Why The iPhone Is Poised to Crush Android
Written by Jamie Hunter • Apr 21st, 2008 • Category: Editorials And OpinionHere we are months away from the launch of the first Android hardware, and Google along with the Open Handset Alliance is gearing up for the war against Apple and the vaunted iPhone. However, given the recent revelations regarding Google’s approach to quality control, or lack there of this war may be over before it even gets started.
UPDATE: Scott Webster follows up with an op-ed of his own.
In a presentation on April 14th Google developer and Linux kernel contributor Robert Love said the following:
There will also be no registration or certification requirements for Android development. No special permission from Google or the mobile carriers will be needed to make, deploy, or run applications for Android handsets.
While fans of open source may be rejoicing at this news, others hoping that android would produce iPhone killers may be in for a rather rude awakening. The above statement by Love makes it seem as though they are marketing the android phones towards the “tech savvy” or “pro-sumer” instead of the typical person looking for a new handset. My fear is that without any safeguards in place to protect against rogue software developers and publishers you are leaving your average Jill/Joe customers vulnerable. The majority of software released for all major platforms usually performs just as it should with very few ill effects to the customers hardware or personal information. However, we have all heard of software that has done the exact opposite, wreaking havoc on not only the hardware side, but the customer’s personal data as well.
I am not necessarily referring to software that may intentionally harm someone’s data, but rather those legitimate applications that perhaps weren’t tested thoroughly, or under enough variable real world conditions. The market will clean up some of this based on word of mouth and review websites, such as Android Guys but does the Open Handset Alliance and Google want to wait for the fire to happen before buying the smoke detectors and fire extinguishers? If Android handsets take on the reputation of being troublesome and unreliable because of “buggy software” the platform will not flourish. I work with wireless customers on a day to day basis, and we never see the tech savvy or pro-sumer customers in our stores to troubleshoot their handsets, as they are able to resolve most issues on their own. We see the average customer, and most of the time we are lucky if they can even remove the battery on their own. How can we expect them to troubleshoot software they downloaded from the internet? The Android brand name is barely known to begin with. Does Google and the OHA really want to risk tarnishing it right out of the starting block?
Apple’s approach to quality control addresses not only the customers interests, but the reputation of the iPhone as well. While it seems rigid and inflexible, particularly in it’s distribution model it does guarantee that Apple will be able to test all of the software on its platform before its release to customers. This does put a great deal of responsibility on Apple to ensure their testing is adequate because any failures due to software they approved would not go over well with iPhone users.
How can Google and the Open Handset Alliance avoid this pitfall? Easy. Form an OHA quality control board that approves software applications for the Android platform. They would be responsible for testing applications before they are released to the Android public, but unlike Apple’s process developers would voluntarily submit each individual application to the board for approval. This would give consumers peace of mind when choosing whether or not to try a particular application. If it doesn’t have the board’s seal of approval they could still download and install it catering to the open source community, while developers and publishers could use this seal as a selling point on their websites or other points of distribution.
The road ahead for Android is already expected to be rough given the head start and popularity Apple’s iPhone currently enjoys, so why risk compounding this by allowing potentially shoddy software to shake the confidence of your would be buyers?
Jamie Hunter is a self professed gadget geek. You can often find him playing with a new mobile device.
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This is exactly why Windows failed and we’re all using Macs right now.
Oh wait.
Bit of “link bait” in this post’s title, but let’s ignore that for the moment…
I have never considered the Gphone to be an iPhone “killer” in the least. %99.9 of iPhone owners won’t switch to the gPhone, they like having Cupertino do everything for them and don’t care if they are locked to AT&T. For those in the consideration process, between the iPhone and the Gphone, 9 out of 10 will pick the iPhone because its a turnkey solution.
The carriers who do eventually offer Android ( if ever, and I am starting to doubt it ) will do so to save themselves licensing fees and won’t even pass the savings on to the consumer.
Ultimately I see a whole new industry popping up around Android, more sophisticated than the above “doom and gloom”. Reputable third parties who specialize in testing Android apps, combined with user reviews will have confidence in non-geek and business types to use the gPhone(s). Factor in the direct ot consumer chip makers and hardware providers new found love for not dealing with the evil carriers and the gPhone will be pervasive - without the Cult of Mac.
Imagine online and meatspace “phone stores” completely INDEPENDENT of carriers, just hardware and various distros of Android ( business, entertainment, maybe even a “Yellow Bike” style no-cost rentals! ) combined together on a person by person basis. Imagine this is giving the carrier execs ulcers.
bullsh*t, while i do not know whether android will topple the iPhone, it would be totally stupid on google’s part to test applications before they can be used by the general public, that would defeat the means for openness and drive open source developers elsewhere plus, it will cost money, lots of it.
lets look at windows mobile, microsoft doesnt test applications and the platform is doing fine, the bugs are mainly in the platform itself, no troubles on that thing, not even symbian which we can class as open has any problems
You clearly do not understand the linux/open source community, why do you think linux is less vulnerable? not because it has less users but because of the community who report problems on the fly, microsoft has problems with windows because they depend on themselves i bet you are just another windows user, you probably need to go blog about the iphone and not andriod….seriously this article sucks
Interesting article but I don’t think it will be a problem. It will as open as a desktop computer. Some how consumers mange to install apps on their desktop without any “certificates of quality” all the time. Why do you think pocket computers would be any different?!? Sure, lots of people run get virus’ and stuff, but it seems to be a working model. Android addresses most of the virus issues with linux.
