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Apple just made Google’s Android look even more stupid

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 · 2:32 pm · 38 Comments

“The iPhone 3GS turns three this summer,” Steve Kovach reports for The Business Insider. “You’ll be able to update it to Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 6, this fall.”

“That means once the New iPhone or iPhone 5 or whatever you want to call it launches later this year, there will be four generations of iPhones running the most up-to-date software,” Kovach reports. “Now, let’s compare that to Android.”

Kovach reports, “According to Google’s own numbers, a measly 7% of Android devices are running version 4.0, AKA ‘Ice Cream Sandwich.’ Keep in mind Google released Ice Cream Sandwich almost seven months ago… More than 80% of iOS users are running iOS 5, the latest version [released eight months ago], right now. And that’s just one of the many reasons iOS is consistently the best choice for most people.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: “Apple just made Google’s Android look even more stupid.” That’s Apple for you, always doing the impossible.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Joe G." for the heads up.]

Categories: News

Tags: android, Fragmandroid, google, ios, iOS 5, iOS 6, iPad, iPad wannabes, iphone, iPhone wannabes

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Comment Feed

38 Comments

HTML5 Gordon

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:33 pm · Reply

lol Great take.
- vanfruniken
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 5:27 pm · Reply
  
  Too bad the iPad 1 won’t run iOS6.
  The iPhone 3GS, who came first, though, will run it.
  Strange.
  - twilightmoon
    
    Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 9:56 am · Reply
    
    They are still actively selling iPhone 3GS, so not so strange. They only have one model of iPod touch 4th gen that will run it.
Ballonknot

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:40 pm · Reply

I think the android percentage might be due to force of habit from windows sufferers. Case in point: my brother in law recently got his first Mac. While browsing on it I noticed he had a ton of updates yet to be installed. When I asked him he told he was in the habit of not updating because windows updates usually broke more than they fixed.
- twilightmoon
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:47 pm · Reply
  
  No. It’s the handset manufacturers who do not wish to put the effort out to allow their phones to run the latest version and expect you to buy a new phone (from them).
  
  Reason 672 not to buy an Android.
- Lordthree
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:07 pm · Reply
  
  Meh- I’ve been using a Mac my whole life… Been using Apple since b4 I could walk (29) and I skip a lot of the updates. For instance, everyone pitched a huge bitch about the last airport updates… I’ve got one extreme, and two expresses… They all work swimmingly and I don’t want to risk the update. I don’t think this is a ‘windows/android’ phenomenon…
  - 3l3c7ro
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 4:21 pm · Reply
    
    You are right, it is not a Windows/Android phenomenon but just a Luddite phenomenon. There are also a lot of conspiracy theorists out there who won’t move to the new because they are convinced that it will give ‘big brother’ another route into their pitiful lives and somehow filter through their aluminum foil hats.
  - Bizlaw
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 5:30 pm · Reply
    
    You are talking about updates, not significant software upgrades which bring major new functionality, not simply bug fixes and a couple of features.
    
    The fact that 80% of iOS users are running some version of iOS 5 compared to 7% of Android users running Android 4 is absolutely amazing. Plus, Android 4 was billed as adding HUGE features, becoming the true iPhone killer OS, yet almost no Android users have it installed on their phones.
    - twilightmoon
      
      Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 10:01 am · Reply
      
      It is actually far worse than that. Brand new shipping Android phones are being released with Android 2.3.
      
      The Android ecosystem is a complete fragmented mess and only getting worse. It’s hard to call it a platform with a straight face. It’s more like a amalgamated jumbled pile of different platforms.
  - althegeo
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 7:23 pm · Reply
    
    When you buy a free Android phone to make calls and send messages you don’t give a rat’s ass about upgrades.
    
    I think I speak for 85% of all Android owners when I point this salient fact out.
    - The Gweed
      
      Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 5:48 am · Reply
      
      How exactly do you “buy” a “free” phone?
      
      Why is it free in the first place?
      
      Oh, that’s right; so it will “sell”.
BoC

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:49 pm · Reply

When things go “poof”, Moto goes, Palm plops in, RIM drops, Sony-Ericcson crumbles and Nokia bends over to MS.

When Android finally does a poofter, who is going to take over A-droid?

