The phone OS bickering thread

[Crossbar]

It doesnt matter who makes the Android phones, if it sells more it... sells more and where i live the HTC desire is on backorder, 3 weeks like the iPhone 4

I had to check that one and yes the HTC Desire is sold out here as well, that is quite astonishing considering it was released back in April.

The new HTC Wildfire seems to be doing pretty well as well.

 

[wco81]

I had to check that one and yes the HTC Desire is sold out here as well, that is quite astonishing considering it was released back in April.

The new HTC Wildfire seems to be doing pretty well as well.

Android phones seem to have a short shelf-life.

They start out selling well at release until someone releases another Android phone with better specs.

No need to bring back something originally released months ago. The same manufacturer is onto the next SKU.

 

[-tkf-]

Android phones seem to have a short shelf-life.

They start out selling well at release until someone releases another Android phone with better specs.

No need to bring back something originally released months ago. The same manufacturer is onto the next SKU.

The Desire is still the "best" Android around these parts, at least from HTC, the Legend and other models are easy to get.

 

[Crossbar]

Android phones seem to have a short shelf-life.

They start out selling well at release until someone releases another Android phone with better specs.

No need to bring back something originally released months ago. The same manufacturer is onto the next SKU.

There maybe some truth in this I really don´t know, but in this case HTC has not released any model to replace the HTC Desire as far as I know. The HTC Wildfire has a very different form factor and price compared to the HTC Desire. A difference comparable to the difference between the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Mini.

I think it is quite remarkable that the HTC Desire is sold out 4 months after its release (it is also topping the price search lists).

 

[dobwal]

There maybe some truth in this I really don´t know, but in this case HTC has not released any model to replace the HTC Desire as far as I know. The HTC Wildfire has a very different form factor and price compared to the HTC Desire. A difference comparable to the difference between the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Mini.

I think it is quite remarkable that the HTC Desire is sold out 4 months after its release (it is also topping the price search lists).

Android as an OS is a hot item, but none of the Android based phones as a device have the demand of an iphone. The Iphone 4 is backordered after selling 1.7 million units during the US launch, no Android based phone has posted anywhere near those types of US launch numbers.

Whats driving Android based sales aren't the newly launched phones. Its older models that have plenty of supply that can be obtain for less then the premium of $200 or more with contract.

 

[dobwal]

The Desire is still the "best" Android around these parts, at least from HTC, the Legend and other models are easy to get.

I think the EVO would be the "best" Android out of HTC, probably being the best spec'd phone from that manufacturer.

The Samsung Galaxy S Pro is a monster, spec wise, with its 1 Ghz Hummingbird CPU and a upgraded GPU (over the iphone). If Im not mistaken its the best benchmarked 2.1 smartphone and with Froyo should out benchmark all current 2.2 Android phones.

 

[corduroygt]

Whats driving Android based sales aren't the newly launched phones. Its older models that have plenty of supply that can be obtain for less then the premium of $200 or more with contract.

How do you know this? I think this is the case too, but I have no evidence supporting it. Besides, the iphone 3GS is only $99 as well...

 

[Crossbar]

Whats driving Android based sales aren't the newly launched phones. Its older models that have plenty of supply that can be obtain for less then the premium of $200 or more with contract.

Do you have any numbers to support this theory? Because the bestseller lists where I live are topped by new models.

And of course there is no single Android model coming close to the numbers of a single iPhone model, I think almost every Android manufacturer have more models than Apple.

 

[dobwal]

How do you know this? I think this is the case too, but I have no evidence supporting it. Besides, the iphone 3GS is only $99 as well...

For the last month NPD and others have stated that other than maybe RIM, the Android OS is outpacing all other OSes in the US. Problem is that with all the newly launched Android based phones only Galaxy S phones have mentioned over 1 million units and thats includes the worldwide production of the Captivate, Vibrant and S Pro. I just googled to get an ideal of the launch figures for some of the new hot android based phones. What I got was little to no information with mostly estimates by analysts.

The Droid X launch numbers were estimated at 350K in its first month by analysts. HTC EVO launch numbers for the first 3 days were estimated at 320K after Sprint said sales were 3 X the first 3 days of the Instinct and Pre combined. Sprint later stated it misstated those figures and estimates dropped to 90-150K for the first 3 days. HTC Incredible were stated at 100K for first 2 day of sales. When it comes to Android, manufacturers and carriers have been rather vague or released no information at all when it comes to sales figures since the "1.05 million Droids in 74 days". Furthermore, these top Android handset have a tendency to go backordered almost immediately and takes weeks to alleviate lack of supply. Yet android phones are being activated at 160-200K new handsets a day as stated by Google and 5-6 million have been sold into the US over last quarter.

