My Problem With Android.

[PRNmeds]

My girlfriend bought me an OG for Christmas last year, and I fell in love. I became an avid Android enthusiast, and enjoyed rooting, and customizing my very first smart phone. As time has gone by, I've watched more and more companies really hit the ground running developing Android devices. The problem I have with Android is plain and simple: It's nearly impossible as a consumer, to feel good about spending your money on an Android device.

Now hear me out:

With so many manufacturers developing android phones, it seems like a newer, better phone is coming out nearly every single month. Some are only available on certain networks, and if you're in a contract, you are bound to purchase a phone that is available on the network that you are your family are on. Lets face it, it's just not practical to swap providers every single time the latest and greatest is released. It seems like no Android phone has it all. The T-Bolt has 756 megs of ram, awesome! However, the Bionic, which we've all seen photos of, has a dual core processor! Lets not forget the Atrix, which isn't even available on Verizon, so that's a quick rule out. I find that it is so hard as a consumer to look at the thunderbolt and be really, truly excited, because I know that the second I sign a contract, either a new phone will drop, or I will hop over to AC and see the latest rumors and photos of a new device, that blows the one I just spent a ton of money on out of the water.

Consumers want to feel good about the way they spend their money. A smart phone is a very high ticket item, most people can't just go buy new ones every time a better one is released. When the X, Incredible, and Droid 2 released, I thought to myself... "but there will be a better one with a front facing camera" and now I'm saying, "there will be a better one with a dual core processor". It's a never ending cycle.

The reason I believe that apple has been so successful is for a few reasons.
1. They make a great product (note: not saying it's better than any android device, but be honest, the iphone is a great piece of technology).
2. Apple users are satisfied with their purchases, there is no new iphone being released a month or two after the new one came out. Everyone is on the same page, come June, there's a new phone, and everyone knows it's coming.

I was going to buy a Thunderbolt when it released on Feb 24, but that day has long since come and gone. I may have bought it on that day, and felt like I would at least get to enjoy it for a month while it was atop the smart phone food chain. But now with no release date, and we are closing fast on a month since Phil swore up and down it was going to be released, I can just tell you right out, that I will not be purchasing this phone, there is NO way. They have taken so long to drop this phone, that I guarantee something else better will either pop up on the rumor mill RIGHT after it is released, or will actually be released by another company. (Droid Bionic anyone?).

tl;dr: It's impossible for a consumer to feel good about their android purchase, because there is always a new *and improved/better* phone just around the corner.

Thoughts? Opinions? Snide Remarks? I'd love to hear some feedback from this great community.

 

[Android 19]

that's some novel you got there! Just the way tech is-always something new and better, it comes down to you being able to find a way in which to deal with it! New tech is always great-but you'll always be in new phone limbo until you can go a good amount of time in being happy with what you have.

 

[CyD13]

I completely agree with OP, but I take this lesson from it: you don't need the latest and greatest to enjoy what you have.

 

[KingChicago]

I am in the same camp as the OP. Then again, I have a lot of friends who are tech junkies like me. If the Tbolt had come out on 2.14 like we originally thought, the phone would have been on tops for a long while, but now, more LTE phones might come out within WEEKS of the Tbolt coming out.

Now, I feel this round of smartphone roulette is different than most. Usually you can plan ahead a great deal and figure out what works best for you, but you throw in the LTE wrench to this equation and it gets a little more difficult. I think that any talks of tension between HTC and Verizon is warranted, even if they never make anything like that public. If the phone had released mid-February, HTC would have cornered the LTE market and saturated it with their Thunderbolt. However, since there are 4 phones coming out in pretty rapid succession that will utilize the LTE services, consumers now have to evaluate whats best for them. The longer Verizon delays this phone, the closer it comes to the release of the Stealth, Bionic and LG thing (I forgot the name...Revolution? I'm too lazy to Google at 2:30 am).

Apple fans dont have the same dilemma of choosing which phone suits them best...because there is only 1.

