Android Infographic: How the versions stack up

[TuxDave]

I've butted heads with people on this. I know a number of people with Android phones, and all are generally happy with the phone. But every single one of them insists on using sms texts instead of Gtalk. Its like pulling teeth to get them to even remember they have the option. iMessage making messaging invisible to the user is both a good thing and extremely bad thing. Good because it can get users away from sms, but bad because the user isn't seeing the difference and advantage.

Before iMessage, Textfree was pretty good. There was a headache to teach people that if they wanted to text you, to text using a different phone number (sort of like Google voice maybe?) That way if they wanted to stick with SMS, at least I wouldn't get the bill.

 

[poofyhairguy]

The Galaxy Tab isn't expandable.

Damn, I am stupid. Sorry Pliable.

 

[lothar]

If you are referring to Nexuses that is a Google decision as Samsung basically makes those phones to Google's specs (much like Samsung did with iPhones).

Every flagship Samsung phone that is not made for another company has had Micro SD slots.

The Galaxy Tab isn't expandable.

The Galaxy Tab isn't a phone.
So yes, what poofyhairguy said was correct.

 

[lothar]

Yeah I forgot that Android requires a Google account. So since I don't really understand Gtalk, correct me if I'm wrong. Is Gtalk a separate App than what you use for Text Messaging (to dumb phones for example)?

The point I'm trying to make is:
If you wanted to text for free to another Android user, you tell them to use Gtalk.
If you wanted to text for $$$ to everyone else, you tell them to use whatever text Message program?

iPhone users don't have to care since if the message is going to another iPhone, it'll automatically use iMessage. If it's going to a dumbphone, it'll use regular text messages. You still text the same way as before (put in the guy's number) but the rest is taken care of. That's what I mean by "do nothing". Hell, one of my friends switched to an iPhone and I only noticed when I saw one of my texts to him switched to iMessage all of a sudden.

Absolutely not.

I think you're confusing Gtalk with Google Voice.
I pay absolutely nothing for text messages and many people who use Android with Google Voice do the same. Pliablemoose was even the one that brought this up and I learned this from him almost a year ago when he was on the Thunderbolt while I was a dumb phone user doing my research. Feel free to ask him about it.

All my text messages are sent/received are automatically through Google Voice without me having to manually do anything on my part. The same thing for all my phone calls.

Basically, it's like this:
Google Voice: Free SMS if you ported your number that everyone already knows to Google.
Gtalk: Instant message from and on Android phone, desktop, or Gmail web app.
iMessage: Basically integrates both, but like Bateluer mentioned, that's both a good and a bad. I don't see much benefit to integrating both. I use Google Voice 99+% of the time, so I'm still basically using one app anyway.

I use Google Voice exclusively for messaging...Forget about using Gtalk unless they're not illiterate to technology.
The only people that are on Gtalk are the few intelligent people I've managed to convince, or those that use Blackberry because there's an official Gtalk app for them.

 

[lothar]

Before iMessage, Textfree was pretty good. There was a headache to teach people that if they wanted to text you, to text using a different phone number (sort of like Google voice maybe?) That way if they wanted to stick with SMS, at least I wouldn't get the bill.

Port your number to Google Voice, and you won't get stuck with any SMS bill, period. Doesn't matter if the other person has iPhone, Android, Blackberry or any other device. Doesn't matter if you have Android, Blackberry, or iOS(I should mention that it's a pain on everything besides Android, but some people might not mind that).
If you're still on contract, you have to either wait until your contract expires or you will be charged an ETF by your carrier. If you're charged an ETF, get a new number from your carrier and pick a new subsidized iPhone 4S. Sell it for $400 and profit...or keep it and sell your old phone if you want.

I ported my phone # that everyone has of me to Google Voice.
Anytime I call or text, that's the only number people see. I also receive all calls and texts sent to that number immediately.

Calling and haggling people that they should call on one number and text me on another is no longer required. Google has been allowing people to port their number to Google Voice for almost a year now, if not longer.

Not a single person knows what my current "real" phone number is with my cell phone carrier. Heck, even I don't know what it is unless I go "Settings >> About Phone >> which displays my number."
And regardless of whether I'm with iOS, Android, AT&T, Verizon, or prepaid, I get to keep that number anywhere I go, anywhere in the world.

