Wozniak predicts a win for Android
The smartphone war will be won by Android, and not iOS, according to Steve Wozniak.
Speaking to De Telegraaf, Wozniak claimed that although 'when it comes to quality, the iPhone is leading,' the increasingly powerful feature set of Google's open source Android platform would make it a winner in the long term.
During the interview, Wozniak suggested that the iPhone 'has very few weaknesses - there are no real complaints or problems. Apple has set the direction for the entire world.'
Despite this glowing summary of Apple's wonderphone, Wozniak believes that the requirement to use the company's iTunes software to unlock many of the features of the handset is a major drawback compared to devices based around Google's Android operating system, which he describes as 'for everyone.'
Another surprising revelation during the interview was the news that Apple had a working iPhone product as far back as 2004, but that it held back on releasing it as 'Apple was satisfied with the quality but wanted something that could surprise the world. If Apple releases a new product, it must be a real breakthrough,' Wozniak claimed - something that the unreleased device was not.
Despite Wozniak's kind words for both iOS and Android, his outlook on the future of Finnish mobile giant Nokia was less rosy. Describing the brand as 'the mark of a previous generation,' Woz urged the company to rebrand itself to better appeal to a young audience.
Are you surprised to see Wozniak taking Google's side in the battle of the smartphone, or do you agree with his comments? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyAlso, just a quick note - posted this over on Facebook, and the accompanying text reads:
"Wozniak predicts a win for Android. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has predicated that Android, not iOS, will win the smartphone war."
Personally, I cannot stand the Android OS, I'll stick to my iPhone, or a Nokia standard phone (IE: not smart).
damn thers go's my idea for world domination.... iv already applied for dragons den !
Using Android myself, but a mate of mine has got WP7, and he let me have a go of it. It was definitely slickly implemented and easy to use, but I didn't get much of a chance to fiddle. Definitely looks like a soild effort from my short hands-on though.
With regards to the iOS and Android, I think that Android will take the lead mainly due to its open-ness and flexibility, Apple have too much of a strangle hold on everything they produce.
Having said that, in my 18 months of using an iPhone 3G I never had a problem doing whatever I wanted to mainly due to the fact that I was happy just rolling along and using it without wanting to get under the skin as it were. Now I have a Desire and because the option is there for more monkeying about with it, that is what I have done.
Most of the other big players, including Microsoft, Apple and Nokia, do have large and, more importantly, *relevant* licensing pools. Google hasn't, and what it has is mostly not applicable or interesting in regard to phones.
Right. /s
Plain and simple you have two choices. You eighter open you're platform to third-parties and thus fight to become the main platform in the world or you keep your platform closed but extremely polished and get full profits of every unit sold with your platform. Both business models work great and are highly profitable. Unlike Android and Windows Phone 7, Apple doesn't need their platform to reach the same number of devices to reach the same profitability.
The only problem with Apple's model is that if the competition can provide as much quality in its services and interface as Apple, people may end up choosing the platform that gives them more options for the buck. That's precisely what Microsoft and Google are aiming for.
I don't know. I think what will happen in the end is the same that usually happens with all the device based companies. You create enough of a fan base to keep your products going. If you're an Apple fan with most of your home devices being Apple you'll obviously pick Apple's mobile platform and so on even if they don't always have best price/quality ratio.
Fortunatly I've been able to play with each company devices and in all honesty the combination of services and good looks on Apple's side still gives it an advantage. Microsoft platform may not be up to the level of the competition yet, but it has some advantages where it trully counts when compared to Android for instance. Xbox Live Gaming, Zune and the gorgeous looks will do for Microsoft what iTunes and so on did for Apple. Google needs to do the exact same thing. Everything in the cloud is good but it needs to be backed by quality services that are both usefull and fun to use.
Little side note. I'm betting on Android for now. The upcoming Android OS updates will show if Google has the muscle to compete with the companies that have a lot of experience with entertainment media experiences.
The old ones are the correct way up, when the lid is closed or when youre carrying it under your arm.
The modern ones are upside down so that when youre sitting somewhere using it, others can see youre obviously rich and ripe for a mugging.
Read this post people, looks like a Dutch magazine just got a bit creative with the truth to make a better story. We all know that no true Apple fanboy would never speak ill of his sacred idol.
As mentioned by sleepygamer, the wide variety of handset types is also a plus IMO. It allows people to go for the sleek type (such as the Nexus One), or for ones with built-in keyboards (such as the Droid 1 & 2). And with Android tablet devices now coming out from many different vendors, it generates a competition for bigger and better systems. Competition is good because it makes the companies involved strive to make a better product to beat their competition, and before Android, competition is something that Apple had little of.
I don't think there will ever be a clear cut winner in the smartphone race, and frankly, I really don't want there to be. There are always going to be iPhone junkies and Android-philes, and the friendly pseudo-competition that has grown between these two giants is what allows technology to grow, and make it such an exciting field.
The iPhone today apeals everyone
Android doesn't
Apple brand has huge mass market appeal nobody else would of sold as many tablets, and the brand is growing.
Apple with 1 phone have above 20% Market share very few other phones can even dream of such success.
I liked the desire I messed around with but my gf hated it for lack of ease of use. I liked the open platform idea.
Why dont they drop symbian or whatever OS they use and do what HTC are doing? Just make phones running different Operating systems?
They could make google android handsets and also windows phone 7 ones - that would help boost sales as hardware wise they are fine but its the OS that is dated and holding them back.
All I will say is that you think Symbian is outdated. It is not.
It will be interesting what Apple come back with next. Like others have said, companies are releasing attractive competitive hardware/software and Apple can't sit back and hope that people won't wander off to a competitor like tech sluts ... because they will!
This is all that matters to me.
I don't deny that iOS is the best GUI out there right now. But I have an intense dislike for the inherent lack of flexibility and as most people know, iTunes for Windows is ****.