Android’s Attitude Problem
Over at DaringFireball.net, John Gruber has written an exciting two-part Call-To-Arms to the Android platform. He contends, and I would agree, that there are a large number of disgruntled iPhone users out there, longing for an unlocked, tightly designed, badass mobile platform. While we both see a possible way for Android to compete with the iPhone, we, sadly, differ on its chances to overtake it. I say this with a lot of sadness, as I would love to sell many more copies of my book.
Who’s your daddy?
One of the truly sad things about technology is its lack of idealism. While there are teeming throngs that have worked countless hours to make Linux the wup-ass system it is today, the sad fact is, that while powerful, it is still a second rate consumer product. I say this with all due respect, as I run Ubuntu on one of my laptops but, let’s be honest here, it’s no OS X. (Please send all ‘Linux is teh awesome, you suck’ hate-mails directly to the trash folder of my email address, thanks) The real question, in this case, becomes, can Android be less like Linux and more like Windows? The answer, and I look forward to being really wrong about this, is No. It isn’t, and it can’t be windows. Why? Because Google isn’t making any money from it. Sure, they use it to drive their web-services platform, but they lack the hunger, drive, and downright evilness of a Microsoft, Sun, and especially Apple. In the end, their problem lies, not in their stunning technical ability, but in their attitude.
What Hardware?
I’m not sure if you’ve picked up a G1, or a myTouch, but, to be blunt, they suck. The myTouch is very much an improvement, but not enough of one. The problem with the hardware is twofold. First, the margins on cell phone design and management are so narrow and the technical turnover so high that no one has an incentive to produce an amazing design. I’ll give you an example: aside from the iPhone, when was the last time people were actually excited about a phone hardware design? The RAZR, (curse their stupid lack of vowels) and look what happened to Motorola when they tried to bank on the design. Further, even if you put together a badass looking Android phone, the fact remains that 1 in 3 handsets never see the light of day.
The obstacles start to pile up when you think about it.
1) Design turnover is high (50% of Americans replace their phone each year)
2) Designing a phone is EXPENSIVE. Further, millions of dollars must be spent in debugging and building software for each device. (I know this one from personal experience, I’ve done it)
3) 2/3’s of your designs never see the light of day.
4) Assuming a phone makes it to market, you have to sell several million of them to cover all the money lost on your previous attempts.
These are the obstacles that Samsung, LG, Moto, and everyone else have to content with on a regular basis. What does this lead to? A field that requires mediocrity. You must design for the least common denominator, cut corners, and employ the cheapest programmers you can find. Every time I think about it, it amazes me that there are any actual mobile phones at all.
Yea, well what about Apple?
“Alright Dr. Downer-Pants”, you say, “how the hell does apple pull all this off then?”
Good question.
First, Apple makes it work because they control everything. The operating system is hacked by people who sit next to the guys making the hardware. Normally, if you’re writing software and you have a question about the hardware, it takes between a week to two weeks to answer your question. Further, apple requires no other company, aside from the FCC and AT&T to approve of their platform. Any other company has to run the gauntlet of intergration with any number of 3rd party developers. These are hurdles that Apple doesn’t have to jump, so their costs, time to market, and drag on innovation is all insanely compressed.
Second, Apple has the marketing power of an entire first world country. For Gods sake, reading the press releases after the first iPhone was announced you’d think the Lord himself had ridden against a plague of nazi zombies on the Rapta-dactle of doom.
Third, these things (well, mostly the second) allow Apple an unprecedented amount of leverage over AT&T and any other carrier they want to work with. This allows them to require massive subsidies and back-payments.
So it’s Hopeless?
Of course not. Android, really, needs only one killer hardware design to take off. The question really becomes, who’s going to push for it and how? Every manufacturer under the sun is pushing out their own Android devices. If Motorola can see half the success they achieved with the Razr, it would, I think, present a quantum leap for the industry. Which, as every other technical talking head will remind us, what’s good for Android is good, competition wise, for iPhone users as well.
