PREDICTION: Android overtakes iPhone

[keyesdav]

I predict, given the explosion in Android devices, that Android will overtake iPhone within 1 year. Takers?

 

[anon(697)]

I think that's a close call. Recent stats have shown that the number of Android calls to web pages is increasing steadily, while iPhone calls are static or down. I think in one year from now iPhone will still be in the lead, but Android will be in second and catching up fast. Given the rate of new handsets coming out, I'd give it two years.

Dave

 

[Jeremy]

As much as I like Android, it will not come close to overtaking iPhone. 30 million plus iPhones out there now... Just not going to happen.

But really, does it matter? Both are great platforms.

 

[anon(697)]

I think it depends on what's meant by 'overtake'.

Given the number of handsets being released at the moment, plus the fact that Android is making its way to other devices like the Archos5, Zii and possibly some netbooks, I think that the number of Android devices will exceed the number of iPhones in a couple of years.

If by 'overtake' the OP meant 'be better than', then that's too subjective a question to ever be able to answer. For me personally, the iPhone is not a good fit and I think Android is already 'better' (again, for me).

There's no denying that the iPhone is a great platform and will remain hugely popular - competition between the two platforms will make them keep improving rather than sitting on their laurels.

Dave

 

[Jeremy]

I think it depends on what's meant by 'overtake'.

Given the number of handsets being released at the moment, plus the fact that Android is making its way to other devices like the Archos5, Zii and possibly some netbooks, I think that the number of Android devices will exceed the number of iPhones in a couple of years.

If by 'overtake' the OP meant 'be better than', then that's too subjective a question to ever be able to answer. For me personally, the iPhone is not a good fit and I think Android is already 'better' (again, for me).

There's no denying that the iPhone is a great platform and will remain hugely popular - competition between the two platforms will make them keep improving rather than sitting on their laurels.

Dave

Well said, if it works well for you there is nobody who can argue against that. I will disagree with you that the number of devices in total will never come close to iPhone numbers. 30 million is a big number to play catch up to. That puts Android in a huge hole and it would take well more than a few years to dig out of it.

 

[anon(697)]

Never say never

Remember that both iPhone and Android are coming to China though - the iPhone with Unicom who have 'only' 100 million subscribers, and Android (with handsets from several manufacters) with China Mobile who have over 400 million subscribers.

D

 

[Jeremy]

Never say never

Remember that both iPhone and Android are coming to China though - the iPhone with Unicom who have 'only' 100 million subscribers, and Android (with handsets from several manufacters) with China Mobile who have over 400 million subscribers.

D

Point taken but I'm still going with "never".

 

[anon(697)]

Fair enough - I'll remind of this in two years

 

[Jeremy]

Fair enough - I'll remind of this in two years

Sounds good!

 

[Cory Streater]

Never say never

Remember that both iPhone and Android are coming to China though - the iPhone with Unicom who have 'only' 100 million subscribers, and Android (with handsets from several manufacters) with China Mobile who have over 400 million subscribers.

D

That's a really good point actually. Should be interesting.

 

[ram_sg]

The initial iphone hype will settle (or has it already? ) and open platforms are set to take over, any day. It is just a matter of time before android phones gain phenomenal market share.

 

[scottae316]

I think that there is room for the iPhone, Android, and WebOS. The ones who will be hurting is Blackberry and WM. From what I have seen Blackberry OS is in need of a serious upgrade, same with Windows Mobile (WM). WM 7 is due I believe in late 2010 or 2011 I have heard. If 2011, Android and WebOS will have advanced far above it probably. The iPhone needs freshening compared to Sense UI, Motoblur,and WebOS. More and more people are adopting smart phones, so there will be room for many players. Will Android ever overtake iPhone in numbers, I remember when the thought that the iPhone and Apple could never make it. I wish I could have a product that has failed as well as the iPhone.

 

[Mapex]

The MOTORBLUR technology is a huge selling factor for the Sholes, but unfortunately from what we've heard so far the VZW version of the Sholes won't ship with it. Maybe you can hack it so you can use the MOTORBLUR - I would - but the ability to have all your social apps as desktop widgets on the phone would save so much time for people into those things, i.e. many of the Gen-Y/Gen-Z customers that currently adore the iPhone. The iPhone sucks in this regard because it lacks multitasking, so you have to keep going to the homescreen to access your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc, unless there's some AIO app that does it all for you that I don't know about. The Blackberry OS does have multitasking, but the equivalent Storm (touch screen, bigger screen for video playing, etc) doesn't compare in most areas to the iPhone or even the G1.

Android and the iPhone OS were created with touch screen, media playing, casual communications/social networking in mind, and the only thing holding Android back in the past and the present is that the Android handset is not widespread. With Sholes and CLIQ, we can expect Motorola and Google to profit considerably. But with MOTORBLUR (or some similar innate-to-Android technology that serves the same purpose), the Motorola devices would really eat the Blackberries and even the iPhone for breakfast. From there, Android just needs to be one step ahead of Apple to gain and maintain the lead.

 

[anon(697)]

http://www.androidcentral.com/analysts-say-android-will-rank-second-marketshare-2012

 

[CSI Guy]

Unless Apple comes out with something drastic, Android may overtake them in a couple of years, not 1 year I think.

 

[kingohearts2005]

By the summer of 2011 android will be deemed the platform to have. Hands down.

 

[ERDude]

According to analysts by 2012 Android will be the number 2 operating system behind Symbian. Currently their ranked 1. Symbian, 2. Apple, 3. RIM, 4. Android

The Android OS will take out Apple's OS, but iPhone will continue to pull the numbers equipment wise unless one of the manufacturers running Android beefs up the hardware to meet or exceed the iPhone.

I have had a few of my buddies drop their iPhone for the Sprint Hero once they saw what it could do, others stayed with the iPhone simply because of the 32g memory.