Apple iPad 3 launch => Android win? Apple win?

[psychotron]

I am sure they will do this one day, but they're still building up all of those extra ingredients needed to do so. Google Play is a good move towards this, and if they can also progress things like Google Wallet and improve other services still in beta, they can take the plunge.

Do so too early and they'll just screw it all up and go back to square one!

Google doesn't advertise much, but they did spend a small fortune pushing the Chrome browser. Not sure why they did that, but a lot of people are now using Chrome (on PC and Mac) so they can do it!

They have had plenty of time to get their sh*t together! Android has been around as long as the iPhone has. Why is Apple so much further ahead in terms of their App store and dominate marketing? Android has literally HUNDREDS of devices to market to people, Apple has like 3. Just another example of how clueless Google really are about this whole thing. They license Android out to companies looking to make a quick buck that make crap products no one buys, there are like 5 different version of Android being run, they can't seem to organize the Market and they can't even get a campaign together. The general public only knows Android as a Droid, you know, the phone Verizon spent millions marketing that actually got the name out. Mention another Android device to someone and you will get a blank stare. Google just doesn't seem nearly as dedicated to Android as Apple does to their OS and devices.

 

[jonmorris]

They have had plenty of time to get their sh*t together! Android has been around as long as the iPhone has. Why is Apple so much further ahead in terms of their App store and dominate marketing? Android has literally HUNDREDS of devices to market to people, Apple has like 3. Just another example of how clueless Google really are about this whole thing. They license Android out to companies looking to make a quick buck that make crap products no one buys, there are like 5 different version of Android being run, they can't seem to organize the Market and they can't even get a campaign together. The general public only knows Android as a Droid, you know, the phone Verizon spent millions marketing that actually got the name out. Mention another Android device to someone and you will get a blank stare. Google just doesn't seem nearly as dedicated to Android as Apple does to their OS and devices.

There's plenty that Google has got right, from Google Mail to Docs, Maps, Navigation and so on.

But they were behind on a clear and coherent strategy on content, apps and games. For whatever reason, they have only just begun to get all of this to slot together in one way.

Part of the problem is that Google developed loads of things with separate teams, and no consistency. It's been a long process, but now most apps are looking the same - and ICS on Android finally has apps conforming to the same UI design.

Anyone can make an Android device - it's only if you want the Google suite of apps that you must reach a certain standard. Most of the really crap Android smartphones and tablets were NOT Google devices and they're, thankfully, long gone.

I'm in the UK, so I can assure you people over here don't only know Android as a Droid. It was a US carrier-specific name, and Android is doing well all over the world. To say Google isn't as dedicated as Apple is simply isn't true, but it may not happen overnight. Going by the sales figures, daily activations and market share, it's happening fairly quickly though - and it's coming at the expense of others, including Apple.

Apple has now declared war on Android, and is slowly trying to get rid of the use of Google apps and services (like switching away from Google Map data) but it may backfire because a lot of people use Google services on their Apple devices. I use Gmail and Gdocs, plus Google search and Google Maps every day on my iMac and MacBook, so if Apple did do anything silly they'd be the losers in the end.

 

[Bnice]

They have had plenty of time to get their sh*t together! Android has been around as long as the iPhone has. Why is Apple so much further ahead in terms of their App store and dominate marketing? Android has literally HUNDREDS of devices to market to people, Apple has like 3. Just another example of how clueless Google really are about this whole thing. They license Android out to companies looking to make a quick buck that make crap products no one buys, there are like 5 different version of Android being run, they can't seem to organize the Market and they can't even get a campaign together. The general public only knows Android as a Droid, you know, the phone Verizon spent millions marketing that actually got the name out. Mention another Android device to someone and you will get a blank stare. Google just doesn't seem nearly as dedicated to Android as Apple does to their OS and devices.

I don't know where you are getting your information but you are incorrect to some degree. First: Apple has had a year ahead of Android With the iphone and their app store. Second: Android has provided many more features ahead of the iphone for sometime now. Third: stop using Google as a blame for the OEM, Android is open source they can do what they like with the OS. Fourth: The Market is just fine stop acting like Apple's app store is so much better. Finally I think many more folks are aware of the differences of Android the OS and Droid a brand of phone lines. How can you say Google needs to get their sh*t together when half a million Android phones are activated everyday.?

