“The unofficial theme at this year’s Mobile World Congress show was: Everybody attack Apple, Samsung and Google,” Mike Elgan writes for Computerworld. “The reason is obvious: These three companies dominate the smartphone industry with a shocking totality.”
“Apple and Samsung together account for 103% of all smartphone handset profits. (The percentage exceeded 100% because of the way losses are accounted for),” Elgan writes. “The rest of the industry is fed up with watching Apple, Samsung and Google run away with all the money. Now they’re fighting back.”
Elgan writes, “Apple didn’t have a booth, yet had a presence at MWC not unlike Lord Voldemort’s in the Harry Potter series — the scary, powerful entity that must not be named. A general mob scene at the HTC booth involved long lines forming behind the dozens of tethered demo units of the recently announced HTC One phone. Many people were snapping pictures of the HTC One with their iPhones.”
“Devices running Android were everywhere at the show,” Elgan writes. “But there’s trouble in paradise, and this was plain to see at MWC. The problem: The marginalization and commoditization of mobile operating systems in general and Android in particular… In general, the custom-built user interfaces created by handset makers are taking the experience further away from the Android experience and the Google revenue model… upstart mobile platforms won’t come at Android on the high end of the market, but on the low end, where apps are far less important.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We hear the same thing every year.
That said, this year might be the year for one thing: Android’s decline.
It’s much easier to attack Google (Android) successfully at the low end than it is for anyone to attack Apple at the high end. In general, high-end buyers tend to be better informed than the average handset buyer and these customers understand the value of Apple’s superior industrial design, software+hardware symbiosis, and their unmatched ecosystems (App Store, iTunes Store, iCloud, third-party “Made for iPhone” accessories, widespread vehicle integration, etcetera). These customers aren’t going to be trading down; Apple has too many advantages that are not easily replicated.
You know, the more I read of Mike Elgan, the more I realize he can be a real A-Hole.
Apple’s presence was “not unlike Lord Voldemort”? Really? I would like to know when Apple butt-raped Elgan in an alley, cuz he really should have reported that to the police. I can’t think of any reason why tech reporters have this subtle hatred for Apple.
Which book was that scene in?
I think that scene was in Hairy Gspotter Book 69: Lord Voldemort’s Backdoor Wand
Subtle? Hehe.
They’re a ton of disenfranchised Windows-users/”journalists” who see the writing on the wall and realize that Microsoft’s reign as the dominant player in desktops and laptops is coming to an end. Of course they want to lash out and Apple is the whipping boy of the hour.
It’s not that he has a hatred/fear of Apple, but that all the other mobile device companies do. In essence, Apple is Voldemort at the Mobile World Congress – you never see them, but can feel their influence.
Everyone loves to pull for the underdog, and that’s what happens at these conferences. The problem with all other mobile device platforms is that they don’t have developer support. That is one thing Microsoft always understood and coveted, and Apple really never understood until iOS blew up for them.
No platform gains significant market share without making it easy for developers to make money from their efforts. That is why iOS is winning the profit battle and thus the developer battle. Any low end device will fail to gain much traction because it simply won’t have much for apps.
“subtle” ?
When’s the last time you read a negative article on Apple from P?E.D. ? MacWorld? Etc.. Journalists tend not to bite the hand that feeds it. Few are objective. Yes,that includes Elmer.
Hmmmm. I read negative articles ALL the time about Apple. Mostly negative pictures hidden within a wordy and worthless attempt to paint Apple as dying and Microsoft as starting a new level of control vs tablets.
JAT
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No dopey, from MacWorld! Jeez! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
equating Apple with “He Who Shall Not Be Named” – the threat on everyone’s mind, conspicuous in its absence – is apt
anim8me2 has a point. A better comment would have been that Apple’s presence was like Harry Potter, since all these Android vendors are like a gathering of Death Eaters (with Google as Lord Voldemort, bossing them around).
Because that’s what gets them hits.
