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Is Android catching up fast??

  • 21-05-2010 01:15PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,715 ✭✭✭


    Not lookin to cause a riot here, its a genuine question. I haven't been keeping up with the Android OS at all. Just saw a new version was announced.

    Is Android upto the mark yet in terms of functionality and apps?? With the launch of the new iphone around the corner, is Android a real alternative??


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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭mickoneill30


    Probably better to have a read through this forum.
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1343

    or more specifically this

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055658304

    Apple guys are going to say Apples better. Android guys will say Android.

    I suppose like any OS, you'd define your problem and then see if the OS has the tools to solve it and if they all do then choose the one that looks the best :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭jd83


    I dont know whats going to be on the next apple os. But android 2.2 looks like its way ahead of the current apple os. I switched to android and got a nexus one after owning and iphone. I had never really had any other apple or android devices prior to this. Ive been using my android phone a few months now and its just a hell of a lot better than the iphone and it was cheaper! and thats with 2.1. 2.2 (Froyo) will be out soon and there working on 2.3 (Gingerbread) also.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,715 ✭✭✭Gryzor


    jd83 wrote: »
    a hell of a lot better than the iphone

    Better how??


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭jd83


    Im using a nexus one on android 2.1. So far I find

    -browsing and 3g speeds a lot quicker than i had on the iphone.
    -Battery life a lot better and have the option of changing batt if needed.
    -Phone signal for calls is better and doesnt drop calls.
    -There is less apps but most of the apps i use are already on android.
    - Google apps are better on android than iphone especially the mail app.
    - Multitasking.
    - a lot less restricitive than iphone dont need to insrall third party hacks to get my phone to do what i want it to do
    - built in turn by turn navigation
    - cheaper phone than iphone


    Then just google the stuff 2.2 has and add that aswell and as far as im concerned miles ahead of iphone


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,609 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Can just use your phone like a hard drive, and upload your music/videos like you would a regular MP3 player?

    Or is there some form of Android iTunes...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭jd83


    Its just like a hard drive. Drag and drop. But with 2.2 you can stream from itunes over the air. You will be able to sync app and i think music over the air. Like for example if you buy an app in the market on your laptop it will automatically appear on your phone.

    See the video below fornew features:



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    It's a done deal that Android will overtake Apple and has already done so in some markets. The reason is that Android is appearing on far more handsets from different manufacturers.

    Apple still have the killer USP with itunes for retailing apps and music.

    There's another serious contender using a different OS due in the market over the summer.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭mickoneill30


    Dades wrote: »
    Can just use your phone like a hard drive, and upload your music/videos like you would a regular MP3 player?
    Yep. The SDCard just mounts as a hard drive when you plug in the USB cable. Then you can copy your files over just using Windows.
    Or there are apps (e.g. EStrong File Explorer) that will let you connect to shares on your PC or server and you can just copy files from your PC wirelessly.
    Dades wrote: »
    Or is there some form of Android iTunes...

    I don't know if there's an Android specific app. I use MediaMonkey to synch music over to my phone.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,609 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Apple will always have a market share as long as people want a funky interface with no brainwork required. Though I think that market will be chipped away as Android becomes all it promises to be.

    I also think the (alleged) new iPhone handset puts the software under more scrutiny than ever before - as the hardware is no longer the prettiest girl at the dance. And given that OS 4.0 doesn't really offer the "standard" user a new experience - just stuff that should have been there - I just wonder...

    The exclusion of homepage/lock screen widgets is a big mistake, imo. The Android homepage customisation is a huge feature. The new iPhone publicity shots will have a homepage that just looks like a jailbroken 3G.

    Big decision for me come June 7th. It may involve amputation though, for removal of my iPhone from my cold, dead hand.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,264 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    doubletwist is good for syncing itunes playlists plus you can browse the android marketplace with it, well worth the download, plus you can use the Amazon MP3 store with it which is excellent.

