Is Google’s Android Mobile OS in Danger?
A recent InfoWorld article suggests that Google’s Android Mobile OS is in serious danger due to a business pact between IBM and Oracle.
The pact has to do with the two companies planning two focus on OpenJDK, a new open source version of Java. So why is that a problem for Google? Well besides the fact that Oracle — who recently purchased Sun Microsystems, creators of Java — has a lawsuit against Android’s use of Java components, the problem is that Android uses components of the Harmony project. Harmony is an open source version of Java, created under the Apache Software Foundation name and contributed to heavily to by IBM employees.
So according to InfoWorld, even if Google wins the Oracle lawsuit, a move to OpenJDK could seriously affect Android, an OS that has taken top place in terms of the number of new mobile handsets purchased this year in the USA. Focus on OpenJDK means little or no focus on Harmony.
To be honest, I haven’t followed what that’s exactly about; however, anything that worries developers can cause long-term harm. Most of my time this year has been with Apple iOS work, but since the writing seems to be on the wall about Android dominating the mobile handset market (and possibly with tablets) in the very near future, I’ve started boning up on my Android skills.
Let’s just say I’ve never been a fan of Java. I like streamlined code and Java code always felt like unnecessary bloat just to do simple operations. So it’s rather difficult to decide whether to put in time learning Java (circumstances in my career simply meant that I never really had much time or desire to learn beyond the basics). If Android is in danger, why should I spend the precious little time I have in a week learning the Android OS and Java, let alone developing apps in Android? That’s a question — or something like it — that other developers are no doubt asking. (Though now that I’ve been working with Apple’s Objective-C for a while, I’m not feeling so negatively towards Java’s object-oriented principles.)
Could it be that there’s some intent by Oracle and IBM to damage Google? Possible, but why? Neither has any visible investment in the Mobile space. To confuse matters even more — at least for my understanding — InfoWorld quotes an NY Times Bits’ blog post that says Google has more developers contributing to OpenJDK than Oracle does. But if Android is to not lose its growing position in Mobile market share, Google may have to take over Harmony development or start all over again. That’s partially because, as the NY Times blog Bits says, the Oracle lawsuit restricts communication between them and Google.
My feeling is that if the latter scenario happens — that is, if Google has to take over the Harmony project — it would leave an opening for Apple’s iOS to become king of the castle. (I really feel BlackBerry will lose their worldwide top ranking and that HP/Palm WebOS has a lot of marketing to do before they’re anywhere close. Then again, maybe a revitalized Mobile OS offering from Microsoft, in the form of Windows Phone 7, has a shot.
What are your thoughts, either as a consumer or a mobile apps developer, about these developments?
Links: InfoWorld, NY Times Bits Blog.
Android Might Become Top Mobile OS, But What About Design Environment?
The writing’s on the wall: Android is probably going to dominate in the mobile OS space, from the consumer perspective, for quite some time. In fact, NielsenWire just published a report (link below) stating that Android has leaped into top place in the smartphone OS category, at least in the U.S., amongst recent smartphone purchasers — passing the iPhone. A number of other online publications have been saying for a few weeks that Android will dominate over all, and the report is echoed in the NY Times and in GigaOm. While I have nothing against Google — I do use many, many of their web tools daily — as a mobile developer, I have my own concerns about this. Namely, can the Android dev & design environment attract quality mobile apps development?
Let me clarify, if I can, so as not to offend. I’ve been thick in the development of iPhone/ iPad apps for the past few months (hence why I have not written on CallStyle lately), and only just started picking up Android skills. I love the Mac’s Xcode environment and the Interface Builder, both of which make it relatively easy to to at least mockup iPhone and iPad screens
I don’t feel that that’s the case with Android. While I have no Android phone to verify the quality of Android apps, I have been working with the Eclipse IDE and necessary Android plugins to do some very simple “hello, world” type of mobile apps in the simulator. Now, I am an experienced programmer of more than 25 years (though I’m not saying how much “more”), and I can assess an dev environment fairly quickly. I’ve always liked the Eclipse IDE, though most of the languages I used to program in didn’t have plugins at the time, so I’ve never used Eclipse all that much. However, it’s the Android screen design that I’m not impressed with. Mocking up screens in Android is nowhere nearly as enjoyable as for Apple iOS. What’s more, Android phones have far too many screen sizes overall. It’s like designing sites for the Web all over again.
