What do you think are still androids biggest strengths?

[RavenSword]

Nowadays it really seems like all three of these smartphone operating systems (iOS, android, and windows phone) are all headed towards the same point as far as accessibility, smoothness, security, and etc. ps caught up to android pretty much with iOS 8, android is getting more flatter and speedy like iOS with lollipop, and WP 8.1 has pretty much every feature that iOS and android had. So now it's going to come down to what special selling points each OS has more than ever.

What do you think are still androids biggest strengths or selling points. Is it being open still a major selling point. IMO I question wether it is because it creates a lot of problems like fragmentation, update troubles, and a lack of direction. And I'm unsure what are the remaining benefits of being open are. Say what you want about Apple and them using proprietary hardware and are locked down, but you can atleast expect to have great performance and quick updates because a single company controls the stack. You can't say the same for android. For example, my m8 probaly won't get lollipop for 2 months or more and it won't have all the visual enhancements that a nexus device would.

Anyway, what do you think are the remains strengths and selling points are? ROMing? Do most even want that?

 

[B. Diddy]

I still prefer choice. I like having lots of different high quality devices to choose from, whether it's the Nexus 5 or 6, Moto X, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S5/Note 4, LG G3, or Sony Z3. Think about that--7 different superphones to choose from, each with their particular strengths.

Fragmentation isn't the big bad issue that Android detractors want it to be, ever since Google started shifting a lot of its system improvements to Google Play Services and individual Google app updates. And realistically, the incessant thirst for updates seems to lead to more problems than improvements lately--and Apple is not immune to this, as the last few iOS updates have shown.

 

[RavenSword]

I still prefer choice. I like having lots of different high quality devices to choose from, whether it's the Nexus 5 or 6, Moto X, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S5/Note 4, LG G3, or Sony Z3. Think about that--7 different superphones to choose from, each with their particular strengths.

Fragmentation isn't the big bad issue that Android detractors want it to be, ever since Google started shifting a lot of its system improvements to Google Play Services and individual Google app updates. And realistically, the incessant thirst for updates seems to lead to more problems than improvements lately--and Apple is not immune to this, as the last few iOS updates have shown.

That's fair enough. Its just I know feel compelled to shell out 650 bucks on a nexus 6 because I'd like to get all the lollipop features and styling, which I won't get on any other android phone due to OEM skins.

 

[B. Diddy]

The Nexus 5 (and 4) will also get Lollipop. Nexus 5 is still an excellent phone (and is still being sold), and I think it will hold its own for at least another 1-2 years.

 

[RavenSword]

The Nexus 5 (and 4) will also get Lollipop. Nexus 5 is still an excellent phone (and is still being sold), and I think it will hold its own for at least another 1-2 years.

Well, I've used a nexus 5 before. Great phone, but battery life was a deal breaker.

I'd like to keep using my m8, I just don't know if it'll be any different when it gets lollipop

 

[kvadd2]

Definitively the versatility. It's everywhere, to phones, tvs, cars, refrigerators. And it's very welcoming to developers who want to do their own thing with the OS.

 

[Ry]

Strength: it's openness. Google can push their vision of Android. But so can Motorola, Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG, Cyanogen, etc.

You get to choose a phone that checks off the most boxes for you.

Posted via Android Central App (Moto X)

 

[A895]

Besides update speed,I can't find anything iOS has over Android. The only reason I would get an iPhone is for faster updates, but for everything else, Android in my opinion is just much more useful. I still don't think WP has reached parity with Android or iOS as far as functionality, they have another whole set of issues.

• Android is much more customizable, like how someone makes their computer feel like their computer, you can make your Android phone feel like your Android phone
• Defaults is still not present in other OS's like Android either, I can set any app to do anything I need it to do.
• Sharing is still much more powerful on Android, I can share anything everywhere in the OS\
• Notifications is still that much better on Android, I was checking out an iPhone 6 and its notification try is just all over the place really.
• Android compared to iOS lately (at least stock) is a lot more simpler,I was looking at an iOS 8 vs Android Lollipop video, and iOS looked super confusing in the setting menu, some settings are in apps some are in the system settings, that is just confusing. Also, one thing I don't like about iOS is that the control center is a swipe up, why isn't in the notification center like every other OS?

These are just a few strengths of Android, there are more.

