Why do Android Tablets lag the ipad so much?

[Tom]

And they will do it with liitle to no advertising. I dont see android tablets splahed all over billboards on the highways and rarely see a tv advert. It sells on knowledge.

LOL/ Android tablets and phones sell on price; and bait and switch sales practices.

Consider this, there's nothing innovative about any Android based product, there's nothing to "sell" them in that regard.

They are cheap copies of genuinely innovative products, from Apple,RIM, and Microsoft. The cheapness sells them in 2 ways, either as cheaper to the consumer, or as more mark-up for the seller.

That doesn't mean they're all bad products, but there will never be any true innovation from the companies that make products based on Android, there's no incentive to do so.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

LOL/ Android tablets and phones sell on price; and bait and switch sales practices.

Consider this, there's nothing innovative about any Android based product, there's nothing to "sell" them in that regard.

They are cheap copies of genuinely innovative products, from Apple,RIM, and Microsoft. The cheapness sells them in 2 ways, either as cheaper to the consumer, or as more mark-up for the seller.

That doesn't mean they're all bad products, but there will never be any true innovation from the companies that make products based on Android, there's no incentive to do so.

RIM is innovative?

Android phones don't sell on price. the Galaxy S2 is the best selling Android phone and it's exactly the same price as the iPhone 4s. In fact quite a few people here have bought it and the Galaxy Nexus unlocked which made them significantly more expensive than a subsidized iPhone.

People buy Android because some of us don't find iOS useful. I wouldn't be willing to pay a single penny to get an iPhone but have no problem paying much more than that for my Android phones because they have features and hardware I actually want.

You would be surprised by how most of the iPhone users I know have reacted to the Super Amoled+ display on my Galaxy S2, saying they were envious would be an understatement.

 

[Brian Stirling]

By the end of next year Android based tabs will outsell iPads! Most, by a large margin, will be the Fire and similar tabes that are sold below price by content makers, but I do think there will be a few high end Android models that sell well. I don't, however, see how Android based tab makers will make very much money selling the tab alone with the content providers being the only ones I can see making money. I do hope the high end Sammies etc survive but 5 years from now there will be very few tab makers.

I don't see M$ making it big in the tab market because the market will be dominated by cheap Android tabs sold at a loss and M$ will not profit competing in that space. M$ may go head-to-head with Apple at the high end but good luck to them there!


Brian

 

[mammador]

Too late??? Android is new to the tablet market and already the Nook and Fire are huge successes. Asus Transformer might also be a success.

Microsoft on the other hand has been trying to sell tablets for almost a decade with no success.

The original tablet was a niche product, and not really mass marketed. It was Apple that obviously made it a mass consumer item. It's like Nokia smartphones in say 2004, few people owned smartphones then (again Apple and to a lesser extent RIM popularised this).

And Android is new to tablets? The Samsung Galaxy Tab is about a year old now.

 

[BladeVenom]

Yes Android is new to tablets. Android 3.0 is less than a year old; I still consider that new. Compare that to how long ago Windows XP Tablet Edition came out.

 

[Pliablemoose]

By the end of next year Android based tabs will outsell iPads! Most, by a large margin, will be the Fire and similar tabes that are sold below price by content makers, but I do think there will be a few high end Android models that sell well. I don't, however, see how Android based tab makers will make very much money selling the tab alone with the content providers being the only ones I can see making money. I do hope the high end Sammies etc survive but 5 years from now there will be very few tab makers.

I don't see M$ making it big in the tab market because the market will be dominated by cheap Android tabs sold at a loss and M$ will not profit competing in that space. M$ may go head-to-head with Apple at the high end but good luck to them there!


Brian

Who else besides Amazon/Barnes & Noble do you think will enter the tablet market?

Wal Mart. Target, CBS, HBO? I can't think of anyone who would...

 

[dlock13]

Who else besides Amazon/Barnes & Noble do you think will enter the tablet market?

Wal Mart. Target, CBS, HBO? I can't think of anyone who would...

I wouldn't doubt it. It seems companies love to slap Android in a tablet and then customize the balls off it. I could see Wally World trying it. >_<

 

[Tom]

RIM is innovative?

Android phones don't sell on price. the Galaxy S2 is the best selling Android phone and it's exactly the same price as the iPhone 4s. In fact quite a few people here have bought it and the Galaxy Nexus unlocked which made them significantly more expensive than a subsidized iPhone.

People buy Android because some of us don't find iOS useful. I wouldn't be willing to pay a single penny to get an iPhone but have no problem paying much more than that for my Android phones because they have features and hardware I actually want.

You would be surprised by how most of the iPhone users I know have reacted to the Super Amoled+ display on my Galaxy S2, saying they were envious would be an understatement.