    I like android but the apps I use still lag behind. My iphone packed it in a while back and I now have an android device. Missed my iphone apps so much that I bought an ipod touch. No Skype, poorer version of Facebook, nothing close to Beejive, MyNZB miles ahead of the android version, remotes itunes and plex contollers, no android version for my banking app. I'm sure this will change over time and hopefully android apps will start getting a more consistent interface like the iphone apps.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭jd83


    There is less apps out there for android. But as it becomes more popular these apps will become available. Im lucky most of the apps i used on the iphone where available on android. I miss my sling box app but thats due to be released this summer on android. I suppose i also miss the music player on the iphone it is better than the player on android. But i got tunewiki now which is pretty good.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    Hmm, I wouldn't write off the iPhone just yet. If the new iPhone is as fast as an iPad- which screams - it will be very fast indeed.

    Customization of home screens is pretty much on the cards. minor stuff anyway.

    Interesting that the Android appears faster on 2.1, since they admit in that video that the JIT for 2.1 sucks? Apples code runs natively. So why is that?

    I havent used Android machines much, but when I did they seemed like mollasses.

    I have an ideological reason to not go with Goggle, though. They are entering the mobile market to copper fasten their search monopoly. So will stick with Apple.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,638 ✭✭✭PeakOutput


    Pittens wrote: »
    Hmm, I wouldn't write off the iPhone just yet. If the new iPhone is as fast as an iPad- which screams - it will be very fast indeed.

    i dont know about general use but the browser in 2.1 and 2.2 is faster than the browser in the ipad by a long shot


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    dont know about general use but the browser in 2.1 and 2.2 is faster than the browser in the ipad by a long shot

    Presumably you mean iPod? Or iPhone?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    BTW ont he subject of games, does android have an OpenGL layer?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,638 ✭✭✭PeakOutput


    Pittens wrote: »
    Presumably you mean iPod? Or iPhone?

    nope you can see a demo from the google i/o yesterday which compares teh browser in the ipad to a android 2.1 and an android 2.2 phone

    the speed difference over the tests is pretty shocking


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    Ah, googles tests.

    Its the same underlying code - Apple's OS webkit - , so what processor are they using in the tests?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    Ah, I see. It was a JavaScript demo. Supposedly. Might be faster but that says nothing about page rendering etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭Mr Bloat


    After using various Iphone versions for the last two years and now using Android on a HTC Desire, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Android is at least as good and, in a lot of cases, better than iPhone OS. It is much quicker than the 3GS but then it has more power available to it. Whether it'll be faster than the next gen iPhone remains to be seen.

    It's great that there's finally a decent competitor to the iPhone. No market should be dominated by one company, no matter how good the customers of that company think it to be. Android will force Apple to innovate more, which in turn will force Android to be better. It's a win-win for the consumer, us.

    Android is still in it's infancy, compared to other OS' so it still needs some catching up but catching up it is. When the iPhone first came out and all the Apple slaters were scoffing at it for not having copy and paste, etc, all the Apple lovers were saying that they should give it time, it's still new but it's getting there. I would say the same to the iPhone users now. Sure, Android has it's failings and there's some areas where it seriously lags behind the iPhone but it isn't going away.

    Competition is healthy, folks. A war between Apple and Google will result in lots of cool toys for you and me! :)


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,609 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Pittens wrote: »
    I have an ideological reason to not go with Goggle, though. They are entering the mobile market to copper fasten their search monopoly. So will stick with Apple.
    Given that Apple are no longer just the funky geeks next door - and in fact are given to kicking down people's doors - I wouldn't choose one over the other on an ideological basis.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    and in fact are given to kicking down people's doors -

    Lol. That was the police looking into a stolen item.
    No market should be dominated by one company, no matter how good the customers of that company think it to be.

    Well the smart phone market isn't is it? And never was. The OS market on PC's is....

    Or do you mean that all other smart phone competitors are out of the market? Or are not smart phones as now defined? Nokia still dominates the market as I can see.

