Android taking the lead in 2012 !

[Euphorian]

 

 

Quote: Macrumors.com

The latest data from Nielsen suggests that between the two of them, Android and Apple's iOS have relegated other smartphone operating systems to sub-single digit market share. The closest competitor -- RIM's Blackberry -- counted only 5% of U.S. smartphone purchases in the past three months. Other operating systems, including Windows Phone, Symbian, HP/Palm's WebOS and others, added up to only 4% share combined.

 

Overall, Android continues to lead the smartphone market in the U.S., with 48 percent of smartphone owners saying they owned an Android OS device. Nearly a third (32.1%) of smartphone users have an Apple iPhone, and Blackberry owners represented another 11.6 percent of the smartphone market. Among recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 48 percent of those surveyed in February said they chose an Android and 43 percent bought an iPhone.

 

Android's performance is pretty constant, with 48% of existing smartphone owners and 48% of new smartphone purchasers choosing Android phones.

 

Apple's iPhone has been more popular of late, with the recent release of the iPhone 4S. The iPhone is the device of choice for 32% of current smartphone owners, but has made up 43% of recent smartphone purchases -- entirely at the expense of BlackBerry and the other small-share operating systems.

 

http://www.macrumors...rtphone-market/[

 

 

Edited March 31, 2012 by Euphorian

[legion125]

Not much info on this, but Sprint has publically commited that the Epic Touch and Nexus S (old news) is going to get the ICS treatment.

 

Quote:

"Sprint will begin to roll out Google's latest version of Android™, Ice Cream Sandwich, to our customers in 2012. Ice Cream Sandwich will be available via an over-the-air update to a variety of devices including Galaxy™ S II, Epic™ 4G Touch and Nexus S™ and other key products in our line-up."

 

http://community.spr...stomers-in-2012

[mellimel2212]

 

 

Quote: Macrumors.com

The latest data from Nielsen suggests that between the two of them, Android and Apple's iOS have relegated other smartphone operating systems to sub-single digit market share. The closest competitor -- RIM's Blackberry -- counted only 5% of U.S. smartphone purchases in the past three months. Other operating systems, including Windows Phone, Symbian, HP/Palm's WebOS and others, added up to only 4% share combined.

 

Overall, Android continues to lead the smartphone market in the U.S., with 48 percent of smartphone owners saying they owned an Android OS device. Nearly a third (32.1%) of smartphone users have an Apple iPhone, and Blackberry owners represented another 11.6 percent of the smartphone market. Among recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 48 percent of those surveyed in February said they chose an Android and 43 percent bought an iPhone.

 

Android's performance is pretty constant, with 48% of existing smartphone owners and 48% of new smartphone purchasers choosing Android phones.

 

Apple's iPhone has been more popular of late, with the recent release of the iPhone 4S. The iPhone is the device of choice for 32% of current smartphone owners, but has made up 43% of recent smartphone purchases -- entirely at the expense of BlackBerry and the other small-share operating systems.

 

http://www.macrumors...rtphone-market/[

 

 

 

And that's for a reason android os is better

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

[Abyss19707]

iOS will become dominate in 2012 not Android. Android is a great operating system but the iPhone has more advantages like syncing to iTunes, iCloud, and a bigger selection of apps. Also iOS is completely controlled by Apple with no custom skins allowing devices to receive updates right out of the gate. Thirdly iOS has better hardware at better prices. A phone like the Galaxy Nexus at release had only a 5 mega-pixel camera and 1.2 GHZ Processor while being priced at $299 but the iPhone 4S with a 8 mega-pixel camera and 1.2 GHZ Processor is only $199. The only difference really is the camera and LTE. Research has shown that LTE Chips currently cost only $32 more than 3G chips. Fourthly fragmentation will kill Android. I love Android personally but hate how certain apps are on one phone but not another. Netflix originally only worked on 9 devices at launch and took another 6 months to get 11 more devices. Netflix launched on all phones and tablets right out of the gate with iOS.

