Android will get its BEHIND handed to itself by iOS if Google doesn't get it together

[kaerflog]

3G doesn't have multitasking.

LOL, thanks.
I never knew that.
I have like 7 iphones right now but the 3G is still on 3.1.3
Never played with a 3G on iOS 4.0

 

[kaerflog]

Its not that it's not nice technology, I've played with a 4G Iphone, it is VERY nice. it's the issue with my car that will keep me from buying another iPhone. However after 7 months I have little faith Apple will fix the issue. And it's pissed me off enough that I honestly don't want another iphone despite it being so nice.

Funny thing.
This one guy also had a Fusion and he had a 3GS for the longest time.
He then bought my IP4 as an upgrade.
He was telling me how he loves the sync technology.
He didn't say he had any problem with it.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

LOL, thanks.
I never knew that.
I have like 7 iphones right now but the 3G is still on 3.1.3
Never played with a 3G on iOS 4.0

If you still have the 3G <4.0, I wouldn't update. Even with 4.2.1 it's still pretty slow compared to the old ones. I updated one to try it out and it's too slow. I'm not updating my other one until Apple makes it quicker.

 

[akugami]

Is it really feasible to set standard features that all carriers, all manufacturers, and all users must agree to in order to use the Android system? Enforcing features goes against what I believe Google's objective is with Android (universal adoption). For each requirement that Google makes, there are a number of carriers, manufacturers, and users that will decide against selling, manufacturing, and using Android devices as a result.

[SNIP]

Either way, users might be excluded from Android either by a carrier decision not to sell the device, or by the user deciding not to pay a premium rate to operate the device. Other examples: Tethering, VPN, Enterprise Email, VoIP, Video Chat... many of these are options that carriers in the past have charged premium fees for or disallowed on their phones. Right or wrong, it is ultimately the prerogative of the carrier to decide whether or not a device will be permitted to operate on their network, and what level of service and pricing to extend to the user.

If Google required any of these features to be standard on the Android platform, they would ultimately be excluding users from that platform. This is acceptable for Apple, which targets a premium market and is not overly concerned with market share because they maximize vertical profit from all stages of their standardized premium user experience.

Actually yes. I think that Google can implement a set of baseline features that must be included to be marketed as an Android phone. Keep in mind that I think they should let OEM's and carriers customize the phone so they can lock out features. But if it doesn't meat the baseline feature set, it can't be marketed as a Google Android phone. You can still implement Android OS in your phone but if it doesn't meet certain requirements, it just can't be advertised as an Android phone. That's all.

The reasoning behind the baseline feature set is to present a common experience and level of usability that is positive to the end user. Not to limit in any way what OEM's can or can't do.

Examples are things like, Bluetooth, the ability to remove the custom OS to the default, must be able to install apps over Google's marketplace on top of any custom marketplaces. Obviously the exact feature set must be things that really should be included in a modern smartphone. Certain features would need to be amended depending on use. Example being a corporate issued smartphone may require the phone not have a camera or it might need to be locked so that you can't install/uninstall software.

Separate issue but I feel that a lot of the "features" you mentioned are merely a different way for the various carriers to nickel and dime consumers. These features can be done by any capable 3rd party software since all it would need is a data connection. Hell, VOIP, video chat, video streaming, and tethering are paid for extras on top of your data plan. These "features" merely use the data you already paid for in the first place.


*EDIT*

I'd like to add that this is a positive thread to read. Lots of differing opinions but for the most part it has been a mature conversation and not the usual fanboy crap. Obviously there was a fanboy/threadcrap post or two in there which you can easily spot.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Actually yes. I think that Google can implement a set of baseline features that must be included to be marketed as an Android phone. Keep in mind that I think they should let OEM's and carriers customize the phone so they can lock out features. But if it doesn't meat the baseline feature set, it can't be marketed as a Google Android phone. You can still implement Android OS in your phone but if it doesn't meet certain requirements, it just can't be advertised as an Android phone. That's all.

The reasoning behind the baseline feature set is to present a common experience and level of usability that is positive to the end user. Not to limit in any way what OEM's can or can't do.

Examples are things like, Bluetooth, the ability to remove the custom OS to the default, must be able to install apps over Google's marketplace on top of any custom marketplaces. Obviously the exact feature set must be things that really should be included in a modern smartphone. Certain features would need to be amended depending on use. Example being a corporate issued smartphone may require the phone not have a camera or it might need to be locked so that you can't install/uninstall software.

Separate issue but I feel that a lot of the "features" you mentioned are merely a different way for the various carriers to nickel and dime consumers. These features can be done by any capable 3rd party software since all it would need is a data connection. Hell, VOIP, video chat, video streaming, and tethering are paid for extras on top of your data plan. These "features" merely use the data you already paid for in the first place.


*EDIT*

I'd like to add that this is a positive thread to read. Lots of differing opinions but for the most part it has been a mature conversation and not the usual fanboy crap. Obviously there was a fanboy/threadcrap post or two in there which you can easily spot.

But because of the open nature of Android, users will be able to take all the limitations out.

 

[TraumaRN]

Funny thing.
This one guy also had a Fusion and he had a 3GS for the longest time.
He then bought my IP4 as an upgrade.
He was telling me how he loves the sync technology.
He didn't say he had any problem with it.

