Sick of Android

[Number29]

Is anyone else out there getting really sick of Android and it's pervasive stranglehold on the mobile market? With so many manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon (presumably because it's cheap and easy for them to do so) we are seeing a market being slowly strangled of innovation because there isn't anything significantly different between an Android device from one manufacturer and an Android device from another. The only (viable) resistance we have against this market deadening effect is Apple and Microsoft. However, in a market where money talks, and it's the cheapest devices that determine the overall path of the industry, do we have any means of effectively stopping this creep? We seem to be witnessing the PC market over again.

Thoughts welcome!

#29.

 

[Number29]

Android doesn't stifle innovation, as the manufacturers can tweak it as they see fit. Samsung have been pretty innovative with their additions to Android and the split screen functionality on their devices is fantastic for example.

I hate most of their "bloat" but a lot of people heavily utilise their additions and Google seem to regularly nick their ideas and incorporate them into stock Android.

I'd say Android stifles innovation in that it's the same OS, over and over, rather than distinct and innovative OSes from each manufacturer. Android distracts manufacturers from making innovating operating systems and ecosystems.

 

[Number29]

As opposed to IOS or Windows phone?

I dont want individual OSs as when i buy a new phone i do not want to have to buy apps again or indeed find out (like windows) that half of the apps i like arent available to buy on that platform.

I am actually bored of android myself just because it always looks/feels the same to me even when i constantly change roms. But the other OSs are just as boring so i have nowhere else to go.

Waiting for new ubuntu phones or something

Android is the same OS over and over again in that it's the same OS over and over again on phones from many different manufacturers. Windows Phone would be exactly the same in the same position. iOS obviously isn't because there's only one manufacturer of iOS devices.

I can understand that convenience is a big factor as to why people like that Android is so pervasive, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that one OS dominating is remotely healthy for the market given that that leads to less choice of smartphone OSes overall. Just imagine how ultra crazy competitive the smartphone market would be if each manufacturer had their own OS and ecosystem? Manufacturers would then have to wow us with their software as opposed to just their hardware, which I'd surmise would lead to more innovation on the software front than we currently get.

Surely a lot of manufacturers don't have the time or resources to implement their own O/S? As Kreee had mentioned, they can tweak android to implement specific features. Similar model is applied for desktop computers, the likes of HP, Dell, Asus, Lenovo etc don't create their own O/S for use on these systems, they generally always use Windows.

Really, that's precisely the problem with the market as it stands. Manufacturers take the easiest and cheapest route to getting their products to market. However, that doesn't translate into what is best for us consumers, which would be more competition.

Whoop! Posting in a troll thread!

But yeah, it makes me sick you can a high quality smartphone for £100.

This isn't a troll thread, it's a thread to ask whether anyone else is concerned with the stifling of the mobile market by Android, and potentially what can be done to prevent further harm being done.