When Apple launched the original iPhone in 2007 there was little doubt that it was a revolutionary product. It was so revolutionary that the smartphone industry changed forever and this phone alone dragged the idea of clever mobile phones into the consciousness of the world. The rest tried, and mostly failed, to capture the magic of the iPhone, and ever since, the battle has raged between two foes determined to dominate an industry that is growing more lucrative every year. Google and Apple build the two most popular mobile operating system in the world, Android and iOS, and despite numerous differences they are both moving further away from the competition.
Android VS iPhone 4S
The Samsung Galaxy S II Has Proved That There is a Genuine Rival to Apple
Android VS iPhoneAs it stands, Android is accounting for approximately half of all smartphone connections, with iOS coming in second with roughly 20 percent of the market. The gap is already big and growing all of the time thanks to the way in which these operating systems work. Google lets any manufacturer use Android as a platform for their phones whereas Apple only builds one version of the iPhone at a time and does not license its software. This has led to a plethora of different Android phones, from budget models costing less than £50 to hardware keyboarded devices to phones including screens that verge on tablet dimension. Apple was seen as the leader in innovation, build quality and content availability, but this has changed in recent times and Android is now calling the shots in almost every area of the market. The Samsung Galaxy S II has proved that there is a genuine rival to Apple in the smartphone market and it is arguably a better phone in too many areas to be considered as just a mere competitor.
The iPhone 4S is not the larger screened iPhone 5 that many were expecting and instead looks identical to the original iPhone 4 from the outside. It has a better battery life, a much faster processor and an improved camera. iOS 5 brings improvements across the board and notifications now work as they do on Android smartphones. The inclusion of the SIRI intelligent assistant is arguably the only genuine innovation on the iPhone 4S and time will tell as to how successful such as radical control mechanism will be. If we concentrate on how well the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 compare to the best of Android, however, we are starting to see some cracks appear in Apple’s mobile ecosystem. The iPhone 4S looked like a 15-month-old smartphone on the day it was launched and this is problematic in a market reliant upon innovation and continually bringing something new to consumers. For all of the internal changes that will make it an exceptional smartphones to use, none of the Android handsets. Consumers see larger screens, new technologies like NFc (Near Field Communication) and innovative design. The iPhone 4S ticks none of these boxes and it could be argued that Apple has stifled its own creation. The iPhone 4 was an exceptional smartphone when it was released, but in a fast moving market, exceptionality soon wears off. Being able to lead the pack in this business is everything.
Samsung Galaxy S IIThe iPhone is the leader in terms of feel and there are many reasons for this, such as the way the operating system has been designed to move faster than the human eye can see, the intricate touch gestures and the simplistic layout of the interface. Apple often uses the world magic to describe the way it works and in comparison to most Android handsets it still feels more natural, but anyone who has used the Galaxy S II or the Sony Ericson Xperia Arc will know that the gap is not so big anymore. Little has changed in the iPhone interface since 2007 and even less on the iPhone 4S. The new notifications are very similar to the Android implementation and iCloud can be replicated, to an extent, using third-party solutions on Android. It is still true, however, that for first time smartphones users, the iPhone offers a system that is quick to learn and one that is extremely stable over long periods of time. This makes it ideal for anyone who wants to do the basics on a smartphone and for those who require access to easy-to-use entertainment. The only drawback is that the iPhone 4S is priced at the high-end and so it may preclude itself from this potentially large market.
Samsung, HTC and the other major Android manufacturers are able to build new smartphones and tablets at a rate that Apple has chosen not to adopt. New phones, with better specifications, appear every month and the pace is speeding up. Screens are getting bigger, processors are getting faster and new features like NFC are being added all of the time. This means that Android is now dictating the path of the entire industry and that advances in technology are making their way into Android devices first. In the time it takes Apple to release just one new smartphone, a raft of new Android handsets in all shapes and sizes have hit the market and gained publicity and loyal followings all over the world. It is an unstoppable force that will grow further and it is conceivable that Android will eventually be the operating system of choice in eight out of ten smartphones. The one downside of this is that there are some sub¬standard Android products available that do not work well at all and these have the potential to lower the general view of all Android products. It also makes choosing an Android product more complicated than it needs to be, which can slow down the buying process. The huge range of Android smartphones and tablets is a good and bad thing, but the main benefit is choice and that is something everyone wants when they are spending a lot of money.
Android VS iPhone 4S. The major factor is that the iPad brand now synonymous with tablets
Outside of smartphones, there are many Android tablets available, but the iPad still has a huge lead in this market. Android manufacturers have struggled to compete on price and prix compelling tablets that the public want to buy. Part of the reason for this has been the lack of tablet-optimized Android apps and software but the major factor is that the iPad brand is now synonymous with tablets. People ask: “Is that an IPad?” rather than: “Is that an Android tablet?” Undoubtedly, time will be needed for Android to compete in this area. However, with so many manufacturers and the might of Google behind the platform, it would be folly to believe that Android will not one day take the market share prize in the tablet market as well.
