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How worried are Google and Microsoft?
- Thread starter Cod3rror
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Here's the challenge for Google, it's never going to be possible for them to get the ecosystem Apple displayed at WWDC.
Apple took convergence and threw it out the window and showed the world a family of devices that all represent one cohesive experience where the sum is far greater than its parts.
Android can't do that. Microsoft can, but they have their head in their rump.
As I said in another thread, The iPhone 6 probably WONT be better than the Samsung S5 or LG G3, but now Android is really competing against Macs, iPads and iPhones and the singular experience they offer with iOS8 and Yosemite.
Google and Microsoft should absolutely be worried because I'm willing to bet that once people get a taste of a real ecosystem and device synergy, they will probably never leave for any single outlier android phone which is cut off from their tablet and laptop/desktop.
That and Apple will have big screens, which was half the appeal of android phones.
Apple took convergence and threw it out the window and showed the world a family of devices that all represent one cohesive experience where the sum is far greater than its parts.
Android can't do that. Microsoft can, but they have their head in their rump.
As I said in another thread, The iPhone 6 probably WONT be better than the Samsung S5 or LG G3, but now Android is really competing against Macs, iPads and iPhones and the singular experience they offer with iOS8 and Yosemite.
Google and Microsoft should absolutely be worried because I'm willing to bet that once people get a taste of a real ecosystem and device synergy, they will probably never leave for any single outlier android phone which is cut off from their tablet and laptop/desktop.
That and Apple will have big screens, which was half the appeal of android phones.
I'm willing to bet that as history has shown, people won't put all their eggs in one basket labeled Apple. The fact that an Android user has a number of options when it comes to phones and tablets and they all interface with what they do on their PC's today is what's attractive to them.
Case in point, my wife wants many of the features of Android but not on my Note 3 size phone. Easy, tons of choices from many manufactures, again each with strong points offering her choices. She also wants to integrate and sync her Web based dealings on her laptop with her phone and tablet....easy, Chrome and Firefox both do that. Her laptop....tons of options that aren't crazy stupid expensive. Again, fits her need and our family needs way better than an Apple centric offering would for far less money.
All our music, movies, files are accessible both on my home based cloud set up or any of the other third party offerings. Far more options, less cost and easier access.
I mean really, I can appreciate what you're trying to sell in that the umbrella Apple is trying to create is cool and understandable. However, there's little advantage to having to pin yourself to one brand and limited options when the competition offers more robust offerings in far more number of combinations and choices that can better Taylor to specific needs of users and for less money to boot.
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That is a fair point but you will also have people that are averse to such a full commitment
This might hold true for those who already have a Mac and iPad. But most consumers don't even own a Mac or an iPad. Apple's integration of it's products with each other will be more of an incentive to those whom already own multiple Apple products. I doubt the average consumer will feel compelled to have a Mac, iPad, and an iPhone based on it's ecosystem. Especially if they already have a very capable Windows PC.
Google actually has a larger and more robust ecosystem. Apple has just mastered the art of a completely automated ecosystem with it's products.
Surface 3 announcement
I wouldn't be so sure...There are a lot of macs out there. It's hardly a niche product anymore.
A couple problems with this ecosystem are the cost and the ability of smartphones. People seem ready to spend a lot of money on their smartphones and smartphone plans because that device does a lot of work for them even to the point of replacing laptops and desktops. If you don't have a laptop, desktop, or tablet (or you use your laptop/desktop very rarely) then the benefit of Apple's coordination between products is moot.
Also, the cost of buying into this world is fairly steep. In order to fully appreciate your smartphone you must buy a tablet and a laptop/desktop? It will be a hard sell for new buyers.
I say these things from the standpoint of seeing an entire community that will pay for a smartphone and an expensive plan but don't own a laptop or desktop. Either because they can't afford it or don't see a need for it. I'm not saying this is the majority of people, but I have to imagine there are many more people who would find it difficult to pay for several Apple products than people who can afford them.
For some strange reason...not sure why...I get the impression this new level of integration and unified technology will hit the ground running...
yes, plenty of iOS devices sold. However, buying an iPhone, iPad, and macbook/mini/imac is a huge dollar amount for a lot of consumers to spend especially when the iPhone handles the vast majority of their needs. If the selling point is that it can work seamlessly with all your other Apple devices and you don't have any other Apple devices then it is useless to you.
Again, I am basing this on my own experiences within my community over the past few years.
The only feature in your list that even remotely appeals to me is Google Drive. I've had that on my iPhone for a couple of years now so not quite sure what your point is there?
ROFL, Android has 80% marketshare of all the smartphones in the world and growing and ipad is steadily losing tablet share (androids about 60% now) Apple is not winning the marketshare
Android has been the one which has been bringing new features for the past 2 years and since iOS 6 basically iOS has been "borrowing" features from android, app integration, 3rd party keyboards, app notifications it's all been there in android since gingerbread.
Android is a better software letdown by manufacturers like Samsung who make it buggy and bloated.