In the end, making a device that can compete with the iPhone is, for the reasons I’ve outlined above, almost impossible. However, it only has to happen once.
August 20th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
I’ve been reading along for a while now. I just wanted to drop you a comment to say keep up the good work.
August 21st, 2009 at 6:37 am
Hey,
You make a lot of good points.
I think the key here is Google’s attitude on the whole thing and the majority of OEM views towards Google on it. From what I see, Google really wants third parties to take part in Android. It’s open source. They (and us, technically) are supposed to! And not just in the source, but taking part in the community (the forums — and even bug tracker — at android.com).
But, when was the last time you saw a Motorola engineer (or even HTC, for that matter) respond to something saying they’re fixing it and will check in the branch soon? A common response is often, from Google, “Yeah, we know. But we won’t have the resources to fix that.”
You can’t blame them. It’s supposed to be an Open Handset Alliance project. Where’s the rest of OHA when you need them?
But here’s the twist: Everyone else seems to see Google as the leader — team lead, driver, organizer, whatever you want to call it. So, they look to Google to drive bigger, architectural fixes instead of doing it themselves and making a better phone (we’re looking at you, HTC).
If company X comes around, makes a highly modified version of Android on kick-ass hardware, that phone may sell very well. Will it actually help Android? Or will they keep all their custom stuff to themselves?
But, why should they when they can take an off-the-shelf OS created by one of the deepest pockets in the industry (Google — Apple is another deep pocket, too) and let them deal with all the issues?
As you’ve pointed out, all that design work — then adding on software — is terribly expensive. Cut out a portion of it and maybe money can be saved.
Time will tell — we’re right on the cusp of a bunch of Android devices coming out. Rumors from Archos to Motorola…
(And, yes, I want Android to succeed for the same reasons. But, I use my iPhone far more than a G1.)
August 21st, 2009 at 9:12 am
To tell the truth there is no such thing as building s/w and h/w next to each other. Even Apple did it’s hardware with Chinese manufacturer companies. They are so called hardware houses. They make all the new phones/PNDs that are in the market now or will be marketed in the near future. From what I know from an Apple insider is that nobody except the higher level managers did know exactly what they are doing when they developed the iPhone.
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:56 pm
While you have some good points, and a debate like this is always healthy, I disagree with the very resolute and definitive conclusions you throw around.
The HTC Magic does not suck at all, I know several people who changed their iPhone for the Magic. It has a nicer form factor (fits easier in the pocket and in the hand) than the iPhone, can run multiple applications simultaneously and costs only half on the latest iPhone. You can install a secondary battery without having an Apple store with you in the backpack and in a couple of months when they become available, people can upgrade to a 32GB microSD card.
Needless to say, the longevity of an Android device coupled with the price and openness of the platform is a giant boost. Also remember that the iPhone still has a 1½-2 years advantage and is much too expensive for a very large class of customers, but as time goes we will see more diversity towards the cheap and the expensive end. It’s already starting, HTC Click in the low end and Sony-Ericsson’s Raphael at the top. Meanwhile, the Hero and the Galaxy are currently shipping and both are a further step up from the Magic. I am aware the US marked is slow to adopt these Android handsets, blame your ridiculously subsidized lock-in happy carriers for that though, not Android as a platform.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:10 am
Just a thought- as operating expenses there (in america and most of the western world) continue to increase, I think a lot of companies are going to have to either find a way to cut costs there to the point they are competitive (even if they’re only competing with mediocrity, as you said)- or else, and I find this to be a much more likely scenario, there is going to be an increase in second and third-world innovations. I live in Thailand- the mobile phone market here is just unbelievable. I know average thai people who get several new phones a year, because the phones here are a) very cheap and b) lousy (but the quality is improving- both software and hardware wise). the current generation of phones would have no problem handling android, and I’m pretty sure the designers are all local- both hardware and software wise. getting them together, getting them set up, and getting them properly organized to do this, I bet I could do it in 3 months and have a phone along the lines of HTC- but this would be very capital intensive and in a highly competitive industry, which is why I think nobody has done it yet. It’s only a matter of time, though.
