2nd place? What Android phone does better?

None!

Second place? When did it come in second?

Top place for Q4 smartphone sales was Android (all 1000 variants available).

Second place is Nokia, just behind Android.

iPhone was a distant 3rd, with the BB (which I still don't like calling a smartphone) just behind the iPhone on worldwide sales.

I'd like to believe that MS can turn WP7 into a successful product, but have more than just a nagging feeling that they're going to just let it do its own thing.

And then they'll make the stupendously idiotic leap of trying to sell Windows itself (the apparent ARM variant) as a mobile OS. Microsofts internal battles between teams is legendary, the competition can just wait for Microsoft to screw themselves over.

Their rumoured tablet looked absolutely stunning, it never went anywhere. The Surface is intriguing, but whilst its a shipping product they really should push that technology towards the desktop/portable usage.

That's because it never existed in the first place.

I stand corrected gentlemen, phones are just a tool to me and I only have my sons G1 hand me down (and a dam good little phone it is too).

So, if I understand correctly its Android, then Nokia then iPhone?

As stated 'new' phones are well, new to me (although I'm on the ball with computers), until I had the G1 I was using a RAZ and a 3310 or other old Nokia when camping as they get signals where other phones don't.

One thing reading the phone threads recently has highlighted for me is the Apple fan base. I knew Apple computers had staunch fans but the phones do too and these Apple fans won't hear criticism against the beloved iPhone; verging on clinically obsessive for one or two, rather spooky that so much emotion can be wasted on what is only a phone with a few extras

You seem weirdly obsessed with Apple's iPhone for someone who proclaims how little interest you have in it. 4 posts just in this thread about it.

Someone doth protest too much...

On the contrary, I'm impressed by the Apple fan base, the phones are of no real interest other than forum imput from the fan base, its facinating and the posts of some are entertaining

You yourself have been fanning the flames on another Apple thread today you naughty little boy.

Your ones are pretty hilarious, I agree. iPhone, iPhone, iPhone...

The price of gmaes is only a couple of quid. You got to be pretty tight to do that. Although I do understand the developers point of view here.



Thats fair enough, sa must games have a 'lite' version. One issue with picking the no trial period is that it would affect your sales. So a trade of would be required. If there is a lite version, then a no trial period is understandable.

For those that dont know, the web version of the android market has gone live.

After my LG Optimus suffered an early death by being thrown at the wall in frustration, I got a Sony Ericsson X10 miniPro.
Although I've gone from 2.2 back to 2.1 I find the x10 a much more pleasent handset to use and although many hate it I love it. I also got my OH a X8 which she also loves, The x8 does however IMO feel alot more "budget" than the x10mini but still a very good phone for it's range.

At the same time I took the opportunity to move from 3 to giffgaff* and I have to say after initial doubts I am very impressed.

*No spam from me on here don't worry

The problem with comparing iOS and Android (in the smartphone market) is that iOS obviously is only used by one company on one type of phone - the iPhone, whereas Android is freely availble for all phone manufacturers to use if they so wish, so this inevitably means they'll have a larger number of users.

However, where Android falls down is the quality of the phones it's being installed in and the deifferent manufacturers user interfaces. It's like all the car producers using the same engine which may be top notch, but the quality between the finished cars will be huge.

I've only ever had an iPhone (it's my first smartphone) and am very happy with it, very few complaints. But, from reading phone reviews etc it does appear that some phones using Android are not actually that user friendly because of what the manufactuere has done to the phone.

The operating system itself won't make a phone into a great phone, there's more too it than that, so using sales figures or operating system user numbers is always going to give a false sense of satisfaction by users.

The benefit of having android on a load of phones is that the user has choice. There is a handset for all budgets. Hence android can be used by all and sundry. The iphone is limited to people with a higher budget (however I am not sure about this, as I have seen people that are unemployed, taxi drivers, students have an iphone). This is not by any means a failure of android, as you suggest, its a huge positive.

As for the skins manufacturers install, this is down to user preference. You may like one manufacturers more than the others...this is human nature. I have only ever used a htc phone, and he Sense skin is very good. Not used any other manufacturers phone. Either way I have rooted my phone and installed a custom rom...so the skin doesnt really make much difference to me.

Some lower end phones will have a cheaper feel, mainly because they are cheaper. However the top end android phones are better than the iphone.

Iphones are no better made than many other phones same as Apple computers are no better made than many PC's, remember all this kit is made in China. I'd love to see the data on 'giving a false sense of satisfaction' if you have a source to hand.

No phone is user friendly until the user learns how to use it then they become user friendly, same as Mac OS or Windows or Linux.

Remember that a low end Android will do an awfull lot of the stuff an iPhone can do at a fraction of the price; not everyone can afford a £500 phone and are very satisfied with a less expensive (and not always poor quality either) phone. I've 'played' with a lot of phones recently, top end (including iPhone) and lower end, perhaps as you've only had an iPhone you should do the same before passing judgment.

I wasn't passing judgement, if you read my post again I said that "from reading phone reviews" (when I was looking at buying a new phone).

As a linux user for many years i find it exiting that a linux powered handheld (Android) is doing so well throughout the world.

And going from strength to strength When the new iPhone is launced I'm sure Apple will claw back sales but not for long, Android is the leader of the pack now and the leads increasing.

Apple will need to launch a cheaper phone option to regain ground long term.

One issue is that the apple i phone operating system is only available on one hig spec/current phone, where as the android os is available on all sorts of phones from the low budget end of the market upto the top of the range big budget stuff.

The real problem for apple is that people who start out on a low cost android phone, wont 'move up' to an iPhone, but stick with what they know and get a top of the range android device instead.

Apart from they all still have the standard android launcher as well as the manufacturers implementation of it. TBH most people will just go and install launcher pro anyway.

Richard, you've hit it on the head there I think. Apple started the whole smart phone trend really and have produced top quality products but now folk have a real choice of product that can easily match their (Apple's) performance and build quality and will be tempted to move up the Android scale as and when they can afford to rather than splash out on a product that 'everyone has', something different from the herd if you like.

Your really are an argumentative fellow, and have never backed down on your outrageous biased statements...

Could you please outline the key features that iphone 4 cannot be beaten on, perhaps you are unaware that the iphone4 is not the most powerful smartphone on the market at the moment, and i am not anti iphone before you start barking fanboy nonsense at me.

He meant "does better" as in "sells more", rather than "performs better". And he's right - no single Android device outsells the iPhone, and nor will one ever do so.

The whole Android vs iOS sales pissing contest grows tired quickly. I love my Android phone and my next upgrade will be to another (toying between Xperia Arc and Galaxy S II at the mo), but I don't get the obsession with market share and whatnot - so long as there are enough Android users for developers to be interested in developing for Android alongside the iPhone, I really couldn't care if it's in first place, second or 28th.

Apps, Games, iTunes and Video - in all these areas the iPhone beats Android. Android's media player sucks in comparison. That's an opinion from a Apple pro user and not a fashion follower. True, some people buy an iPhone because it looks 'cool' but some of us buy it because it's currently the best.

Its a new world where we have to ditch functionality to 'move up'.

The new world has Apple owning 99.9% of its platform and thus being able to sell the iPhone cheap like a 'Kindle'.
They have their 'cake and eat it' for now but the £99 iPhone can only be months away.

There is a lot to like and dislike about the iPhone. Its the same for Android.

He can't outline anything. Check his status under his name.

Unlikely you'll get a reply as it appears he's on another "holiday" from the site.

LOL, snap!