“Public awareness of the importance with which commercial companies regard their private digital data is growing,” Evans writes. “Ordinary consumers are beginning to understand just how much information about them is being collected by these unaccountable corporations, with or without satisfactory permission or adequate explanation. They don’t like it.”
“Privacy is important. And privacy is Google’s Achilles’ Heel. It doesn’t understand it, doesn’t respect it, and thinks everyone should change their identity now and then in order to avoid the limiting effects of a world without privacy,” Evans writes. “But why should we?”
“Consumers haven’t yet begun abandoning use of Google products, but as they begin to understand the data-mining nature of those Android handsets, some may find they’d prefer to use the smartphone Google seems to be basing its Android OS ideas on,” Evans writes. “And that’s an iPhone.”
Evans writes, “There’s no guarantee Android will prevail. There’s lots of Google partners and potential partners raising their hands into the air and praying for rain, but collectively shared incantations don’t always come true… While others look to Google for innovation in Android 3.0, Apple is already quietly dreaming up what’s to come in iOS 5.0. And while Google has proven expertise in data and search technologies, Apple has an edge in, you know, operating system design. And what is to stop Apple continuing to diversify its product range? iPhone nano, anyone? An iOS Mac? An Apple TV with iOS and a pico video projector? The sky really is the limit.”
Read more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Price, price, price, price, price. There is no meaningful price advantage for an Android phone over an iPhone. That’s the main reason why most people settled for Windows PCs instead of the Macs they really wanted. The reason most people settle for Android phones instead of the iPhone they really want is because they can’t get an iPhone on their carrier. This is mainly a U.S. phenomenon. That’s where Android has its toe-hold; its big claim to “success.” The second Apple takes iPhone to multiple carriers in the U.S. is the very second that Google’s warped dream begins to die.
Android. Never do with one button that which you can do with four.™
And, oh-by-the-way, Steve Jobs is in charge this time, not cast out to create another company (one that would ultimately save Apple) while far lesser minds drive Apple into the ground.
So, no, Google, another upside-down, backwards, second-rate knockoff will not dominate this time; because your “partners'” knockoffs have no meaningful price advantage with which to sway the ignorant. iPhone starts at $99. iPad starts at $499. Plus, Apple has the economies of scale to do whatever the hell they want, whenever they hell they want.
iCal us: iPhone will not play out like the Mac. Neither will iPad. The iPhone/iPad are not the Mac, so stop comparing them. Anyone who does so is ignorant of the very basic business forces that shaped the PC wars. And any CEO that claims such a thing is either lying or incompetent or, most likely, both.
If you want to see how the iPhone and iPad competition will play out, look not at the Mac, but at the iPod.
Also, people are realizing “Android” is not actually a robot or a cylon.
excellent take, MDN. couldn’t agree more. no ical necessary.
MDN: exactly!
Also, keep in mind that Apple now designs it’s own low power A4 chips. Intel is still working on this. Apple knows how to run a low power iOS. Google and Microsoft are working on this. Everyone wants to develop app for Apple’s iOS devices. The others wish and pay people to develop for their orphaned devices.
This is getting sad for those iKillers out there. Get your resumes up to date boys and girls. Try to stay out of Apple’s way as they grab their next market this time.
So, how are those Android devices doing with Flash? I hear that is a sad and funny thing to see.
Android will win out for the same reason Microsoft won price and numbers there will always be cheaper products based on Android. Numbers Numbers numbers and numbers the reason why Android will win. Android simply has a bigger production source and will always be able to flood the market with low end and high end mobile devices. Apple need not to worry because they will always be top dog when it comes to the most important thing, profits. Every time Apple sells an Iphone, IPad Google smiles. Google is in the business of ads and the more smart mobile products sold the more people view their ads. Conclusion all this Apple or Google hatred is stupid be happy with the product you have and stop sounding like you live in your moms basement and have nothing better to do.
Funny – just have read @ SAI:
“Apple: Short Term Winner, Long Term Loser” by Fabrice Grinda
Must be one of those CEO’s MDN mentioned
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MDN: these are the takes I remember. No apologies, just why we are Apple, and not planning on changing ever.
I think Android will start downward when the first big , store distributed, info stealing app gets out and takes out 40% of it’s customer base.
you’re absolute right MDN… I was about to buy a Galasy S just because the PRICE… but I couldn’t… after a week of thinking I’ve ordered iPhone 4 … Now I’m waiting and happy
hahaha
you are all in denial
Apple strategy: create and totally own a vertically integrated market.
