Android Fanboys Have Arrived

[Pliablemoose]

http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/30/android-fanboys/

By now, just about everyone on the planet has heard the term “Apple Fanboy.” If you’ve ever said anything good about an Apple product, you’ve likely been called one. But a new class of fanboy has emerged — one that, amazingly, may be be equally as passionate. The Android Fanboy. And it’s actually a good thing. In case you missed my review of the new HTC EVO 4G phone yesterday, be sure to read some of the comments. As stated, I was coming at it from the perspective of a dedicated iPhone user. Long story short, I don’t really like the device. To the Android lovers, I might as well have killed Bambi.
Never mind the good things I said about the phone, or Android in particular. Never mind that I said that if you’re looking for an Android phone, try the Nexus One or Droid Incredible, because they’re both better devices. Never mind that almost none of the commenters had actually ever used the EVO (it’s not out yet), and plenty of them even admitted that. None of that matters. All that matters is that I said something bad about an Android device. RAGE!
In the Android Fanboys’ minds, I had just slandered the latest reincarnation of their savior. They had to respond. And they did. Hundreds of them. It was quite impressive.
So why is such zealotry a good thing? Because passion is important. If people actually care about Android that much, Google is clearly doing something right. Windows Mobile has never instilled this type of passion in anyone. Nor has Symbian. For a while, it seemed like the Palm Pre might. But it never did. But Android is.
As I described at length last week, the rivalry between Apple and Google is going to be a good thing for us all. Part of that is because the companies are largely equals, so the fight will be fair. But don’t underestimate the importance of fanboys in this equation. For too long, Apple has gotten a massive amount of free fanboy publicity while many of their rivals have gotten none. Android is now starting to get that kind of free publicity too. All of this plays into the idea that the two companies will push one another to make better products, because again, they’re on equal footing.
And Android Fanboys will make the Internet more balanced because they almost exactly counter the ideals (and now passion) of Apple Fanboys. Android Fanboys care about openness and choice. iPhone Fanboys care about presentation and experience.
The iPhone will likely never be able to match Android phones in their integration with Google products such as Gmail and Google Voice. Simply put, the integration is stellar and in my mind, the number one reason to use an Android phone. Something like Google Voice integration is powerful because you feel in control of your device in a way that you’ll never be able to with an iPhone.
But Android phones will likely never be able to match iPhones in seamless user experience because Apple, unlike Google, controls the entire ecosystem from the hardware to the software. As an iPhone user, when I switch to Android, something just feels off. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is it because it’s dozens of little, subtle things that Apple is able to do because they have the luxury of knowing you’re going to be using their software on the one iPhone form factor (which, again, they also make).
Again, it’s a great rivalry because the two sides offer two completely different executions of the same idea. And they have legions of fans who are positive that each way is the right way. This balance is good for us all — even if individual fanboy comments read like they’re from bat-shit crazy zealots.

You Might Be An Android Fanboy If...

• You find yourself pressing on the TV screen trying to add a widget.
• You use Layers to find your second story bathroom.
• You get into west side story style dance fights with iphone users.
• You ask a woman what apps she comes with.
• You have an android fan fiction involving a cross over with the smurfs and Steve jobs as Garagmel.
• You own an Android T-shirt for each day of the week.
• When asked your favorite celebrity, you say Cyanogen.
• You dig down anyone on Digg crowing about their iPhone!
• You Google on the loo (toilet).
• You have Android bed sheets.
• You sell your soul to get an N1 because all the cool kids have one.
• You actually use Google Wave.
• You see little droids in your dreams.
• You yell at people buying apples in the grocery store.
• You never had to jailbreak your phone just to make a phone call.
• Your first time turning on your Nexus One was booting into the bootloader.
• You think trix are for green robots.
• You're an electirc sheep. (I like this one, good job. --Scotty)
• You still willingly use a G1.
• You read the android guys app more than you work.
• You check AndroidGuys every day.
• You bought an Android Pillow.
• You can't wait to get up every morning to go to the market and update apps.
• You're always showing your iPhone friends things they can't do, and follow by saying,"But the iphone's good too!" so they dont feel bad.
• You fantasize about floating widgets in the air.
• You laugh when an iPhone user drops their precious.
• You find that anything "Apple" irritates you.
• You refuse to buy a product because the company has an iPhone app but not an Android app!
• You pull out your android whenever you go near or in apple store
• The first thing you touch in the morning an the last thing in the night isn't your girlfriend
• You own more android phones than you do lines of service.
• You have a bluetooth bud in one ear, an ear bud in the other and Google Maps running while driving down the road.
• You just bought a cliq a month ago and you're still gonna buy a Nexus One.
• You bleed green.
• You wear your charger as a belt.
• Fake G1 sciphones make your blood boil and send you into a DROIDRAGE!!!
• You find your girlfriend less attractive due to her lack of metal parts and green skin.

http://www.androidguys.com/2010/03/22/android-fanboy-2/

()

 

[JS80]

MG is such a douchebag. He's in good company with Arrington at TC.