 

[mikedt]

Anyone can make an Android device - it's only if you want the Google suite of apps that you must reach a certain standard. Most of the really crap Android smartphones and tablets were NOT Google devices and they're, thankfully, long gone.

I sometimes wish that was so my friend. The sweatshops of Shenzhen are still churning out crappy non-Google Android phones and tablets, in ever increasing numbers. General Tablet Talk is still busy most days with tales of woe and broken cheapo China Pads, mostly purchased from Ebay.

I'm in the UK,

I'm in China, but from the UK

 

[psychotron]

To say Google isn't as dedicated as Apple is simply isn't true, but it may not happen overnight. Going by the sales figures, daily activations and market share, it's happening fairly quickly though - and it's coming at the expense of others, including Apple.

Well heres an article talking about Android's 39% marketshare for tablets, its a bit misleading...

"Strategy Analytics' study found that global Android tablet shipments were distributed across several manufacturers such as Amazon, Samsung, and Asus. By comparison, Apple sold 43.1 million iPads in 2011, twice as many as Android did, according to Apple's financial numbers. Not too shabby. But there's a massive difference between shipments, which means units sold to retailers, and sales, as in how many people actually bought the tablet. Strategy Analytics estimates that 66.9 million tablets were shipped in 2011, of which 23.1 million units were Android tablets, while Apple actually sold 43 million."

iPad Loses Ground to Android Tablets? I Don't Think So | PCWorld

 

[mikedt]

even get a campaign together. The general public only knows Android as a Droid, you know, the phone Verizon spent millions marketing that actually got the name out.

This is only in the USA though, isn't it? Don't actually know "Droid", it's probably sold under different brand names in other countries, the "Milestone" was it?

Mention another Android device to someone and you will get a blank stare. Google just doesn't seem nearly as dedicated to Android as Apple does to their OS and devices.

There's a lot of people here know the green robot logo, and they usually know what it means. I see it everywhere, including ads for Android TV sets. Google doesn't actually have anything to do with Android here. Anyone can make an Android device quite legally, just like anyone can make a Linux computer, NO licensing needed.

 

[jonmorris]

I sometimes wish that was so my friend. The sweatshops of Shenzhen are still churning out crappy non-Google Android phones and tablets, in ever increasing numbers.

Fair enough. I hope they don't make it over here, as the poor experience impacts on Android as a whole - and obviously Google too.

I think, for the most part, we've got rid of the worst of the tablets here (and other devices, like a DECT phone I reviewed that also had Android - 1.6, with a tiny resistive screen and what seemed like a 1MHz processor).

And, also, the Droid was only in the US and only on Verizon (they in fact have the Droid name which applies to multiple models from different manufacturers) and Motorola always called it the Milestone.

In the UK at least, many retailers are now really pushing Android as a brand - and quite successfully. Samsung has been the clear benefactor, although Sony Ericsson and HTC seems to have done quite well too. Motorola had poor distribution and LG virtually disappeared, but for a range of reasons. Huawei and ZTE have been a bit below the radar making phones sold under network operator brands.

In 2012, Huawei and ZTE will become quite large and significant players and they're both now going after the high-end to establish a reputation that is a world apart from the cheap stuff you've mentioned China churning out.

Android will, as a whole, take over the world.. but it won't make every manufacturer rich thanks to the competition.

 

[viber]

Back to the original intent of the thread:

Nothing about the iPad launch is good for android. Apple managed to not only move more units in a weekend than competitors move in a year(s), but their supply chain kept product stocked well. This closes any window an android tablet might have to sneak in and siphon off some sales to people with tablet fever and can't find an iPad.

The only tablet that I can see being a challenger to the iPad is Windows 8 at this point.

 

[jonmorris]

I'm not that bothered as I'm not someone who feels the need for a tablet anyway.

While the small screen (3.5inch) on the iPhone makes it viable to have a tablet also, many Android smartphones are capable of serving as both a smartphone and tablet.

I'm not specifically talking about hybrids, like the Galaxy Note, but even a phone with a 3.7-4.7-inch screen is good enough for me to watch movies on, browse and do all the things I might otherwise buy a tablet for.