Google is on both android and iOS, almost all iOS and mac users use Google for search, Google don't do hardware so they are not much bothered about marketshare as long as the world uses google for search whether in android or ios or any other platform they are winning.
Android has been the one which has been bringing new features for the past 2 years and since iOS 6 basically iOS has been "borrowing" features from android, app integration, 3rd party keyboards, app notifications it's all been there in android since gingerbread.
Android is a better software letdown by manufacturers like Samsung who make it buggy and bloated.
Google is on both android and iOS, almost all iOS and mac users use Google for search, Google don't do hardware so they are not much bothered about marketshare as long as the world uses google for search whether in android or ios or any other platform they are winning.
OP ignores the fact that Google's core business isn't mobile/desktop software or hardware, it is services, advertising, data, and running crazy ventures like satellite internet, humanoid robots, self driving cars, 3d mapping sensors etc etc. They get all their services used on iOS just fine, so I doubt they are missing out much.
May be Matias Duarte and his team are worried, but I doubt Page cares.
MS on the other hand, is probably still figuring out what they want to be. They are trying to be a devices and services company but still not there yet. They could be a bit more worried but their business model isn't entirely reliant on providing a mobile OS.
The only ones worried should be HTC. Every other company has core businesses it can lean on to keep going for much longer. HTC is the most vulnerable of all.
May be Matias Duarte and his team are worried, but I doubt Page cares.
MS on the other hand, is probably still figuring out what they want to be. They are trying to be a devices and services company but still not there yet. They could be a bit more worried but their business model isn't entirely reliant on providing a mobile OS.
The only ones worried should be HTC. Every other company has core businesses it can lean on to keep going for much longer. HTC is the most vulnerable of all.
Which is why Apple is a hardware driven company and Google are software.ROFL, Android has 80% marketshare of all the smartphones in the world and growing and ipad is steadily losing tablet share (androids about 60% now) Apple is not winning the marketshare
Android has been the one which has been bringing new features for the past 2 years and since iOS 6 basically iOS has been "borrowing" features from android, app integration, 3rd party keyboards, app notifications it's all been there in android since gingerbread.
Android is a better software letdown by manufacturers like Samsung who make it buggy and bloated.
Google is on both android and iOS, almost all iOS and mac users use Google for search, Google don't do hardware so they are not much bothered about marketshare as long as the world uses google for search whether in android or ios or any other platform they are winning.
Marketshare is very up and down because it only measures device sales per quarter. Apple's spike in marketshare usually increases when a new device comes out like the first iteration, rather than an S model. The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple's US market share was 41.4%, but that doesn't take into account the rest of the world. The fact is iOS and Android are the dominant forces in the smartphone market and Android will always retain a larger share due to the range of devices that use its interface. When you consider an Android powered device ranges from £20 to £700 in price, is it any wonder they have 78.1% global market share? It doesn't mean iOS is behind or struggling because the costing is vastly different. I think you'll find they are both doing extremely well with their projections.
And there is much more Windows machines. I never said that Apple doesn't sell a lot. Just pointed out that most people don't have Macs or iPads, so the integration between the iPhone and those other Apple products is not a huge selling point unless they do own other Apple products.
Google has never been about tangible products. They rarely profit from Android which is a free and open OS to use. They hardly profit from Nexus devices. Their success lies mostly in services and online ads. As long as you are online and use their services or click on an ad in on all platforms, they will continue to profit.
Google Search
YouTube
Android
GMail
Google Maps
^^ Billions of people use them. Not to mention they have Google Voice Search, Google Voice, Google Now, Google Glass, and Chrome is faster than Safari. They also have Project Ara and driverless cars in their pipeline.
Google was recently named the most innovative company in the world surpassing Apple. Worried much or is it really the OP who asked this?
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Google Search
YouTube
Android
GMail
Google Maps
^^ Billions of people use them. Not to mention they have Google Voice Search, Google Voice, Google Now, Google Glass, and Chrome is faster than Safari. They also have Project Ara and driverless cars in their pipeline.
Google was recently named the most innovative company in the world surpassing Apple. Worried much or is it really the OP who asked this?
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Agree with HTC although they were never really big to begin with even in their prime. Their biggest market was actually North America but usually at 10% or less. HTC was never really big in Asia (most populated continent which holds 60% of the global population) except maybe in their home country of Taiwan. HTC can probably still push through like BlackBerry for a few more years until another company merges or buys them out or they either close shop or become a contracted manufacturer like before (ala Foxconn).
Google should be worried about Samsung leaving Android before they worry about Apple or Microsoft. If Samsung goes off and does their own thing, Android is finished.
The only feature in your list that even remotely appeals to me is Google Drive. I've had that on my iPhone for a couple of years now so not quite sure what your point is there?
Umm, I think your really confused?
I was replying to some guy who coudn't see how Apple was kind of catching in terms of features. I was pointing out that while Apple introduced a lot, it was still playing catch up to Android in some.