OR…is Google just going to keep up a good face and keep pumping people and money into it for another decade.
Tobias Tate

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:53 pm · Reply

if iOS is a “crystal prison” then Android is a burlap sack you lug around on your back.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is…when you get an iPhone or iPad, it feels like you own your own home, whereas with Android it feels like you’re merely renting, and a dive with noisy neighbors and an ugly view at that!
- Bizlaw
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 5:30 pm · Reply
  
  I think you mean concrete shoes . . . .
NGC598

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:57 pm · Reply

From the shop of perpetual Betas’, Google will have to start a strategy on how to conceive, develop, deploy, and support for a long term goal. Should Google fail to learn this, Apple with search out there candy and eat it. Apple is making Google seem incompetent with all those beta ideas running amuck and Android’s frag mess. Just Compare Apples’s polIshed products and ease at keeping its product stable and up to date….I smell fried Droid!!! Bye bye Google!
Really

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:00 pm · Reply

Handset manufacturers would rather sell a new phone than update the existing ones.

The big problem is for developers, for end users it is not as much of an issue since the apps are updated from Google Play.

I’m on a phone running essentially Gingerbread 2.3.7 but I can’t think of anything I’m missing from ICS since I’m running the latest versions of maps, nav, voice commands and everything else. I mean beyond a few interface differences I can’t tell anything major between the two.

I launch Navigation on my friends ICS device and its the same app I’m running on 2.3.7. The only thing I’ve noticed is that Chrome is available for ICS and not for any previous version. Beyond that I can’t find anything in ICS that makes me wish I could go past 2.3 on my phone.

For devs I think its a tougher road. they need to look at the API levels and decide what they want to support.

I think Apple should be careful on how many previous generations they support. They are already kinda fragmenting their iOS installs by not supporting Siri on anything under the 4S and from what I’m reading that will be the same for turn by turn navigation – you’ll need a 4S to use it.
- Rorschach
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:25 pm · Reply
  
  “I think Apple should be careful on how many previous generations they support. They are already kinda fragmenting their iOS installs by not supporting Siri on anything under the 4S and from what I’m reading that will be the same for turn by turn navigation – you’ll need a 4S to use it.”
  But that’s true of OSX, there will always be a generational cut-off point beyond which upgrades no longer work. My PowerBook hasn’t had any kind of serious upgrade in years, but it still works fine after eight years.
  I have an iP4, which also works very well, and will be upgraded to iOS6, but I’ll be buying an iP5, and probably selling the 4, which is in perfect, unmarked condition, thanks to screen protector and free case.
- Predrag
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 4:24 pm · Reply
  
  There is a significant list of features that ICS added to Gingerbread, which you simply don’t know you’re missing if you’re running anything other than ICS. Same as iPhone owners still on iOS 4, most of whom don’t know what they’re missing in iOS 5, until someone shows them what their iPhone can do with the latest OS.
  
  More than a quarter of all Android devices are running FroYo or older (2.2, released over two years ago). Over 90% of Android users are running a version at least 20 months old. This forces developers to ignore all the new APIs delivered in ICS (and mano of them in Gingerbread or Honeycomb, too). Writing for the lowest common denominator severely devalues the platform and defeats the purpose of system updates.
  
  Practically no carrier in America (and likely, in the world) bothers to deliver updates to Android phones. When you buy an Android phone, you’re stuck with the same OS for the life of the device. Therein is all the difference you need to make an educated decision.
  - nathanhillery
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 11:31 pm · Reply
    
    “Writing for the lowest common denominator severely devalues the platform and defeats the purpose of system updates.”
    
    That works just as well reworded:
    Writing for the lowest common denominator severely devalues system updates and defeats the purpose of the platform.
    
    Further proof that many android smartphones are “hired” to do the job of a feature/dumb phone.
M

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:01 pm · Reply

Not trying to be negative, but not all of the new features will run on older hardware. We don’t yet know what will be “crippled”, but some will
- aryugaetu
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:32 pm · Reply
  
  At the risk of pointing out the obvious, just go to Apple iOS 6 site at http://www.apple.com/ios/ios6/
  
  Scroll to the bottom and see what’s compatible. They even have pictures of the compatible devices for those people that need such things.
  - Zeph
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 8:25 pm · Reply
    
    And directly below that, it says:
    
    Features are subject to change. Not all features are available on all devices.
    - nathanhillery
      
      Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 11:36 pm · Reply
      
      The first part is a standard disclaimer made by all. Apple’s track record shows they rarely over promise and often over deliver.
      - Zeph
        
        Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:08 am · Reply
        
        I agree with you. I was simply pointing out that aryugaetu might be missing that fine print. Just because a device is listed as getting is 6, doesn’t mean it’ll get all features.
Spark

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:05 pm · Reply

Do we have confirmation that iOS 6 will run on a 3GS? I didn’t hear them explicitly mention this during the keynote. And even if it does, without Siri much of the cool and useful integration is negated.
- TheMacAdvocate
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:57 pm · Reply
  
