Verizon to begin "iDoesn't" companion against "iDevice"

[matttye]

Firstly, developers and apps. Yes, Android supports open development out of the box, but that's meaningless if there's no develooers supporting it. For evidence of this, there's a study comparing the success of the same popular app in the App Store vs. the Android Market here.

Second, it's branding. Yes, I know Android is made by Google and all, but if the standard consumer is thinking of getting a smartphone, the first name they think of is not "Google" or "Android", but is a lot more likely to be "Apple" or "iPhone". As you can see here, this was even true in 2007. This is because Google is seen more as "the thing you use to find things online" than "phone company", whereas Apple has a very well established brand for gadgets.

Another thing that comes under branding is the name. If a device has an established name, it has the potential to be popular. This is why almost everyone has heard of the name "iPhone". However, if you ask someone about the "HTC Hero" or the "T-Mobile SPV G500" (because, of course, almost every HTC device is re-branded by the networks), they won't have a clue what you're on about. This also ties in a fair bit with the previous paragraph.

I actually think the only reason the iPhone OS is significantly more popular than Android is 1) Apple's huge headstart (Android wasn't released until Q4 2008, iPhone OS was released Q2 2007) and 2) marketing (iPhone adverts pop up on TV several times a day, amongst other methods)

The iPhone was also the first smart phone of its kind; everyone else followed suit after they saw how great a phone it was.

Apple use underhanded advertising methods to get customers and they have ridiculous advertising budgets. An entire TV advert dedicated to a copy/paste feature that has been present in other phones for 10+ years... Apple can take any old feature and make it sound great. Another underhanded tactic - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/804573/ - this looks like the iPhone can handle flash, but we all know it can't!

The iPhone does not win on merit, it wins on marketing trickery.

For a good example of how much more open Android is, just have a look at the HTC Sense UI.. that's an entire new GUI built on top of Android.

 

[bruinsrme]

Read my previous post.

Plus, don't forget that the iPhone will be upgraded next year too, and now all these other smartphones are coming about I'm sure Apple will so a proper full update on the next one.

With the big deal apple made about google streets and cut and paste I can hardly wait for the next update. as I

 

[175170]

Read my previous post.

Plus, don't forget that the iPhone will be upgraded next year too, and now all these other smartphones are coming about I'm sure Apple will so a proper full update on the next one.

Perhaps you should read my previous post again.

I've owned 3 iPhones, a variety of Android devices, and on the whole, I'm
happier with the pace that Android is moving at.

Android fixes the shortcomings of the iPhone, while the iPhone fixes the shortcomings of Android. The only problem is, Android is evolving faster.

 

[iPhone 62S]

I actually think the only reason the iPhone OS is significantly more popular than Android is 1) Apple's huge headstart (Android wasn't released until Q4 2008, iPhone OS was released Q2 2007) and 2) marketing (iPhone adverts pop up on TV several times a day, amongst other methods)

The iPhone was also the first smart phone of its kind; everyone else followed suit after they saw how great a phone it was.

Apple use underhanded advertising methods to get customers and they have ridiculous advertising budgets. An entire TV advert dedicated to a copy/paste feature that has been present in other phones for 10+ years... Apple can take any old feature and make it sound great. Another underhanded tactic - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/804573/ - this looks like the iPhone can handle flash, but we all know it can't!

The iPhone does not win on merit, it wins on marketing trickery.

For a good example of how much more open Android is, just have a look at the HTC Sense UI.. that's an entire new GUI built on top of Android.

While this may very well be true, and while it's also true that the competitors are beginning to catch up, the fact is that the iPhone is still doing stupidly well as a result of all this advertising, underhanded or otherwise.

Even when competitors release these new smartphones, Apple will remain ahead of the game with a combination of advertising and innovation (as you yourself said, the iPhone was the first phone of it's kind and now everyone's playing catch up with it, and I'll bet everything I own that Apple has plenty more up it's sleve).