August 23rd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I think there should be just ONE company to build the hardware for Android. This is not what Google wants, but I hardly imagine that you can build a great OS/platform on top of a hardware which can be built by different companies, with different attitudes and goals. Unless there is a great consortium, trying to follow a strict set of principles, the interests of companies will probably collide. The only positive example I can cite is webkit. If Android is led like webkit then I can see no problems.
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
its about giving a crap. If thats what you mean by attitude I agree. Lets just look at tiny features. How many handsets remember the volume when the headphones are plugged in vs not? How many intelligently dim your ipd to take a call and then resume playing? That and a few hundred other little niceties of the iphone will likely never be duplicated on any phone.
Because phones are design to suck. android is a stupid play. open source is about itself not about features.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:08 am
[...] Android’s Attitude Problem deals with the fact that as of yet, we do not have the iPhone killer handset we’ve been hoping for. So far we only have mediocre phones that sit comfortably in the middle of the road. Where is the Android phone to get excited over? The article is written by Chris Haseman, author of the book “Android Essentials.” [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 8:20 am
[...] Android’s Attitude Problem deals with the fact that as of yet, we do not have the iPhone killer handset we’ve been hoping for. So far we only have mediocre phones that sit comfortably in the middle of the road. Where is the Android phone to get excited over? The article is written by Chris Haseman, author of the book “Android Essentials.” [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 8:26 am
[...] Android’s Attitude Problem deals with the fact that as of yet, we do not have the iPhone killer handset we’ve been hoping for. So far we only have mediocre phones that sit comfortably in the middle of the road. Where is the Android phone to get excited over? The article is written by Chris Haseman, author of the book “Android Essentials.” [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Unfortunately I agree with the article (‘though i’m a die hard android fan!). The fact is that Google’s attitude isn’t tough enough to face Apple on the market. This is the ONLY problem(in my opinion, that is). And I don’t see how Google could improve in changing it’s attitude. Let’s face it…Apple is too darn big.
However..there is one big catch to all of this, and hopefully Google or Motorola or HTC sees the thing. Designing a good phone (talking about hardware…Android is already there) is a bunch of money. Without massive marketing you can’t bring a new device onto the market hoping to make it big. The risk is too big…and Apple is kinda’ big shark in the waters. But this is mostly in the US. Apple might be big..but in Europe it’s just starting to grow it’s business. And i’m guessing that with a good device and good marketing Google or any other Android lover can make it big. And let’s face it..WinMo has got nothing on Android (not at the rate Android is evolving) and Symbian..well it’s Symbian unless the guys at Nokia get really pissed off!
So I say..we’re not even close to seeing “THE” Android phone…but when we do. It will Rock! Europe is the perfect marketing place for a new device…i just hope these guys have enough “european” thinking people within the marketing branches, cause American advertisement would just shipwreck here in Europe.(no offence. it’s just different here. History has proven it)
August 26th, 2009 at 9:43 am
For the record, HTC Magic/G2 sucks at not having a physical keyboard. Virtual keyboard on a 3.1″ screen will never beat virtual keyboard on a 3.5″ screen, e.g. the iPhone.
Looks like Moto’s Sholes would be the next close iPhone killer handset running Android.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:57 am
wow, I couldn’t disagree more. I’m not even sure where to start.
I think your main complaint is against the industry as a whole and not Android or Google.
I agree that the cell phone industry as a whole puts out a lot of crap, but Android makes things easier and cheaper on device manufactures and carriers. That was one of the main selling points of the whole idea!
Apple does have a competitive edge in that they were first to market with some great hardware, but there will be a Android phone that will totally blow any iPhone out of the the water within 2 years (probably 1 year). I say this because it is an open platform with lots of collaboration and choice. Apple will continue to make ONE great iPhone and remake it every year. Meanwhile, there will be more than 10 Android phones come out every year from here on out and some will be faster and have better physical keyboard (any physical keyboard would be better really…) than the iPhone.