Yeah I love SYNC too, it works great EXCEPT USB audio with Iphone. Android + usb audio=works everytime. I'm not sure whether your friend tried it or not. But you can google it. It will come up, not everyone has the problem but some of us definitely do. And I've literally tried everything, even going as far as reset my phone to original factory setting and resetting SYNC(as in literally pulling that fuse out of the fusebox)

It truly sucks.

I know it's goofy that I have this vendetta against Apple for it, but when a function in your car worked for 1.5 years then suddenly you do a software update on your phone and it doesn't and you commute an hour to work....well you'd understand why I am a little upset.

 

[Patranus]

Well, we see that over 1/3 of smart phone purchasers on carriers other than AT&T said that they would have bought an iPhone if the iPhone was available on their carrier.

 

[akugami]

But because of the open nature of Android, users will be able to take all the limitations out.

Only for experienced users. This was covered in previous posts. It's Joe Consumers who would be affected by any bad custom UI's implemented by OEM's, not tech savvy informed users.

 

[CVSiN]

I wish google would get it together because I recently got an android phone which I'll say I love all the google sync options EXCEPT... contacts. One of the basic functions of a phone is to be able to call people but if you add someone to your contacts, the contact is added and syncs with google but it disappears off your phone till you go onto the internet and find the contacts using search and add it to the proper group. You cannot fix the groups from the phone - I've even tried to log on using the browser and opting out of the mobile view but it STILL doesn't show me the full pc view so I can change the groups that way from my phone.

I've tried finding fixes for this but it sounds like there isn't one.

um no it doesnt...

Ive been using Androids since the G1 and Gmail/gtalk for years before that.
Ive never had the issue you are describing.

I add a contact and never have to touch my PC in order to use that contact fully.

 

[TheStu]

Yeah I love SYNC too, it works great EXCEPT USB audio with Iphone. Android + usb audio=works everytime. I'm not sure whether your friend tried it or not. But you can google it. It will come up, not everyone has the problem but some of us definitely do. And I've literally tried everything, even going as far as reset my phone to original factory setting and resetting SYNC(as in literally pulling that fuse out of the fusebox)

It truly sucks.

I know it's goofy that I have this vendetta against Apple for it, but when a function in your car worked for 1.5 years then suddenly you do a software update on your phone and it doesn't and you commute an hour to work....well you'd understand why I am a little upset.

It is kind of weird that it won't even charge, I don't think Apple changed anything with the charging circuitry with 4.0, so maybe Ford's implementation initially wasn't that great and so the combination of the 2 things revealed the problem. The fact that it won't sync, we can blame that on Apple. But the fact that it won't charge, I am not so sure.

 

[TraumaRN]

It is kind of weird that it won't even charge, I don't think Apple changed anything with the charging circuitry with 4.0, so maybe Ford's implementation initially wasn't that great and so the combination of the 2 things revealed the problem. The fact that it won't sync, we can blame that on Apple. But the fact that it won't charge, I am not so sure.

AFAIK from reading about this issue the charging thing is related to the USB syncing thing. If the phone doesn't think it's connected/synced with a USB connection it won't charge.

 

[TheStu]

AFAIK from reading about this issue the charging thing is related to the USB syncing thing. If the phone doesn't think it's connected/synced with a USB connection it won't charge.

The charging and syncing pins are totally different though. That is how you can use car chargers and wall chargers, in fact I think that they even make cables that are power only, the data pins aren't attached, so you can still hook it up to your computer to charge but it won't sync.

It just seems to me that they wouldn't have to be on the same system.

Now, is it a Ford included cable that is attached to the head unit, or do you plug in your own USB cable? If the former then like I said, I think that Ford may have done something a little shortcutty, the latter then Apple may have.

 

[kaerflog]

If you still have the 3G <4.0, I wouldn't update. Even with 4.2.1 it's still pretty slow compared to the old ones. I updated one to try it out and it's too slow. I'm not updating my other one until Apple makes it quicker.

I still have it and I knew about the slowness of 4.0 which is why never updated and why I didn't know 3G didn't get multitasking with 4.0.

 

[TraumaRN]

The charging and syncing pins are totally different though. That is how you can use car chargers and wall chargers, in fact I think that they even make cables that are power only, the data pins aren't attached, so you can still hook it up to your computer to charge but it won't sync.

It just seems to me that they wouldn't have to be on the same system.

Now, is it a Ford included cable that is attached to the head unit, or do you plug in your own USB cable? If the former then like I said, I think that Ford may have done something a little shortcutty, the latter then Apple may have.

You literally take your apple provided USB power cord and plug it into the USB slot in the car...trust me from all that I can find Apple took a big short cut(as in not being through on testing compatibility)...especially given that my sync has only had 1 update in the nearly 2 years of ownership of this car...

 

[zerocool84]

Well, we see that over 1/3 of smart phone purchasers on carriers other than AT&T said that they would have bought an iPhone if the iPhone was available on their carrier.

We'll see if they are truly serious in June. It won't happen next month. People always say they want certain things but when it comes out, it fails miserably so we'll have to wait a few months to see the full effect.