 

Personally I love Android but before it can succeed changes are needed. Google needs to became more strict with custom skins and hardware. If hardware was similar with small differences like screen size and software was flat out the same then updates would easily be pushed out to almost all Android Devices.

 

Windows Phone will destroy Android also. I hate Windows Phone personally but it has lots of promise.

[mellimel2212]

iOS will become dominate in 2012 not Android. Android is a great operating system but the iPhone has more advantages like syncing to iTunes, iCloud, and a bigger selection of apps. Also iOS is completely controlled by Apple with no custom skins allowing devices to receive updates right out of the gate. Thirdly iOS has better hardware at better prices. A phone like the Galaxy Nexus at release had only a 5 mega-pixel camera and 1.2 GHZ Processor while being priced at $299 but the iPhone 4S with a 8 mega-pixel camera and 1.2 GHZ Processor is only $199. The only difference really is the camera and LTE. Research has shown that LTE Chips currently cost only $32 more than 3G chips. Fourthly fragmentation will kill Android. I love Android personally but hate how certain apps are on one phone but not another. Netflix originally only worked on 9 devices at launch and took another 6 months to get 11 more devices. Netflix launched on all phones and tablets right out of the gate with iOS.

 

Personally I love Android but before it can succeed changes are needed. Google needs to became more strict with custom skins and hardware. If hardware was similar with small differences like screen size and software was flat out the same then updates would easily be pushed out to almost all Android Devices.

 

Windows Phone will destroy Android also. I hate Windows Phone personally but it has lots of promise.

 

Dude wp os is boring as watching paint dry <EDITED> u smoking because I want some

 

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[mellimel2212]

And iOS is no <EDITED> better i have experience in all three os and the lil green robot is the best by far I'm tired of apple and windows fan boys wit the whole "android only in the lead because of so many android devices" excuse its like that for a reason

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

Edited April 24, 2012 by S4GRU
Profanity edited out

[MacinJosh]

And iOS is no <EDITED> better i have experience in all three os and the lil green robot is the best by far I'm tired of apple and windows fan boys wit the whole "android only in the lead because of so many android devices" excuse its like that for a reason

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

No need for language unbecoming of a Sprint fan site. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. All 3 OS's have their perks. I got to try Windows Phone once & really liked it.

[mellimel2212]

No disrespect to my fellow sprinters lol but dude sounded like a troll to me lol his opinions didn't even make sense

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

[mellimel2212]

And this is coming from a person who has tried all three os also

 

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[pyroscott]

Agreed, we can have a civilized conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of operating systems, or we can lock the thread. Everyone is sick of fanboys who don't share our viewpoint, but this site is about the positive sharing of ideas not brutally beating down opposite viewpoints.

 

The moderators will take care of any comments from "trolls."

[mellimel2212]

I hope you all aren't talking bout me :mellow: dude made bout 3 paragraphs wit nothing but lies but whatever you all say lol my bad

 

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Edited April 24, 2012 by mellimel2212

[S4GRU]

I hope you all aren't talking bout me :mellow: dude made bout 3 paragraphs wit nothing but lies but whatever you all say lol my bad

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

The only issue I had with you I sent in a Private Message. Let's not take this conversation there. Let's just get back on track with civilized dialogue. No one is singling you out.

 

Robert

[mellimel2212]

U guys are right lol my bad I apologize fellow sprinters

 

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[mellimel2212]

Let me say this though still the thought of u saying windows phone is gonna beat android this year is not only false but damn near hysterical lol windows needs 1 more pr time 2 more Development support 3 majority of wp is non 4G iOS has number one and 2 and bout to get number 3 too so imho they are closer to toppling android than wp

 

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[MacinJosh]

Let me say this though still the thought of u saying windows phone is gonna beat android this year is not only false but damn near hysterical lol windows needs 1 more pr time 2 more Development support 3 majority of wp is non 4G iOS has number one and 2 and bout to get number 3 too so imho they are closer to toppling android than wp

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

You are right. Microsoft really made a bad rap for themselves with Windows Mobile, and it will take a long time for them to recover from the damage they did to themselves.

