The tech world is understandably excited about the prospect of the Verizon iPhone, it will be the first time that customers in the United States will have the opportunity to experience the iPhone on a network that is not currently overloaded and under supported.
Along with this, many are saying that the iPhone on multiplier carriers in the US, particularly Verizon- who has given Android a huge bump over the past year, will put Android’s success in jeopardy. Although there may be an initial flurry of excitement over the Verizon iPhone, I think in the long run Android is still poised to be a strong competitor and here is why.
- The Cloud- Google is currently the king of cloud services. Don’t get me wrong, Google has competition in certain areas here (such as Facebook) but these one-off services are not coordinated and/or living under the same roof. Not to mention, as far as we know, none of them are currently developing a phone OS or seriously working with Apple on integration into iOS besides an app.
- LTE- I can promise you that the iPhone that is going to be announced this week will not be a 4G iPhone. There are currently a number of 4G Android phones on the marked, or almost ready to ship. Having true broadband in your pocket is an incredibly powerful thing, especially when it comes engaging with rich content which leads me to #3…
- Screen Size- I’ve had a number of phones of the past year, including a Droid, Droid Incredible, Sprint Evo and now a Droid X. I can say without a doubt that consuming content on a 4″+ screen is vastly more comfortable compared to the screen size of the iPhone.
- Durability- Because Android allows for various pieces of hardware, we end up seeing more durable phones. The iPhone is fragile, besides the bezel the entire exterior of the phone is made out of glass. I’d venture to say that 9/10 any current android phone would come out with better results in a drop-test.
- Apple’s App Store- As we all know Apple is a pain in the ass when it comes to approving some applications, Google on the other hand essentially lets any application into the market.
- Android is Everywhere- Although Verizon gave Android a huge bump with their “Droid” phones, Android is everywhere. Its more versatile and cheaper than Apple’s offerings and available to everyone.
- A Working Alarm Clock- Android’s alarm clock application works flawlessly while the iPhone’s has had some issues. Problem?
Do you think Android’s success is in jeopardy? Let me know in the comments!
I don’t think android will have much to worry about – it will loose a bit of market share but it’s definitely headed toward being the dominant phone platform in the near future. But the reasons isn’t good – it’s because it’s bargain basement. It will wind up on cheaper phones that are positioned to beat the iPhone on price alone, starting to make its way to feature phones as well. You’ll have to look at vertically integrated operating systems for a positive user experience, Apple, Palm and dare I say Windows? Android will keep being inconsistent and cheap.
Lumping the Android OS in the cheap bin might be a bit hasty. HTC is making some fantastic phones and more manufacturers are attempting to up their games. Sure, there will be plenty of cheap Android alternatives, but that just leaves the smartphone market more accessible.
The iPhone will most likely remain the gold-standard for development though. The restricted hardware ensures apps will work for all, and early market penetration will keep the iPhone as the standard. Higher quality hardware and strict OS control will keep them on top.
Users looking for a pick up and go high quality phone will go iPhone. Experienced users looking for a rich, customizable, albiet less polished, phone will learn towards Android.
Of course this isn’t a two party system, but they’re the big dogs.