 

[TheWart]

MG is such a douchebag. He's in good company with Arrington at TC.

True and true, but that doesn't necessarily negate his argument.

Of course he is incorrect in saying that Android fanboys are new, but I suppose it is the number and 'vocalness' of the current crop that jumped out to him. Oh well, everybody is a fanboy of something or other haha

 

[JS80]

True and true, but that doesn't necessarily negate his argument.

Of course he is incorrect in saying that Android fanboys are new, but I suppose it is the number and 'vocalness' of the current crop that jumped out to him. Oh well, everybody is a fanboy of something or other haha

I should mention I was primarily referring to his ridiculous review of the evo.

 

[Bateluer]

A sign of Android's ever growing popularity?

And what's wrong with calling Cyanogen a celebrity? Man's a genius.

And since the G1 runs 2.1 Eclair with CM 5.0.7.x, there's little reason for some people to upgrade from it. It does what they want it to do.

 

[Glitchny]

I should mention I was primarily referring to his ridiculous review of the evo.

Yea I saw that as well, he shits all over it. Which is odd since almost all the other reviews have been impressed etc, even gizmodo liked it.

 

[dwell]

This is precisely why Android fanboys don't get it. That's right up there with, "My OS is superior because I compile the kernel myself".

 

[JD50]

This is precisely why Android fanboys don't get it. That's right up there with, "My OS is superior because I compile the kernel myself".

Glass houses, stones, etc...

 

[TheWart]

I should mention I was primarily referring to his ridiculous review of the evo.

Ridiculous? Sure he went in biased (at least he admitted that haha), but his faults with the phone were not little nitpicks. The issues with Android 2.1 that he raised are legit, and you can't expect the 'avg' user to root the phone and ditch sense UI for froyo.

And as for the biggy (imo), the issue with the battery life was also touched on by Walt Mossberg, and even engadget said that it only lasted for like 4 hours as a hotspot.

 

[Bateluer]

you can't expect the 'avg' user to root the phone and ditch sense UI for froyo.

Sense UI is pretty well liked, most people don't want to ditch it.

Seems like when an iPhone fan reviews any other phone, it always gets poor reviews and the review itself becomes more like a psuedo-iPhone review because they constantly refer back to their 'trusty' iPhone.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Sense UI is pretty well liked, most people don't want to ditch it.

Seems like when an iPhone fan reviews any other phone, it always gets poor reviews and the review itself becomes more like a psuedo-iPhone review because they constantly refer back to their 'trusty' iPhone.

He (the author of the article I quoted) recommends the N1 and the Incredible...

 

[dwell]

Seems like when an iPhone fan reviews any other phone, it always gets poor reviews and the review itself becomes more like a psuedo-iPhone review because they constantly refer back to their 'trusty' iPhone.

Because like it or not, the iPhone is the gold standard smartphone and the Android collective has yet to produce a phone that can beat it.

And reading the comments from MG's EVO review, you can really see what royal twats Android fanboys can be.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/29/htc-evo-4g/#idc-container

Not that Apple fanboys are any better but at least they're not so defensive.

 

[Tristicus]

I like Android because I hate Apple. I have used neither more than 5 minutes.

Sue meh.

 

[QueBert]

Sense UI is pretty well liked, most people don't want to ditch it.

Seems like when an iPhone fan reviews any other phone, it always gets poor reviews and the review itself becomes more like a psuedo-iPhone review because they constantly refer back to their 'trusty' iPhone.

Here's the thing about that, I owned an iPhone, I don't any more. I have a Moto Droid now. I was an iPhone fan boy because it simply was the best cell phone I've ever used UI wise. Really nothing compares to it to me, so if I was to review any other handset I undoubtly would bring up the iPhone because to me it is the phone to beat. Maybe some time in the near future a phone will come out that tops it. But as it stands, the iPhone is my favorite phone by a huge margin. That's not to say I don't like my Moto Droid, I like it a lot.

