The Trouble with Android is...

[thecrazing]

Mac is "sexier" than Windows, but Windows is more mainstream than Mac. Ultimately, it is the number of available apps that determines which platform -- iPhone or Android -- will dominate the smartphone market. It is the reason why Windows trumps Mac and Linux and why PlayStation 2 trumps Xbox and GameCube. Windows and PS2 have more apps than competing products that are technologically superior.

That is also the only reason why I am somewhat reluctant to choose an Android phone over an iPhone. iPhone simply has so many more apps. It also seems that Android won't be catching up anything soon. If anything, Android is projected to fall even further behind.

Right now, Android has about 20,000 apps, and iPhone has 100,000. So Android is about 80,000 behind iPhone. By the end of 2010, Android is projected to have 150,000 apps, and Apple will have 300,000, which means Android will be 150,000 apps behind. Android will be twice as far behind as it is now.

Unless Google actively takes a role in encouraging developers to make apps for Android and to port apps from iPhone to Android, I don't see how Android will overtake iPhone.

(And the only thing that's holding me back from getting an iPhone is because it is tied to AT&T. If Apple announces that iPhone is no longer exclusive to AT&T and is available through any service provider with compatible network, I will immediately forget about Android and buy an iPhone.)

Well, you can look at it another way. At the start of the year, Apple's store is five times bigger. At the end of the year, only twice as big. Android will be 2 1/2 times as close as it is now?

And, yyyyyeah, the PS2 was the crushing lead, but then that balance completely changed with the next generation. And I think that's the more important part of your analogy, that the wild shift happened. And in truth, Apple is actively discouraging app developers with slower and slower review processes.

 

[ktchong]

Another reason why I believe Android will not catch up with iPhone in the foreseeable future:

Article Link: Where are all the great Android games? The answer is simpler than we think

I know the article refers to games, but I believe the same reason is holding back development of other apps on Android as well. And games (especially Western RPGs) are very important to me in deciding between iPhone and Android.

I do not particularly care to support a platform simply because it is from Apple or it is Open Source. I am neither a Machead nor an Open Source evangelist (both of whom I find to be extremely obnoxious.) Ultimately, apps and games will drive my purchase decision, just like they drive most everyone else'.

I'm looking hard at iPhone and Android, and the lack of applications and games on Android is really bothering me. Even worse, the prospect for future expansion is not looking too good for Android because of the 256MB limitation on app development. (Maybe there are other reasons that are holding back apps on Android as well, but the 256MB is a BIG one.)

The only reason I have not adopted iPhone is because I have a two-year contract (that is about to expire,) and I have had many disputes and dissatisfaction with AT&T in the past. As soon as iPhone becomes available on another network (preferably CDMA) or Apple sells it unlocked for both GSM and CDMA, I will not look at Android again (unless Android catches up and surpasses iPhone in apps, which does not seem likely to happen.) That is just how important the availability of apps is.

And I think if Apple drops AT&T as an exclusive carrier, (and there have been rumors that Apple will,) it will be really game over for Android; and then iPhone will ironically be the Android killer, not the other way round.

 

[thecrazing]

To be honest, and as someone who has bought and is satisfied with and wants to keep being satisfied with my Droid you can take my opinion with a grain of salt if you want, but. To be honest, I think you're giving that article too much credit. A lot, and I mean a lot of Myst's space isn't because it has billions and trillians of lines of executable code. It's because it has so many textures and bitmaps and pictures and whatnot. But Android developers over the past few months have gotten a lot smarter about storing a lot of that stuff, where? On the SD card. It's easier and lazier and some developers will run into issues with data hosting, but it is not the magical barrier that article and those of its kind from the same time period are making it out to be.

If a large RPG is going to be a dealbreaker, don't go Android yet. But also, don't assume something like this is a deathknell that's already happened and we're just waiting for it to play out. It is not as big as your reading might suggest.

 

[kam187]

I think the 'google phone' idea is going to do wonders for android. Everyone knows who google are, just like everyone knows who apple are. Average joe will go to a store and think hmmm apple phone or google phone?

All this Hero, G1, Dream crap is just plain confusing for average people. You dont get market penetration just with geeks

 

[brykins]

Right now, Android has about 20,000 apps, and iPhone has 100,000. So Android is about 80,000 behind iPhone. By the end of 2010, Android is projected to have 150,000 apps, and Apple will have 300,000, which means Android will be 150,000 apps behind. Android will be twice as far behind as it is now.