Did you read my post ? The Galaxy does sell on price, not necessarily the price to the consumer though. Apple can set it's own terms to ATT, Verizon, Sprint; none of them can get enough iphones to meet demand; and the existence of the Galaxy gives them something else to sell, and Samsung has to give them more room for markup to move product.

Very small part of the smartphone market is people making their decision based on your reason, which is nothing new, there are always contrary shoppers who don't want whatever the majority wants, so retailers market to them with that in mind.

And I wouldn't be surprised by what those iphone users tell you, and what they say when you leave the room.

Look at the ads for the Galaxy. A tech savvy nerd, but good looking(LOL), shows his BIG screen to a bunch of hippie,artsy clueless about tech, types, waiting in line for the new iphone, which doesn't "look" different. You see yourself as that "smarter" guy. Just like the Apple ads that make the iphone or ipad look like amazing products full of wonder and delight. The difference is, the Apple ads are kinda true; the good looking nerd in the Samsung ad is an actor who probably has an iphone in real life.

And RIM more or less created the Smartphone market, "Blackberry" was what smartphones were called before they were called smartphones.

 

[akugami]

It's a mistake to discount Android, especially with Android (phone) marketshare. As an aside, I think Android can really take over the embedded market where horsepower is not the biggest concern. Things like store kiosks, atm machines, etc. Traditionally these are dominated either by embedded versions of Windows or some form of Linux.

I think iPads will actually do better in the tablet sphere than in the mobile phone sphere. One major reason is Android loses a lot of the price advantage in the tablet market where most tablets are not subsidized. Let's face it, anyone who denies that a major reason why there are so many Android phones is due to price is deluding themselves. You can grab an Android phone for under $50 bucks, and even many of them "free" while the iPhone is $200+. With no subsidized pricing, you can see that almost every Android tablet that is roughly equal in specs and build quality to the iPad cost about the same.

The pricing X factor is the lower end Android tablets in the $200 range. Will Apple choose to fight the lower end range? I think Apple needs to do this to retain their marketshare. A $300 iPad would put the kibosh on most $200 Android tablets. Apple has the sexy brand name and someone looking at a $200 Android tablet won't spend the extra for a $500 iPad but that person would really have to re-consider a $200 Android vs a $300 iPad. This move would put a major hurt on any Android surge IMHO. Whether Apple chooses to do this is the billion dollar question. I think they need to. Think back to iPods. As much as many (wrongly) said that people were blindly buying the more expensive iPods, it was a fact that iPods were really priced in the same range as practically all of the competing MP3 players. It's why the iPods was so dominate, they covered the whole price range from low to high.

The other is apps. Lets be clear, every major app type is available on Android and iOS at this point. Where the separation still shows is in niche markets or segments. For example, edutainment software is an area where iOS still completely dominates. Other educational material such as that found within iTunes University is also very valuable, even if they're niche. iOS is also bigger in games, though this is becoming a smaller as time goes on. It's one of the reasons why I'm still on iOS and not moving to Android any time soon. My kids use those edutainment apps.

And never underestimate Apple's purchasing power. They can lag the market from other vendors (excepting probably Samsung and Sony) by months simply by locking up OEM parts like memory and screen panels.

 

[poofyhairguy]

The beauty of iOS and Android is that they CAN'T run desktop applications.

AMEN!!

I was just telling someone the other day that "Android is the first successful consumer Linux-based OS because it is on a platform were people don't freak out if it can't run MS Office and Photoshop."

 

[Dulanic]

n/m delete, wrong thread

 

[Pliablemoose]

It's a mistake to discount Android, especially with Android (phone) marketshare. As an aside, I think Android can really take over the embedded market where horsepower is not the biggest concern. Things like store kiosks, atm machines, etc. Traditionally these are dominated either by embedded versions of Windows or some form of Linux.

I think iPads will actually do better in the tablet sphere than in the mobile phone sphere. One major reason is Android loses a lot of the price advantage in the tablet market where most tablets are not subsidized. Let's face it, anyone who denies that a major reason why there are so many Android phones is due to price is deluding themselves. You can grab an Android phone for under $50 bucks, and even many of them "free" while the iPhone is $200+. With no subsidized pricing, you can see that almost every Android tablet that is roughly equal in specs and build quality to the iPad cost about the same.