Like what you say? Take the HTC Hero give it 8GB of internal memory, a snapdragon 1GH processor and a physical keyboard and that already would beat the iPhone on every front.
I know all the Android phones have been targeted towards middle of the road hardware right now, but trust me that will change. It will be soon be on super high end phones and feature phones. We’ve only seen 2 Android phones in the US. We’ve seen more iPhone versions than that at the moment. Its way to early in the game to be “Dr. Downer-Pants”.
It’s still just the beginning, its still time to be excited!
P.S. I just got a myTouch last week and it is awesome, but I wish it was faster.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:06 am
For the Record:
I’m not blaming Android for any of these problems. It’s a brilliant platform. However, Google has failed, at least so far, to create and promote an ecosystem where it can thrive. That said, I hope to be very wrong about this in the near future.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:22 am
[...] Android’s Attitude Problem deals with the fact that as of yet, we do not have the iPhone killer handset we’ve been hoping for. So far we only have mediocre phones that sit comfortably in the middle of the road. Where is the Android phone to get excited over? The article is written by Chris Haseman, author of the book “Android Essentials.” [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
As someone who has already read your book (has it been updated by the way as some of the examples were for 0.9 SDK in the version I read, in particular SMS handling has changed) and someone who has been involved in mobile development for a number of years, I do also feel your pain and frustration
In particular I focused until recently on Java Mobile which like Android has a lot of promise but to the end user fails to go the extra mile that iPhone has currently managed, however mobile is more than one single platform, many people are not going to own a iPhone ]certainly in emerging markets. So whilst I love writing applications for iPhone, I still think there their will be a very long tail of Java/Android based applications in the near future, that whilst not having the same punch in highly developed markets such as the US and UK will see far greater numbers in other countries.
Personally for me iPhone is the wake up call that the OEMs and Operators needed to improve their 3rd party developer eco systems, this has happened fairly rapidly, Nokia OVI, LG actually opening a developer portal, Sony play now, Blackberry App world.
Attending Apples WWDC this year made me realise what a fundamental shift in attitude (for the better I have never been interested in selling ringtones or other tat) of the developers who are now involved in the mobile arena, for this and bringing the users trust back into the mobile ecosphere I applaud and salute Apple.
The beauty of Android for me is the low barrier to entry for everyone, developers, handset manufacturers and network operators and this should be the reason it thrives next year for me
Mobile is always a rollercoaster ride and I think we are now coming to a twisty section!
August 26th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
It should have been updated, however, Amazon may have been slow in bringing it up to date.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:20 am
There are three things I’ve noticed when drawing comparisons between my friend’s iPhone and my android device (Rogers Magic) — Design, Performance and Polish, all bested by the iPhone.
Design you already mentioned and devices like the hero give me hope for the future.
On the performance side, the soft keyboard, the kinetic scrolling, the applications, all these things are just much more responsive an the iPhone — I feel like my touches on the screen directly corresponds with the action — complete absence of lag.
As for polish, aside from the main interface, we can’t forget the dev community when drawing comparisons. Apps just look better! Look at crash bandikoot or sim city… where are applications with quality analogous to these on the android platform?
I think when considering the future and the massive proliferation of android that we’re seeing, all these things have the capability of being addressed while apple is still stuck with one single device. My bets _are_ still on android.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:12 am
What were seeing here is the same thing that happened to Windows Mobile. Great OS on sub par hardware. Lets not forget that Android is doing something Apple is now only taking seriously and pounding its fist trying to figure out… multi tasking. By the same token, its KILLING the phone itself. Games lag, screens freeze, force closes….. ugh… disgusting.
What we need is the hardware that will propel the OS. Now since we all agree that most people switch phones yearly (sometimes twice a year ahem)…. why not just make a quality product and maybe people will hold onto it another 6 months? a year? who knows. And then maybe… the apps will proliferate and the quality will exceed event that of the mighty fruit.