If QA does becine an issue I’m sure the market will address it. Either the OHA will have a QA Seal or a third part will start testing apps. But I really don’t think it will be a problem
Interesting article, I’m not sure this will mean Android can’t be effective competitor in the Marketplace. However, why does it need to be an iPhone killer? Different potential Android products will appeal to lots of users, without having to “beat” the iPhone.
@Andrex - huh? Why do you (seem to) think that desktop computers are the same as “phone/organizer/pocket computer/toy” tool that is what WinMobile & Palm devices tried to be and what it looks like RIM & Apple devices have succeeded in being? The mobile device I want has to work every time without me spending any time rebooting EVER*. If Windows desktop experience had to live up to that, it wouldn’t have gotten to first base; ultimately, no desktop environment lives up to that.
@Todd - Why bash the iPhone owners (ex: me) as wanting Apple to do everything for them? I just wanted a product that actually did what it claimed to - while not allowing phone service to plunder my wallet monthly ($30 + fees) for internet access that works poorly (compared to the webkit experience. Don’t be mad at Cupertino for providing a viable product (while trying to evolve a product with more limited capability - ipod). I’ve had AT&T for several years and they’re no more evil or inept that Verizon who I had before that. I changed when I relocated - best objective snapshot I could get indicated that Verizon coverage / service was poor in my new area.
*Granted there will be down times with any hardware. You’re likely to not mind when you can “manage” them around you normal light usage times - syncing or restoring parts of an OS, calendar, contacts, mp3s, etc on the weekend or evening.
I had the worst time getting my Treo to successfully sync, and I hung up on people a number of times when my face activated an onscreen “end call” button - something I can’t do with my iPhone.
I do think Todd’s idea of independent testing body(s) is a viable way to get some reviewed and certified products out there. Consumers need options and right now there are only two reliable ones (imho) Rim & Apple. Go Android…. I’d love to have a good product to examine when I’m in the market again in a couple of years. That is what makes all these products better.
Article is fine, the title is not.
Silly idea. Android must be developed and distributed exactly like Linux. Otherwise it will face the same end as just any other “proprietary” Linux phone distro.
“piece of mind”?
David>>Some how consumers mange to install apps on their desktop without any “certificates of quality” all the time. Why do you think pocket computers would be any different?!?
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They won’t be different, and that’s the problem. Just this morning I tried to install Quicktime on a coworker’s Windows laptop. I couldn’t get it to work because something called document reader was continuously trying to install itself and failing and re-starting. He said it’s been doing that for a few weeks now and just told me to forget about Quicktime. He just hits ‘cancel’ on that other installer when he’s trying to work.
Ok, for some reason people put up with this bull**** on their computers. I don’t know why, but they do. They do NOT, however, put up with it on cell phones. If some sort of document reader caused all your cell phone calls to end after 30 seconds, you’d better believe that person would be shopping for a new cell phone the next day. They don’t do it with computers, but they’ll drop a cell phone in a minute if it doesn’t fullfill its primary duty as “a phone.”
So you’re absolutely right. All these new cell phone OSes WILL be very similar to desktop computing. The only differenec is that customers won’t put up with it this time. Thus, cell phones have to try harder. So comparing them to desktops is pointless and a waste of time.
I’m not sure you really understand how 99% of operating systems work. The beauty of the personal computer is that you have the ability to do whatever you want with it. If you think of a program that you want to create, you can do it (if you know how) and you don’t have to run your idea by someone else before sharing it with the world. Symbian, WM, Palm, and other mobile OS do not have any restrictions on applications and you don’t see people complaining.
The main reason Apple want to test all the software is because they don’t want an open market. If they allow anyone to simply create an app, they give any profit sharing for it. Personally I envision that various carriers will develop their own app download stores with programs they recomment just as they do now with other mobile operating systems. Why would that be any different? going open source is very attractive for prosumers and they will always be ahead of the curve, just because they know where to find things and know how to tweak their devices. most people think that WM devices are mainly used by prosumers (I’m on my 3rd), but 50% of my friends have them too and they have never installed a single app on their device, not because there are no apps out there (I have over 50 on mine), but becasue they simply don’t care.
http://htcsource.com
>> Symbian, WM, Palm, and other mobile OS do not have any restrictions on applications and you don’t see people complaining….50% of my friends have them too and they have never installed a single app on their device.
= = = = = =
This is the main point here. You’ve seen it yourself. The only ones installing apps right now are the tech-savy crowd. Of course there’s little complaining. These are the people who understand how this stuff works and know how to fix it when it doesn’t.
