Android: a Trademark, iPhone iOS: a Lovemark
by Bill French on 27/08/10 at 5:00 am
Bill French is an information architect specializing in Internet applications. He is also the co-founder of MyST Technology Partners and Senior Editor for iPhoneCTO.
Android. It’s about quantity not quality. I think I’m getting a better sense of what’s really happening in the smart phone market. While Android-based phones will likely outnumber iOS devices 5 to 1 in the coming years, no single Android device and software is likely to emerge in the stellar category.
Many Android phones will be good, but none will be great. Many will provide satisfactory experiences, but none will deliver satisfaction far beyond consumer expectations. Many Android features already out-perform Apple iOS, but no collection of betterments will cause landslide consumer adoption.
As much as it tries to be more touchy, feely, and consumer chummy, Android remains techy; this is unlikely to change, ever.
Zombietron at Big Shiney Robot nails it with these quotes:
“…the real difference between the IOS and Android is simplicity.”
Okay, BINGO. While most consumers, especially people who regard themselves as non-technical, want a “smartphone”, don’t want a smarty pants phone. The vast majority of technical and non-technical consumers are thrilled with products that are simple to use.
“Android believe it or not is
just as user friendly, the only difference in my mind is that there is much more depth to Android and much more to learn about it, …”
“Much more to learn” is not what consumers want to hear. Apple is the leader in building technology experiences that you love; this is what consumers want from products they use a lot.
“The rough spot for the Android OS comes with the use on so many different devices, depending on processing power, different UI additions and such, the experience may change.”
Circling back to the first paragraph in this article – this quote articulates the key reason why Android is unable to deliver unforgettable experiences and overwhelming consumer satisfaction. Android is attractive from an openness perspective; it can be configured and embedded into any device – even really crappy ones. For this reason, reviews of the poorest performing Android smart phones will taint consumer perspectives just as reviews of the worst iOS issues tend to dampen consumer sentiment.
Android, however more superior to iOS, is at a great disadvantage. The likelihood that lots of bad Android-based products and features are able to make it to market is massively higher than the same problem occurring in Apple smart phone products. Because its able to focus on the end-to-end experience, Apple simply rules out bad ideas from the start. The only risk for Apple is that crappy implementations slip through to the consumer.
What do you think? Will an iPhone killer eventually emerge on Android, and even if it does, will it generate massive worldwide consumer demand?