Agree! I read the article and it had the standard BS about market share being everything…… Even if you don’t ship product…. Just build it and that counts as a sale!!,!!
Apple ships ten times the number of units of others and is dissed cause it was down 2% of projected. … But MS is praised cause it shipped a few units. Just BS..
JAT
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Well stated connection: MS=BS
😆
Android will soon be known as the ghetto platform.
“Android will soon be known as the ghetto platform”
Not just the “ghetto” but in all of the low information world.
Just finished another week working at a high school in a staff position where I commonly see “young computer geniuses” .(They “are” because their parents think that because they are good at computer games, and have convinced said parents that they are “expert” computer and Android hackers!)
An excess of self esteem, a VERY common problem these days.
The problem is that when the young Android expert, computer hacker, gamer genius asks me what I can do for them if the paper they just typed can’t be found anymore!
My question: did you save it? Answer: “Dude, I don ‘t know nothin about that!”
OK, a slight exaggeration, but not by much. Lord knows I love them but there are some big life surprises coming for them.
And yes, iOS student users ARE better.
Android is the platform for persons who have no concern for the ethics or quality behind a product. They prefer cheap products that have more bells and whistles (regardless of how well they work), can be purchased for every member of the family through a buy one get on free promotion and have free apps because they sure as hell aren’t aren’t paying for them. Walk through a Walmart or an all you can eat buffet if you wish to dwell among the Android community.
Nonetheless, since I like sharing big “purdy” pics and vids around, if Apple keeps adhering to the “one thumb shall rule them all” theory of screen ergonomics and fails to launch a larger windowed-on-the-world model this year, I will likely be giving some consideration to a Galaxy S4.
[*puts on flak jacket*]
If these companies want to compete with apple then there’s a simple solution.
MAKE BETTER PRODUCTS!
If you make crap expect to not sell anything.
And don’t copy Apple – design and make something different!!
Apple controls the hardware and software.
They can tweak iOS to get the most out of the hardware.
They control updates to iOS, so users can all have the latest version of iOS.
Android using companies have no control of the OS, other than skinning it.
They are dependent on carriers distributing updates or don’t bother with OS updates at all.
Most Android devices will never receive an update.
Google releases their own devices, directly competing with Companies using Android.
How can they compete?
Why wouldn’t they resent Google and Apple?
Here’s the joke. When your entire trade conference omits the only companies that are making a profit, you don’t need to hold a conference next year.
Seriously. Samsung can hold their own press events, Apple does their developer conferences, as does Google.
I was actually MWC in Barcelona. It was interesting during the conferences that the speakers were referring only to the 3 OS’s: iOS, Android, and Foxfire OS (HTML5). Even the industry has written off Windows Mobile, Tizen, and RIM.
One thing was discussed was interesting. 90% of the next 2 Billion Mobile subscribes are going to come from emerging markets in Africa and Asia. These users can only afford $10 Feature Phones and $30 Smartphones. And guess what – they won’t be Apple or Samsung devices. Nokia and several of the China manufacturers are going to go hard at this market. These are the markets where the first dollar is spent on food and the 2nd dollar is spent on communications.
I’m not saying Apple should play here – all I’m saying is this is what the carriers think will be their growth market.
Interesting. But growth in sales and losing money on each sale is not really a place a company wants to be in. Unless it wants to go bankrupt.
JAT
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This could be referred to as the XBox Strategy…
If they can bring a phone to those who can only spend $30 the more power to them. The world only improves when people are linked into world-wide communications. Eventually as economies improve, and people can afford more, they can upgrade to iPhone and help Apple continue to grow.
Apple Inc. has created a unique, innovative, intergrated, cohesive and comprehensive environment for the millions of customers that use the multiplicity of devices it produces. The company has a vision and an inherent desire to continue pleasing its customer as it continues to move inexorably forward. With this philosophy Apple Inc. will continue to dominate and profit as it should.
Creep.
The can also screw up like the rest of us.
Too often they seek to control and protect their dominance.