Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 28th Jul 2012 10:10 UTC
In case you were still doubting whether or not Apple's lawsuits against Samsung were a case of 'if you can't compete, litigate', Samsung's financial results should seal the deal. The company shipped round and about 50 million smartphones, twice as many smartphones as Apple shipped. So, not only is Android doing better on smartphones than iOS, there's now also a single manufacturer outselling Apple. Oh, the next avenue for de-emphasizing this achievement has already reared its head: Samsung has a wider portfolio, and as such, the comparison isn't fair. Nonsense, of course - Volkswagen sells lots more models than, say, Mazda, but that doesn't mean you can't compare them. Maybe, just maybe, having a wide portfolio of devices to meet the various different needs of the market is simply a very good strategy. It'll be interesting to see just how much Apple can take back with the next iPhone, especially since the full potential of the Galaxy SIII hasn't been realised yet and will be accounted for in Samsung's next quarter as well. Fun, such a fight between titans. Just too bad one of the two titans plays dirty by opting for the courtroom.
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RE: Getting tired of iSheep
by CapEnt on Sat 28th Jul 2012 17:56
in reply to "Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2005-12-18
Indeed.
Apple have dilemma: become a mass product company, and began diversifying their product lineup, severely restricting their profit margins and then compensate with volume, or become a Bang & Olufsen style company, selling only to a premium market.
I doubt that Apple will sunk to near bankruptcy like they did in 90's, but based on their current refusal to adapt their business model, they will become increasingly niche.
RE: Getting tired of iSheep
by kristoph on Sat 28th Jul 2012 18:47
in reply to "Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2006-01-01
No offense here dude, but the *reality* is that Apple just reported revenue growth of 26% the last quarter, up to $9 billion. Samsung reported $6 billion. It looks like a reasonably comparison except for the fact that Samsung has 6 times the employees of Apple and has a margin below 5%.
Also ...
Apple is the largest tech company by revenue.
Apple is the largest company by market cap.
Apple has the highest margin of any tech company.
Apple has the highest customer service rating of any tech company.
None of this is really subjective so you can't blame it on 'sheep'.
That's not to say Android, Google and Samsung are not doing well. They are. Android is by far the most popular smart phone OS and that's not going to change anytime soon.
So there is lots to be happy about for both Android and iOS fans. Can't we all just get along?
RE[2]: Getting tired of iSheep
by _txf_ on Sat 28th Jul 2012 19:30
in reply to "RE: Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2008-03-17
So there is lots to be happy about for both Android and iOS fans. Can't we all just get along?
Doubtful.
We can't get along BECAUSE Apple is doing fine right now despite the existence of Android. It really doesn't need to assert BS patents against others in order to compete...
And if it does then it surely doesn't deserve to compete.
Edited 2012-07-28 19:30 UTC
RE[2]: Getting tired of iSheep
by wargum on Sat 28th Jul 2012 19:55
in reply to "RE: Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2006-12-15
Apple obviously doesn't want coexistence with Android. Remember Steve Jobs' quote about how he want to go "thermonuclear" on Android and "right this wrong"? The multitude of law suits around the world are the direct result of this view of a "stolen" product.
I am all for a competitive marketplace with different platforms to choose from. Most people are, I guess.
RE[2]: Getting tired of iSheep
by Bill Shooter of Bul on Mon 30th Jul 2012 01:56
in reply to "RE: Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2006-07-14
I don't understand why the financials of the company are relevant in terms of smartphone platform. As a developer I just care that the platform itself will survive, and that there are a number of potential users of my app.
Hp has always done well, but I'm not porting my app to webos, nor to windows phone 7.
RE[2]: Getting tired of iSheep
by unclefester on Mon 30th Jul 2012 08:26
in reply to "RE: Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2007-01-13
No offense here dude, but the *reality* is that Apple just reported revenue growth of 26% the last quarter, up to $9 billion. Samsung reported $6 billion. It looks like a reasonably comparison except for the fact that Samsung has 6 times the employees of Apple and has a margin below 5%.
Samsung has subsidiaries involved in high fashion clothing, banking, hotels, insurance, steelmaking, automobiles, agriculture, chemicals and biotechnology. It is one of the most diversified large corporations in the world.
RE[2]: Getting tired of iSheep
by Dr.Mabuse on Thu 2nd Aug 2012 01:45
in reply to "RE: Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2009-05-19
Also ...
Apple is the largest tech company by revenue.
Apple is the largest company by market cap.
Apple has the highest margin of any tech company.
Apple has the highest customer service rating of any tech company.
None of this is really subjective so you can't blame it on 'sheep'.
But this was his point. Apple are gouging the customer.
Other than the last point, none of these things are particularly positive in my mind and at least one makes me very uncomfortable (margins.)
It's like boasting to friends that you just bought a house where the builder made four times the profit off you ... Like it's a good thing? Really?
Is the shine starting to wear off Apple? I've heard some recent comments from friends buying phones where they went into a store wanting to buy an iPhone, only to walk out with an Android.
"Full throttle back into the niche."
Indeed.
RE: Getting tired of iSheep
by tomcat on Sun 29th Jul 2012 02:47
in reply to "Getting tired of iSheep"
Member since:2006-01-06
Apple needs to go for market share now! Otherwise, they will become a relatively irrelevant also-ran with a tons of money, that won't help. They are already hit by their static release cycle, the fact that carriers recommend Android phones over iPhones because that gives them higher margins and their self-inflicted restriction in resulution/screen size of their devices, that makes it extremely difficult to introduce more models and diversity of their smartphone lineup.
Great post. But, keep in mind, that Apple essentially backfills the low- and mid-points of the market with older models. Which allows it to cover a wider range than simply the high-end. Now, of course, a lot of people would rather opt for a less expensive Android phone than a one- or two-year old iPhone model; but it's part of the dynamic, nonetheless.
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.More Features »
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Member since:
2006-12-15
Argument after argument about why Apple is doing just fine against Android and isn't in any trouble has been dismissed by reality.
1) When Android picked up some pace, there was this 'shipped vs. sold' BS.
2) Then it all didn't matter because the metrics failed to include the iPod touch and the iPad, which gave them iSheep the warm feeling of platform dominance for a short period.
3) Then the argument was that, of course (!) all the Android phones of different manufacturers combined with their gazillion models outsell the iPhone, but Apple still sells the highest volume of any company.
4) Oh and they complained how Apple is not on every carrier, totally ignoring that this was Apple's self made trap.
5) Apple's slower sales growth compared to Android was even excused by limits in the supply chain and manufacturing process. Again, self-inflicted.
6) Then it was App count (more = better).
7) Then it was and still is profits.
8) Then it was App exclusiveness.
9) Now it is App quality.
I am really getting tired of it. The next arguments to crack down are:
A) A single phone model of a competitor will outsell the best selling iPhone model.
B) App count of Play Store will top App Store.
C) App quality and exclusiveness of Apps will soon be equal or are there already.
But there is one thing that may be true a bit longer: Apple is the most profitable smartphone maker. If you've read Gruber and collegues lately, squeezing every cent out of your customers is now the coolest thing. Absurdly high margins are now THE benchmark. And those poor minds don't even realize that this is exactly what leads to the market share losses of the iPhone that we currently observe. Full throttle back into the niche.
Apple needs to go for market share now! Otherwise, they will become a relatively irrelevant also-ran with a tons of money, that won't help. They are already hit by their static release cycle, the fact that carriers recommend Android phones over iPhones because that gives them higher margins and their self-inflicted restriction in resulution/screen size of their devices, that makes it extremely difficult to introduce more models and diversity of their smartphone lineup.