 

[zerocool84]

Because like it or not, the iPhone is the gold standard smartphone and the Android collective has yet to produce a phone that can beat it.

And reading the comments from MG's EVO review, you can really see what royal twats Android fanboys can be.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/29/htc-evo-4g/#idc-container

Not that Apple fanboys are any better but at least they're not so defensive.

Apple fanboys not so defensive??? lol that's a good one.

This is precisely why Android fanboys don't get it. That's right up there with, "My OS is superior because I compile the kernel myself".

You knock them but do exactly what you're complaining about them doing.'

Saying the iPhone is the best phone out there is your OPINION not fact.

 

[tommo123]

i hope there's a diff between the 2 fanboy type though. i hate apple which is why i have never had any of their products, and the fact that so many of them seem like sheep.

now, the fanatics that blazed the comments section of the site in the OP, seem almost that bad. diff is, if they would be the same after a product is out long enough for them to have experience (and it is bad) and they still whine like that. if they do, they're sheeple (or whatever the android equiv would be).

for me though, i just got my 1st android phone on fri (htc desire) and i'm in love!. with the phone and the OS. i wish i could go back in time 18 months and kick myself for getting a contract on a sony c905 and not another smartphone

 

[gsaldivar]

Not that Apple fanboys are any better but at least they're not so defensive.

^^ Comedy Gold.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Because like it or not, the iPhone is the gold standard smartphone and the Android collective has yet to produce a phone that can beat it.

That's a bit of a ridiculous statement isn't it? Sure in your opinion the iPhone may be on top, but personally I think Android has passed up the iPhone a bit ago.

I own a 13" MBP and a 2G iPod Touch so I'm not just an Apple hater or anything.

 

[dwell]

Saying the iPhone is the best phone out there is your OPINION not fact.

Is that why almost every Android review asks if the phone is an "iPhone Killer" and has comparison charts to match it up to the iPhone

 

[dguy6789]

That's a bit of a ridiculous statement isn't it? Sure in your opinion the iPhone may be on top, but personally I think Android has passed up the iPhone a bit ago.

Agreed. Android has been a better OS than iPhone since probably version 1.6. I'd take an Android that had far less advanced hardware than the iPhone just because of how much better Android OS is. And comparing a modern Android device that is over twice as powerful as the highest end iPhone? A no brainer.

Is that why almost every Android review asks if the phone is an "iPhone Killer" and has comparison charts to match it up to the iPhone

iPhone is a standard. For a while until recently it was the most popular kind of non blackberry smartphone. Now that Android is ahead we're waiting on an Android killer from Apple. Unfortunately, from the leaks and rumors, it looks like the iPhone 4 won't even catch up to the Nexus One launched in January, let alone newer devices like the Incredible, Evo 4G, Galaxy 2, Shadow, and Droid 2.

On another note: Since you're so sure of Apple and it's superiority, how about you provide a detailed write up explaining why the iPhone is so good and why Android still has a long way to go to catch up. I challenge you to give more meaningful reasons than "Our app store is the biggest" "iPhone sold better" and "It just feels nicer" to back up your claims. You can use those if you want, but one fact whose usefulness is extremely debatable, one fact that has nothing to do with how good the iPhone actually is, and one opinion is not very much ammunition for a worthwhile argument. To date, no Apple user or iPhone review(favoring the iPhone) in the world has ever said anything more than that when answering the question of why is it better. This is why nobody takes an Apple is the best claim seriously.

 

[dwell]

iPhone is a standard.

Which is exactly what I said.

For a while until recently it was the most popular kind of non blackberry smartphone. Now that Android is ahead we're waiting on an Android killer from Apple. Unfortunately, from the leaks and rumors, it looks like the iPhone 4 won't even catch up to the Nexus One launched in January, let alone newer devices like the Incredible, Evo 4G, Galaxy 2, Shadow, and Droid 2.

I don't see how Android is ahead. Maybe faster hardware but it's not apparent thanks to the clunky UI. Even the N1 with 2.2 feels less responsive than the 3GS. Not to mention the dearth of apps in the Android Market (games in particular), lack of a consistent media strategy/player, etc.

Every time a new Android phone comes out fanboys label it as "The One" but I have yet to see any Android phone tie it all together as nicely as the iPhone. Until Android can do that it's just a commodity mobile OS like Symbian with nothing to make it stand out over Apple's offering.

Even one Android phone to the next does not offer a consistent experience thanks to carrier modifications and vendor skins like Sense.

