Are Cheap Handsets the Real Reason Why Android is Popular?
by Maximum PC | January 26, 2013 1 Comment
A journalist claims Android is popular because it's cheap, not because it's good.
Android is stomping all over iOS in market share. According to data compiled by International Data Corporation (IDC), Android was installed on 75 percent of the 181.1 million smartphones shipped around the world in the third quarter of 2012, while iOS was on 15 percent of the devices.Sam Biddle, a senior staff writer at Gizmodo, stoked the flames of debate with an article that proposes the reason why Android is so popular and able to outsell the iPhone is because there are a lot of "marginal" devices that "can be sold like bags of Doritos or bargain-bin sweaters." He's talking about the low-end Android handsets that are priced to move, rather than high-end phones like the Galaxy S III.
That's a big disparity and Biddle contends that "Android isn't winning just on merit." He points to phones like the ZTE Warp, LG Motion, and Samsung Captivate, which can be had for anywhere from $100 down to a penny.
Previous Maximum PC Articles
-
ECS Hosts Custom Case Mod Competition, Cash and Prizes Up for Grabs
Top 5 participants will be flown to Taipei, Taiwan for a shot at the grand prize. The grand prize is a million New Taiwan dollars. Unfortunately, it 'only' works out…
-
Amazon's AutoRip Service is Retroactive to 1998
That CD you bought from Amazon 10 years ago now appears in your Cloud Player account. Mega online retailer Amazon is embracing the digital age in a big way. The…
"Manufacturers are free to use Android, pay nothing to Google, and then pass on that massive savings to consumers in the form of cheap-o handsets. Most of them are pretty chintzy, slow, and generally bad, but they're still smartphones," Biddle writes.
"Linux is free, but why isn't it popular? Point broken," one reader posted. Another reader pointed out that older model iPhone models can be bought for a pittance. "Since you can get an iPhone for $0 (with contract), the entire premise that Android does better because it's cheap is moot," the reader states.Not everyone who read his article agrees with his assessment.
Others agreed with Biddle, though one pointed out that the appropriate term is "value," not "cheap."
What's your opinion on all this? Do you think Android owes its popularity, full or in part, to all the low-end devices in the wild, or is it simply a superior mobile platform?
Original Post by Paul Lilly, Reposted Courtesy of Maximum PC – Covering everything from hi-end gaming PCs to tablets, peripherals and home theater rigs, Maximum PC's print and Web editions stay one step ahead of the fast-changing world of everything computer and computing related. Whether its the latest on building your own desktop system, reviews of the latest laptops and accessories, orroundups of the games and software that make your machine go, Maximum PC brings it to you with news, reviews, and years of expertise. TechnoBuffalo is thrilled to bring you the best of Maximum PC right here on our own pages to keep you immersed in all things digital.
No comments:
Post a Comment