Android Fragmentation
Casey Johnston for Ars Technica:
The developers logged 3,997 distinct devices, the most popular of which was the Samsung Galaxy S II. This figure was inflated quite a bit by custom ROMs, which overwrite the android.build.MODEL variable and cause those phones to be logged as separate devices. 1,363 types were logged only once, and while some were custom ROMs bucking the numbers, a good few were just massively unpopular devices—for example, the Hungarian 10.1-inch Concorde Tab.
I’ve been saying this for a long time, but Android’s fragmentation is the key reason it can’t touch the iPhone in mind share. I’m not talking about technical market share, because Android shouldn’t be compared to the iPhone in terms of devices sold — Android is an OS on thousands of handsets while the iPhone is a literal phone.
You can’t have dozens and dozens of different Android OS versions across thousands of devices and expect to have any kind of unified experience.
Yannis Chalaris wins the award for best iPhone wallpaper of the day with this beautiful design inspired by the popular Clear to-do app. There’s a lock screen and Home screen version available for free on his Dribble page.
My New Favorite App: SpotON Radio For iPhone
I recently caved and bought a premium Spotify subscription. This means that I get millions of streaming tracks on all my devices for only $9.99/month. It’s a much more fluid experience than using iTunes Match, and I like having the peace of mind that I have instant access to any song I could want to play (most of the time).
SpotON Radio is a gorgeous app for the iPhone that lets you create and listen to Spotify radio stations. It’s like Pandora, only you can skip as many tracks as you want and add them to your Spotify playlists. I love the entire experience, and the app is so well designed that I find myself using it more than my stock Music app.
The best part of all? SpotON Radio is totally free in the App Store. What are you waiting for?
I wouldn’t hesitate to hold Tweetie up as one of the best iPhone apps ever made, period. It was every bit as polished and clever — if not more so — than Apple’s own apps. No app is perfect, no app will please everyone, but Tweetie came damn close.
A good way to deter potential iPhone thieves.
Naming the Next iPhone
Louie Mantia:
“Thing is, Apple doesn’t use numbers in their marketing names for other hardware products (at least not anymore, PowerMac G3). You don’t see a MacBook Air 3 or an iPod touch 4. The reason for Apple to number iPhone and iPad could be because they radically change from version to version, and consumers wanted to compare them in conversation. “iPad 2 has a camera.” “iPhone 4 has a Retina Display.”
The only other reason I can think of is that Apple sells multiple iPhone models at any one time. Consumers need a name differentiator. But they don’t sell iPad 1 alongside iPad 2, so I’m not sure about this reasoning.
After all, Apple doesn’t put the extra label on the back of the products. They simply say “iPhone” or “iPad.” Honestly, I think they need to lose the numbering scheme.”
Totally agree.
Android Users Still Don’t Get It
“Just because a device’s spec list has bigger numbers in it, doesn’t mean it’s a better product. That’s like saying a 6-cylinder KIA is a better car than a 4-cylinder Audi, it just doesn’t make any sense. It’s all in the execution of the product as a whole. From build material to battery life, it’s all important.”
The iPhone 4S Sucks
“I wanted aluminum. I wanted my iPhone to be tapered like an expensive suit. I wanted it to make me breakfast and flush for me after I use the toilet. I just wanted the iPhone 5. Was that too much to ask?”
My opinion of the iPhone 4S.
The Best Places Online to Follow Today’s iPhone Event
Apple is about to announce the next iPhone in under 30 minutes.
Here are the best places to get live coverage of the event as it happens:
I’ll be providing news post and analysis on both Cult of Mac and iDownloadBlog.
'Twas the night before iPhone...
“‘Twas the night before Apple’s event, when all through the ‘net
Not a blogger was snoozing, not even Henry Blodget.
All the cameras were placed on tripods with care,
In hopes that a new iPhone would soon be there.
Everyone kept clutching at the vaguest rumor threads,
While visions of real product leaks danced through their heads.
And the editors in their offices and the interns in their homes,
Still hoped to be the next geeky Sherlock Holmes.
When out on the Twitter there arose such a clatter,
And everyone clicked to see what was the matter.
To Tweetie and HootSuite they all flew like a flash,
Hoping for a headline that would make a splash.”
Click through to read the whole thing. It’s great
How to Read Too Much Into an Apple Invite
Helmut Weltschmertz, a numerology expert from the Koblenz Institute of Numerology and Used Car Sales:
“The Phone icon — “Ah, yes, the number 1. It can mean many things. One is the loneliest number, and its location on the upper right-hand corner of the icon has special meaning. That points to the northeast, and in the olden days of America, that’s where witches were burned — in the northeast part of the country. It is obvious to anyone that there is magic and witchcraft involved in the design of the new phones. The green pinstripes on the background portend an event where all of the Apple executives will be wearing suits. The white phone icon even has deep meaning. Note that it looks exactly like a silhouette of a fetus, which points to the birth of a new era of technology, cheap beer, and world peace.”
Makes perfect sense. In case you didn’t know, he’s referring to this image.
Yes, Apple. Let’s.
