Android to take on iPhone on Mobile Platforms Market
Apple’s iPhone is currently the absolute leader in the mobile devices segment in the USA. Its principal rivals BlackBerry, Android and Palm have still a long way to go to reach their successful competitor.
BlackBerry recently had a bigger share to iPhone’s but lost it as RIM devices are business oriented, and ordinary users would rather give preference to multi-function iPhone, Android or Palm. Due to the fact that the prices on smartphones have gone down, average users now have an important part to play in the competition between giants for users of apps.
After its latest reincarnation, Palm looks quite convincingly, yet not convincingly enough for a decent share on the market. At least, for now.
Android is the likeliest possible iPhone’s killer due to Google making a strategic step towards encouraging all market’s vendors to create and promote its OS. Anyone for a slice of Apple pie?
Consequently, the market faces active distribution of Android devices. Every vendor gladly receives, customizes and promotes the popular OS. What is more – it is free. Android is an open freely distributed OS, which is its principal advantage.
Having a good strategy is half the battle though. Users are very unlikely to want to make a purchase following only market surveys.
Apple’s iPhone is currently the unquestionable leader in terms of design and usability. Android’s developers aren’t sitting on their hands either. Their product is soon to become model, and the variety of forms of the device with this OS will satisfy different demands. However, Android is still to run this race.
On the other hand, Android is targeting developers of third-party apps in terms of technology. This is clearly seen in its multitasking. Chatting on Skype with a single-task iPhone and reading the mail at the same time is not only inconvenient but simply impossible! iPhone shuts down an application once a new one is started. This is a major drawback.
The new iPhone OS 4.0 supporting multitasking is to appear in the summer with the emergence of a new iPhone. This will be a justified though tardy Apple’s solution. By that time the number of Android based apps will have grown drawing the attention of consumers who will be unable to miss them. Even now HTC Hero, Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One being already on sale, outstrip iPhone in technical characteristics and have almost reached it in design and usability.
Gartner analysts are right to say that Android is to win the game by 2012, yet the time will show how absolute that leadership will be.
Nice post. Similar to what Mashable thinks. Maybe I should trade my iPhone now.
Nice post. I agree, Google Android is going to be a big hit!
Got to start exploring Android now. Thanks for the post!