Bar Samsung, nobody seems to be pushing Android tablets that hard - and distribution via retailers seems way poorer than Apple. Apple manages the display pods in stores and is very strict on how they're set up - go into many retailers and Android tablets are just thrown out on show without them even being turned on or with any apps installed (or demonstrations apps).

If Apple comes out with a nice slim iPhone 5 with a larger screen, I wonder how many iPad users might decide that the iPhone is enough on its own?

 

[A.Nonymous]

Back to the original intent of the thread:

Nothing about the iPad launch is good for android. Apple managed to not only move more units in a weekend than competitors move in a year(s), but their supply chain kept product stocked well. This closes any window an android tablet might have to sneak in and siphon off some sales to people with tablet fever and can't find an iPad.

The only tablet that I can see being a challenger to the iPad is Windows 8 at this point.

Five years from now, the iPad will be where the iPhone is. It'll get 15-20% of the sales, but 50% of the profits. Apple will be fine with that. Android OEMs have not quite cracked the nut of putting out $200-300 tablets that are decent yet. Once they do, they'll outsell Apple when you combine them all, but Apple will still make all the money in the space because of their higher margins.

 

[psychotron]

If Apple comes out with a nice slim iPhone 5 with a larger screen, I wonder how many iPad users might decide that the iPhone is enough on its own?

Well, people buy iPads for the iPad apps. I don't see how a larger iPhone would stop that.

 

[psychotron]

Five years from now, the iPad will be where the iPhone is. It'll get 15-20% of the sales, but 50% of the profits. Apple will be fine with that. Android OEMs have not quite cracked the nut of putting out $200-300 tablets that are decent yet. Once they do, they'll outsell Apple when you combine them all, but Apple will still make all the money in the space because of their higher margins.

Apple will be on to the next thing in 3-5 years. Most likely this As usual, a few may beat them to the market with it but no one will pay attention until Apple releases one and sells millions. Then you will have all kinds of companies trying to jump on the bandwagon and get a slice of the pie.

The Future of Apple Design: 2017 iScroll | Mac|Life

 

[psychotron]

Here are some new tests with the iPad 3 vs the competition...Even the iPad 2 with its "outdated" tech (LOL) still performs quite well.

 

[TheBrit]

Well...

You are beating the Apple drum on an Android forum...why?

Yes you are entitled to your opinion but do we really need all this?

 

[viber]

Five years from now, the iPad will be where the iPhone is. It'll get 15-20% of the sales, but 50% of the profits. Apple will be fine with that. Android OEMs have not quite cracked the nut of putting out $200-300 tablets that are decent yet. Once they do, they'll outsell Apple when you combine them all, but Apple will still make all the money in the space because of their higher margins.

The rise of the cheap tablet is a race to the bottom. It's not all that profitable, quality will suck, and sales for any one android company will be soft.

We've already seen this played out on PC's and look how many PC companies no longer exists as a result. It's not a good position to be in for Android tablet makers, because as you said, Apple will eat the majority of the profits.

The first android tablet maker that creates a new market rather than playing Apple's game will be the one to watch.

 

[psychotron]

You are beating the Apple drum on an Android forum...why?

Yes you are entitled to your opinion but do we really need all this?

Look at the title of the thread, this thread is about the iPad, so why wouldn't you talk about it in here?

 

[jonmorris]

I'm running the GLBenchmark app on my dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon now (Xperia S) and from what I'm seeing rendered on-screen, it looks great graphically.

I don't really care if anything else is faster! I dare anyone to tell me that it's not impressive.

What's more, the results will probably be worse than expected as I've received three emails and have Skype running in the background that is getting loads of IMs as it's running the tests. Next time I put it into flight mode first!

I do agree about the race to the bottom in the Android smartphone and tablet markets, which is why the likes of Huawei and ZTE that has traditionally made cheap (and often nasty) products is now attempting to become like HTC and build a reputation for high-end devices.

 

[A.Nonymous]

The rise of the cheap tablet is a race to the bottom. It's not all that profitable, quality will suck, and sales for any one android company will be soft.

We've already seen this played out on PC's and look how many PC companies no longer exists as a result. It's not a good position to be in for Android tablet makers, because as you said, Apple will eat the majority of the profits.

