Blogs and Stories
Where Google Crushes the iPhone
The phone's entire operating system is based on open standards, as well. Google contends that open standards will encourage developers to create innovative new software for the phone in an industry where most of its competitors, including the iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, rely on software that is closed and proprietary. Closed systems can prevent developers from tinkering with the underlying code—which is why the phone could ultimately win over the tech geek crowd.
Aesthetes and audiophiles, however, are unlikely to toss out their iPhone in favor of the thicker and bulkier G1. While the G1 features some striking graphics and animations, the iPhone still takes the prize for the most polished user interface—and its music player is far superior. And G1 owners, leave that copy of Citizen Kane at home: the first Google phone can't play videos, other than YouTube clips. Another concern: many of the Android Marketplace's most innovative apps were spurred by the disbursement of $10 million in awards from a Google developer contest, so it's unclear whether the ingenuity will continue.
But the Google phone is problematic for Apple if the company continues to run its App Store in the manner that it does today. The company's closed approach has ensured a minimum level of quality but has also drawn charges that Apple has arbitrarily rejected software from its store; there are numerous examples but the most visible have been Podcaster and MailWrangler, two apps that Apple rejected because it viewed them as competing with its own iTunes and Mail software, respectively.
"Writing software is a serious investment of time and energy," Fraser Speirs, a developer of iPhone apps, wrote on his blog last month. "Apple’s current practice of rejecting certain applications at the final hurdle—submission to the App Store—is disastrous for investor confidence. Developers are investing time and resources in the App Store marketplace and, if developers aren’t confident, they won’t invest in it."
The real danger for Apple is that these peeved developers will see the Android Marketplace as a more stable environment to create new apps, and flock there instead.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Why America Must Learn to Bow
Martin Jacques is the cofounder of the UK think tank Demos, writes a regular column for The Guardian, and is a visiting research fellow at the London School of Economics Asia Research Centre. His new book, When China Rules the World, is available now.
Going Rogue: The Index
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
Google's Drool-Worthy Smartphone Software
Nicholas Ciarelli is an assistant product manager at The Daily Beast.
Is This the Device That Will Revolutionize Reading?
Nicholas Ciarelli is an assistant product manager at The Daily Beast.
The Coming Internet Shutdown?
Nicholas Ciarelli is an assistant product manager at The Daily Beast.
I believe the iPhone already has an App that uses its built in accelerometer and something similar to geo-locating cabs.
With that said, the "purebred" open sourcing will liven developers and end-users alike.
Is anybody going to weigh the Apple marketing machine vs. Google?
So you're completely wrong:
http://mashable.com/2008/10/16/google-remotely-kill-android-apps/
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic &taxonomyName=Software&articleId=9117279&taxonomyId=18&pageNumber=1
But thanks.
Doesn't the Google bring with it enough of a bulge in the pocket to get you frisked?
As much as I utterly despise all things Google,it would really warm my old bones to see somebody,anybody put a bitch slappin' on Apple and their over-priced crap.
infomofo, I followed the two links you were kind enough to provide to see what your point might be but was unsuccessful. Perhaps next time you could just tell us?
The fact that Google has a mechanism for remotely removing apps is hardly equitable to Apple insisting on explicitly approving distribution of iPhone apps.
The difference is in how the mechanisms are used, Apple has already demonstrated that it will for at best arbitrary reasons not approve apps. I suspect Google has the kill mechanism to guard against apps that misbehave or undermine the integrity of the underlying OS, but we'll see.
Mr. Ciarelli, thanks for an informative article.
More to the point for me is the ability to NOT be tied to AT&T. I'll keep my iPod touch for cool and the new "google" phone for utility. If Apple was really concerned about getting their phones into as many hands as possible, they'd sell them unlocked. At least with the Android, you can unlock after a couple of months.
I think it is fair to characterize Google's product strategy is all about providing a user everything - with a capital E - in relation to information [e.g. why provide just one solid search result when you can give them millions?]. Whereas Apple is this generation's best industrial designer without question. Regardless, I'm just glad there are at least a few technology companies left that understand the value of quality and true innovation. Imagine what a Microsoft world would be and look like?
Nice article given a completely misleading headline. "Google Crushes the iPhone"
???? Really?
I have no use for the iPhone, but this is ridiculous.
The open platofrm is great for developers but the user experience will suffer. The stictness of Apple ensures a certain level of quality and consistency that the Google phone may lack.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.