The pricing X factor is the lower end Android tablets in the $200 range. Will Apple choose to fight the lower end range? I think Apple needs to do this to retain their marketshare. A $300 iPad would put the kibosh on most $200 Android tablets. Apple has the sexy brand name and someone looking at a $200 Android tablet won't spend the extra for a $500 iPad but that person would really have to re-consider a $200 Android vs a $300 iPad. This move would put a major hurt on any Android surge IMHO. Whether Apple chooses to do this is the billion dollar question. I think they need to. Think back to iPods. As much as many (wrongly) said that people were blindly buying the more expensive iPods, it was a fact that iPods were really priced in the same range as practically all of the competing MP3 players. It's why the iPods was so dominate, they covered the whole price range from low to high.

The other is apps. Lets be clear, every major app type is available on Android and iOS at this point. Where the separation still shows is in niche markets or segments. For example, edutainment software is an area where iOS still completely dominates. Other educational material such as that found within iTunes University is also very valuable, even if they're niche. iOS is also bigger in games, though this is becoming a smaller as time goes on. It's one of the reasons why I'm still on iOS and not moving to Android any time soon. My kids use those edutainment apps.

And never underestimate Apple's purchasing power. They can lag the market from other vendors (excepting probably Samsung and Sony) by months simply by locking up OEM parts like memory and screen panels.

I think we'll see a 7-8" iOS device in the next 6 months for $299 or so...

 

[Brian Stirling]

Who else besides Amazon/Barnes & Noble do you think will enter the tablet market?

Wal Mart. Target, CBS, HBO? I can't think of anyone who would...

Well those are the likely suspects and I think we can expect some/all of them to join the fray. But, you don't need many because the availability of even a single really cheap tablet that's priced below cost will swallow up a good deal of the tablet market based almost solely on price.

Again, the middle of the market will die quickly as they will not be enough better than the cheap units and not as full featured as the high end tabs.

I can see a growing user base for tabs from: POS, restaurant, police, inspectors, industrial control, home automation, etc. But, once again, the tabs will mostly come from content providers that sell below cost.


Brian

 

[Pliablemoose]

Well those are the likely suspects and I think we can expect some/all of them to join the fray. But, you don't need many because the availability of even a single really cheap tablet that's priced below cost will swallow up a good deal of the tablet market based almost solely on price.

Again, the middle of the market will die quickly as they will not be enough better than the cheap units and not as full featured as the high end tabs.

I can see a growing user base for tabs from: POS, restaurant, police, inspectors, industrial control, home automation, etc. But, once again, the tabs will mostly come from content providers that sell below cost.


Brian

I don't think you'll see any more tablets from content providers.

It makes a hell of a lot more sense to develop Android and iOs apps, or a decent HTML 5 web page than to sell tablets.

Consumers are going to carry around a half dozen tablets? They're not key ring bar codes on a strip of plastic... Amazon and B&N have products that lend themselves to tablets and are a bit of an anomaly in the retail world.

 

[runawayprisoner]

I don't think it's abnormal to see Amazon and B&N carry tablets, since tablets are very similar in function to their previous e-reader devices, which obviously precede the existence of the iPad.

Selling tablets for them is like selling books, I think.

On the other hand, it's true that you don't see Walt Disney sell their own TV brand, so outside of the book business, there might not be a lot of content providers who would be willing to subsidize their own tablets.

On the other hand, if we look closely at Apple, it's acting both as a content provider for multimedia, and as a manufacturer... so I think Apple is the exception.

 

[BenSkywalker]

LOL/ Android tablets and phones sell on price; and bait and switch sales practices.

Galaxy S2 is outselling the iPhone 3GS. That statement makes you look like a true iOS user

On the other hand, if we look closely at Apple, it's acting both as a content provider for multimedia, and as a manufacturer... so I think Apple is the exception.

Sony. People seem to forget them fairly easily, but they have everything they need to beat Apple at this game and soundly(they actually manufacture almost everything needed to make their own tablet in house, they own an enormous music studio and several movie studios).

*IF* the tablet wars turned based on media consumption(something I honestly find highly unlikely) then I would say long term Sony is rather easily the best positioned. Media delivery/consumption are certainly going to be important factors, but I see that as one of many.

 

[Fingolfin269]

People keep bringing up the Fire like it is some big success for Android. Is that really the case? I thought Amazon bastardized the OS to the point where no one knows it's Android, probably not even Google.

 

[BenSkywalker]

People keep bringing up the Fire like it is some big success for Android. Is that really the case? I thought Amazon bastardized the OS to the point where no one knows it's Android, probably not even Google.

The reason why its' success matters is if it looks like Android or not, it only runs Android applications. Particularly in the tablet space, an influx of millions of new tablet owners that can only run Android apps is a good thing for the ecosystem.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Galaxy S2 is outselling the iPhone 3GS. That statement makes you look like a true iOS user



Sony. People seem to forget them fairly easily, but they have everything they need to beat Apple at this game and soundly(they actually manufacture almost everything needed to make their own tablet in house, they own an enormous music studio and several movie studios).