 

[dguy6789]

Which is exactly what I said.



I don't see how Android is ahead. Maybe faster hardware but it's not apparent thanks to the clunky UI. Even the N1 with 2.2 feels less responsive than the 3GS. Not to mention the dearth of apps in the Android Market (games in particular), lack of a consistent media strategy/player, etc.

Every time a new Android phone comes out fanboys label it as "The One" but I have yet to see any Android phone tie it all together as nicely as the iPhone. Until Android can do that it's just a commodity mobile OS like Symbian with nothing to make it stand out over Apple's offering.

Even one Android phone to the next does not offer a consistent experience thanks to carrier modifications and vendor skins like Sense.

iPhone OS runs at a higher framerate than Android does, but everything loads much slower on an iPhone than on a good Android device. I do agree that iPhone OS gives you a "smoother" experience, but also a slower one. A 2.1 Nexus One loads the maps application 140% faster than the iPhone 3GS. Keep in mind that 2.2 increases performance by another 100% or more in virtually everything. Am I understanding you correctly that smooth transitions from one app to another is more important than things like multi-tasking?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3632/anands-google-nexus-one-review/11

Android has some 60,000 apps. Some of them are gold and some or them are terrible. There is no shortage of garbage apps for iPhone either. Most people agree that for every good iPhone app, there is a comparable equivalent in the Android Market. Sure the iPhone has some games that Android doesn't have, but how long will that last? Just about every major iPhone app developer either has or is in the process or porting their software to Android. EA and Gameloft are committed to Android as well.

As far as I am concerned, the "One" to finally be overall the superior device was the Motorola Droid. Every high end Android phone since has been over the top above the iPhone.

What is the problem with different devices offering different experiences? The entire point of Android is that there are so many different devices with different traits that everyone will find one that fits them. This is a stark contrast to Apple's our way or the highway approach to everything. If you want consistency on Android, just buy the next version of the device you had last.

I would say Android is to smartphones what Windows is to desktop and laptop PCs. iPhone is to smartphones what Macs with OS X are to desktop and laptop PCs.

 

[dwell]

iPhone OS runs at a higher framerate than Android does, but everything loads much slower on an iPhone than on a good Android device. I do agree that iPhone OS gives you a "smoother" experience, but also a slower one. A 2.1 Nexus One loads the maps application 140% faster than the iPhone 3GS.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3632/anands-google-nexus-one-review/11

It's two seconds vs five. Throwing around 140% makes it seem worse than it is. And that's one app. Most others load in within a fraction of a second of the N1's speed. Not to mention the 3GS is over a year old. How do iPad load times compare because the iPhone 4G will most likely get the A4 processor.

Am I understanding you correctly that smooth transitions from one app to another is more important than things like multi-tasking?

I don't really care for multi-tasking. Even on my Blackberry I kill all background processes to conserve battery. The only place I'd like to see it on the iPhone is to have Pandora play while doing other things, and looks like they addressed that in 4.0.

Sure the iPhone has some games that Android doesn't have, but how long will that last? Just about every major iPhone app developer either has or is in the process or porting their software to Android. EA and Gameloft are committed to Android as well.

And the disaster that is the Gameloft support is more of a black eye to Android gaming than a benefit.

Gameloft unleashes wave of Android 3D games, most don’t work

It's on Android to catch up to iPhone in apps and games. Seldom is there an app on Android that is not already on iPhone, most of the time in superior form.

I would say Android is to smartphones what Windows is to desktop and laptop PCs. iPhone is to smartphones what Macs with OS X are to desktop and laptop PCs.

I would say WinMob is what Windows was to mobile, and look how that turned out. Android is going down the same path with the advantage of being free of licensing fees. Apple is more like RIM, fixed hardware and OS. If you think Android is going to repeat Windows' success on the desktop (90% market share, billions in revenue) you're kidding yourself.

 

[tatteredpotato]

If you think Android is going to repeat Windows' success on the desktop (90% market share, billions in revenue) you're kidding yourself.

Well the iPhone won't get there due to it being a closed platform, so it's not THAT hard to believe. Android is going to be fighting WinMo and BB for that spot (perhaps WebOS, but as long as it's closed like the iPhone it won't get there).

At this point there's a fairly good chance of multiple platforms surviving long term (think the console gaming market as opposed to the desktop pc market).

 

[MotF Bane]

Not that Apple fanboys are any better but at least they're not so defensive.

lol!