 

[matttye]

While this may very well be true, and while it's also true that the competitors are beginning to catch up, the fact is that the iPhone is still doing stupidly well as a result of all this advertising, underhanded or otherwise.

Even when competitors release these new smartphones, Apple will remain ahead of the game with a combination of advertising and innovation (as you yourself said, the iPhone was the first phone of it's kind and now everyone's playing catch up with it, and I'll bet everything I own that Apple has plenty more up it's sleve).

Apple need to release their stranglehold on the iPhone if they're going to keep up with the competition (I realise at the moment they don't need to "keep up" because they are ahead, but it won't be that way forever.) There's only so much that people can create for the app store unless Apple stop some of their lame restrictions. Allowing background apps would be a good start! If I want to run my battery dead in an hour then it should be my choice!

 

[iPhone 62S]

Perhaps you should read my previous post again.

I've owned 3 iPhones, a variety of Android devices, and on the whole, I'm
happier with the pace that Android is moving at.

Android fixes the shortcomings of the iPhone, while the iPhone fixes the shortcomings of Android. The only problem is, Android is evolving faster.

The thing is, that's your own opinion, and everyone has their own personal preference, which is why I was talking about how well products are doing as opposed to why one is better than the other.

Apple need to release their stranglehold on the iPhone if they're going to keep up with the competition (I realise at the moment they don't need to "keep up" because they are ahead, but it won't be that way forever.) There's only so much that people can create for the app store unless Apple stop some of their lame restrictions. Allowing background apps would be a good start! If I want to run my battery dead in an hour then it should be my choice!

Want multitasking? There's an app for that! It's called Backgrouder, you get it by jailbreaking

 

[Unprocessed1]

Perhaps you should read my previous post again.

I've owned 3 iPhones, a variety of Android devices, and on the whole, I'm
happier with the pace that Android is moving at.

Android fixes the shortcomings of the iPhone, while the iPhone fixes the shortcomings of Android. The only problem is, Android is evolving faster.

There's no doubt Android is trying to close the gap with the iPhone. An advantage Andorid has is that it can partner with many different companies for their hardware, so their entry into the market it fairly unlimited

 

[Hutch1]

Good Points! I don't know why they make a big deal about the keyboard either. If you had an iPhone long enough you can type just as good. I now have a hard time typing on my work phone that has a real keyboard. I also hope you are right that the iPhone will never have a keyboard.

I hate the keyboard on my BB too (have it for work). Sometimes I respond on my personal iPhone because I prefer to type on it.

Blackberry's email is better but only because you are using Rims servers (same reason you get BB messaging), if Apple made you use their servers for email (instead of your own isp or yahoo, etal) the email performance push wise would be similar to Blackberry's.

 

[QCassidy352]

Are you saying that the iPhone perhaps wouldn't be better off with a 5 Megapixel camera?
Megapixels do matter in Cell Phones. In SLRs, they matter less, because the sensors are typically different sized, so having more megapixels sacrifices ISO speed.

If the Motorola Droid comes packed with a SnapDragon, Android will be redefined.
A significantly faster platform than the iPhone (1 GHZ vs 600 MHZ), more customization, better hardware.
You add those together, all you're missig is the App Store and use experience. If they can get all of that righ by next June, the iPhone is sunk.

If things like more megapixels and other hardware features sold phones, the samsung instinct would've crushed the original iphone back in 2007. But as it turns out, packing a lot of features in really doesn't make people happy with their phones.

You say "all you're missing is the app store and use experience," but those two features right there (along with some brand-coolness) are the overriding reasons the iphone has seen the success it has. If you're missing those things, you're missing everything.

An advantage Andorid has is that it can partner with many different companies for their hardware, so their entry into the market it fairly unlimited

That advantage is also a disadvantage. Having a lot of options allows those who know all about this stuff to get exactly what they want, but it also confuses a lot of more mainstream buyers.

Moreover, you run the risk of diluting the brand. If some android handsets are substandard, they could potentially poison android's image (much like really underpowered, poorly made window's boxes give people a bad impression of windows generally, even when the OS isn't the problem).

