'll be tied to that piece of hardware for 2 years or pay a premium to change it. So why does this only affect Android negatively? Strategy, or lack, thereof.When a customer purchases an iPhone he can't make a wrong choice. There's only one choice (in 2 colors, 2 memory capacities). There won't be any guilt associated with having selected the wrong device. Even better: he can rely on Apple's track record to hope that, although the hardware will look two generations less tasty in 2 years, the manufacturer won't consider his phone obsolete during that time and he'll be entitled to prompt bug fixes and releases of the best features his hardware can handle. Warm and fuzzy at no extra cost. Your phone may come to be 2 years old, but it will never feel quite that old.
If the customer purchases an Android device the experience is the opposite. Many flavors to choose from, from a choice of manufacturers, most with a good portion of bloatware, some with spyware right out of the box. Of course no one will tell this to the customer before the purchase, so some guilt is included for free with every purchase. But wait, there's more! Even after Google tried to get manufacturers to make a commitment to keep the phones regularly up to date with reasonably recent features and bug fixes the task is easier said than done and probably not policed. Your phone may come to be 2 years old, and it will most definitely feel 2 years old.
But but but... Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is awesome! Yes. But it was ready last year. When you finally find a phone with it on your carrier it will already be last year's OS. It will have bloatware. It's software, so it will have bugs. But fear not: since you will never see an update from the manufacturer they will never be fixed on your phone.
Wake up, Google!
Google's web browser, Google Chrome, has been gaining market share with very little resistance. This would not have been possible using the Android strategy. Can you imagine what would have happened if every computer manufacturer had had a say in when and how we get Chrome releases instead of the regular 6-week-ish cycles?
I've been an iPhone user. I've been an Android user. They're both excellent. But Android is always 2 years behind when it gets to my pocket.