The first android tablet maker that creates a new market rather than playing Apple's game will be the one to watch.

I disagree. Just look at the phone market. Android phones are cheaper in general than the iPhone. Yes, you have a handful of "hero" phones that are identically priced, but for the most part, you can get a good quality Android phone for less than the iPhone. Consequently, Android rules the phone market as far as market share goes and OEMS making Android phones are making money doing it. Amazon has proven that they can make money selling a discount tablet.

Let's say it's 5 years from now. You go down to the store to look for a tablet and you've got the iPad, a handful of premium Android tablets in the same price range as the iPad and then you've got lots of $200-300 Android tablets to pick from that are good quality and have a decent experience, I think those lower tier tablets are going to take sales away from the iPad. However, I still think on a strictly profits level that the iPad will make the most money in the market sector even though it won't sell the most devices.

 

[psychotron]

I disagree. Just look at the phone market. Android phones are cheaper in general than the iPhone. Yes, you have a handful of "hero" phones that are identically priced, but for the most part, you can get a good quality Android phone for less than the iPhone. Consequently, Android rules the phone market as far as market share goes and OEMS making Android phones are making money doing it. Amazon has proven that they can make money selling a discount tablet.

Let's say it's 5 years from now. You go down to the store to look for a tablet and you've got the iPad, a handful of premium Android tablets in the same price range as the iPad and then you've got lots of $200-300 Android tablets to pick from that are good quality and have a decent experience, I think those lower tier tablets are going to take sales away from the iPad. However, I still think on a strictly profits level that the iPad will make the most money in the market sector even though it won't sell the most devices.

You are assuming Android tablets will still be around in 5 years. All of the Android manufacturers have tried to go at the iPad and they have all failed. Their devices just sit on the shelves of stores. The tablet market is not like the phone market. You can't make a crappy $49 tablet, throw an Android logo on it and sell it at Radio Shack or Walmart. You really think companies will just keep pouring millions into developing, producing and shipping devices they are losing money on? Not smart business. Besides, tablets will be a thing of the past in 5 years. Companies are already looking at FOLED bendable displays.

 

[phil8715]

I've just bought the iPad 2 just before Christmas. To be honest I have no intention of upgrading to the new iPad.

I'm looking to get an android tablet to play around with to root and install a custom rom.

The appealing thing about Android tablets is they come in different sizes, different versions of the Android OS and you can pick up a decent tab for around

 

[A.Nonymous]

You are assuming Android tablets will still be around in 5 years. All of the Android manufacturers have tried to go at the iPad and they have all failed. Their devices just sit on the shelves of stores. The tablet market is not like the phone market. You can't make a crappy $49 tablet, throw an Android logo on it and sell it at Radio Shack or Walmart. You really think companies will just keep pouring millions into developing, producing and shipping devices they are losing money on? Not smart business. Besides, tablets will be a thing of the past in 5 years. Companies are already looking at FOLED bendable displays.

Where do you get that they've all failed? The Kindle Fire is selling like hotcakes. The OEMS definitely don't think they've failed as they keep running out more and more devices that are more and more innovative. Android tablets are in their infancy. You're acting like they've been running these things out for years and they keep flopping over and over and over again. That's just not true. The Kindle Fire proves that you can make an Android tablet and make it a commercial success. We'll see how well the Android tablets that come out this year fare, but they are chipping away at Apple's dominance.

 

[psychotron]

Where do you get that they've all failed? The Kindle Fire is selling like hotcakes. The OEMS definitely don't think they've failed as they keep running out more and more devices that are more and more innovative. Android tablets are in their infancy. You're acting like they've been running these things out for years and they keep flopping over and over and over again. That's just not true. The Kindle Fire proves that you can make an Android tablet and make it a commercial success. We'll see how well the Android tablets that come out this year fare, but they are chipping away at Apple's dominance.

