Android not there yet?

[talkbackdroid]

Android has been on the market for a year now and according to the San Francisco Chronicle the Os is still "not there yet." With all the Android handsets and other devices being launched onto the market and the buzz that Android devices are creating it is hard to see where the OS i... Read more

[f4phantomii]

Not surprising....there are still a handful of features that Android doesn't do that 5 or 6 year old handsets had as standard features. Bluetooth operability comes to mind here.

It's still missing a lot of the polish of the iPhone, but the function is there. Heck, I had a co-worker come show me his brand new iPhone 3GS. He was showing off the equivalent of the Google Sky app. I kinda shrugged and pointed out I'd had that on the G1 nearly from the outset. Apple was playing catchup here. But when I looked at it on his 3GS, I have to admit it simply looked better than the Google app. It had a lot of pop and polish to it. Performance was the same, the information was the same, but if I had to pick one I liked better, the Apple app took the honors.

Stuff like that is why reviews will continue to say that Android isn't "quite there yet".

[hyperdroid]

Originally Posted by f4phantomii

It's still missing a lot of the polish of the iPhone, but the function is there. Heck, I had a co-worker come show me his brand new iPhone 3GS. He was showing off the equivalent of the Google Sky app. I kinda shrugged and pointed out I'd had that on the G1 nearly from the outset. Apple was playing catchup here. But when I looked at it on his 3GS, I have to admit it simply looked better than the Google app. It had a lot of pop and polish to it. Performance was the same, the information was the same, but if I had to pick one I liked better, the Apple app took the honors.

Stuff like that is why reviews will continue to say that Android isn't "quite there yet".

I do agree with you there. I noticed this for several different apps that have the same functionality. I don't know what it could be, maybe its just the developers for iPhone are getting paid more? or they spend more time on those apps to bring that polish to them. But the Google sky map, should be the same if not better on the G1 since it is on their OS. I usually am the type to say function over form, so I try to ignore it, but there is a difference in the apps.

[constellanation]

the google skymap was an independent developer who's app they purchased. not sure how much they put into it after they bought it but for the most part it looked the same.

[Dominic Widdows]

Originally Posted by constellanation

the google skymap was an independent developer who's app they purchased. not sure how much they put into it after they bought it but for the most part it looked the same.

Google Sky Map was created as a 20% project by half a dozen engineers in Google Pittsburgh, and released under the radar to get a cool idea out the door fast.

When the project was ready for prime time, it was adopted formally as Google Sky Map. None of this process was hush-hush or secret, this information has been there in the credits and acknowledgements throughout.

[dixie1]

Could it possibly be a hardware issue, e.g., screen resolution, color depth, etc.? If it is software dev issues falling short then there is really no excuse for that.

[tiki]

yeah, and when it comes to games, Android isnt even close to the Iphone.

Have you seens that Vans Off The Wall skateboarding game for the iphone? It's incredibly good.. we simply have nothing even in the ballpark.

[vitriolix]

When talking about Apps, of course the iPhone OS has a bigger selection and hence, some much higher quality Apps. It's share of the market is more than 10x the share Android has. In terms of specs, the G1 can easily push out apps that reach a similar level of polish and "wow factor", (i've seen some damned impressive Open GL demo apps) but its just a matter of how many man hours dev shops are willing to put into the platforms. As of yet, not many shops are putting much time into Android, not because of the OS itself, but because of the smaller install base. As the number of units approaches parity with the iPhone sales, I'm sure we'll see the number of big game devs pushing harder on Android as a platform. They go where the eyes are, and as Android comes up on every major carrier with handsets from 5-10 different manufacturers, this is pretty much a sure think IMHO.

[quint9]

The reason that Android isn't there yet is simple. Hardware!! The handsets are inferior to the Iphone, mostly in the area of usable memory. The apps are better on the Iphone because they are bigger. Iphone users can download 2. 3. 5 MB apps without worrying about it slowing their phone down or getting a notice that they are nearing the limit of their memory. Its the reason I will switch to an Iphone when my contract is up. I love Android but as long as it continues to be put on substandard hardware, Apple will rule.

[sastian]

all i can say after flashing to Cyanogens Mod is that whoever reviewed this has not seen what the phone can really do!


I have run about everything on my phone and for the first time i am truely pleased with the performance. not to mention the themes are great too.

if Google is smart they will embrace Open Source Development even more and watch the competition melt away.