 

Sent from Joshs Evo Shift using Forum Runner

[mellimel2212]

Yeah because truthfully windows phone been out for a little while now but they JUST got exposure and not really that much either

 

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[pyroscott]

I would like to address some holes in your arguement here. These are just my opinions and for the record, I have no idea how the market share landscape will look in the coming year.

 

iOS will become dominate in 2012 not Android. Android is a great operating system but the iPhone has more advantages like syncing to iTunes, iCloud, and a bigger selection of apps.

 

I'm not sure that Apple will hold its lead in Apps for long. Android could close the gap this year. And as far as a sheer number of apps, now that they have hit or approached half a million apps, I'm not sure that the number of apps is even relevant. However, it seems that iOS has more quality apps, but neither platform has obvious omissions like WP or Blackberry.

 

Also iOS is completely controlled by Apple with no custom skins allowing devices to receive updates right out of the gate.

 

There may be a lot of custom skinned Android models, but the Nexus line is controlled by Google and provides quicker updates. Also, even though iOS "updates" all their legacy devices, it doesn't mean that they have all the features on the most current operating system. Where is Siri on the iPhone 4? Or the iPad?

 

Thirdly iOS has better hardware at better prices. A phone like the Galaxy Nexus at release had only a 5 mega-pixel camera and 1.2 GHZ Processor while being priced at $299 but the iPhone 4S with a 8 mega-pixel camera and 1.2 GHZ Processor is only $199.

 

How about the fact that the iPhone 4S that you quote at $199 has half the memory of the Galaxy Nexus? If you want a true comparison, you should take the 32GB iPhone 4S which is priced at $299 (P.S. the GNex just went down to $199 so now it has a $100 price advantage) As far as the camera goes, yes, the iPhone 4S has a better camera, but it isn't because of the megapixels. The HTC EVO 4G that came out years ago had an 8MP camera, does that make it better than the GNex? Of course not.

 

The only difference really is the camera and LTE. Research has shown that LTE Chips currently cost only $32 more than 3G chips.

 

See above. The GNex packs LTE in for the same price as the iPhone, but makes a minute tradeoff in the camera. I can attest to the GNex camera still being VERY good. It's humerous how everyone is so hung up on number of MP. I would rather have a lower megapixel with higher quality sensor than vice versa.

 

Fourthly fragmentation will kill Android. I love Android personally but hate how certain apps are on one phone but not another. Netflix originally only worked on 9 devices at launch and took another 6 months to get 11 more devices. Netflix launched on all phones and tablets right out of the gate with iOS.

 

Several studies have shown that fragmentation is as bad or worse on iOS than it is on Android. Android should be somewhat "out of the woods" as the OS is beginning to see less and less wholesale changes with each update and become more polished. There will always be fragmentation between OEMs since there are so many models, some as simple as screen resolution. Developers have done a great job adapting to this, and pushing out apps that can work on a great array of devices, but there is no substitute for 1 model per year simplicity. People like variety though. I for one, would hate to see every Android device come out as the same exact model. That is the beauty of android. You can have one device with a 5 inch screen, another with a physical keyboard, another that you can play playstation games on, etc.

 

Personally I love Android but before it can succeed changes are needed. Google needs to became more strict with custom skins and hardware. If hardware was similar with small differences like screen size and software was flat out the same then updates would easily be pushed out to almost all Android Devices.

 

Windows Phone will destroy Android also. I hate Windows Phone personally but it has lots of promise.

 

Even though I can't see them gaining too terrible much market share by the end of the year, I do see WP gaining a foothold and becoming a legit #3 OS. Windows Phone could theoretically take a bite out of Android's market share, but they will also take a bite out of iOS. WP is much more similar to iOS than Android. Many people stay Android because of the customization and ROMs etc that are available. WP and iOS don't offer that. I agree WP has a lot of promise, and iOS continues to grow and could very well start taking market share from Android. Only time will tell though. Who knows what Microsoft, Apple and Android have up their sleeve for their next OS upgrade...

[S4GRU]

I heard all this when the iPhone 4 came out. It was going to be the death of Android. Yet, here we are. Strong as ever. Android is both adapting and innovating. LTE was a huge advantage for Android. Apple and WP are joining that party late.