 

[wco81]

Even in the US, there are Android phones which cost $49 up front. Saw the ad yesterday, it was an LG model.

May be running Android 1.5 or something around that old for all we know, may have only 320x240 resolution, etc.

For a lot of people, that upfront price makes a difference, even though with data contracts, the upfront price difference is minor in the context of the contract price over 2 years.

 

[dobwal]

So we really don't know if it's the budget Android phones driving sales, especially since phone pricing varies wildly from country to country depending on carrier subsidies. About your question on emulators, they're completely 100% legal as long as they don't contain the bios rom image, which is copyright protected.

I doubt if the highend Androids were doing major sales, enough push the type of Android penetration given by NPD and others, we would have the lack of official press figures we are experiencing now. 5-6 million Androids were sold in the US the last quarter and it was hardly done with the newly introduced EVOs and Droid Xs of the world. It has to be the older and/or cheaper models pushing sales.

The Iphone4 official numbers are 1.7 million shipped for launch with about 4 million iphones (4, 3gs and 3g) shipped to the US last quarter. If the iphone 4 is representing less than half of total US iphones shipped, its hard to believe that the new highend Androids are pushing anywhere near the same level of the 5-6 million Android that were shipped into the US. Especially when the EVOs, DroidXs and GalaxySs as a whole didn't push anywhere near 1.7 million in 3 days in the US but are just as backordered and hard to find on retail shelves.

The availiabiltiy of most highend Androids have been scarce but the Androids activiation rates have gone from 50k to 200k a day over the same time period.

 

[-tkf-]

I think the EVO would be the "best" Android out of HTC, probably being the best spec'd phone from that manufacturer.

The Samsung Galaxy S Pro is a monster, spec wise, with its 1 Ghz Hummingbird CPU and a upgraded GPU (over the iphone). If Im not mistaken its the best benchmarked 2.1 smartphone and with Froyo should out benchmark all current 2.2 Android phones.

The HTC Desire is the only one i can get, EVO isn´t for sales here. I forgot about the Galaxy, Samsungs history of letting 1.6 owners rot up makes me a non customer.. We have the HTC Hero running 2.1 thanks to HTC

 

[Crossbar]

The availiabiltiy of most highend Androids have been scarce but the Androids activiation rates have gone from 50k to 200k a day over the same time period.

Not all new Android phones are highend phones and that is probably the strongest reason why Android is outselling iPhone. There is a plethora of Android phones fulfilling different needs and niches. You know there were Android phones with decent cameras long before iPhone 4 and today you can get Android phones that are almost half the size of an iPhone with all the bells and whistles of Facebook, YouTube etc, etc.

One thing I don´t fully understand regarding the US phone market is; Do you pay the same monthly fee to the network operator if you already have a phone not bound to any contract as if you were buying one of their heavily subsidised phones?

 

[corduroygt]

One thing I don´t fully understand regarding the US phone market is; Do you pay the same monthly fee to the network operator if you already have a phone not bound to any contract as if you were buying one of their heavily subsidised phones?

Yes, it makes absolutely no sense to not have a contract in the US...

 

[Crossbar]

Yes, it makes absolutely no sense to not have a contract in the US...

That sounds like a really screwed up market place....

 

[specwarGP2]

At the end of the day my point is still valid iPhone is hot, Android is not...regardless of who sold or should I say who dumped more phones onto the market...Samsung Captivate for $50 and soon to be free because everyone and their grandmother is standing line ready to pay $200...

Great, grandma is standing in line to buy an iphone. But at the end of the day, more android phones have been sold.

No it's a simple gauge to measure how hot an item is. If people are preordering, standing in lines and supply can't meet demand then the item is hot...End of Story.

More android phones have been sold. End of Story.

iPhone/iPod/iPad owners bought Madden, last time I checked these iDevices didn't have "dedicated gaming controls". Yes the PSP Go Phone will be a game changer because...gasp...it will have "dedicated gaming controls".

Yup it will be a game changer. Games (like madden and street fighter) that require actual buttons SUCK on an iphone, yet a lot of people still buy them because people dont want to play only $2 doodle jump. like I said, if you want to just play doodle jump, fine stick with your iphone. For those of us that want a better gaming experience, this PSPhone is a better CHOICE.

Why anyone is so intent on wanting to believe a phone with "dedicated gaming controls for playing GT" will be the next best invention since sliced bread is beyond me.

Move on then. Why are you in a thread about a PSPhone if you have no interest in it?

I don't really care if this rumored PSP Go Phone becomes reality and succeeds or fails...I already have an iPhone 4 with over 50 purchased games and growing isntalled on it. If you believe it will be a smashing success based on it having "dedicated gaming controls" good for you! I just find that logic funny and contrary to the available evidence. It's called disagreeing...get over it.