  It’ll run on the 3GS. It won’t have Siri, but neither will my iPhone 4. Other deletions include turn-by-turn nav (see Siri), Flyover/3D mapping, FaceTime over 3G (obviously) and VIP Mail lists (for reasons I don’t yet understand).
Cubert

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:19 pm · Reply

iOS 5 didn’t run so well on my 3GS (or anyone’s that I know of) so I don’t have high hopes for how well iOS 6 will run on it.
- joe
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:45 pm · Reply
  
  I still have the 3GS and I haven’t had any issues with ios5 at all- either have friends of mine in the same situation. we’re all waiting for 5 or 6 or whatever the hell Mac is going to call it. and I think I read somewhere ios 6 won’t work on anything but the 4 and up, but I could be wrong
  - praus
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 4:46 pm · Reply
    
    Scott Forestall said, in the keynote presentation that iOS 6 would run on the 3GS.
  - Bizlaw
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 5:34 pm · Reply
    
    I notice that my 3GS running iOS 5 is slower and has some occasional lag compared to my 4S, but everything runs fine. I always have to remind myself about the lack of retina display, however, because I keep thinking I need another eye exam when I pick up the 3GS!
    - Cubert
      
      Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 9:02 pm · Reply
      
      Yeah, it was that lag. Especially with text messages. I’d have to wait for a second or two before starting to type. My 3GS died 2 weeks ago and now I’m sporting’ a new 4S.
      
      Yeah boy!!!!!!
Apple is Always Right

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:28 pm · Reply

Stupid OS with stupid codenames.
Stay healthy, stay sweet free.
- opsono
  
  Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 8:46 am · Reply
  
  Anyone else going to mention the ‘dairy product’ dig during the keynote?
Rick

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 7:27 pm · Reply

Don’t get me wrong — Android really, really sucks when it comes to updates. But I think it’s a mistake to sing the praises of iOS here. Honestly, what good is an update that merely updates the version number while leaving out all the cool new features? An iPhone 4 can’t handle turn by turn voice navigation? Really? Give me a break! Much older and slower Android phones do that just fine. Apple is holding back in an effort to force people to upgrade. They simply appease many owners of older phones by increasing the version number. Only MDN or anyone else who is brainwashed will see that as a real benefit!
- Zeph
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 8:33 pm · Reply
  
  What about Passbook? It certainly seems that will be coming to the 3GS and 4.
  
  What about Facebook integration? That appears to be across the board, as well.
  
  FaceTime over 3G? Check (for iPhone 4, anyway).
  
  Shared Photo Streams? Custom text replies and reminders for incoming calls? Safari overhaul? Check, check, and check.
  
  Not to mention the countless other behind-the-scenes changes that will affect and improve third-party apps that we don’t even know about yet.
  
  Just because the one feature you care about most isn’t going to be available on your specific device, doesn’t mean that Apple is simply “increasing the version number”. Of course they’re going to push sales of new devices. That’s good business. If you don’t like it, buy an Android phone where you get a software upgrade every year no matter how old your device is.
  
  Oh… wait…
  - Rick
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 9:57 pm · Reply
    
    You’re missing the point. Why is Apple making this only a minor overhaul for the iPhone 4 when it has the hardware to handle some of the killer new features?
    
    If you know the answer then please share. If you don’t, then quit defending Apple’s self-serving actions.
    - Zeph
      
      Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 10:56 pm · Reply
      
      First of all, you’re not an Apple engineer, so you don’t have any definitive way of saying what the iPhone 4 can support.
      
      Perhaps the iPhone 4′s lack of GLONASS support had something to do with it. Maybe Apple just didn’t like the performance of the feature, despite it being “good enough” for most users (likely learning their lesson from the disaster that was iOS 4 on the iPhone 3G).
      
      Second, I already gave you the most obvious answer: it’s good for business. Demand for new features drives device sales. Deciding which features to hold back is a delicate process that is always going to upset someone. The hope is to upset the fewest while still increasing sales.
ken1w

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 2:48 am · Reply

The fact that Apple still sells the iPhone 3GS as a “new” product right now (and at least up to the point of the new iPhone’s release) makes iOS 6 compatibility inevitable. Because of the two-year contract, I’ll bet iOS 7 (in 2013) is also compatible with iPhone 3GS, even if the iPhone 3GS is discontinued later this year.

However, it is still a great achievement. Obviously, some key features (such as Siri) are not supported, but having the OS itself run on the iPhone 3GS is VERY important, especially for developers.