Android VS iPhone 4S. Smartphones are no longer just pieces of equipment we use in isolation
Android VS iPhoneIf we look further, we are starting to see Android used in all sods of devices from cars to fridges, and this further lends credibility to the idea of a truly connected home and working environment. iOS, and in particular the new iCloud service, offers excellent connectivity between iPads, iPhones. iPod Touches and Macs, but the system is still confined tothe few products that Apple make. For example, iMessage works only on iOS devices, whereas Android supports a wide range of instant messaging solutions. iOS also supports multiple services but the official instant messaging solution which is embedded in the operating system Is iOS only. Other restrictionsinclude the inability to modify aspects of the software: automation is available on Android, which can undertake multiple tasks for you, such as setting alarms when you reach a destination and almost every part of the user experience can be tweaked to your exact needs. Themes are available alongside completely new interfaces and developers have the ability to delve deep into the parts of the system that control everything you do on a mobile device. On an iPhone this is not the case, and users are completely reliant on what parts of the operating system Apple choose to allow entry to. This again slows the pace of change and gives a further opportunity to Google, who continually update Android with improvements and new features.
Smartphones are no longer lust pieces of equipment we use in Isolation, they are used to consume all types of media and to connect with other devices to offer entertainment. The services available on each platform are key to this experience and Apple has long held the crown thanks to iTunes ‘and the volume of music and video available. Despite criticisms of over pricing and digital rights management, a process that stops content being used on some devices, the service has grown to become dominant in the world of downloadable content. However, this dominance is now beingchallenged by the likes of Amazon and we are seeing huge growth in MP3 and eBook sales from this supplier alone. Indeed, Amazon has made inroads into media sales on iOS and pricing is just one factor; a simple search through the Amazon MP3 and eBook stores shows an aggressive pricing structure that often undercuts rivals. Add to this some clever software development which integrates the services heavily into Android devices and it starts to feel like a direct alternative to iTunes. Movies and TV episodes are now also available, but the services are somewhat fragmented, which can cause confusion for users and so it is expected that Amazon will aim to push video to mobile devices on a larger scale, and Android will be the platform of choice for this.
As Android starts to eat up more market share, this provides more impetus for content providers and publishers to allow their creations onto the platform, potentially making Android the default platform for mobile content. This has already been highlighted in the app market where the number of Android apps has grown exponentially. A freemium model is also starting to grow. which lets developers give away their apps for free and reap the rewards from in-app advertising overtime, an area that Google is particularly proficient in. it is never easy to make money front mobile apps because there are simply too many available, but evidence is growing that advertising and in-app purchases are becoming more and more lucrative than straight fees to buy an app in the first place.
Android VS iPhone 4S. It would be nonsensical to bet against the iPhone 5 reinvigorating the iOS juggernaut
All of this comes together to paint a picture of an industry that is more competitive than it has been since 2007, and many feel that Google and Android are now leading the mobile market. There is little doubt that the market share figures lean towards Android dominating for some time to come and with the support of multiple hardware manufacturers, the dominance will only grow. The iPhone 4S does little to halt this momentum because it is merely building upon the success of the IPhone 4. However, Apple knows its market very well indeed and it would be nonsensical to bet against the IPhone 5 reinvigorating the iOS juggernaut once more. Apple is playing the long game, a game of understanding that most i Phone 4 users are locked into long contracts and so are less likely .to buy the next iPhone anyway. A game where they expect the iPhone 5 to be as thrilling as the original iPhone 4 was.
The problem is that it is also a dangerous game and one that Android seems destined to win if Apple does not speed up the pace of change. When we look back at the history of the mobile industry, some worrying trends arise: rarely does the company that invents a segment of t market dominate it long term and this is true tablets (Microsoft), smartphones (Palm) and even general computing. The iPhone 45 is an Improvement over every iPhone before it, and offer exceptional quality and performance, but the user experience is not everything and spec and choice will be the ultimate winners. And specs and choice Is what Android is all about.
What’s New in iPhone 4S?
8-Megapixel Camera
The iPhone 4S camera claims to offer zero shutter lag and the ability to take photos much quicker than any other smartphones. Face detection has also been built in
A5 Processor
The dual-core A5 processor offers twice as much power as the original iPhone 4 and 7x faster graphics, which will be very handy for complex graphics creation.
iOS 5
The latest version of Apple’s operating system is built in to the 4S by default and brings with it iMessage, notification centre and full Twitter integration.
SIRI
Apple claims that Siri will change the way we interact with our smartphones and it may have a point. Siri makes the voice control feature feel more lifelike than previous offerings and is able to talk back to the user in ‘real’ language. This is particularly useful for people with disabilities, but also for those who spend a lot of time driving or undertaking activities that makes an onscreen keyboard difficult to use.
The software will learn your voice and such is expected to get more accurate and become more useful over time. Only time will tell if Siri truly is a revelation that changes how we live or if it is destined to remain as a mere novelty because too many people don’t want to talk to their phone in public. This is yet another example of an existing technology that Apple has improved upon.
source: www.tcgeeks.com
1 comment
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