 

[RavenSword]

Would it be a waste to get a nexus 6 If I have a M8

 

[MDMcAtee]

Nowadays it really seems like all three of these smartphone operating systems (iOS, android, and windows phone) are all headed towards the same point as far as accessibility, smoothness, security, and etc. ps caught up to android pretty much with iOS 8, android is getting more flatter and speedy like iOS with lollipop, and WP 8.1 has pretty much every feature that iOS and android had. So now it's going to come down to what special selling points each OS has more than ever.

What do you think are still androids biggest strengths or selling points. Is it being open still a major selling point. IMO I question wether it is because it creates a lot of problems like fragmentation, update troubles, and a lack of direction. And I'm unsure what are the remaining benefits of being open are. Say what you want about Apple and them using proprietary hardware and are locked down, but you can atleast expect to have great performance and quick updates because a single company controls the stack. You can't say the same for android. For example, my m8 probaly won't get lollipop for 2 months or more and it won't have all the visual enhancements that a nexus device would.

Anyway, what do you think are the remains strengths and selling points are? ROMing? Do most even want that?

Fragmentation update troubles and lack of direction....

Let's go over these things

Fragmentation means what to you and why is this a issue? All of the various skins are just that... skins.. They are meant to differentiate the various oems devices. Android is not monopolistic in how it looks and gives each of us choice. Don't confuse the carriers archaic practices of locking down the phones with something Google has done. Google has no stand on open source in controlling this, but the consumer does by what they can do with it. I look at the fragmentation issue as a opportunity to have something different. If a person wants sameness from every carrier, they should buy a iPhone.

Update troubles... do you mean lack of updates? Again this is not a Google issue or Android issue. The individual can change whatever they want whenever they want if applicable on that particular carrier The limitation to this is entirely dependant upon the individuals desires and skill set.

Lack of direction..... In what regards? Is Google to mimic Apple's uniform look across all manufacturers or Microsoft's approach to unification of it's platforms to appease you? They have done a good job of being able to sync with everything already and are working to improve this further... What direction should they be taking? What can they control outside of their own devices?

Having the choices that I have I'll take Android over any monopolistic platform for those differences..... and that is the greatest thing about Android. I for one hope this never changes. I do wish for all the carriers to give the options back to the individual to decide what apps can be removed from the phones and to allow all phones to be utilized as each individual chooses just as HTC has done with theirs... But I never want to see all Android phones locked down the same.. like a iPhone or Windows phone is.

Posted via Android Central App on my HTC M8

 

[LeoRex]

My opinion boils down to one simple concept: Android allows me to choose my own experience. With iOS, Apple strips that power away and forces their vision on me.

 

[anon(50597)]

I was thinking about this today. I was a big BlackBerry user. I recently have also played around with Windows phone. What do I like most about Android? It can adapt to my changing needs. Business? No problem. School? Got it covered. Personal? Sure can. It can become whatever I need it to be and I think this is what makes it so powerful and keeps me coming back.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[RavenSword]

Fragmentation update troubles and lack of direction....

Let's go over these things

Fragmentation means what to you and why is this a issue? All of the various skins are just that... skins.. They are meant to differentiate the various oems devices. Android is not monopolistic in how it looks and gives each of us choice. Don't confuse the carriers archaic practices of locking down the phones with something Google has done. Google has no stand on open source in controlling this, but the consumer does by what they can do with it. I look at the fragmentation issue as a opportunity to have something different. If a person wants sameness from every carrier, they should buy a iPhone.

Update troubles... do you mean lack of updates? Again this is not a Google issue or Android issue. The individual can change whatever they want whenever they want if applicable on that particular carrier The limitation to this is entirely dependant upon the individuals desires and skill set.

Lack of direction..... In what regards? Is Google to mimic Apple's uniform look across all manufacturers or Microsoft's approach to unification of it's platforms to appease you? They have done a good job of being able to sync with everything already and are working to improve this further... What direction should they be taking? What can they control outside of their own devices?

Having the choices that I have I'll take Android over any monopolistic platform for those differences..... and that is the greatest thing about Android. I for one hope this never changes. I do wish for all the carriers to give the options back to the individual to decide what apps can be removed from the phones and to allow all phones to be utilized as each individual chooses just as HTC has done with theirs... But I never want to see all Android phones locked down the same.. like a iPhone or Windows phone is.

Posted via Android Central App on my HTC M8

While in theory I think everyone doing their own thing is great, I just feel that doing so creates potential complications and performance issues. And really shouldn't experience and performance be the most important thing, not hack ability? Most are not going to want to root and hack there phone. And honestly I think I would prefer if Google went the windows route and had different OEMs making the hardware, but the software is all the same.

