My iphone contract is up, and I have to decide on what to do. Do I stick with apple and the iphone 4 or do I jump ship to android. This was a no brainer until I heard about android 3.0 Gingerbread. Now I have an issue
My main issue is: is the hardware (android) going to support the software for the next two years?
On the apple side, they make software updates once a year. Begrudgingly we accept the one year cycle. The planned software launch with the appropriate hardware, but still make sure the immediate previous generation can handle it.
Original iphone: ios1, 2, 3 NOT 4
3g: ios 2, 3, parts of 4
3gs: ios 3, all of 4
4: ios 4
Apple, coincidental or not, (and in my opinion) sees that a device should last the duration of the contract. Each phone for 2 years got all the upgrades. Everyone wanted the cycle of android, but now I see the problem (with android).
Android updates now are going to have hardware requirements. Gingerbread just brought specs of a 1ghz processor, 512 RAM, and 3.5 inch display. That is some pretty hefty requirements. All the phones for the foreseeable future just meet those specs (but don’t exceed it). Even Google’s own nexus one, just meets those specs. What is going to happen with android 3.1 (Hamentashan)?
It can be shown with the g1 that the phones can survive three updates (approximately 12 months at the going rate). The g1 came out in October 2008, and is currently stuck on donut. Donut was released Sept 2009. The nexus one was released Jan 2010. Since then we saw, Eclair (2.1), Froyo (2.2), and now Gingerbread (3.0) scheduled for released for the holiday season. With those steep hardware requirements, is that the 1 year life-cycle of the nexus 1? A 1 year software cycle (3 updates) for a 2 year contract.
So what does this have to do with me. Well, I’m getting the Droid X. I will get it the day after it comes out, to make sure I have the latest and greatest until the droid 2 comes out late august, and the Samsung Galaxy comes out a few weeks after that. I’ve played the waiting game, and this is when I stop. The question with this in mind is: Do I pay extra for the one year deal, or suck it up and go with two years? Do I gamble that I can make my phone last for two years (like my 3g did), or do I pay extra just in case it doesn’t?
The way I see it, Haim is that after about 3 months your phone is already outdated. I got the Droid original a while back and have been happy as can be with it. Yes, now there is the Droid Incredible, now Droid X about to launch and they do have better specs. But, FroYo is coming to the droid. Maybe Gingerbread? thats to be seen.
The constant Os updates and Os ‘fragmentation’ issues were brought to light at Google’s I/O conference a couple weeks ago. The developers acknowleged the fragmentation of Os’s and cited it as a cost of growing so exponentially in very little time. Google plans moving forward to issue a yearly Os update. So theoretically, if Google were to do a yearly update it would make a phone you bought on a 2 yr plan last though the entire cycle with all upgrades.
My 2 cents, just stick it out with 2 years. Being a techie, there’s always going to be that want and desire for the latest and greatest phone. But, you as I, have a morgage.
Lastly,
The android platform is just taking off in leaps and bounds, the iphone 4 was a HUGE disappointment. What killer features are there? A pretty new screen with crackable glass? No signal when you hold your phone to talk? Android is def the way to go, the cost of constant upgrades comes with the territory to have the ‘best,latest and greatest’.
-al
Haim, you don’t understand. Android is better. you’ll never get it.