*IF* the tablet wars turned based on media consumption(something I honestly find highly unlikely) then I would say long term Sony is rather easily the best positioned. Media delivery/consumption are certainly going to be important factors, but I see that as one of many.

Sony was already selling pc's, phones and ereaders, and they already have tablets,

All that being said, I think all the major players are already in the game, and wel'll not likely see a Wal Mart tablet ever,,,

 

[runawayprisoner]

Sony. People seem to forget them fairly easily, but they have everything they need to beat Apple at this game and soundly(they actually manufacture almost everything needed to make their own tablet in house, they own an enormous music studio and several movie studios).

Sony isn't really in that good a position.

Prior to the Ericsson acquisition, which... happened just now, they lacked the capability to design their own phone devices, and needless to say, all the components that went into those phones except for the screen, and some other specific stuffs. But I'm sure as heck they didn't have the capability to write their own mobile software, or design their phones' hardwares.

If that's any indication, their tablets likely follow the same process, so they are already one step behind Apple in the design process.

As for being a media platform, Sony lacks that as well. The only thing that they have that can be remotely considered a media platform, is PSN, but it's mostly for their gaming consoles, and they can't just bring it over to their tablets and phones overnight. Apple has had iTunes on their devices since day one.

I don't think anyone can dismiss the stretch of Sony's prowess as an electronic giant, but I dare say, their mobile products have been lacking as of late, and to say they have a fighting chance is like saying you believe a fat rich kid with no training can defeat a dragon.

*IF* the tablet wars turned based on media consumption(something I honestly find highly unlikely) then I would say long term Sony is rather easily the best positioned. Media delivery/consumption are certainly going to be important factors, but I see that as one of many.

The tablet war has already turned media consumption.

What else can you do on a tablet but consume media? And that's aside from a small niche that consists of professionals making music and fixing photos, which, if I might add, is already exclusively a signature of the iPad as other tablets lack the same app support.

 

[alent1234]

Galaxy S2 is outselling the iPhone 3GS. That statement makes you look like a true iOS user



Sony. People seem to forget them fairly easily, but they have everything they need to beat Apple at this game and soundly(they actually manufacture almost everything needed to make their own tablet in house, they own an enormous music studio and several movie studios).

*IF* the tablet wars turned based on media consumption(something I honestly find highly unlikely) then I would say long term Sony is rather easily the best positioned. Media delivery/consumption are certainly going to be important factors, but I see that as one of many.

sony hardware has designed some cool stuff. sony media always runs to the top management and gets them to cripple so it's unusable because they always scream piracy

 

[ITHURTSWHENIP]

Sonys biggest problem has always been that their multiple divisions rarely work together. Its almost like they try to ruin it for each other on purpose. Stringer has really tried to streamline that process. Buying SE is just another step along that road

I do expect Android to work with Playstation devices in some way. They have to do that in order to compete with Microsoft and their Xbox-WP8 ecosystem

 

[alent1234]

funniest thing i thought was that the sony phones cant be used as remotes for a PS3. you have to buy a separate one. and then you had the sony android phones and the Vita come out with a separate library of games for each one.

unlike apple where there is an app to use as a remote control for an apple TV

 

[micrometers]

so I think we've come to the answer for the part about android phones outrunning the iPhone. That part comes down to carrier availability and low prices of some handsets. I believe it was only within the last year that the iPhone was available on CDMA networks, right?

The tablet playing ground is in many ways much more flat, since the carrier network isn't so important. And Apple is completely dominating that ground for good reason.

 

[AstroManLuca]

so I think we've come to the answer for the part about android phones outrunning the iPhone. That part comes down to carrier availability and low prices of some handsets. I believe it was only within the last year that the iPhone was available on CDMA networks, right?

The tablet playing ground is in many ways much more flat, since the carrier network isn't so important. And Apple is completely dominating that ground for good reason.

That is a good point, I know a lot of people (including my dad) who were interested in smartphones for a long time but didn't jump in until the iPhone came to Verizon. They have by far the best network; AT&T's coverage in rural areas (and from most reports, in many urban areas as well) is abysmal. A lot of people feel that was the main thing that gave Android an opportunity; if the iPhone had been on all four major US networks from the start, it would have been much tougher for Android.

Low handset prices could be part of it, but generally, Android phones and iPhones are about the same price. The new, fancy models are $200, the lower end models (or in the iPhone's case, last year's model) are $100, and there is usually an even cheaper model as well for $50. Of course there are free-with-contract Android phones, but even among the general public I think a lot of people understand the folly of getting a free phone on a 2-year data contract.