Having owed both and IPhone and a G1, one of the first phones using Android as the OS, I strongly agree with an IDC forecast that Android will be leader in mobile devices by the end of the year. Not only does Android make a more user friendly phone than Apple, they also make it more adaptable to everyday life. For example, instead of being forced to use the Apple charger, I can plug my G1 into any USB by a simple mini USB connection port and start charging or exchanging data immediately. Apple goes out of there way to make it inconvenient for the IPhone to share data without their specialized charger. This does however insure that they as a company make a killing on accessories.
A new feature on Android phones could also eliminate the need to pay for wi-fi with their new Hot Spots. Which turns your mobile device into basically a free wi-fi router that supplys free wi-fi to multiple computers. Just the simple fact that you can buy an Android phone in every leading mobile company and almost every brand phone means that there are so many options for people to pick the brand and retailer they like and still have the Android OS. By contrast, if you wanted an IPhone you have a choice of 2 retailers and exactly 2 phones at this moment. Flexibility is a huge downfall for the IPhone and I think that will be what ultimately allows them to surpassed in sales by the Androids.
I do believe Apple makes great products I own both an IPod and a Nano and they are both great. However, there is no real competion for them in that market. Eventually there could be and quite possibly will though and as in the IPhone I think if they do not want to lose sales they need to expand their product lines to fit the changing needs of the consumer.
I agree with Kimberly. The problem with Apple is (and in my opinion always has been) their use of proprietary products in order to dissuade competition. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Apple supporter, but my complaint with Apple has always been incompatibility with other products. Being able to find programs and products that support both OSX and Windows is a somewhat recent phenomenon. The truth is that Apple makes incredibly high-quality, premium computers and appliances. Instead of using technology defensively to erect a boundary around its products and fend off those who may seek to copy what they are doing, Apple should strive to increase compatibility with products made by other companies, thereby improving convenience, and rely on the fact that their products are simply cooler and more reliable than those made by other companies.
ReplyDeleteWith the iPhone, Apple really did make a bad decision in creating an exclusive contract with AT&T. Since the introduction of the iPhone, that product has pretty much propped up AT&T, which has only hindered the spread of the iPhone. Android really did win the day with their business strategy, creating an operating system that could be used on a number of different makes of phones, regardless of their wireless service providers. Striving for compatibility will give Google the greater share of the smartphone market unless Apple follows them and starts offering the iPhone across service providers as well (which has been rumored to happen for some time).