 

[cocky jeremy]

The things they "attack" are kind of stupid. No physical keyboard? Who cares. I like the on-screen keyboard much, much more than a physical keyboard. Can't switch out batteries. Oh no, less parts to lose. Big deal. Pictures in the dark? Yeah, because i want to take pictures in the dark SOOO often. Yeah, the camera in the iPhone isn't 5mp, but in most situations the pictures look damn good. Multitasking is so overrated. I'll be mad if Apple DOES add multitasking.. at least without an option to turn it off. The ONLY time i would ever use it is to listen to Pandora while i played a game or something. Outside of that, i see absolutely no use for multitasking when Push can do the same thing with less battery usage.

 

[MxChino]

The things they "attack" are kind of stupid. No physical keyboard? Who cares. I like the on-screen keyboard much, much more than a physical keyboard. Can't switch out batteries. Oh no, less parts to lose. Big deal. Pictures in the dark? Yeah, because i want to take pictures in the dark SOOO often. Yeah, the camera in the iPhone isn't 5mp, but in most situations the pictures look damn good. Multitasking is so overrated. I'll be mad if Apple DOES add multitasking.. at least without an option to turn it off. The ONLY time i would ever use it is to listen to Pandora while i played a game or something. Outside of that, i see absolutely no use for multitasking when Push can do the same thing with less battery usage.

LOL! Yeah i know what you mean I'm always losing the batteries out of my cell phone. Fanboy.

 

[175170]

The thing is, that's your own opinion, and everyone has their own personal preference, which is why I was talking about how well products are doing as opposed to why one is better than the other.

Ah, come on, we're all friends here! I was merely making a suggestion.
Oh, I see how you saw it now. I forgot to add the happy face in the end of my bolded words. Sorry, that did make me sound like a really mean guy

If things like more megapixels and other hardware features sold phones, the samsung instinct would've crushed the original iphone back in 2007. But as it turns out, packing a lot of features in really doesn't make people happy with their phones.

You say "all you're missing is the app store and use experience," but those two features right there (along with some brand-coolness) are the overriding reasons the iphone has seen the success it has. If you're missing those things, you're missing everything.



That advantage is also a disadvantage. Having a lot of options allows those who know all about this stuff to get exactly what they want, but it also confuses a lot of more mainstream buyers.

Moreover, you run the risk of diluting the brand. If some android handsets are substandard, they could potentially poison android's image (much like really underpowered, poorly made window's boxes give people a bad impression of windows generally, even when the OS isn't the problem).

Yes, I agree with you on this.
The user experience and App Store make up around 70% of the everything. The other 30% Android mostly has right.

LOL! Yeah i know what you mean I'm always losing the batteries out of my cell phone. Fanboy.

Oh dear. I always lose my battery! Thank goodness for it being soldered in! Yippee!!!!

 

[175170]

The thing is, that's your own opinion, and everyone has their own personal preference, which is why I was talking about how well products are doing as opposed to why one is better than the other.

Ah, come on, we're all friends here! I was merely making a suggestion.
Oh, I see how you saw it now. I forgot to add the happy face in the end of my bolded words. Sorry, that did make me sound like a really mean guy

If things like more megapixels and other hardware features sold phones, the samsung instinct would've crushed the original iphone back in 2007. But as it turns out, packing a lot of features in really doesn't make people happy with their phones.

You say "all you're missing is the app store and use experience," but those two features right there (along with some brand-coolness) are the overriding reasons the iphone has seen the success it has. If you're missing those things, you're missing everything.



That advantage is also a disadvantage. Having a lot of options allows those who know all about this stuff to get exactly what they want, but it also confuses a lot of more mainstream buyers.

Moreover, you run the risk of diluting the brand. If some android handsets are substandard, they could potentially poison android's image (much like really underpowered, poorly made window's boxes give people a bad impression of windows generally, even when the OS isn't the problem).

