Android Smartphones Overtake iPhone in the U.S.

[TheKey]

:laugh2: 2.2 is going to be released for the Moto Droid this week. It is already out for some models.

Rooting is essentially being able to modifiy the OS to any way you want it and add some functions to it that may have been restricted before.

Tethering is when you use your phone as a modem practically. Anywhere you don't have WiFi for your laptop you could hook up your phone via bluetooth/usb and it would provide you internet access via 3G and then uses data on your data package.

So if you have an unlimited data package Verizon won't charge us to tether?

 

[Vtwin]

But you are tired down to ATT? You do know ATT locks that device and its Android apps down to its own authorized eula? It isn't as Android App friendly as you might think on the ATT network.

Just spent a few minutes learning about rooting and what not and came across a tutorial on how to disable ATT&T's blocks on sideloading apps.

 

[ajk23az]

So if you have an unlimited data package Verizon won't charge us to tether?

Nope. Unlimited is unlimited. I've talked to a Verizon rep about that before.

 

[ajk23az]

600,000 people aren't lining up and crashing servers nationwide to preorder the latest Android OS-enabled phone.

Wake me up when a frenzy like that happens.

They can't keep the HTC EVO or Motorola Droid X in stock from what I've been reading.

Whoopsss....

 

[casmith07]

Easy to sell out when you don't have that many in stock to begin with.

 

[TheKey]

Nope. Unlimited is unlimited. I've talked to a Verizon rep about that before.

Do you know how the tethering is going to work? Is it going to be an app or just automatic when you connect it to your computer?

The sad thing is once people start using this I doubt that Verizon will be far behind ATT with getting rid of the unlimited plan...

 

[Dayton Cowboy]

They can't keep the HTC EVO or Motorola Droid X in stock from what I've been reading.

The same with the HTC Incredible a couple of months back. I'm not sure what the situation is now with those.

 

[ajk23az]

Do you know how the tethering is going to work? Is it going to be an app or just automatic when you connect it to your computer?

The sad thing is once people start using this I doubt that Verizon will be far behind ATT with getting rid of the unlimited plan...

I'm not sure how its going to work with Froyo. Right now, with 2.1 it is an app. Then you download the software onto your laptop and hook it up via bluetooth or USB. I do agree that Verizon won't be far behind in limited data plans. I usually don't tether too much though. ATT has the 2gb plan and so far I haven't used over 2gb in a month anyways.

 

[theogt]

600,000 people aren't lining up and crashing servers nationwide to preorder the latest Android OS-enabled phone.

Wake me up when a frenzy like that happens.

Right. The difference comes because the Android OS is available on so many different devices.

Imagine if Apple allowed its OS (and perhaps more importantly its App Store) on any smart phone. It would absolutely crush the Android.

But obviously the Android will have more "market share" than any other phone OS, because it's the only major OS (other than Windows) that is installed on multiple devices. But Apple doesn't care about that. It cares about profit share, and as shown by the graph earlier, Apple's profit share is unbelievable.

 

[Kangaroo]

Right. The difference comes because the Android OS is available on so many different devices.

Imagine if Apple allowed its OS (and perhaps more importantly its App Store) on any smart phone. It would absolutely crush the Android.

But obviously the Android will have more "market share" than any other phone OS, because it's the only major OS (other than Windows) that is installed on multiple devices. But Apple doesn't care about that. It cares about profit share, and as shown by the graph earlier, Apple's profit share is unbelievable.

Maybe because I waited for something not Apple I think the Apple appeal is it limited access it is the snob phone kind of like it is the snob computer.

Google is making money off the phones advertisement $$$ because it charges nothing for the OS

So would Apple kill everyone or is the best thing Apple have going for it is the limited release

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Right. The difference comes because the Android OS is available on so many different devices.

Imagine if Apple allowed its OS (and perhaps more importantly its App Store) on any smart phone. It would absolutely crush the Android.

But obviously the Android will have more "market share" than any other phone OS, because it's the only major OS (other than Windows) that is installed on multiple devices. But Apple doesn't care about that. It cares about profit share, and as shown by the graph earlier, Apple's profit share is unbelievable.

It's a different approach. Google will make plenty of money off of it I'm sure. They're getting 200k+ activations a day for new Android devices. And it keeps increasing. That's a lot of people and a lot of dollar signs for Google in the future.

 

[Hoofbite]

Who ****ing cares?

If a droid is your thing, have at it.

I wouldn't swap my iPhone 4 for anything.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Easy to sell out when you don't have that many in stock to begin with.

More Android phones where sold than iPhones, so I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that. If there had been more Android phones available, the difference would have been skewed even greater in Android's favor.

Of course, Android has the advantage of being available through multiple carriers. That is what made the difference here. I'm sure if the iPhone had been available there different carriers, it too would have seen an even larger increase in sales.

 

[PBJTime]

Who ****ing cares?

If a droid is your thing, have at it.

I wouldn't swap my iPhone 4 for anything.

I was getting pissed off at my 3G iPhone after I downloaded the new software. It kept locking up and pausing nonstop. I was mad that I was tied down to Apple. However, the iPhone 4 has renewed my love for the phone. It is a so much smoother experience.

 

[theogt]

I was getting pissed off at my 3G iPhone after I downloaded the new software. It kept locking up and pausing nonstop. I was mad that I was tied down to Apple. However, the iPhone 4 has renewed my love for the phone. It is a so much smoother experience.

Yeah, the iPhone 4 is like a completely different phone.