Simple!
I have visions of the day Apple does put the iPhone on multiple carriers—particularly Verizon. As soon as Steve finishes nailing Verizon’s hide to the wall and gets rid of all that V-cast junk, the stores will be flooded with droid-junk coming in to be replaced with an iPhone. It will be like that magician who can pull the tablecloth out from under the dishes, except when Steve pulls it, all the droids standing on it will come crashing down to the floor. Such a lovely vision.
@ skim,
We’ll see who’s in denial, won’t we?
As soon as Apple gets on Verizon (Sprint and T-Mobile will be nice, but they’re a distant 3 and 4 in the carrier wars), Apple will start to beat the stuffing out of the Android phones.
The only real shame is that Apple waited this long and let Android get its foot in the door. If Apple had come to Verizon a year or so ago, Android would be relegated to the dusty back shelves of your local Verizon store, or would have been a Sprint exclusive, and we all know how well that worked for Palm.
@pirates, imho it is going to happen on the iphone first. It is a juicier target at the moment, and apple’s approval process does nothing against the hidden features and easter eggs as we see every day.
Also, Apple controls and rolls out OS updates in a consistent manner, across iOS devices, “control” being the key word.
For Android, the rollout to existing devices (even if they are supported) is largely controlled by the wireless providers, not Google.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/203891/
The Verizon excuse is just outdated. Nowadays, Android is not only selling on Verizon and Sprint, it’s selling everywhere, as cheap iPhone alternative (and yes, Android phones are selling for $200 less in many countries). If you consider that AT&T is selling 30k iPhones per day while Google claims to activate 200k Androids per day this phenomenon becomes much, much bigger than the US alone. My guess is that, among major territories, Android is outselling iPhone in the US, China and Korea, while iPhone is ahead in all of Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia.
Google gives it away the Android OS. Look which handset makers use it: all the ones who are losing money or hovering around break-even. The will keep up the saturation advertising trying to build momentum. But will all the phony iPhone makers be willing to accept the deal made by pc box makers, a lifetime of penury just so they can be in the game?
Yes, MDN you keep trying to sell the line that iPhone vs Android Phones will not be like Mac vs PC but iPod vs all comers. However, this seems to be wishful thinking on your part, with a touch of head in the sandness. Android already has far more traction in the market than any MP3 player had in that space.
Further – look at how Apple retained it’s dominance in the MP3 space. It competed at with different models at different models at different pricepoints: budget shuffle; mid-range nano; high-end classic and touch. In the shuffle and nano it gave a choice of several colours – basic, but important in such a ‘personal’ device. It has failed to do this in smartphone space and this needs to be addressed. 1 high end model, with a discount on last years. Not enough.
On a more positive note, it sounds like it is adopting this strategy in the tablet market – if rumours of 7″ iPad models are true.
I wonder how many people get an Android phone because of the commercials or because it’s not an iPhone?
Probably the same number as those who continue to buy PC’s simply because they blindly hate Macs.
“Price, price, price, price, price. There is no meaningful price advantage for an Android phone over an iPhone.”
Uhm you do realize the Vodafone 854 Android sells for 99€ “without” contract.
And btw. there is alot you can’t do if you got only one button.
All the iPhone really does is moving the other 3 buttons to the screen which makes it application dependant.
Uncontrolled fragmentation vs. integrated simplicity
Apple will remain the profit leader.
Android is not being adopted in corporate IT settings and the iPhone and iPad are being adopted at a huge rate by corporations. This data, plus the seasonal dip at the end of life of the iPhone 3GS -> iPhone 4 launch, are largely ignored by reports showing android passing iOS, as corporate sales are not counted.
Next report with iPhone 4 in the mix, Android will lose share. Add in the corporate sales, where android’s a big fat zero, and it’s a whole different ballgame – aka reality.
Umm, have you ever considered that Apple may not want to completely dominate the market? When has Apple ever gone after the low hanging fruit? Remember, they don’t know how to make cheap crap – they know how to make high quality crap, that has a good profit margin and is reliable.
Apple’s iOS products will be significant parts of the mobile landscape, but I doubt they will go after the “free” or buy one get one free part of the phone market. No thanks, Apple doesn’t need or want to play that game “race to the bottom”.
MDN!
I liked this article.
I liked it a lot!