 

Google will have to find the next big thing and beat Apple to market. It will change things when the iPhone goes LTE. To what extent remains to be seen. But there will always be a market for Android as long as Google continues to adapt ahead of the market.

 

Without a catastrophic misstep by Google or Apple, Windows Phone will likely be relegated to third string quarterback. Just praying for a quarterback controversy.

 

Robert via NOVO7PALADIN Tablet using Forum Runner

[mellimel2212]

Couldn't have said that better u guys lol

 

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[MacinJosh]

I hope to see Windows Phone take off. I really liked how stable it was. Which for me, that's a big improvement over Windows Mobile 6.5. It was so full of bugs is was nothing but trouble at times. And this is coming from a Windows hater due to all the issues I ever had with Windows over the years.

[legion125]

RIM is still in third place in the OS market and I'm disappointed that WP hasn't taken off yet. It looked good for a while, but as of now, it's losing momentum. If BBX 10 (QNX) is a moderate hit when it debuts, RIM will have a much easier time keeping its slot than MS and WP 8 still trying to make up ground. After test driving a Playbook, I like BBX more than WP.

[xenadu]

The idea that iOS is even half as fragmented as Android is laughable, please don't spread lies. Right now, today, I build my iOS apps for v4.2 up to latest from the same code base and only one or two version-specific things for hardware support. It is trivially easy and as a result even people with an iPhone 3G can buy my app. I have one screen size and form factor to test for. I only have to test in two simulators and I know it will work on all the devices. Not to mention people with an iPhone 3GS can upgrade to iOS 5 latest. How many 3 year old Android phones will be running ICS? (hint: practically none)

 

iOS has the advantage on apps because that's where the money is. Android users (as a whole) just don't buy as many apps, which is not surprising considering most Android phones are the $49 or free models carriers give away. A lot of people end up with those phones because no one is using/selling feature phones anymore.

 

Let's also not forget that only with the release of the iPhone 4S has Apple had a free iPhone in the 3GS. When the iPhone 5 comes out it will push the iPhone 4 to free with contract which makes it available to Verizon and Sprint.

 

Don't get me wrong - I have no desire to see Android go away. I think it keeps Apple on their toes.

 

 

[MacinJosh]

How many 3 year old Android phones will be running ICS? (hint: practically none)

 

 

How many 1 year old Android phones will be running ICS? I have one that won't get an official upgrade.

 

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[BenChase7]

How many 1 year old Android phones will be running ICS? I have one that won't get an official upgrade.

 

Sent from Joshs iPhone 3Gs using Forum Runner

 

But, if you're rooted, you can stick anything you want on there in a matter of minutes... and to me, that's one more strength Android has over the competition.... You can make about any Android device truly yours.

[pyroscott]

The idea that iOS is even half as fragmented as Android is laughable, please don't spread lies. Right now, today, I build my iOS apps for v4.2 up to latest from the same code base and only one or two version-specific things for hardware support. It is trivially easy and as a result even people with an iPhone 3G can buy my app. I have one screen size and form factor to test for. I only have to test in two simulators and I know it will work on all the devices. Not to mention people with an iPhone 3GS can upgrade to iOS 5 latest. How many 3 year old Android phones will be running ICS? (hint: practically none)

 

Oh, so an iPhone 3G can run multitasking? Or gamecenter? Can an iPhone 4 run Siri?

 

The phone software may say 5.1.0 but it does not have a full update. This is fragmentation, pure and simple. Yes, basic apps can run on all versions of the iPhone, but anything that requires the advanced features of subsequent models is unable to run.

 

By no means am I saying that Android is not fragmented, but basic apps can run on a high percentage of Android handsets too. The fact that OEMs and carriers have to add their bloat rather than making it a downloadable app is one of the largest reasons why updates are slow or don't happen at all.

 

And as Ben said, there is a wide range of ROMs for Android phones where you can have freedom to do whatever you want with your phone. Tech savvy people can design their own custom UI and less tech savvy people can load up someone else's custom UI.