 

[Shady12]

I personally don't understand the appeal of the iPhone. It's 'smooth' but it's just an app launcher. Screens of apps in grids. Wow. They did innovate with the original in terms of full touch screen etc. but were way behind the times in many other things that other smartphones(and even dumbphones in some cases) could do for 10 years..Like wallpaper, 3g(with the first iPhone) etc. They are starting to catch up finally. Android allows you to do so much more, I'd be bored with an iPhone because I love to customize and make my phone do things that nobody elses will. I even have a custom splash screen and boot animations. I'd also miss all the widgets if I left Android. It's nice to be able to do things without having to open an app. IPhone will probably always be a popular and hip device, but it will go the way of the computer market the way Windows and Macs are. Macs are popular but there will be many more Windows machines. Android is still new and just starting to explode and will have a much larger market share going into the future, not that the single iPhone itself has to lose popularity despite this.

 

[ajk23az]

I personally don't understand the appeal of the iPhone. It's 'smooth' but it's just an app launcher. Screens of apps in grids. Wow. They did innovate with the original in terms of full touch screen etc. but were way behind the times in many other things that other smartphones(and even dumbphones in some cases) could do for 10 years..Like wallpaper, 3g(with the first iPhone) etc. They are starting to catch up finally. Android allows you to do so much more, I'd be bored with an iPhone because I love to customize and make my phone do things that nobody elses will. I even have a custom splash screen and boot animations. I'd also miss all the widgets if I left Android. It's nice to be able to do things without having to open an app. IPhone will probably always be a popular and hip device, but it will go the way of the computer market the way Windows and Macs are. Macs are popular but there will be many more Windows machines. Android is still new and just starting to explode and will have a much larger market share going into the future, not that the single iPhone itself has to lose popularity despite this.

Sad thing is, you probably will be bashed for bringing up a week old thread but I completely agree with everything you said. Well done.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I don't think Apple and Google will be struggling to make money anytime soon. The smartphone market is just taking off and there's plenty of room for the both of them.

 

[PBJTime]

I personally don't understand the appeal of the iPhone. It's 'smooth' but it's just an app launcher. Screens of apps in grids. Wow. They did innovate with the original in terms of full touch screen etc. but were way behind the times in many other things that other smartphones(and even dumbphones in some cases) could do for 10 years..Like wallpaper, 3g(with the first iPhone) etc. They are starting to catch up finally. Android allows you to do so much more, I'd be bored with an iPhone because I love to customize and make my phone do things that nobody elses will. I even have a custom splash screen and boot animations. I'd also miss all the widgets if I left Android. It's nice to be able to do things without having to open an app. IPhone will probably always be a popular and hip device, but it will go the way of the computer market the way Windows and Macs are. Macs are popular but there will be many more Windows machines. Android is still new and just starting to explode and will have a much larger market share going into the future, not that the single iPhone itself has to lose popularity despite this.

Yeah, I can see what you're saying. It took forever just to get MMS! And don't get me started on video. I had a phone that could do that 2-3 years before an iPhone was even a glint in Steve Jobs' eye.

Before I had my iPhone, I had a Windows phone. I felt handcuffed as soon as I got my first iPhone, especially with ringtones. However, it was (and I think still is) a much more polished experience than other smart phones. None of the Android devices are near as smooth, imo. My guess is that Apple will continue to allow their phones to do just enough to keep people from switching over. Having said that, I probably would have switched instead of going with the 4 if I didn't have a mountain of media that can only be accessed by idevices.

 

[theogt]

I personally don't understand the appeal of the iPhone. It's 'smooth' but it's just an app launcher. Screens of apps in grids. Wow. They did innovate with the original in terms of full touch screen etc. but were way behind the times in many other things that other smartphones(and even dumbphones in some cases) could do for 10 years..Like wallpaper, 3g(with the first iPhone) etc. They are starting to catch up finally. Android allows you to do so much more, I'd be bored with an iPhone because I love to customize and make my phone do things that nobody elses will. I even have a custom splash screen and boot animations. I'd also miss all the widgets if I left Android. It's nice to be able to do things without having to open an app. IPhone will probably always be a popular and hip device, but it will go the way of the computer market the way Windows and Macs are. Macs are popular but there will be many more Windows machines. Android is still new and just starting to explode and will have a much larger market share going into the future, not that the single iPhone itself has to lose popularity despite this.

Sad thing is, you probably will be bashed for bringing up a week old thread but I completely agree with everything you said. Well done.

Yeah, I can see what you're saying. It took forever just to get MMS! And don't get me started on video. I had a phone that could do that 2-3 years before an iPhone was even a glint in Steve Jobs' eye.

Before I had my iPhone, I had a Windows phone. I felt handcuffed as soon as I got my first iPhone, especially with ringtones. However, it was (and I think still is) a much more polished experience than other smart phones. None of the Android devices are near as smooth, imo. My guess is that Apple will continue to allow their phones to do just enough to keep people from switching over. Having said that, I probably would have switched instead of going with the 4 if I didn't have a mountain of media that can only be accessed by idevices.

All three of you are right. There's nothing special about the phone. It's not as if it's the most popular phone of all time and completely re-defined the market.

But, of course it is and it did. Obviously there are features that the iPhone does not, or did not have, that other phones have had. That's not the point. The point is that when it first came out it did more things in one device than any other phone and it did them all VERY VERY well -- better than how other phones did them. The experience was like nothing before. It basically revolutionized ("evolutionized"?) surfing the internet on a cell phone. And obviously the touch screen was a major development in the industry.

Now, the iPhone 4 is a step above the rest again. The resolution, the processing, the OS, the camera, the app store -- it's a combination of everything that makes the phone (for fear of playing into the Apple theme) "different" and better.