Have to pick fault with this. Statistics can prove anything.....right now we have 25% of the number of apps that iPhone have. By the end of 2010 we'll have 50% of the number of apps that iPhone has. Looks like Android is catching up a great speed.

 

[ktchong]

^ You're right. Statistics can't prove anything. Let's look at the apps that I know I'll actually be using.

I've been doing some more research on iPhone vs. Android. The biggest selling point of iPhone has over Android is the sheer amount of apps the App Store has.

I was looking at games for iPhone vs. Android. So let's compare WRPG on both platforms because I LOVE WRPGs. (I want new games, so none of the emulations of NES, SEGA, Gameboy, or whatever.)

iPhone has The Quest, Undercroft, Dungeon Hunter, Ravensword, Underworlds, etc. All look impressive and very tempting.

Android has... Path of a Warrior. That's it. Which looks really pathetic compared to any of the titles on iPhone.

I've also been looking at other types of apps; but seriously, except for Google apps, what Android has right now really can't compare to iPhone in most categories. iPhone really does look more and more tempting when I start looking at and comparing apps between iPhone and Android.

And I do not think Android is catching up with great speed -- because Android has the 256MB limit on app storage. A lot of apps (especially games and graphic apps) are feasible on iPhone but not Android because of the limit. And it seems like Google isn't planning to remove that limit anytime soon.

iPhone has:
The Quest
Undercroft
Dungeon Hunter
Ravensword
Underworlds

Android has:
Path of a Warrior

 

[thecrazing]

I've also been looking at other types of apps; but seriously, except for Google apps, what Android has right now really can't compare to iPhone in most categories. iPhone really does look more and more tempting when I start looking at and comparing apps between iPhone and Android.

Yep, and Adult Swim isn't making apps for Android, and those Intuit ads on TV don't mention Android either. And because a good RPG takes even more time than a functional business app does to develop, it will take even longer for them to reach Android. After all, you have to write, edit not just one story, but at least a few different paths and encounters along that story, and you have to make sure the choices aren't broken, etc., etc.

Like I said, if something like a western RPG is a dealbreaker for you, and you must satiate your smartphone purchase in the next month or two, then you'll probably be disappointed with an Android phone.

However.

I would have very little problem placing a cash bet with someone that the situation will change in, say, 12 months. Moreover, if you don't want to jailbreak and void your iPhone, chances are, you won't be able to play that game and, say, listen to Pandora. And you won't be able to hold down the home button, alt tab over to a browser window that has some information you want about the RPG, and alt-tab back to the game, all without having to save and exit the game. You could not do that on an iPhone, and similar situations will appear.

You won't have an OS that keeps all your notifications in a tidy little drawer. If you're lucky, your IM client will still run in the background connected, and if you're lucky, it will give you a pop up when you get an IM while doing something else. And another, and another. If you're lucky, you'll have a stream of pop ups in front of your game. Either that, or you simply won't be aware of any IMs at all. The Android OS does not make you choose between blocking what you're doing (and click-click-clicking pop ups away,) and living in ignorance.

 

[lekky]

but not Android because of the limit. And it seems like Google isn't planning to remove that limit anytime soon.

Please don't misleading comments like this, the fact of the matter is Google DOES have plans to introduce Apps 2 sd, and are working on this as we speak (or as you post false information perhaps).

 

[ktchong]

Like I said, if something like a western RPG is a dealbreaker for you, and you must satiate your smartphone purchase in the next month or two, then you'll probably be disappointed with an Android phone.

WRPG is one of the dealbreakers, but there are others. I used WRPGs as examples because I had video samples for them. But all the dealbreakers are apps. Android really does not have enough good apps (compared to iPhone.) It is a very serious problem for Android.

And yes, I must get a smartphone, soon, because my current cell phone contract is about to expire. I've been itching to get a touchscreen smartphone for almost two years. I can wait a few more months, but not twelve.

And Android won't catch up with iPhone in twelve months anyway. By the end of this year, Android will have about 150,000 apps, and iPhone 300,000 apps. Android will still have much fewer games and apps because of its 256MB storage limit. Many apps will not be feasible on Android as long as Google refused to remove the 256MB storage limit.

I would have very little problem placing a cash bet with someone that the situation will change in, say, 12 months. Moreover, if you don't want to jailbreak and void your iPhone, chances are, you won't be able to play that game and....