Call me biased but when offshore companies (i.e., outside Canada and the U.S.) are bidding as low as possible on mobile app projects and even prototyping for free, it’s hard enough to survive and create iPhone apps that will function on just 3-4 types of devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPhone 4, iPad). Sure, Apple might soon release a 7″ iPad, or other devices that’ll have iOS and need apps, but for now, it’s relatively easy to design for iOS, and the Mac’s Interface Builder makes it easy too. I’m not seeing the equivalent for Android. It just doesn’t feel as enjoyable, and the simulator feels like an afterthought.
Apple’s App Store is still the biggest for now, but if I recall, there are experts who believe that won’t last. I don’t know. While I will be developing for Android and probably WebOS, my money (or at least my time) is still on iOS for now. What about you? As either a consumer of mobile apps or a developer, which platform are you betting on and why.
Links: Nielsen Wire, NY Times, GigaOm.
Why is AT&T Still Apple’s Only U.S. Carrier?
What’s going on with AT&T? First there’s the security breach relating to iPad customers, then there’s the crashed pre-order site for the iPhone 4. Not to mention, the decision to retract the all-you-can-eat data plan for the iPad 3G, going to an option that’ll cost power users even more money — apparently because almost no one was using their 5GB/month caps.
Wait, there’s more. Today there’s word of a breach with the iPhone 4 pre-order site showing the wrong addresses and credit card info to some people, right near the end of the pre-order process. Some people managed to catch the problem but who knows how many people didn’t? If you get a free iPhone 4 in the mail between now and July 14th, you’ll know why. (Just to be clear: it’s probably illegal if you keep the phone.) Not enough for you? AT&T has been canceling some completed iPhone 4 pre-orders, but they told Electronista it was because some customers ordered twice, having not received confirmation of the first completed order.
Wow, Apple. And you still want to have just one carrier in the USA? I mean sure there were 10 times the preorders of iPhone 4 than for 3GS last year, but what about all the security breaches in the matter of just a few weeks? The iPad breach goes beyond the release of contact info for 114,000 customers (including highly-placed politicians), and some experts say it might be worse than first thought, possibly allowing hackers to track the physical location of the devices.
If Apple has all the muscle it does, I’m surprised that CEO Steve Jobs has not met with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson – the man who claims that his company will be number one in mobile broadband by 2015. Does that mean they’re not number one now? If not, they why have Apple partnered with them?
More Proof of Video Chat for Next-Gen iPhones
Recently during a big Apple event, Steve Jobs announced details of the new iPhone OS 4.0 but left out what some bloggers feel is a big detail: the next-gen iPhone devices will have video chat. At least, more hidden details have been uncovered that suggest this will be the case.
For example, MacRumors shows a snippet of code that quite clearly includes the words “video chat” in a variety of application status messages for iPhone OS 4. Why have that in a brand new OS if it’s not going to be used. Not too long ago, TUAW found a process named iChatAgent in the OS 4 SDK that was installed onto an iPhone for testing.
Of course, to achieve video chat on an iPhone, it’ll need to have a front-facing camera. But given that there are also countless apps that rely on the existing back-facing camera, my guess is that the next-gen iPhone –which rumors suggest will be announced in June — will have two cameras. For the best video chat experience, its also going to need a higher resolution screen, which is more than possible for Apple given that several of their competitors already offer phones with more screen real estate than the iPhone’s 320×480. Now whether or not the iPad will eventually have video chat remains to be seen, though there’s already speculation that future generations of the device will have a front-facing camera.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news or tips you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
South Korea iPad Ban Lifted
It’s not just Israel that had a ban on Apple iPads but also South Korea, which has also now been lifted. This was the result of the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports being unaware of the ban and using an iPad at a news conference in early April. According to the Wall Street Journal, the minister’s news conference was to announce a $50M fund for electronic book publishing, so it’s not surprising he used the iPad “as a prop.” Apparently the news of the Korean Communications Commission’s ban had not reached minister.