 

[MDMcAtee]

While in theory I think everyone doing their own thing is great, I just feel that doing so creates potential complications and performance issues. And really shouldn't experience and performance be the most important thing, not hack ability? Most are not going to want to root and hack there phone. And honestly I think I would prefer if Google went the windows route and had different OEMs making the hardware, but the software is all the same.

Performance issues are from the hardware limitations most often and if you want the Microsoft experience then you always have the option of either making a Android phone look like one or buying a Windows phone.....

 

[RavenSword]

Performance issues are from the hardware limitations most often and if you want the Microsoft experience then you always have the option of either making a Android phone look like one or buying a Windows phone.....

I'm not saying I want a Microsoft experience, I'm saying that I think it be better if all android was a Google experience. Not a Samsung, Sony, htc, xiaomi, Huawei, LG, moto experience. That's pulling in too many directions.

 

[bnice]

But that's what make Android unique. The pure Google experience is there and for some who desire something more,its available also. The notion that a phone is bad because it has touch wiz, sense or any other layer of software on it is just false to me. Its all individual preference. The user experience is different for everyone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[MDMcAtee]

I'm not saying I want a Microsoft experience, I'm saying that I think it be better if all android was a Google experience. Not a Samsung, Sony, htc, xiaomi, Huawei, LG, moto experience. That's pulling in too many directions.

But you are missing something here... You can have the Google experience with each of these... That choice is yours to have.

Google doesn't own Androids software it is open source and as such cannot dictate what various skins oems put into it. They control the app store and dictate which of their apps must be loaded to have access to the store.

Having a pure Google edition phone less the apps that the carriers or oems load is well within most people's skill set if they choose to do so otherwise they use it as it comes.

The unification you are wanting can only be done on a os that is owned not a open source os.

This is only a issue for those who feel the OS has to be the same on all carries and all oems like yourself . To be so would be a detriment to Android as a whole because we would loose new things from the various manufacturers and carriers. It's a blessing and a bain because we have to take the good with the bad but the alternative is no better.... and that is a locked down os.

 

[RavenSword]

But you are missing something here... You can have the Google experience with each of these... That choice is yours to have.

Google doesn't own Androids software it is open source and as such cannot dictate what various skins oems put into it. They control the app store and dictate which of their apps must be loaded to have access to the store.

Having a pure Google edition phone less the apps that the carriers or oems load is well within most people's skill set if they choose to do so otherwise they use it as it comes.

The unification you are wanting can only be done on a os that is owned not a open source os.

This is only a issue for those who feel the OS has to be the same on all carries and all oems like yourself . To be so would be a detriment to Android as a whole because we would loose new things from the various manufacturers and carriers. It's a blessing and a bain because we have to take the good with the bad but the alternative is no better.... and that is a locked down os.

Maybe I just like closed systems more, I dunno. It's why I'm thinking of going back to my iPhone 5S because it's always fast and good. And gets updates. However, there's alot less choice and if I go all Apple I'm really in a situation of limited options. If I don't like something they do, I'm out of luck. So in that way I like androids choice.

I just want to use what I want and have it work in my tech lifestyle. I try not to be beholden to brands

 

[ryanr509]

If anything I'd say for the "tech" people that will root and ROM and another is all the different manufacturers that make different size phones. Screen size, battery, thickness, camera, waterproof u can basically get anything u want with android which is good but also bad because of the fragmentation like your saying. I think most normal people that just want a phone to text, Facebook, take pics and browse the web probably go towards whatever is "cool" or whatever the see advertised hence why the iPhone and galaxy series have been top selling phones for quite some time.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Maybe I just like closed systems more, I dunno. It's why I'm thinking of going back to my iPhone 5S because it's always fast and good. And gets updates. However, there's alot less choice and if I go all Apple I'm really in a situation of limited options. If I don't like something they do, I'm out of luck. So in that way I like androids choice.

I just want to use what I want and have it work in my tech lifestyle. I try not to be beholden to brands

What isn't working for you?

I don't understand anyone who wants to go back to a closed os when they insist on choices.

I also have a hard time understanding why you would not jailbreak your phone either. Same for rooting a skinned Android to have a pure Google experience if a GPE or Nexus phone wasn't available... I mean you're wanting

So exactly what isn't working for you with all the choices you have that you need to go back to a iPhone?

Saying that you just like or prefer a closed os is radically different from what you have implied prior... Or... is that what this was all about... your wanting to go back to ios and just trying to justify the decision you're making?