Honestly, multitasking is not important to me. I don't even multitask much on my computer and laptop. (The rumors are iPhone 4G will support multitasking anyway.)

The point is: the OS itself, the platform itself, is NOT important to me. For me, it's always been the apps. The apps I want to use and the games I want to play. It is the same reason why I stick with Windows over Mac or Linux (because Windows has so many more apps and games.)

Apps are much, much more important to me. The lack of apps are always the deal breakers in every case. Computer OS. Game consoles. And now smartphones. It's always the platform with the most apps win.

If Google wants to beat Apple in smartphones, Google will have to actively encourage more apps, give more (monetary) incentives to developers, get exclusive third-party apps, and lock out iPhone from getting certain apps. At least for the a year or so until Android surpasses iPhone in the number of apps. Google seems to be taking a hand off approach to third-party app development, and that's not going to work for Android to catch up with iPhone.

 

[thecrazing]

I believe the original line of thinking was that because the SD cards are removable, there were greater piracy concerns with installing apps there, and they didn't believe thinking up some encryption scheme was worth delaying everything else. Since the iPhone's memory isn't removable, it wasn't a concern. So I don't think it's that Google doesn't care, I think it's more like they made it easy on themselves in the short term, in order to buy time on doing it the hard way.

 

[thecrazing]

WRPG is one of the dealbreakers, but there are others. I used WRPGs as examples because I had video samples for them. But all the dealbreakers are apps. Android really does not have enough good apps (compared to iPhone.) It is a very serious problem for Android.

And yes, I must get a smartphone, soon, because my current cell phone contract is about to expire. I've been itching to get a touchscreen smartphone for almost two years. I can wait a few more months, but not twelve.

And Android won't catch up with iPhone in twelve months anyway. By the end of this year, Android will have about 150,000 apps, and iPhone 300,000 apps. Android will still have much fewer games and apps because of its 256MB storage limit. Many apps will not be feasible on Android as long as Google refused to remove the 256MB storage limit.



Honestly, multitasking is not important to me. I don't even multitask much on my computer and laptop. (The rumors are iPhone 4G will support multitasking anyway.)

The point is: the OS itself, the platform itself, is NOT important to me. For me, it's always been the apps. The apps I want to use and the games I want to play. It is the same reason why I stick with Windows over Mac or Linux (because Windows have so many more apps and games.)

Apps are much, much more important to me. The lack of apps are always the deal breakers in every case, i.e., computer OS, consoles, and now smartphones.

Then, it seems like you've already made up your mind. I don't personally feel the same way about RPGs on my phone, and I value multitasking much more than you do. Probably more importantly, I don't agree with putting so much weight in articles that are not only 3 months old, but wrong. If knowing that for the next year, you'll always be able to find more apps on the iPhone is your overriding concern, the you don't have anything to be worried about. You'll be satisfied with your iPhone. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[lekky]

Honestly, multitasking is not important to me. I don't even multitask much on my computer and laptop.

Don't be silly. The fact you turn ON a laptop means multitasking is going on, just check what services (see the plural?) are running in the background.

 

[IOWA]

Lmfao. I mean.. seriously.. lmao. I am an avid gamer. And why an rpg on a PHONE would be a dealbreaker is beyond me. They are nice to pass the time, but come on. Why would I waste my time with a diffucult to use non ergonomic phone game when I can just fire up my 360 or pc and enjoy a real gaming experience... if I want to go back to those kinds of graphics ill dig out my n64. You want your PHONE. To mow the lawn and do the dishes too?

 

[sensesfail99]

the iphone is upper mid class. it's the blonde girl that is pretty, talented, and nice enough to be a cheerleader, but not smart enough to be on the honor role or beautiful enough to be prom queen. she's easy to talk to, but not about anything important. she's fun to hang with, but there's always so many people talking to her that it defeats the point of even trying to get to know her.

is this ultra *** yet....

sure, she's popular, and with good reason, but that new girl just has a little something extra. she's not as easy to talk to, but mostly because she's smarter than you are. she's not quite as pretty, but she has a lot more depth. she's very confident, and she should be because she's already head of the class and she showed half way through the semester. she has more to offer than anyone else and all she needs is someone to help her break out of her shell.

pfff i'm done. i'm ashamed of myself.

I was starting to get turned on