The issue as with Israel was to whether the iPad met local wireless standards. The ban on iPads in South Korea has been lifted for personal use and for “companies that are using it for research and development of products.” Not sure what that leaves or why any other use would be a violation, but that’s way things stand there right now.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news or tips you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
Consumers Would Pay More For Apps on iPad Than iPhone
Alex Ahlund, CEO of AppVee, writes an analysis over at TechCrunch of how he sees the Apple iPad changing the iPhone gaming industry. The gist is that, due to a combination of market-determined pricing and consumer psychology, iPhone game apps cost much less than their counterpart editions for other devices and platforms. On the other hand, because the iPad has a larger screen, there is a larger perceived value by consumers, and they’re likely more willing to pay for a higher priced app, especially for games
I can confirm that feeling, at least for myself. I’m not a gamer per se, but only because I get very addicted and intentionally tend to stay away. But lately, I’ve been playing 3-4 games (7 Cities, IQ Bloxing, Flood It 2 and especially Avatar, pictured above) made for the iPhone but on my iPad, and I am addicted. I’m embarrassed to admit they take up more of my time than they should. On top of that, I find myself wishing there were iPad-specific versions, for which I would pay extra for.
I already have put $9.99 each into several music apps made for the iPhone. However, they are worth it. For example, Korg’s iElectribe costs $9.99. Back in 2000, I bought 3 versions of the Electribe in hardware form, and the synths were barely bigger than the iPad in width and depth, but about 1-2 inches thick, if I recall. They also cost $300 each, and I bought three. That’s $1,000 after taxes. Here I have the functionality (almost exactly) of the hardware version but for $9.99. Sure, it’s missing all the MIDI sync, etc., and the tactility of a physical synth, but I get what I’m perceiving has the same audio quality or better. I can even pipe out the audio to a mixer or to recording software and know there’ll be digital quality in the end product
In a similar manner, iPad-specific games could deliver an amazing experience and warrant a higher price point that will help the development community thrive. But if iPad apps go the $0.99-1.99 route, once again, most developers will be making squat while a few make it big enough that media will write about it and developers that don’t know any better will think they can make a living.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news or tips you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
Image via Avatar iPhone game, copyright Fox Mobile Entertainment/ Twentieth Century Fox.
Israel Ban on Apple iPad Imports Finally Lifted
Israel has finally lifted the ban on Apple iPad imports to the country. Up til now, not only were bulk imports not allowed but travelers carrying iPads were having the device confiscated at their own expense (just a daily storage fee). Authorities had claimed the devices violated local wireless communications laws, but all evidence suggests the contrary. They’ve since consulted with Apple and several labs and found the device does in fact operate within local wireless standards. Up to 20 devices that had been confiscated will be released, by I guess unless they seek out the owners (travelers), the latter will continue to pay the storage fee. Read CNN Money to get some more insight as to what might actually have been going on.
iPhone OS 4.0 Roundup
Apple recently announced their upcoming iPhone OS 4.0 (yeah, I know, this post is a bit late) and there are some big changes coming. The OS will be available this summer for iPhone and iPod Touch devices, and later in the fall for iPads. Note: not all older iPhone and iPod Touch devices will be able to upgrade to the new OS, and I’ve come across some rumors that iPads will only getting one free OS upgrade, to OS 4.0. (More on that later.)
The following is a quick summary of information about iPhone OS 4.0 from Gdgt, who live-blogged the Apple event. There are 7 “tent-poles,” as Apple put it, for the new OS:
- Multitasking, including allowing location apps in background & local notifications. Note that there’s always been multi-tasking on the iPhone OS, just not for 3rd party apps. Apple claims to have found a way to offer up the appropriate interface and abilities without draining battery life.