    Competition is good alright. However I distrust Google. It is a monopolist ( albeit because of a good project, unlike MS) and it is trying to maintain that monopoly on all devices.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    Android has been outselling the iPhone in America for a few months now and with all the new features of Android 2.2 compared to what Apple are planning for iPhone OS 4 it's pretty clear which is the better OS. The only problem Android has at the moment is that it doesn't support many video formats (Not that iPhone OS supports any more ;)).

    Another major thing is that Android 2.2 has full Flash support and it works brilliantly. I remember all the Apple fanboys and Steve Jobs were saying how Flash had poor performance and didn't suit mobile devices... How wrong they were ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭Mr Bloat


    Pittens wrote: »
    Lol. That was the police looking into a stolen item.

    There are none so blind as those who will not see...

    Pittens wrote: »
    Well the smart phone market isn't is it? And never was. The OS market on PC's is....

    Or do you mean that all other smart phone competitors are out of the market? Or are not smart phones as now defined? Nokia still dominates the market as I can see.

    Competition is good alright. However I distrust Google. It is a monopolist ( albeit because of a good project, unlike MS) and it is trying to maintain that monopoly on all devices.

    The smart phone market, excluding blackberries, was on the verge of being dominated by Apple, lets be realistic. Winmo wasn't even nearly up the scratch and we have no idea if WM7 will make the grade. Nokia were being slated because the N97 was driving people mad. The N900 looks good but it's too clunky for many and too geeky for many more. I work for an IT company which provides IT support to small businesses and I've configured more iPhones for Exchange in the last few months than I've installed new pcs. Since Vodafone picked up the iPhone, loads of business people who previously had high end Nokias or Blackberries were being offered iPhones and every single one of them were loving them for it's simplicity and ease of use.

    Mistrust of Google is a good thing, it's a multinational corporation, not your drinking buddy. But so is Apple. I can't understand someone who says "I have an ideological reason to not go with Goggle, though. They are entering the mobile market to copper fasten their search monopoly. So will stick with Apple". Don't you see Apple have just put themselves into that same search/advertising bracket with their latest 'innovations'? Apple are out to make money for their shareholders and board. Anyone who thinks Jobs is making 'cool' gadgets because he loves us is sadly deluded.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,638 ✭✭✭PeakOutput


    being open source i think gives it major major advantages in the long run. anything iphone comes out with there is no reason there wont be an android phone with the feature on it almost immedietely

    apps are the same there is no reason that every app wont be available on android once the customer bases even up and developers see the profit potential

    i like alot of things about both companies and dislike alot of things abotu both

    im sure all my computers are gong to be apple for the forseeable and unless i need to buy an iphone for development all my phones will probably be android


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    Android has been outselling the iPhone in America for a few months now and with all the new features of Android 2.2 compared to what Apple are planning for iPhone OS 4 it's pretty clear which is the better OS.

    For a few months where half of all Androids were given away for free, and Apple did not have a new model out. Also Apple is stymied, in the US, by it's carrier deal with AT&T.
    There are none so blind as those who will not see...

    I saw a computer company report a theft. Then the police arrested the thief. What exactly did you see? Some biased article in TechCrunch?
    Apple are out to make money for their shareholders and board. Anyone who thinks Jobs is making 'cool' gadgets because he loves us is sadly deluded.

    Actually that is probably wrong. Apple shareholders should hope that Jobs releases the OS to all vendors. He wont because he doesnt like that kind of user experience - he wont trust the rest of the market to keep up. Jobs is not bottom line driven.

    If he was, from 1984, we would all be on Macs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    Pittens wrote: »
    For a few months where half of all Androids were given away for free, and Apple did not have a new model out. Also Apple is stymied, in the US, by it's carrier deal with AT&T.
    Half of all Androids given away for free? Must have missed that. If you're talking about the few hundred given out to developers at developers conferences (Which cost $400 for a ticket) then that hardly counts. For the record Sales =/= "Free" phone giveaways to developers
    Actually that is probably wrong. Apple shareholders should hope that Jobs releases the OS to all vendors. He wont because he doesnt like that kind of user experience - he wont trust the rest of the market to keep up. Jobs is not bottom line driven.