Google Voice is a pain to use on iOS because you always have to open the app, wait, and do everything from there.
On Android however, it's completely seamless. Just text or phone like you normally would. Set Google Voice as your "default" once for all voice calls/SMS and forget it. No need to open any app.

Here's an excellent article about that.
http://searchengineland.com/my-life-with-google-voice-number-porting-six-months-in-62384

 

[lothar]

Apple is the first / only company that doesn't work to the whim of the carriers. Sure, they had an exclusive contract with AT&T, but even then they had full control over what they wanted to do with the phone. Things like iMessage prove that apple wants to get the user farther and farther away from the grasp of the carriers. Apple is moving towards the model of a data enabled service with no need to buy minutes, text messages, etc. That is the future and apple is trying its hardest to move towards that. All you need to buy is data. Carriers are trying their hardest to keep the same model that has worked for the last 10+ years. Text messages are their cash cow. iMessage is an attempt to neuter and move away from that model.

Android is much more of the same in the mobile phone industry. The carriers determine the name of the phone. The carriers determine what gets put on the phone. The manufacturers put whatever crap they want on the phone. Google has done nothing to stray away from the fact that the carriers control everything we put on our phone, how we pay for our service, everything. Remember how verizon forced a certain OS on every single phone? It has gotten better, but with android they are still allowed to modify and change the OS to what THEY want.

Yes, it does affect android users. Are you implying that 100% of android users root and flash their phone? Sure, a large percentage of them do have the ability to do this. How many do you think actually do? Its a small percentage. The rest of them are stuck with manufacturers that refuse to update their phones. The rest are stuck with bloatware and crap on their phone because the carriers throw it on there. That is how it is different.

The concept of iMessage isn't anything new. Android and Blackberry has had that for years.
I don't buy text messages because regardless of which carrier I'm on, I can send and receive them for free.

The more people switch to iMessage, and Google Voice/Gtalk, the better it will be for us consumers.

Crap software is crap. Doesn't matter if it's from Verizon, Samsung, or Apple.

The carriers don't control how I pay for their service.
I have completely free tethering, and free text messaging today. The US carriers can lick my boot for all I care.

With Android, I am also allowed to modify and change the OS to what I want.
The pendulum swings goes both ways.

With manufacturer updates, you have an excellent point. However anyone concerned about that should get a Nexus phone. Problem solved.
With bloatware, that point has already been disputed earlier in this thread. Apple also has their own bloatware on the iPhone.

I don't mind what Apple does...It makes it better for everyone of us.
However the assertion that they are the only one trying, or that Google and others aren't is wrong.
Google Voice and Gtalk has been out for years...Yet, many people still continue to subscribe to $20/month unlimited text messaging plan from the carriers. Idiots.
If you have an Android phone or an iPhone 4S(not sure if the regular iPhone 4 has iMessage feature?), there is zero reason to subscribe to a carrier's text messaging plan.

 

[TuxDave]

If you have an Android phone or an iPhone 4S(not sure if the regular iPhone 4 has iMessage feature?)

Quite a bit of information overload but I can answer this question for you. Anyone on iOS5 has iMessage so iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS

I think you're confusing Gtalk with Google Voice.

No I was talking about Gtalk since we were comparing Gtalk w/ iMessage and as you confirmed for me mentioned, Gtalk + SMS = two different apps. But your posts were a good wealth of information as I did know about Google voice porting (probably not to as much detail as you posted).

As far as I can tell, the only con is if Google goes out of business you lose your number but I guess that's not really a risk. Am I missing any negatives with the plan?

 

[lothar]

Quite a bit of information overload but I can answer this question for you. Anyone on iOS5 has iMessage so iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS



No I was talking about Gtalk since we were comparing Gtalk w/ iMessage and as you confirmed for me mentioned, Gtalk + SMS = two different apps. But your posts were a good wealth of information as I did know about Google voice porting (probably not to as much detail as you posted).

As far as I can tell, the only con is if Google goes out of business you lose your number but I guess that's not really a risk. Am I missing any negatives with the plan?

Google has about the same chance as Microsoft and Apple going out of business.
I would have ported my number back well before that happens.

Two negatives:
1.) The one time fee of $20 for porting your number. I couldn't think of any other negative, so I ported.
2.) No MMS support currently, but Google is working on that issue.
http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/first-steps-towards-mms-support.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=goog...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Personally, I don't care about MMS because people can basically send pictures to email, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, and others nowadays.