I think the concern, for MS at least, is hardware. I'm chomping at the bit to get a windows phone, but man I can't find one I like. The 1020 takes incredible pics, but the bezel is so freakin ginormous and the usable screen small. The Icon is very chunky and kind of feels like a toy, and is only on verizon. The 1520 is huge, but that's ok if it wasn't for the razor sharp corners, maybe it can be used as a shuriken? The Samsung Ativ SE was ok, but reminiscent of the usual Galaxy cheapness and also only on verizon.
MS really needs to release a surface phone PRONTO!
MS really needs to release a surface phone PRONTO!
Not sure if serious.....
Wow, you are serious....
Some folks see the "hits and misses" as trying new things. Nobody has 100% great ideas that pan out 100% of the time. Even if such a person existed, good ideas can still fall by the wayside (see: WebOS) due to other factors.
This statement is a little bit ridiculous. Apple makes one mobile operating system that they implement on two/three devices (iPhone and iPads), both of which they happen to make. What you call 'standards' is simply the way that Cupertino has decided to make a function/feature work (like iMessage).
This way of working gives you way more control and is *far* easier than what Google has managed so far with Android. They have put together a software platform that works the same way on the half-dozen devices each offered by a dozen different manufacturers. Gmail works great on an G1 (the first android phone), a Samsung S5, or an Asus Nexus 7. Hell, there are even Blackberry phones and Tizen phones that can run android apps. You can't have cross-compatibility for *the same binaries* without knowing a thing or two about standards.
These are useful features, but Google has their own great, innovative features that people get a lot of use out of.
Google Search (nuff said)
Gmail
Google Maps (best in the world and years ahead of everyone else)
Google Earth
Google Translate
Youtube
Hangouts
Google Wallet
Google+
And the many other projects they have going like driverless cars, project ara or satelite wifi (just to name a few)
I'm not knocking APIs, but android's allows you system-level access to much (if not all) of the hardware, firmware and software on the device.
So easy that it has taken 3-4 years for some of these features to show up? iOS still doesn't do multitasking quite correctly.
This statement is ridiculous. Apple still doesn't have their cloud features working properly, and is stuck in the land of proprietary lock-in. Nothing against apple, but they aren't exactly poised to take over the world. MS should probably be worried, but Google does a lot of other things besides mobile phone software.
Apple should probably be concerned. Google has been giving users more features more for a few years with lesser hardware sold cheaper. The last time Apple went after Google in a big, public endeavor was with Maps and we all know how that turned out (in Apple's defense, this was probably the 2nd worst arena to challenge google in....search being the worst).
LOL. and when consumers find out their crappy Tizen phones can't run any app, then Samsung is finished. Android will be fine without Samsung with LG, Motorola and HTC taking over Samsungs' market share.
Google's only worry from an Android perspective is likely Samsung - I'm not saying it will happen, but if Samsung decides to go full throttle ahead with Tizen it would create a bigger dent, more quickly in Android market share than Apple's fall releases.
Though I think Apple's fall and winter this year are going to be absolutely enormous. They already lead as far as individual phone sales go - this quarter we'll see a whole new stratosphere.
I DO think we'll see some market share change hands - but cutting into 80% would take a HUGE number of sales over a LONG time.
Apple could sell 100 million iPhones in the holiday quarter and likely not gain more than 5-8% market share overall.....Android is simply on too many different devices.
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Looks like you beat me to it - though I don't think Android would be finished at all.
I think if Samsung goes off on their own with Tizen, you'd see Android still retain more than 50% of smartphone market share, with Apple and Samsung each around 20-25%.
Personally, I'd love to see Samsung break out on their own. Would give HTC, LG and Sony more room to breathe and really show the world what they can do. I think the HTC One and LG G series are highly underrated by consumers.
Though I think Apple's fall and winter this year are going to be absolutely enormous. They already lead as far as individual phone sales go - this quarter we'll see a whole new stratosphere.
I DO think we'll see some market share change hands - but cutting into 80% would take a HUGE number of sales over a LONG time.
Apple could sell 100 million iPhones in the holiday quarter and likely not gain more than 5-8% market share overall.....Android is simply on too many different devices.
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Looks like you beat me to it - though I don't think Android would be finished at all.
I think if Samsung goes off on their own with Tizen, you'd see Android still retain more than 50% of smartphone market share, with Apple and Samsung each around 20-25%.
Personally, I'd love to see Samsung break out on their own. Would give HTC, LG and Sony more room to breathe and really show the world what they can do. I think the HTC One and LG G series are highly underrated by consumers.
I was at my friends house last night who just so happens to be employed with Microsoft and we started looking at his Windows Phone. He has a 1020. The software is impressive (he is running the beta 8.1) but the hardware design looked and felt undesirable. I then started comparing the Apps I had installed and use often versus what he could get in the store on his phone. Slim pickings. He wanted the NBA Game Time app I use and no dice.
I think the OS is getting there, but lack of beautiful design hardware wise and lack of developers really hurts the platform now and going forward. Hard to justify spending money on a platform that doesn't provide a similar experience as the competitors in my mind.