    If he was, from 1984, we would all be on Macs.
    I would imagine Apple make most of their profit off the hardware they sell and not the software. The hardware used in all their products is almost always last generation but they always cover it in gloss and ship it with admittedly good software and make massive profits that way. Apple will never license iPhone OS purely because of the fact they would only lose money.

    You're deluding yourself if you think Apple are in for it for anything but making profit, there's nothing wrong with that either. They're a business after all and that is their sole purpose.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,518 ✭✭✭axer


    I presume those that own the likes of the htc desire can just upgrade android on their phones to keep up with the new features?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,391 ✭✭✭Eire Go Brach


    I always thought when I bought the iPhone it would be the last phone I ever bought. But now I am not so sure, I can see Android bettering Apple. With Apple only releasing phones ones a year. It goes without saying that it is easier for them to be beaten on hardware. Specially the camera. But Android Just seems to be more customisable and integrates with other/more stuff. Even more so in the future. Apple you will always have to do it there way, but that is what makes them simple to use I suppose.
    It is Just the iPod and itunes on the Iphone stopping me from moving to Android right now.
    The wifi hotspot looks very neat on the Android. Be very hand for the Ipad.
    Are paid Apps available in the Android store yet?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭mickoneill30


    axer wrote: »
    I presume those that own the likes of the htc desire can just upgrade android on their phones to keep up with the new features?

    That's the plan. Android 2.2 will be available on the Nexus first and hopefully on the HTC not long after. However there's no guarantee. The Desire is a brand new phone though so I'd imagine 2.2 will be available for that.

    With that said though new features are good but 2.1 (for me) is rock solid and fast. I've come from a Nokia N97 so that was totally the opposite.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    I always thought when I bought the iPhone it would be the last phone I ever bought. But now I am not so sure, I can see Android bettering Apple. With Apple only releasing phones ones a year. It goes without saying that it is easier for them to be beaten on hardware. Specially the camera. But Android Just seems to be more customisable and integrates with other/more stuff. Even more so in the future. Apple you will always have to do it there way, but that is what makes them simple to use I suppose.
    It is Just the iPod and itunes on the Iphone stopping me from moving to Android right now.
    The wifi hotspot looks very neat on the Android. Be very hand for the Ipad.
    Are paid Apps available in the Android store yet?
    Yes and no. It doesn't give you access to paid apps out of the box but if you root (Somewhat similar to jailbreaking except gives you far far more power over the device) you can easily fool the phone in to thinking you're accessing the market on an American sim and it will give you full access. Failing that all you need is a UK sim and you can buy as many apps as you like.


    That's the plan. Android 2.2 will be available on the Nexus first and hopefully on the HTC not long after. However there's no guarantee. The Desire is a brand new phone though so I'd imagine 2.2 will be available for that.

    With that said though new features are good but 2.1 (for me) is rock solid and fast. I've come from a Nokia N97 so that was totally the opposite.
    Nexus One and Motorola Droid are getting 2.2 first as they run on Stock Android. HTC have announced that their other phones (Besides the Nexus One) will be getting Android 2.2 (With Sense, HTC's UI for Android) in the coming weeks. Not all HTC phones were confirmed to be getting 2.2. Only those launched in 2010 would be getting it. The only two phones mentioned by name and to be first to receive 2.2 are the HTC Desire and the HTC EVO 4G Supersonic.

    2.2 is going to be brilliant speed wise and many new features have been added

    The browser speed has been increased by 2-3X for javascript heavy pages thanks to a newer updated engine. General performance has shot way up thanks to far more optimized code and the Dalvik JIT compiler which ups performance by 4.5X. A Nexus One (Or Desire) running 2.1 manages to get around 7.0 MLFOPS but on 2.2 it manages to get 40.98 MFLOPS which is phenomenal really. OpenGL 2.0 ES has been added as well which means a great deal for 3D gaming performance and quality.

    As you can imagine... I'm an Android fan ;)


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