That link I shared in post #55 about Google Voice explains everything in detail much better than I did in my long winded posts.
Be sure to read it.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

The concept of iMessage isn't anything new. Android and Blackberry has had that for years.
I don't buy text messages because regardless of which carrier I'm on, I can send and receive them for free.

The more people switch to iMessage, and Google Voice/Gtalk, the better it will be for us consumers.

Crap software is crap. Doesn't matter if it's from Verizon, Samsung, or Apple.

The carriers don't control how I pay for their service.
I have completely free tethering, and free text messaging today. The US carriers can lick my boot for all I care.

With Android, I am also allowed to modify and change the OS to what I want.
The pendulum swings goes both ways.

With manufacturer updates, you have an excellent point. However anyone concerned about that should get a Nexus phone. Problem solved.
With bloatware, that point has already been disputed earlier in this thread. Apple also has their own bloatware on the iPhone.

I don't mind what Apple does...It makes it better for everyone of us.
However the assertion that they are the only one trying, or that Google and others aren't is wrong.
Google Voice and Gtalk has been out for years...Yet, many people still continue to subscribe to $20/month unlimited text messaging plan from the carriers. Idiots.
If you have an Android phone or an iPhone 4S(not sure if the regular iPhone 4 has iMessage feature?), there is zero reason to subscribe to a carrier's text messaging plan.

iMessage is different. It's BBM taken to a newer level essentially. It knows when to switch to iMessage versus SMS/MMS.

There's NOTHING on Android that's equivalent to iMessage yet. iMessage is like BBM/KakaoTalk/Whatsapp. Gtalk isn't even comparable. It's the same thing as having an AIM/MSN app on your phone that has push notifications because with both of those you can hop right onto your computer and continue chatting.

You cannot do so with iMessage or Whatsapp. Whatsapp is becoming pretty much the standard messaging app now for those who don't have BBM/iMessage.

I don't get why the Phandroids rush in to defend Gtalk and GVoice. They're completely different messaging systems that don't compare to iMessage.

Voice gives you a # so that people don't need to install Whatsapp or other messaging programs just to message you. Thus you can still communicate with people via texts because EVERY phone has SMS capabilities.

But seriously, we're getting off topic. If you just look at the sheer number of iOS4/iOS5 users after 1 month, it's pretty impressive. I bet you a lot of people, myself included, are still on iOS 4 simply because there's no iOS5 jailbreak yet...

 

[TuxDave]

That link I shared in post #55 about Google Voice explains everything in detail much better than I did in my long winded posts.
Be sure to read it.

Sounds good. Looks like any eligible Andoid user should be doing the same. Thanks for the info.

I guess for me, the value is divided since you gain all the benefits of Google voice features but you lose some integration built into iOS5. As you said everything will have to go through an app and so when calling through Google voice I'd lose the ability to swap live between the call and Facetime (which I find pretty awesome but only due to my circumstance) and lose MMS through iMessage. I used to think MMS was the dumbest crap ever until I had to go buy some shoes for my wife and I couldn't remember which one was the right one.

 

[lothar]

iMessage is different. It's BBM taken to a newer level essentially. It knows when to switch to iMessage versus SMS/MMS.

There's NOTHING on Android that's equivalent to iMessage yet. iMessage is like BBM/KakaoTalk/Whatsapp. Gtalk isn't even comparable. It's the same thing as having an AIM/MSN app on your phone that has push notifications because with both of those you can hop right onto your computer and continue chatting.

You cannot do so with iMessage or Whatsapp. Whatsapp is becoming pretty much the standard messaging app now for those who don't have BBM/iMessage.

I don't get why the Phandroids rush in to defend Gtalk and GVoice. They're completely different messaging systems that don't compare to iMessage.

Voice gives you a # so that people don't need to install Whatsapp or other messaging programs just to message you. Thus you can still communicate with people via texts because EVERY phone has SMS capabilities.

Everyone phone has SMS capabilities, so that switching feature iMessage has isn't really that important. If you have an iPhone, you can send and receive SMS for free without iMessage. If you have any dumb phone, you can send and receive SMS messages.

Google Voice and Gtalk isn't any different from iMessage.
I already explained it earlier: http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32811409&postcount=54

Google Voice: Free SMS if you ported your number that everyone already knows to Google.
Gtalk: Instant message from and on Android phone, desktop, or Gmail web app.
iMessage: Basically integrates both.