 

[mlpjunior]

I really believe we will reach a point where performance will plateau somewhat, and most of the innovation will occur in power efficiency. This has happened with laptops, and I don't believe it's too far off for smartphones. We may already be there, in fact.

Putting benchmarks aside, everyday speed is probably very similar between the latest Snapdragons, OMAPs, and Tegra 2. Gaming graphics is one area where I foresee continued innovation in speed, however, just as has been the case with the PC market.

On the software side, you are right on the money with Apple. Their devices are always updated for a couple of years. With Android phones, it's often a crap shoot.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[SpaceHippie]

They release diferrent android phones with different interfaces. It's to appeal to a different audience. You love the stock look and want to root and have tons of power. You get a droid device. You want something similiar to te iphone thats nice to look at, you get a samsung phone(a womens android device imo), you want a social beast, get a htc phone. And none of these newer phones blow away all other phones. Hell the HTC evo is still a upper echelon android phone. And will be until next year when dual core is refined. Cheer up man.

 

[Suillira]

Technology changes on a constant, we all know this...and I like being part of something that is constantly evolving...and who cares if your phone isn't on the top for long? You customize it to your liking and that's all that matters...

 

[ixse]

great.. now someone who complains about variety..
it's only natural for newer and better products to come out..

 

[asianrage]

You're not saying anything new that none of us haven't heard of or thought about.

Remember, it's a matter of perspective. The constant craving for newer/future-proof tech is something that isn't shared among non-technophile. Regular, non tech geek, will buy something based on name recognition and whether a product (which ever it might be advertised/sold to them) at the time works well. What Apple excels at is hardware/software integration. Their product just works. Microsoft is trying to do the same thing with their WP7 platform. And Android is for everyone else. That said, HTC Sense is the reason why I'm for Android and the TB (to bring the discussion back to this particular device).

I don't get why people have issues with Android. Yes I know the reasons that people list out, but the fingers are pointing in the wrong direction. Android works because it allows tons of flexibility, and have led to a bunch of great mobile products. But it's the manufacturers and carriers that screws up. Android is only a software platform that cries out for variety. It's the hardware makers that has the ability to matches each iteration to the specs that they want to set. They're able to create diverse range of devices to match their target demographics.

The problem of fragmentation comes out of the innate drive of competition. Every manufacturers has to compete against each other in order to gain carrier support and market dominance. Consumers (including tech geeks) are left to choose from a vast battlefield of products, each with their own unique spin on Android.

Here's where I'm gonna introduce the idea of "continuous improvement", or Kaizen, where a process (or way of doing something) is constantly being reworked and improved upon. Hardware variations and differentiation is the result, all driven by profit and competition. This is the reason behind the Galaxy S variants, the evolution of the chunky HTC HD2 hardware into the svelt Desire HD (and Thunderbolt, natch!). All coming out one after the other.

Next post....

 

[asianrage]

I apologize. My previous post was too long because I'm too tired to filter my thoughts.

Here's what I'll say.


If you want the definitive, unified version of ANY Android iterations, go back to the source. Go pure Google. Go with the Nexus line. It's from Google, the software maker. Any Nexus phones get all the updates first. The hardware is their chosen specs, whether you like it or not (I'm looking at you, plastic Nexus S). And new hardware, with new software, comes out every year and everyone is on the same page, and everyone knows it's coming. Does that sound familiar?

 

[I am Fake Jesus]

sorry had to cool story this. but you will never keep up with new phones, the bionic an all these other ones area already starting to be made an stock up somewhere, unless u r just filthy rich, get the phone that does everything u need an more. then just personalize it to your needs. only phone u can stay up to date on is iphone on 1 year contracts. android an now wp7 will have new phones dropping every other month.