Yes, I agree with you on this.
The user experience and App Store make up around 70% of the everything. The other 30% Android mostly has right.

LOL! Yeah i know what you mean I'm always losing the batteries out of my cell phone. Fanboy.

Oh dear. I always lose my battery! Thank goodness for it being soldered in! Yippee!!!!

 

[KnightWRX]

Second, it's branding. Yes, I know Android is made by Google and all, but if the standard consumer is thinking of getting a smartphone, the first name they think of is not "Google" or "Android", but is a lot more likely to be "Apple" or "iPhone". As you can see here, this was even true in 2007. This is because Google is seen more as "the thing you use to find things online" than "phone company", whereas Apple has a very well established brand for gadgets.

But people know Motorola. And guess what ? This is a Motorola phone. People remember their RAZR, their KRAZR. Motorola is a big brand. Throw in the "Motorola with Google Experience" and you've got branding heaven for an Internet device. People will know Motorola makes a good phone and they know Google is all about Internet.

What an ugly, ugly phone.

Yes, because 1 grainy picture says it all...

Pictures in the dark? Yeah, because i want to take pictures in the dark SOOO often.

Actually, this is a very big flaw on the iPhone. There isn't always perfect lighting around to take pictures and this is one point I loved about my Sony Ericsson phone, the white LED "flash". Of course, it wasn't a flash, just a very bright white led, but it helped in darker conditions like clubs or bars or just a night around the campfire. It also doubled as a very effective flashlight, much better than a fully white screen (those flashlight apps aren't as bright as a white LED).

Of course, don't knock it until you tried it. Not everyone wants to take pictures only at noon on very sunny days. Some other folks might want to take pictures in less well lit conditions.

 

[anjinha]

But people know Motorola. And guess what ? This is a Motorola phone. People remember their RAZR, their KRAZR. Motorola is a big brand. Throw in the "Motorola with Google Experience" and you've got branding heaven for an Internet device. People will know Motorola makes a good phone and they know Google is all about Internet.

Honestly, I really love the idea of Android and I think it has tremendous potential. But lately I think Motorola has dropped the ball on their phones, from all the cell phones I used the Motorola ones were the ones I hated the most so I guess I'll keep waiting for a decent Android phone.

Apple need to release their stranglehold on the iPhone if they're going to keep up with the competition (I realise at the moment they don't need to "keep up" because they are ahead, but it won't be that way forever.) There's only so much that people can create for the app store unless Apple stop some of their lame restrictions. Allowing background apps would be a good start! If I want to run my battery dead in an hour then it should be my choice!

The problem with that is that most people are stupid. I saw a thread recently where people were actually complaining that their iPhone's battery would drain too much when they were using it even though it was normal when they left it alone and asking if it was normal. Can you imagine the complaints if we actually had background apps?

I understand that you and me and some others realize how these things work but most people don't and they will complain if leaving apps working in the background drains their battery too much (and Apple already has a bad reputation when it comes to the iPhone's battery) so it's not that easy to just decide to allow background apps.

 

[angemon89]

Did anyone notice the fine print in the commercial? It says something like "Droid is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm ltd." That's some pretty crazy stuff (at least to me) lol

 

[bruinsrme]

Did anyone notice the fine print in the commercial? It says something like "Droid is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm ltd." That's some pretty crazy stuff (at least to me) lol

very common
Seadoo has a PWC called GTX, in their ads and catalogs they asterik GTX because its a registered trademark of Castrol Oil. Seadoo pays a fee to use GTX.

 

[KnightWRX]

Honestly, I really love the idea of Android and I think it has tremendous potential. But lately I think Motorola has dropped the ball on their phones, from all the cell phones I used the Motorola ones were the ones I hated the most so I guess I'll keep waiting for a decent Android phone.

By the end of this year and the beginning of the next, you'll have a choice between HTC, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Phillips, Sony Ericsson for your Android phone. And you'll be able to get it on Sprint, Verizon or T-mobile.

So if you want choice, there's going to be something for everyone. Apple will have some serious competition from Google on this front. With 1 product and 1 carrier, it's not going to be easy.

