Now, with increasing competition, Android handsets have really taken off to the point that they've surpassed the iPhone in a number of key areas.
Behind multiple hardware manufacturers and some impressive software development by Google, I can actually say I'm a little jealous of phones like the Galaxy S3, HTC OneX, and some others.
These platitudes are great and all, and I know people like to spout them, but what specific "impressive software development" have you seen that you want? What good are "multiple hardware manufacturers" if at the end of the day, you will be buying a single phone?
You're looking for a faster processor... are you running BOINC on your phone that having a 2GHz mini-furnace will make things so much better? Is it worth having a wider screen if all of the apps on the platform aren't yet modified to take advantage of the different layout, leaving you with useless black bars on the sides?
As for phones making me jealous: I don't let hardware dictate my feelings. If a phone does something specific that will greatly improve something in my work or play, without wrecking all of the other things that my current device already does really well, then I will want it.
My question is whether or not Apple feels a greater sense of urgency with this upcoming keynote given that Google is gaining ground in a hurry.
We can already answer that question: the answer is no. Steve Jobs said it many times, and Tim Cook has been repeating the mantra: Apple is interested in making "the best products." And let's be clear, from Apple's viewpoint, "most" does not equal "best."
And, is Google really positioned to make Apple #2 in the mobile space, or will Apple respond with some major counter-punches?
Google HAS already done this, if you count market share in terms of OS platform. But... so what?
If Apple were truly concerned about market share, they would've either severely cheapened the Mac line, or dropped it entirely. If "most" equalled "best," then Apple's sub-10% marketshare in the desktop/laptop categories would've meant they were making pretty "lousy" products. But that just isn't the case... Apple makes millions of dollars in profit off Macs every quarter, and people who buy them, tend to love them.
While selling the most gadgets does wonders to Apple's stock price, I think people are seriously missing the point if they're biting their fingernails over the notion that Google is going to overtake Apple in adoption rate. You shouldn't buy something just because "most" people have it. You should buy something because it works and does what you need/want it to do, and does it exceedingly well.
Will you consider an Android device if the next iPhone is just "blah"?
No. I will consider an Android device when it does everything my iPhone does, and integrates so effortlessly with my other devices, in ways better than my current setup. OR if Apple screws the pooch so badly that it cripples the things I've grown accustomed to, and Android currently-stilted way of syncing and harmonizing ends up being less crummy.
But that would be a long, long way to fall.
And what does "blah" mean, anyway? How much faster does the CPU have to be... how many more cores? How big does the screen need to be for the next iPhone to not be "blah?"
I'm growing tired of people demanding that Apple "innovate" without laying out what they think "innovating" means.
I think I might. I don't buy a ton of apps and my music collection was mostly stolen in college years ago. The ecosystem is not as big of a "barrier to exit" as it may be for others.
The "barrier to exit" for me isn't about the expense of the apps (all in all, most of my apps are free, and the ones I paid for are pretty much in the sub-$2 category). For me, the barrier to exit is the loss of functionality. I've grown very accustomed to things working really seamlessly among my computers and devices, without having to spend a whole bunch of time MAKING them work this way. And for me a slightly faster CPU, or .5 inches of extra screen diameter just isn't enough to make me give that up.
