Do Android users have a flawed point of view? TheStreet has made the claim that Android users “don’t know enough to matter”. This statement was made on the run up to Google I/O and according to BetaNews, it is also one that will stir up criticism as it is a put down to all fans worldwide.
Android vs iPhone
Writer for TheStreet, Eric Jackson focused on the 80-70 ratio, which is the percentage of users of the device on the current version of iOS in comparison to Android. He stated that over 80% of iPhone users are running the latest update versus 7% for Android. The smaller the number the worst it is supposed to be, but is this really so? The fragmentation of Android is not the fault of Google and neither is it Android’s by itself. Except for the Nexus devices the rest of handsets rely on their manufacturers for updates. The Nexus handsets are the only ones that have Android stock, which allows users the genuine OS experience that Google wants. The question is, does everyone want that?
While Jackson may choose the word “fragmentation”, others might call it “choice”. Phone manufacturers such as HTC, LG and Samsung change the stock Android to their own liking and call it customization, they offer more features or allow users to connect to clouds. This means that with each manufacturer you get a different experience with a device. HTC have Sense and Samsung have TouchWiz for instance. If this customization did not happen there would be millions of devices that would all look exactly the same, like the iPhone.
Jackson has claimed that users of Apple out browse those on Google Android by a 3.3 x margin using NetApplications data which is easy to find and shows that the Android share is 19% and Apples is 64%. However there are other firms that do not agree to this. Jackson also claims that 70% of Android users in the US cannot find out how to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi on their handsets. This was based on the fact that over two thirds connect to the web with their carrier data while there are only 29% of those using the iPhone that do these, preferring to connect through Wi-Fi. So are users of Android dumb or are they actually smarter?
Using your data plan instead of WiFi isn’t dumb. Given that the majority of iPhone users are on AT&T which has been heavily criticized for dropped data connections and dropped calls, it comes as no surprise that more iPhone users rely on WiFi. Furthermore, many Android phone boast LTE and high HSPA+ speeds to rival WiFi. So if you’re getting great speeds with your data plan, why jump to WiFi (especially if you have a Verizon LTE data plan or an unlimited Sprint plan). Secondly, unlike the iPhone which requires you to connect to WiFi to perform certain actions (FaceTime and updates), there are no restrictions for Android phones in most cases (even updates are OTA).
The debate could go on and on. Check out the full story at the source link and voice your opinion.
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