For those that still don't get it or have comprehension difficulties, Google Voice + Gtalk = iMessage.
So yes, they are completely comparable.

No one I know uses Whatsapp. I've never even heard about it until now that you mentioned it. Everyone I know still uses SMS which is why I use Google Voice.

 

[lothar]

Sounds good. Looks like any eligible Andoid user should be doing the same. Thanks for the info.

I guess for me, the value is divided since you gain all the benefits of Google voice features but you lose some integration built into iOS5. As you said everything will have to go through an app and so when calling through Google voice I'd lose the ability to swap live between the call and Facetime (which I find pretty awesome but only due to my circumstance) and lose MMS through iMessage. I used to think MMS was the dumbest crap ever until I had to go buy some shoes for my wife and I couldn't remember which one was the right one.

I still think it is.
Nowadays, there are apps that can either email you or automatically upload the pictures instantly the moment you snap on a pic on your cellphone camera without you having to press a button.
Surely there's an app for that. I'm too lazy to look it up since I don't do MMS.
I think many Picasa apps on both iOS and Android have that feature.

 

[TuxDave]

No one I know uses Whatsapp. I've never even heard about it until now that you mentioned it. Everyone I know still uses SMS which is why I use Google Voice.

lol, seeing how most of your friends are still using SMS, I guess that's why you never heard of it. Turns out that my group of friends were desparate to avoid SMS fees well before Google voice started porting numbers that they all splintered off to TextFree, WhatsApp, GroupMe, Facebook Messenger, Gtalk etc....

I'm waiting for them to battle it out.

 

[soccerballtux]

Meanwhile...

2.3 brought minor changes and 2.2 is sufficient for everything everybody needs their Droid for. I don't get the point of this graphic. To me it's someone trying to make Google look bad. There's nothing wrong with phones being stuck on 2.1. If they have 256MB of RAM or less, there's little reason to put them on 2.2, and very few people even are using them anymore anyways.

 

[soccerballtux]

iMessage, BBM, and Gtalk are practically the same thing.

edit: 20million people have already explained this

 

[Bateluer]

2.3 brought minor changes and 2.2 is sufficient for everything everybody needs their Droid for. I don't get the point of this graphic. To me it's someone trying to make Google look bad. There's nothing wrong with phones being stuck on 2.1. If they have 256MB of RAM or less, there's little reason to put them on 2.2, and very few people even are using them anymore anyways.

The only Nexus on there is the Nexus One, which was wall supported by Google through its entire lifespan, getting 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 in timely fashion. The Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus aren't on that chart. To make these comparisons to the iPhone, you need to compare apples to apples, and that means matching the Nexus devices to the iPhone line up.

However, feel free to rake manufacturers over the coals as much as you like for not properly supporting their devices as much as you like. And I'd encourage you to do so, and always buy the Nexus devices whenever possible.

 

[Bateluer]

iMessage is a lot better because it automatically integrates the texting with the network messaging. IE if the person is within data range, it gets sent over the network instead of as a text.
Why Google didn't do this to begin with, and integrate between GoogleVoice, Gtalk, and texting, is because they are bad at executing.

Or, much more likely, because the carriers don't want to lose a major cash cow in sms text messaging.

Ideally, pretty much everything would simply use the data connection, and the carrier would be only a dumb pipe. But they will fight that prospect with every lobbying dollar they can muster.

 

[soccerballtux]

Or, much more likely, because the carriers don't want to lose a major cash cow in sms text messaging.

Ideally, pretty much everything would simply use the data connection, and the carrier would be only a dumb pipe. But they will fight that prospect with every lobbying dollar they can muster.

oh yeah forgot about that. Probably because of the carriers.
The thought occurred to me, the reason Google is pushing for complete market penetration right now is so they can then do what they want with the carriers. Like Apple.

 

[Bateluer]

oh yeah forgot about that. Probably because of the carriers.
The thought occurred to me, the reason Google is pushing for complete market penetration right now is so they can then do what they want with the carriers. Like Apple.

Makes sense. Anything that reduces the power of the carriers and brings them closer to dumb pipes is a good thing for consumers.

 

[Red Storm]

I would love to port my number to GV, but there's no way I could do that if it kills my current contract. Unlimited data is worth much more than the extra $5 for 250 texts on my plan.