 

[prakash99]

I don't need to get 1 year contracts. I have three lines on my account, four if you count the netbook. And all of these lines are kinda spaced out as far as upgrade dates are concerned....six months or more apart. So I can easily port the upgrade eligibility from my other lines to the line I use and get a new phone. I hope VZW does not stop letting us port upgrades between lines in the same family plan.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[luketrocity]

I'm agree with the OP but this is with everything. How many times after buying a top of the line laptop does a new one comes out thats way better. This is just technology. I think your noticing it more because your keeping up on your phone specs.

 

[anon(157335)]

...and we are closing fast on a month since Phil swore up and down it was going to be released....

Didn't Phil "swear up and down" that the release date was February 24? By my calculations that was nine days ago, not "closing fast on a month."

 

[atakin77]

Android phones, and smart phones in general, are in a state this is similar to computers 15 years ago. Every few months there were substantial leaps in power, ability, and drops in price. Smart phones now are the same way, including Apple. The iPhone 4 was a leading device when it was released last summer. Not there are two (Inspire & Atrix) more capable devices offered by AT&T.

For a few more years, the smart phone industry will continue to be this way. Eventually it will level off, just like computers have. The laptop I am using now is 2 years old. If I bought a new one today, I would not notice any difference in performance whatsoever (for how I use it). Phones will get to this spot too, it will just take time.

 

[arisenfury]

As long as you keep the phone in good shape, just sell it on eBay when something new you like comes out and use that money to buy the new one off contract. Keep that one in good shape and sell it on eBay and buy another off contract, etc. Used prices on smart phones, especially high-end ones are based off of off-contract prices, not prices with contracts. It's very easy to sell a high end Android phone that's only a few months old and in good condition for around $400, if not higher.

 

[the one and only M]

It would be nice if the nexus line was available to CDMA customers. That would always be my go to choice, similar to how apple offers once a year. I don't get too caught up in the specs race once I buy a new phone though.

I see the thunderbolt as being on par with what I already have (droid x) with the added bonus of lte support. With every passing week I find myself being less excited for it. Like I might as well wait for dual core devices.

 

[PRNmeds]

Didn't Phil "swear up and down" that the release date was February 24? By my calculations that was nine days ago, not "closing fast on a month."

He predicted the 24th before the 24th. And even if it has been only 12 days, with no release day in sight, I'd say we are in fact closing on a month.

 

[PRNmeds]

You guys have left a ton of great feedback, and I really appreciate it. I don't want anyone to be confused with what I was originally trying to say. A couple of you made comments about learning to be happy with what you have, not having the latest and greatest. That is absolutely what the consumer must do in order to not feel bad about their purchase. That being said, there will always be many people who just feel slightly disappointed when a newer, better phone comes out one month after they just purchased a phone. The new phone is probably going to be the same price, and it's common to feel that sting of envy.

What I was trying to do initially is show how Apple is in a really good place when it comes to making their customers feel satisfied/good about their purchases. Maybe it's the shiny aluminum unibody look that everyone is so addicted to. I think there is something to be said about how they're doing their own thing, and by releasing one product a year, they have developed a portion of the market where consumers feel really good about their purchases. (Which is so important when the products are running $500+ dollar price tags.)

 

[ASLgeek]

In contrast, I think having so many different phones is what's great about Android. They have phones for various level users and at different price points for people who can't afford to drop $800 for a phone or even $200 on contract for a phone. They are constantly keeping up with what consumers want.

I've an iPhone and and a Blackberry and don't get me wrong I think they are all great depending on what your needs are but just very slow at keeping up to speed. Blackberry is super outdated and Apple got some confortable with having a revolutionary phone when the iPhone was first released and everybody jumped on that now the yearly generation updates are minimal. While they are just getting tethering and multitasking, I had that on my Android months ago.

I think it just all comes down to doing your homework on rumored phones and deciding which one you want to go for. What rumored specs really catch your eye. If dual core is what you want then look at the Bionic or the Atrix. In my opinion I hate Blur and Motorola so they aren't even options for me. Now when HTC drops a dual core I might jump on it. You also have to consider which contract is going to be best for you knowing that technology changes quickly: 1yr, 2yr, retail?