Again? Really? The Kindle is hardly an Android device. That would be like calling the iPad a Samsung device because they made the screen. Amazon was blocking the Market up until a few months ago, you still have to root it to get it, they don't mention Android anywhere in their advertising and its a VERY skinned and watered down version of Android. Its laughable to call it an "Android" tablet. Even so, Apple will sell as many new iPads in a month as the Kindle will sell all year. Why don't you try giving me an example of a true Android tablet that has been a success. No one even payed attention to the Xoom more than a few days, HTC's Flyer sold OK overseas. Samsung and Asus have to keep making new models like every 3 months because the prior ones sucked and no one bought them. How many Tabs have been released in the past year? like 8? Asus is ready to release their 3rd or 4th. These guys are just flooding the market with average tablets in the hopes one eventually catches on and actually makes them a few bucks.

 

[A.Nonymous]

The Kindle runs Android. Not entirely sure why you think it doesn't. Amazon could've developed their own OS, but instead they put Android on it. And it's selling extremely well.

Samsung and Asus keep putting out new models every three months for the same reason they keep putting out new phones ever three months. It's what they do. They're innovating. They're trying new things and new form factors. Would Apple ever put out an iPad that's designed to dock into a keyboard and turn into a netbook? How about an iPhone that docks into an iPad that docks into a keyboard? How about a tablet that's not 10"? I've got a 7" Tab that I absolutely adore because of it's size. I can shove it in my pocket and go anywhere. Can't do that with a 10" tablet. The OEMS are doing things like this because they're innovating and trying to find designs that consumers want rather than stick with one form factor and try to compete by refreshing the hardware on an annual basis. If every OEM released only one device a year, innovation would be stifled. Apple is at a point where it doesn't need to innovate in order to rule the roost so it doesn't. Android is at a point where they need to innovate in order to try to catch up so they do.

 

[psychotron]

The Kindle runs Android. Not entirely sure why you think it doesn't. Amazon could've developed their own OS, but instead they put Android on it. And it's selling extremely well.

Samsung and Asus keep putting out new models every three months for the same reason they keep putting out new phones ever three months. It's what they do. They're innovating. They're trying new things and new form factors. Would Apple ever put out an iPad that's designed to dock into a keyboard and turn into a netbook? How about an iPhone that docks into an iPad that docks into a keyboard? How about a tablet that's not 10"? I've got a 7" Tab that I absolutely adore because of it's size. I can shove it in my pocket and go anywhere. Can't do that with a 10" tablet. The OEMS are doing things like this because they're innovating and trying to find designs that consumers want rather than stick with one form factor and try to compete by refreshing the hardware on an annual basis. If every OEM released only one device a year, innovation would be stifled. Apple is at a point where it doesn't need to innovate in order to rule the roost so it doesn't. Android is at a point where they need to innovate in order to try to catch up so they do.

True, some good points. However, if I owned a Prime, I would sure be pissed. Each model they put out is bigger and more spec'd out then the last. At least Apple only does that once a year. It would piss me off to no end if I bought a brand new tablet for $600 and two months later the same company releases one with better specs and I couldn't return or exchange it. Thats a big middle finger to their customers IMO. However, these companies don't care about their customers. They are only concerned with trying to one up Apple. So who cares if some sucker just spent $600 on a tablet with inferior specs that won't be updated to the new OS, they got their money and a little more of a marketshare right?

 

[Yeahha]

Again? Really? The Kindle is hardly an Android device. That would be like calling the iPad a Samsung device because they made the screen. Amazon was blocking the Market up until a few months ago, you still have to root it to get it, they don't mention Android anywhere in their advertising and its a VERY skinned and watered down version of Android. Its laughable to call it an "Android" tablet. Even so, Apple will sell as many new iPads in a month as the Kindle will sell all year. Why don't you try giving me an example of a true Android tablet that has been a success. No one even payed attention to the Xoom more than a few days, HTC's Flyer sold OK overseas. Samsung and Asus have to keep making new models like every 3 months because the prior ones sucked and no one bought them. How many Tabs have been released in the past year? like 8? Asus is ready to release their 3rd or 4th. These guys are just flooding the market with average tablets in the hopes one eventually catches on and actually makes them a few bucks.

If you are going to claim that skinned android isn't android then we really need to change a lot on the forums...Sense, touchwiz, blur...are all skinned versions of Android. The Fire is very much an android tablet, just sideload a launcher and it looks just like anything else running that launcher.

Trying to answer the title of the thread...the launch was not a failure at all...it is a good tablet...Apple has won...iOS and Android are direct competitors in this market so more tablets on the market is also a win for Android IMO...