Monday, November 9th, 2009
Droid – The Great Split
Last week came the big unveiling of the newest Android device to hit the market, the Droid from Verizon Wireless. The first ‘iPhone Killer’ that may actually be on par to do so, however, it was born to many mixed reviews and even more mixed media hype.
From a ‘product review’ standpoint, when you compare hardware to hardware, the reviews have Droid as the hands down winner (minus the slide out keyboard). When you compare software to software, you get a slight advantage with Apple on the speed/elegance factor, but you get a slight advantage with the Droid’s Android OS on the ‘open development’ factor as well as the new upgrades in 2.0, most notably, the Google Maps Turn by Turn GPS Navigation system that comes pre-baked into the software. And yes, the # of apps in the two stores is drastically different, and we all know the stories of how Apple developers have made tons of money on app sales, but does that really come into play when you’re talking about a device for a consumer? Not in my book. From a network standpoint… well, do we even need to go there? AT&T has proven to be the biggest stumbling block to the iPhone since day 1. No need to re-state what’s already a known fact. (Verizon has a much better network)
There was also a large ‘hype’ criticism around the device as well, primarily because there weren’t lines of people at 6am waiting to snap up the new device, thus claiming the launch of the device a bust. Lines, there were not, but a bust, it was not either. The audience is different, the Android/Droid brand hasn’t been around much more than a year, there aren’t legions of ‘fanboys for life’ out there quite yet. But, to be fair, from everything I’ve read, it was pretty dead the morning of the unveiling. That isn’t to say most store didn’t sell out of their stock within the first day, as many did.
So what’s this all about? Well, here’s what I think. I think the Droid truly is the first device to give the iPhone a run for its money. The hardware is superior, the operating system is essentially the same, just different, the network is superior in almost any way. So why so much “I’m not switching talk?” I think its a number of things.
1. The Apple brand is strong. They may not always be the leader, but their sense of design and unbreakable loyalists will always keep their numbers high.
2. Android is new and its not tied to any specific device or brand. I love Android, and I love HTC as a device maker, but currently the HTC devices running Android leave a little to be desired. I’ve had a Motorola before and I hated it, thus leaving me with a relatively negative brand impression, regardless that Android is running on it.
3. Switching is hard. If you’re on any platform but Android, moving your contacts, emails, etc is relatively painful and involves a fair amount of manual labor. On the Android, you’re synced to a Google account, so switching is seamless and takes only a few minutes.
4. iPhone was the first big release, being a part of the first big thing is a powerful motivator.. also, many folks are probably still tied to their 2 year contract renewal from their first or second iPhone (because the new device conveniently comes out every year, meaning you need to re-sign a 2 year every 1 year if you want in on the new device)
So even as devices come out that do honestly trump the iPhone in pretty much every category, you won’t see the mass conversion rate we once saw. They’re better, but they’re not breaking new ground in any major way. So until that Android device that allows you to teleport, it’ll be hard to judge their success based on craze/hype, thus always creating a big set of mixed reviews.
A couple good articles, both from different stand points:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/07/think-the-droid-launch-was-a-let-down-not-so-fast
Janna Sundby on November 11th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Hey jamey, I’ve been a verizon member for a long time…my family is verizon too – but I’m in the ad business and most people I work with have the iphone – I don’t want to switch to AT&T – so I think I’m committed to the Droid – or should I hold off until Feb ‘10 and see if iphone comes to Verizon? What to you recommend? I use an iMac and a google email account for my home business. Thanks, Janna