 

[175170]

By the end of this year and the beginning of the next, you'll have a choice between HTC, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Phillips, Sony Ericsson for your Android phone. And you'll be able to get it on Sprint, Verizon or T-mobile.

So if you want choice, there's going to be something for everyone. Apple will have some serious competition from Google on this front. With 1 product and 1 carrier, it's not going to be easy.

Keep in mind that quite a few will be running with SnapDragon at 1GHZ.
Next year's iPhone will be very important for the whole industry, and to determine who's leading.

 

[Unprocessed1]

If things like more megapixels and other hardware features sold phones, the samsung instinct would've crushed the original iphone back in 2007. But as it turns out, packing a lot of features in really doesn't make people happy with their phones.

You say "all you're missing is the app store and use experience," but those two features right there (along with some brand-coolness) are the overriding reasons the iphone has seen the success it has. If you're missing those things, you're missing everything.



That advantage is also a disadvantage. Having a lot of options allows those who know all about this stuff to get exactly what they want, but it also confuses a lot of more mainstream buyers.

Moreover, you run the risk of diluting the brand. If some android handsets are substandard, they could potentially poison android's image (much like really underpowered, poorly made window's boxes give people a bad impression of windows generally, even when the OS isn't the problem).

Every android phone so far has been great. As long as the hardware is solid, the software is great. I love what HTC has done with creating the Sense UI, the beauty of an open-source platform.

 

[ruinfx]

here are some REAL pics and a brief hands on from bgr

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/19/motorola-droid-hands-on/

We absolutely nailed this puppy to the wall over and over and over again, so it’s only fitting we’d be doing the first actual unveiling, right? We’re not going to get too in-depth though, that will come at a later time. Here are some brief thoughts before the photos:

* It’s running Android 2.0. Duh.
* It’s thin. Just slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS and the thinnest QWERTY-slider we’ve ever seen.
* It is the fastest Android device we’ve ever used. (It’s running a TI OMAP3430 processor)
* The feel of the device is very reminiscent of the OQO 02 model computer. Just smaller. It’s metal with a non-spring-assisted slide, very sturdy, and half soft-touch plastic.
* Awesome capacitive display. Plus it’s huge. Easily the best screen we’ve ever seen on an Android handset, and an amazing screen overall.
* The QWERTY keyboard is actually pretty usable and has a soft-touch rubberized finish. We’ve been told the keyboard design isn’t final on this unit, thus the two no-shows.
* Have we mentioned this phone flies? It’s the Android device to beat, and easily the most impressive. From what we’ve been told, Google had a direct hand in the Motorola Droid. Something to the point of almost dictating every move Motorola made when designing and making the phone. Interesting, huh?
* There’s a desktop cradle/charger that will ship with the Motorola Droid that we’ve been playing around with. It turns your Droid into a “multimedia station” and displays local weather, the time, etc.
* No one wants to listen, but it makes the CLIQ looks like a child’s toy (partly because it is, and partly because the Droid, even in its non-final form, is the most impressive phone we’ve used since the iPhone. It’s positively amazing).

Ok, enough of that — enjoy the photos! We’ll put together a nice little review soon.

 

[matttye]

Want multitasking? There's an app for that! It's called Backgrouder, you get it by jailbreaking

Jailbreaking is not officially supported and voids warranty. Lack of background app support is still an iPhone limitation, even if it can be hacked to support it.

The things they "attack" are kind of stupid. No physical keyboard? Who cares. I like the on-screen keyboard much, much more than a physical keyboard. Can't switch out batteries. Oh no, less parts to lose. Big deal. Pictures in the dark? Yeah, because i want to take pictures in the dark SOOO often. Yeah, the camera in the iPhone isn't 5mp, but in most situations the pictures look damn good. Multitasking is so overrated. I'll be mad if Apple DOES add multitasking.. at least without an option to turn it off. The ONLY time i would ever use it is to listen to Pandora while i played a game or something. Outside of that, i see absolutely no use for multitasking when Push can do the same thing with less battery usage.

