Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.
As Minnesotans continue to embrace the always-on and always-connected online world — and mobile startups here continue to clock millions of app downloads with their offerings — there is no question that our ability to richly communicate with one another, be more productive, work when and where we want to, and have the world’s knowledge at our fingertips (provided our mobile carrier connection is operational!) took a big leap forward today with Apple’s introduction of iPhone 4.
Taking the stage at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) Monday, CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPhone, a product we unfortunately had already seen in some detail due to April’s leak at tech site Gizmodo, but still eagerly anticipated.
Priced at $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB (same as the previous generation 3GS now priced at $99) iPhone 4′s features are impressive: a 5 megapixel camera (which Jobs pointed out was technically far superior to other smartphone manufacturers with even more megapixels); a camera in the front for videoconferencing and one in the back for photos; the rear camera lit with an LED flash; and recording software for HD video capture; and a 960 x 420 display that’s roughly twice the resolution as the 3GS model, now rendered permanently inferior to this new model with its cutting edge features.
The operating system driving this new phone, dubbed “iOS4″ instead of “iPhone OS 4″ since it will also be available to run the iPad come Fall, adds multitasking, clustering apps in “folders” and more. These features are key to keeping up with competitors — like that of Google’s Android operating system running devices such as the recently shipped HTC Evo 4 — but many pundits and bloggers are dissecting Jobs’ keynote and some are wondering if this new hardware and software will be enough to stave off competitors (like Google) and keep the iPhone sales momentum going?
According to analyst firm Nielsen in their “iPhone vs. Android” report, “As of Q1 ‘10, Nielsen data shows that 23% of mobile consumers now have a smartphone, up from just 16% in Q2 ‘09. Between Q4 ’09 and Q1 ’10, Android and iPhone’s share of the smartphone market grew by 2% each. At the same time, smartphone leader Blackberry lost 2% share to fall to 35% of all smartphones while Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS also lost 2% to fall to 19%.”
While this data certainly indicates that Google is accelerating and iPhone sales continue to grow — though this data was compiled before today’s iPhone 4 release as well as Friday’s introduction at Sprint of the HTC Evo 4.
About the Sprint HTC Evo 4 release — a smartphone that runs Google’s Android operating system, Fortune magazine wrote Monday that, ”Friday sales of HTC EVO 4G marked the largest quantity of a single phone sold in one day ever for Sprint – the record was previously held by both Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre. In addition, the total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was three times the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined.
So, take the two previous record holders, tally up both of their sales for their first three days. The EVO sold three times that total in just one day. Estimates were for 50,000 to 100,000 Pres at launch so that would put EVO somewhere between 300,000 and 600,000 units.”
Pretty impressive numbers and it shows that the iPhone — the now “old” 3GS or this new iPhone 4 shipping June 24th — has good competition from Google and the handset manufacturers who’ve opted to leverage the Android operating system. Though Google’s debut in the smartphone OS space is intriguing, counting out Microsoft, RIM (Blackberry), Nokia (and what HP might do with their recent acquisition of Palm) would be a mistake since each has strengths that will likely see each of them growing market share in the mobile arena.
Is iPhone 4 enough? That’s an open-ended question without a specific answer, but suffice to say that the dozens of heavy use iPhone users I know are all going to upgrade to iPhone 4 (as am I). Using the HTC Evo 4 last evening at a Best Buy store it was clear the operating system is nowhere near as elegant and responsive as the iPhones, though I’ll admit it had a better display, camera and was faster than the iPhone 3GS I had in my pocket.
Comparing the brand new HTC Evo 4 (currently state of the art in Android phones) with my “old” 3GS version isn’t a fair comparison. A better one would be comparing the HTC Evo 4 with this new iPhone 4. Doing so will demonstrate that Apple just made another quantum leap forward in a smartphone experience which is likely to continue to accelerate Apple’s sales of iPhones within the globally growing mobile category.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Yes it’s enough. When you look at the entire iOS ecosystem (including 100M devices) it actually makes Android look like child’s play – which it is at the moment, a geeks little sandbox. There isn’t really an “Android” in the marketplace, there are Motorola, HTC and others with android buried beneath an interface but no unified consumer-facing brand. And I don’t see it getting any better because it’s not really in the interest of the various manufacturers to promote the underlying OS. Not even really sure it’s in the carriers interest either. And that will become even more so in the future.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Goog read/take — http://bit.ly/c8CZgU
June 8th, 2010 at 10:13 am
I currently have a 32gb 3GS.. I’m sick of the constant failed calls and the inability to view flash enabled websites. I’m currently in the market for a new car, guess what? Most websites have adobe flash. I do love all my itunes content and various apps, but it seems to me Apple should get over it’s issue with adobe and just get flash.