 

[MrX8503]

Port your number to Google Voice, and you won't get stuck with any SMS bill, period.

That's....kind of a big step and a lot of work, hardly automatic. iMessage can do both sms and mms with live delivered, read, user typing notifications. Its also transparent to regular text messages. Hardly what Android had for years or even now.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

2.3 brought minor changes and 2.2 is sufficient for everything everybody needs their Droid for. I don't get the point of this graphic. To me it's someone trying to make Google look bad. There's nothing wrong with phones being stuck on 2.1. If they have 256MB of RAM or less, there's little reason to put them on 2.2, and very few people even are using them anymore anyways.

The problem is that the point releases are bug fixes and security holes. Basically if you don't have an upgrade path and Google releases a bulletin listing what fixes what, then it's out there what holes are you your device.

So yes, there is something wrong with being stuck on outdated software versions.

 

[LikeLinus]

Yes, it does affect android users. Are you implying that 100% of android users root and flash their phone? Sure, a large percentage of them do have the ability to do this. How many do you think actually do? Its a small percentage. The rest of them are stuck with manufacturers that refuse to update their phones. The rest are stuck with bloatware and crap on their phone because the carriers throw it on there. That is how it is different.

The biggest problem with this whole argument is you're making the assumption that 100% of the end users care. Guess what, Joe Public doesn't know what "bloatware" is and doesn't freaking care! My wife has a Droid X2 still and it comes with the general Verizon/Moto software, but she doesn't actually use it and doesn't notice it's there. She's not sitting there going "OMG WHY CAN'T I UPDATE TO 4.0.3 ANDROID!!". My mom, my son and a bunch of co-wrokers also use android phones, they don't care about the latest updates in the OS that they would probably not even notice. They use 2.3.X and they are ok with that. As long as the phone works, it works. Because #1....ITS A PHONE! As long as it's not crashing or giving them problems, they are ok with it. You are talking about a very small percentage of overall users that care about the OS version that is on their phone. People who care about that ARE going to root their phone and update it. But the general public doesn't care! If it was such a huge issue, why are 70k android phones getting activated a day?? You're making a big deal out of something that is a non-issue to 90% of the android user base. People don't freaking care!

 

[Anubis]

The biggest problem with this whole argument is you're making the assumption that 100% of the end users care. Guess what, Joe Public doesn't know what "bloatware" is and doesn't freaking care! My wife has a Droid X2 still and it comes with the general Verizon/Moto software, but she doesn't actually use it and doesn't notice it's there. She's not sitting there going "OMG WHY CAN'T I UPDATE TO 4.0.3 ANDROID!!". My mom, my son and a bunch of co-wrokers also use android phones, they don't care about the latest updates in the OS that they would probably not even notice. They use 2.3.X and they are ok with that. As long as the phone works, it works. Because #1....ITS A PHONE! As long as it's not crashing or giving them problems, they are ok with it. You are talking about a very small percentage of overall users that care about the OS version that is on their phone. People who care about that ARE going to root their phone and update it. But the general public doesn't care! If it was such a huge issue, why are 70k android phones getting activated a day?? You're making a big deal out of something that is a non-issue to 90% of the android user base. People don't freaking care!

this really can not be stated enough

 

[JD50]

The biggest problem with this whole argument is you're making the assumption that 100% of the end users care. Guess what, Joe Public doesn't know what "bloatware" is and doesn't freaking care! My wife has a Droid X2 still and it comes with the general Verizon/Moto software, but she doesn't actually use it and doesn't notice it's there. She's not sitting there going "OMG WHY CAN'T I UPDATE TO 4.0.3 ANDROID!!". My mom, my son and a bunch of co-wrokers also use android phones, they don't care about the latest updates in the OS that they would probably not even notice. They use 2.3.X and they are ok with that. As long as the phone works, it works. Because #1....ITS A PHONE! As long as it's not crashing or giving them problems, they are ok with it. You are talking about a very small percentage of overall users that care about the OS version that is on their phone. People who care about that ARE going to root their phone and update it. But the general public doesn't care! If it was such a huge issue, why are 70k android phones getting activated a day?? You're making a big deal out of something that is a non-issue to 90% of the android user base. People don't freaking care!

I've explained this to him at least 3 or 4 different times. Some people just don't get it.