Apple plays catchup to Android in upcoming release
Is Iphone feeling the Android Effect?
Its official, Android has got Apple spooked. In response to Android’s market share growth, it looks like Apple have finally bitten the bullet and started to implement some of android’s earlier version features in its new Iphone 4.0 ( aka catchup edition) release due out in the summer. Key highlights include:
- Multitasking support ( in android since version 1.0)
- Application Folders (in android since version 1.0)
- unified messaging ( in Motorola Motoblur and HTC Sense on android since version 1.5)
- Threaded email ( in android since version 1.0)
Opening up list of icons of open applications ( in android since 1.0- accessible by pushing and holding the home button on android)( Edit- apparently this only shows the last 6 apps opened- not running processes. As android is open there are several task manager apps allow you to view open apps- but its not in core)
I guess I must have been channelling Steve Jobs, in my April Fools day post with my fake quote from an apple spokesman:
“with devices like the HTC desire, Motorola Milestone and Google Nexus, which exceed the iphone hardware in every respect, we have to do what we do best and release better software.”
Ironically this appears to almost be an exact expression of the new apple strategy(roughly!). It looks like that with the absence of a new handset for at least the next few months and with such powerful handsets flowing through the Android floodgates, it seems that that apples’ strategy is to focus on software improvements to retain its edge. Anyone who has been watching the tech market over the last few years will no doubt see the similarility with Apples strategy when it came to producing their desktops and laptops.
Its not that i criticise Apple for improving its product, I just personally think it quite hypocritical to sue HTC for implementing features of an apple handset, whilst copying features initiated by HTC on their handsets. I seriously hope someone at HTC’s law firm is taking notes on this announcement as it will most certainly blow Apple’s argument out the water.
Now that Apple has played its cards, I hope that Google will follow suit and release the next iteration of Android codenamed FroYo ( Frozen Yoghurt ) It has been 4 months now since the last major release of Android so I am sure that Google will be announcing something within the next month or two. Happily Google seems to be keeping their cards firmly to its chest until its ready to play a hopefully winning hand. Your move Android!
Edit: (Apologies for the fanboy-esque post below- however I think that with the launch of the new Iphone 4- its clear that Android has begun to make an impact- if there is anything inaccurate in the post below- please can you feel free to comment below- I know you will!)
Here is a great demo of the new Iphone os 4.0:
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It’s very true that Apple is late to the game with Multitasking, but in all fairness they way that they are implementing Multitasking is unique and very smart.
From an article in Computerworld (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9175142/5_ways_Apple_s_iPhone_OS_4_is_a_game_changer?taxonomyId=11&pageNumber=1):
“In delivering multitasking to the masses of iPhone developers, Apple didn’t simply decide to let all apps run and perform all their functions simultaneously, which is what most other platforms do. Instead, the company looked at the types of functions background apps need and created services that give multitasking apps access to those core needs. This allows basic processes like playing music, updating your location and completing tasks to work when a user switches apps. This tack is smart because when most apps are running in the background, you rarely interact with most of their features — so why take up resources that can be allocated elsewhere?”
Great point Harvey, and yes that is a great addition- they are trying to strike a balance between users and developers.
Hopefully it won’t put up many obstacles to developers -especially if they are trying to do something “outside the box”
Thanks for pointing out the article- really great read and thoroughly recommend it.
Just as an FYI, holding the home button down in Android does *not* display a list of running applications, it just displays the last 6 applications you’ve opened. (see here for a description from the Nexus users guide: http://www.google.com/support/android/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=27201&topic=27213&answer=168452#1147685)
Android apps actually don’t normally run in the background at all. Whenever an activity is not visible, it’s immediately stopped by the OS. The only things that do run in the background are service processes. These are registered by applications that need to do things either in the background or in response to alarms or events. (such as playing music in the background, checking for updates in the background, etc). In that respect, the Android model is actually very similar to the limited multitasking model in the new iPhone OS, but more generalized and not limited to 7 background tasks. You could read more about the Android process lifecycle here: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals.html#proclife
Thanks Bob- Consider myself corrected! Thanks for the resource on the background applications- I am sure it will useful to other interested types.
I’ve tried both iphone and android handsets and I have to say that I don’t think Apple will ever be playing catch up to Android. Android has potential but its still so buggy!