I have ordered and HTC Evo 4g and will see how it works for me. Keeping my old iphone though.. can’t part with the apps and all the other itunes content I have.
By the way – I also purchased the 3g 64gb Ipad.. Same flash issue. Sheesh. Also, they should of allowed it to print. Can’t even print out directions on google maps.
June 8th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Andrew,
As someone engaged at a traditional media outlet and specifically in technology, than you either lived through or experienced the attempt to wrest control of the Internet driven by Microsoft. They succeeded in crushing Netscape, the company that was THE key catalyst for the explosion of the commercial Internet. They continued doing things to and with web standards that were in the best of interest of Microsoft and not the rest of the ‘net.
We’re still living with the horrifically bad IE6 and I’m certain your PiPress developers deal with it daily.
So enabling Adobe to continue to “control” the output for video, interactivity and so-called sexy content is NOT something anyone with a strategic view would tolerate. Accessing sites with Flash are quickly becoming a moot point since video delivery companies (& others) are migrating away from Flash and embracing H.264.
The good news for those who rail against the Apple no-Flash, app store control and other moves viewed as draconian? You can buy the HTC Evo 4G, soon a Google tablet and the dozens of other tablets and smart phones hitting the market this summer.
June 8th, 2010 at 10:58 am
BTW Andrew, you can print now from iPad with apps like PrintCentral and Apple has already revealed that iOS4 for iPad this Fall will have printing and multitasking in it.
June 8th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
I have tried some of those print apps.. They basically work like a print screen and the graphics look bad/distorted. I don’t think it’s a very good idea to have distorted maps. Anyway, since this morning I just got the EVO 4g, although its screen is nice and big, hotspot (wifi router) and tethering are very cool, and the pictures/videos are crisp (even when emailed and viewed on a normal monitor/pc).. I don’t think I like the interface. So I guess – I’ll get the new Iphone..
But still upset with the lack of flash support on the Iphone. I don’t think the internet will dump flash fast enough, to make the browsing experience any better during the life of this new phone.
June 8th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
A few other points…
Apple controls the OS, the main apps, and the hardware and this is significant. When they change a hardware feature, they change everything else to make it all work together – for instance, the new camera isn’t just about the 5 megapixels, it’s the OS/software to make that hardware shine and take better pics/video. Google (Android) can’t do that, it has to be generic, it leaves the hardware/app enhancements to the various manufacturers so the quality will be all over the board.
Watch the FaceTime video on the Apple site – Apple is very good at appealing to humans/emotions. Compare to say the Droid ads, very techie/sterile (heard it even scares babies). Apple pays attention to the subtle, right-brain, liberal arts where Google is pretty much left-brain, feature checklist oriented. The iPhone will almost always appeal to everyone. Android won’t. The purchase decision for Android will be more either geeky (or geek religion) or tied to simply price or the carrier one is tied to.
The Apple iOS ecosystem just dwarfs Google/Android and probably always will. This is not to be underestimated. Comparing a particular handset to another isn’t the story.
And finally, Google is only in the mobile market because of ads. Their whole position is really playing defense, protecting that ad business as things move to mobile. Monetarily they’re a one-trick pony. Their main focus is not operating systems or mobile phones. Apple on the other hand is focused entirely on operating systems, apps, and devices. Will be hard for Google/Android to match that focus. That’s why they are really always playing catchup. They may leapfrog on a phone feature hear or there but that’s temporary and they’ll run out of little features & low-hanging fruit.
I think it’s great Google/Android is – at the moment – pushing hard and is some competition for apple in a small way but overall they’re a long ways behind and probably always will be.