What evidence? your opinion? Well based on the opinions on the people that have posted in this thread, a lot more people think that it will be successful than not. I know you're mad that android phones are outselling iphones despite you and your grandma standing in line for one (as people walk by and laugh at you for standing in line for a phone). But if in fact a PSPhone that conforms to the rumor spec does make it to market, then it will be a superior gaming device (and phone) with a superior gaming library to your precious iphone. So you should just get over it. hardware controls > touchscreen controls.

 

[RudeCurve]

Great, grandma is standing in line to buy an iphone. But at the end of the day, more android phones have been sold.

More android phones have been sold. End of Story.

Yup it will be a game changer. Games (like madden and street fighter) that require actual buttons SUCK on an iphone, yet a lot of people still buy them because people dont want to play only $2 doodle jump. like I said, if you want to just play doodle jump, fine stick with your iphone. For those of us that want a better gaming experience, this PSPhone is a better CHOICE.

Move on then. Why are you in a thread about a PSPhone if you have no interest in it?

What evidence? your opinion? Well based on the opinions on the people that have posted in this thread, a lot more people think that it will be successful than not. I know you're mad that android phones are outselling iphones despite you and your grandma standing in line for one (as people walk by and laugh at you for standing in line for a phone). But if in fact a PSPhone that conforms to the rumor spec does make it to market, then it will be a superior gaming device (and phone) with a superior gaming library to your precious iphone. So you should just get over it. hardware controls > touchscreen controls.

Yay! You go ahead and pat yourself on the back then.

Anyway....why do I care if more Android phones are being dumped onto the marketplace..*scratches head*..?

Seems you're the one that keeps pushing the issue as if it means something. What does it mean btw? I wouldn't care if there were 100 million Android phones out there...I've got the hot iPhone 4, it's sleak and sexy and does almost everything I want....with over 100 apps installed and counting...I don't need to dream about some vaporware gaming phone that will take over the smartphone world...yeah I must be very upset about that.....

 

[eastmen]

While andriod phones are priced lower (you can get some for $50 each and sometimes even buy one get one free at $50) I think the main factor that there are more andriod phones is that andriod is on every major US carrier.

Apple on the other hand is only on At&t . I think if as claimed the iphone comes to t-mobile and verizon in qtr 1 of 2011 sales will start to catch up for them.

I personaly think andriod is going to get eaten alive when win 7 and iphone are avalible on all carriers.

 

[specwarGP2]

Yay! You go ahead and pat yourself on the back then.

You brought up how no one wanted android in the first place. But numbers dont lie. When NPD starts tracking the number of grandmas standing in line, then we definitely will see iphone ahead of android.

Anyway....why do I care if more Android phones are being dumped onto the marketplace..*scratches head*..?

Why do I care that you and your grandma stood for hours in line to get HOT IPHONE4. *scratches head*..?

Seems you're the one that keeps pushing the issue as if it means something. What does it mean btw? I wouldn't care if there were 100 million Android phones out there...I've got the hot iPhone 4, it's sleak and sexy and does almost everything I want....with over 100 apps installed and counting...I don't need to dream about some vaporware gaming phone that will take over the smartphone world...yeah I must be very upset about that.....

Great, good for you. You have a over 100 doodle jump apps installed. Care to share anything else about your HOT IPHONE4 that's totally irrelevant in a PSP phone thread?

 

[-tkf-]

Yay! You go ahead and pat yourself on the back then.

Anyway....why do I care if more Android phones are being dumped onto the marketplace..*scratches head*..?

Seems you're the one that keeps pushing the issue as if it means something. What does it mean btw? I wouldn't care if there were 100 million Android phones out there...I've got the hot iPhone 4, it's sleak and sexy and does almost everything I want....with over 100 apps installed and counting...I don't need to dream about some vaporware gaming phone that will take over the smartphone world...yeah I must be very upset about that.....

You seem to be on the defensive? The iPhone 4 is hot because it´s hard to get? I would hope it´s hot because it´s a cool phone with a fantastic design, mindblowing performance and features that puts it apart. If not, then those that got the "hot" iPhone 4 would be fools when it weren´t back ordered anymore?

The iPhone is being outsold by another smartphone(s) and you know what, it will only get worse, and Apple got themselves to blame, that is, if they think it´s a problem, looking at their financials i don´t think they care that much. The Android will keep on growing and it will keep on gaining momentum until the market is saturated. I expect Nokia to jump onboard in a few years, they can´t keep up with the Google monster and the Android Market.

If Sony plays their cards right they could make alot of money from this, tell any kid they can get a phone that plays Playstation games, and they are on it.

I asked earlier, what it is that makes the iPhone 4 special, besides the design i am finding it hard to find "features" that makes it special.

You know what i find special, flash on my desire, i can actually watch TV via flash from a Danish Broadcaster