LOL you must be an Apple employee. Nobody else would crap on features like that with such idiotic reasoning.

* Physical keyboard is down to preference so I'll give you that one.

* Switchable batteries is the solution to the iPhone battery issue. When a battery runs out, you could just swap it for that spare you carry in your pocket. That is double the battery life. This also means that when your battery eventually fries you can replace it. Going by your logic, the charger and headphones should be attached to the phone as well so that we don't lose those. Some people can actually keep track of their things.

* YOU may not want to take pics in the dark, but lots of people do. Especially those with night time social lives. Clubs and bars aren't always very well lit.

* Multitasking might be overrated to you but lots of people could use it. Being able to do multiple things at once is much more efficient than having to quit out of whatever it is you're doing, starting up a new app, then closing it and returning to what you were doing previously. Especially for business users. Push cannot do half of what true multitasking can do and you know it.

The problem with that is that most people are stupid. I saw a thread recently where people were actually complaining that their iPhone's battery would drain too much when they were using it even though it was normal when they left it alone and asking if it was normal. Can you imagine the complaints if we actually had background apps?

I understand that you and me and some others realize how these things work but most people don't and they will complain if leaving apps working in the background drains their battery too much (and Apple already has a bad reputation when it comes to the iPhone's battery) so it's not that easy to just decide to allow background apps.

This is more than likely the reason they haven't added background support yet, because the batteries just aren't up to it. Hopefully when battery tech improves and the phones can really take a hammering they'll think about it.

 

[clevin]

bgr now has a "hand on"
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/19/motorola-droid-hands-on/

* It’s running Android 2.0. Duh.
* It’s thin. Just slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS and the thinnest QWERTY-slider we’ve ever seen.
* It is the fastest Android device we’ve ever used.
* The feel of the device is very reminiscent of the OQO 02 model computer. Just smaller. It’s metal with a non-spring-assisted slide, very sturdy, and half soft-touch plastic.
* Awesome capacitive display. Plus it’s huge. Easily the best screen we’ve ever seen on an Android handset, and an amazing screen overall.
* The QWERTY keyboard is actually pretty usable and has a soft-touch rubberized finish. We’ve been told the keyboard design isn’t final on this unit, thus the two no-shows.
* Have we mentioned this phone flies? It’s the Android device to beat, and easily the most impressive. From what we’ve been told, Google had a direct hand in the Motorola Droid. Something to the point of almost dictating every move Motorola made when designing and making the phone. Interesting, huh?
* There’s a desktop cradle/charger that will ship with the Motorola Droid that we’ve been playing around with. It turns your Droid into a “multimedia station” and displays local weather, the time, etc.
* No one wants to listen, but it makes the CLIQ looks like a child’s toy (partly because it is, and partly because the Droid, even in its non-final form, is the most impressive phone we’ve used since the iPhone. It’s positively amazing).

t

 

[caf9128]

I too have gotten pretty tired of hearing about iPhone "killers". But this phone may actually start knocking the iPhone pretty hard. It sounds really, really nice. And as more and more apps and programs are used on a regular basis (things like turn by turn nav) multi-tasking becomes all the more important. The flash for the 5MP camera is huge for me also. Seems like most pictures I take are in dimly lit restaurants. The other big plus is that the Android bar coding apps are really good (Apple's are fine too, but until the 3GS, the hardware couldn't scan well because of the lack of autofocus); I like to scan the barcodes of wine bottles at restaurants and find them later (and also see how much the restaurant is ripping me off for), and you really need a lit camera to scan bar codes in a candlelit restaurant.

I actually like the Android app store better than Apple's. I seem to find everything I want in the way of Android apps and they are usually free! Even the crappiest app on the Apple store seems to cost money. Sure, it's not a lot, but considering 90% of apps aren't used within a few weeks of purchase, it's all kind of silly.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Now I have to use R2D2 to phone home?