- Folders. So now you can finally organize your iPhone apps into logical groups, and as a result be able to add even more apps to your device. It’s just too bad us iPad owners have to wait for this feature. I’m far more likely to want extreme amounts of functionality on an iPad. By the way, if you can wait for folders to add ridiculous amounts of apps, there’s a way to exceed the 9 or 11 page limit on iPhone (depending on which iPhone OS you’re currently running) without jailbreaking the phone. It works for my iPhone 3GS running OS 3.1.3.
- Enhanced email, in the form of an unified universal inbox, which gives an aggregation of messages from multiple providers. Without trying this I’d say it’s no big deal, since there are many reasons to keep messages separated. I mean, that’s why you created multiple email accounts in the first place, right? However, I’m willing to be convinced. It is supposedly an oft-requested feature.
- iBooks. The way this works is a via free app that looks like a bookshelf, and to which you can download free and paid digital books. Some people say it’s Apple’s challenge to Amazon’s kindle. I’m not a big fan of reading long-form content on screens, but the fact is, it’s far easier to do so on an iPad than on a standard computer monitor or laptop screen.
- Enterprise features, including email and data encryption, SSL VPN support, multiple Exchange accounts. Yawn. This really is a concession towards enterprise and probably not of interest to most individuals outside of work.
- Game Center, which is a social network for mobile gamers. Wow, look out gaming device companies. I think.
- iAd mobile advertising, which allows free apps to earn ad revenues (60% take for developers) with interactive and video content (programmatic access, too). Steve Jobs said that 60% is “industry standard.” Actually, 70% is far more standard, and some networks even offer 80% to publishers. Apple, don’t forget all the mobile device sales that you’ll get thanks to all those great free apps. Well hopefully paid apps will not be allowed to take advantage of iAds.
Other points of note: 1500 new APIs. Wow, it’s just going to get harder to learn what you need to know to become an iPhone OS developer. I suggest focusing on a specialty or three, and learning everything you can about those. Write sample code, learn the ins and outs of specific APIs. If you’re planning to be an independent developer, team up with other devs with overlapping specialties.
What do you you think? If your existing iPhone or iPod Touch cannot upgrade to OS 4.0, are these features enough that you’d upgrade to the new devices rumored to be announced in June?
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news or tips you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
Contract-free iPhones Coming
Contract-free — but non-jailbroken — iPhones will soon be available. No AT&T 2-year contract is required, but you have to pay full prices ($499, $599 and $699 for 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models, respectively). Of course, you’re also not going to have 3G coverage unless you add it, and you can only do so through AT&T (officially) and T-Mobile (unofficially). Since AT&T subsidizes the phones, unless you’re planning to jailbreak a contract-free phone, this is a great way to waste $400. There’s apparently a limit on the purchase of these phones of one per person per day, to a max of 10 phones. (Seriously, who is going to buy 10 full-price iPhones, unless they run some sort of jailbroken apps lab?) You can read more at 9 to 5 Mac and Engadget. Techcrunch believes this is a sign of a new iPhone coming.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
As Apple Lifts Restrictions, VoIP through 3G Now Possible in the iPhone
Prior to this, VoIP through cellular networks was not possible for the iPhone. Or should say, Apple did not allow the feature. For whatever reason, you can only make VoIP calls whenever your iPhone is connected via Wi-Fi. Sudddenly, Apple realized that it’s now time to lift this restriction and allow VoIP feature through cellular networks.
As soon as Apple updated the iPhone SDK, we now have the first iPhone app to make this possible – iCall. In fact, this app will go down into history as being the first and currently the only VoIP application that uses 3G networks for the iPhone.
So, now you make unrestricted free local and long distance calling vover 3G networks using your iPhone.
iCall is already available at the Apps Store as a free download. And iCall CEO is more than happy about the release of this app and applauded Apple for lifting the restrictions.
“I applaud Apple’s decision to allow iCall to extend its functionality beyond Wi-Fi and onto the 3G networks. This heralds a new era for VoIP applications on mobile platforms, especially for iCall and our free calling model. I hope that now more developers will begin using our VoIP as a platform to integrate VoIP into their applications.”
Here’s the link to iCall iPhone App at the Apps Store.