And that’s great. But once the other 97% of the population starts getting into this stuff (which they will) it’s going to be a different story. I think Jamie’s advice is good becaue it will give non-technophiles a guiding light to follow if they want it. And unlike Apple’s solution, it won’t restrict anyone else who wants to ignore it.
@bradi Not “bashing” at all. I think the iPhone is pretty cool actually - its all the strings tied to it that turn me off. The iPhone is a great product, but I am fairly confident that once the Gphone gets into the hands of regular folk we’ll be able to make it perform at a much higher level that what AT&T and Apple allow.
@nICK - I’ve been a Treo user and let me restate what I already said above but more emphatically: I HAD PROBLEMS ALL THE TIME WITH MY TREO. Most due to installed applications but some due to the OS itself. I am a tech savvy user and (borrowing from Jeff) I was complaining all the time - albeit to myself. So, I didn’t attempt to use some of the functionality that was a part of my Palm product because I spent too much time trying to recover. Then, as soon as there was a product that I felt could do what I wanted (with reasonable recurring costs) I went for it - the iPhone - and I’m VERY HAPPY.
@Todd, I didn’t think you were bashing the product, more so the users…. I’m not sure what strings you see, except AT&T…. for my part, I’ve had as good or better experience with AT&T as with Verizon. I haven’t used Sprint, but I haven’t heard anything from others that led me to expect any better. I’m prepared to be open minded about how much success Gphone products can have, but so far, as an iPhone user, the experience is going to have to be REALLY GREAT to be an improvement on what I have now. Depending on the App Store experience, the bar could easily get even higher.
Again, good Gphone products will (hopefully) serve to make the iPhone & RIM and anyone else who manages to put a good product out there - work harder to make them better. A win for consumers….
@Brandi Not “bashing” iPhone user either - got nothing but luv for them. I don’t have time to cite my credentials, but trust me, I am the champion of the end user.
As for strings, that my iPhone using friend is a whole ‘nother issue. There are many any they are nasty. Rather than have me go on and on, let’s see the guys who run this blog list are the “gotchas” and “strings”, comparing the time, effort and cost of developing applications for the iPhone and gPhone.
The real problem is this:
If my phone died and rebooted __________ times, I would toss it and switch to another one.
NB - SmartPhones are not desktops or notebooks although they’ll have equal power and complexity.
The iPhone is for dumbass Mactards and fashion lemmings.
I’m removing your guys from my RSS feed. I’m sorry, I don’t understand how you guys could have it so wrong.
Despite the trollish headline, this is probably a good idea. Given how Apple fanboys love to spread the FUD, I wouldn’t put it past any of them to release malware specifically to tarnish the reputation of Android.
I mean, Steve Jobs himself did nothing but poo-poo mobile security for months, using that as the excuse for the lack of an SDK. The message was that mommy Apple knows what’s best, and you’ll hurt yourself if you had control over your own phone, and the fanboys repeated those talking points in every online discussion.
Then it turns out that the iPhone has numerous security flaws, any one of which could be turned into an exploit. But instead of worms taking down AT&T’s network, as Steve said it would, it became the avenue for a vibrant developer community and an aftermarket for unlocked phones, which some are estimating to be a quarter of those sold.
The openness of Android is the primary advantage the platform has over the iPhone, so you know the fanboy shock troops are going to hit it fast and hard. They are going to try to turn it into a liability, so we need a means to identify them and exclude their malware from distribution.
@Andrex …
AFAIK - Windows is a closed system on open hardware … where as Android is an open system on open hardware.
and well … computers are supposed to cause problems, be complicated, crash … phones are supposed to work!
I think its about time to stop all this talk. An exciting time is upon us. New technology is an amazing thing and when designed by a company with the vision and audacity to pull it off. You will end up with truly a great product. And folks, that product is already here. Its called the Iphone! Feel free to shoot Steve Jobs an email and thank him for his “VISION”.
Thats not a very good news
So I suppose you would prefer if Comcast (or whoever your internet provider is) had to approve of all applications that went on your computer that ran over the network?
That’s basically what we are dealing with right now. You’re not even considering the business aspect. I work for a fleet management company and we do most of our tracking via GPS enabled phones. For EVERY SINGLE CARRIER we have to go through a certification process. It is not free. They reserve the right to refuse certification for any reason - they also reserve the right to cancel certification for any reason at any time.
With Sprint we spent months trying to get certified before finding out that the department that handled that was disbanded. We have just recently (a few months after that news) finding the new department that can help us get certified. We have to pay an initial fee and a fee every time we want to recertify - which we have to do whenever we change any code at all.
Yeah, no problem there.
Jeff C this is quite untrue:
“The only ones installing apps right now are the tech-savy crowd.”
Lots of user’s install games, ringtone managers, etc.
There will be lots of sites and portals that will be promoting the android applications they know and trust. Google won’t have to handle that process themselves, although they will likely themselves be one of the portals.
Which one will be coming to Canada first?