Religious wars are never pretty. Take iOS and Android. I’m sure there are lots of agnostics in both camps–people who use one or the other without strong opinions about it–but there are plenty more whose feelings run very deep indeed. Just today I tweeted about a piece at PC Mag entitled The iPad Wins Because Android Tablet Apps Suck: An Illustrated Guide by Sascha Segan. Twitter pal and Android user VicWu took offense. Her charge against me: I’m being as unfair and dickish as the unfair dicks I decry on the other side. But am I?
Nobody’s perfect. I’m sure I have my moments of high snark-to-content ratios. But here are some of the things I genuinely think are problematic about Android.
1. An emphasis on being feature-rich at the expense of usability. I know which side of this issue I’m often on–and, techies notwithstanding, which side I think most users of consumer technology should be on.
2. Android devices often get software updates slowly–if at all. I’ve been hearing about the miracles of the “ice cream sandwich” release for ages, but I read that the percentage of Android users who actually have it is in the single digits. Carriers and handset makers simply have no incentive to distribute new software to their customers–and Google can’t usually do it independently of them. So there you are. iOS updates are immediately available to all handsets that can support them.
3. The Android app store has had quality control issues. From copyright-infringing ringtone ripoff artists to outright malware, you simply don’t see that kind of thing in Apple’s store.
4. In their effort to one-up each other and the iPhone, some Android handset makers have stuffed their phones so full of features–larger screen! super fast networking! unlimited tethering!–that many of them can’t last a whole day on a single battery charge.
5. Android evangelists laud the platform’s “openness.” I’m not sure what they mean by this. None of them can just download the source code of the Android operating system. The real openness I see on Android is that it’s open for handset makers and carriers to fuck it up with bad user interfaces and ham-handed attempts to shunt users into their own shoddy services and products.
You may not think these observations are reason enough not to use Android, but I don’t think any of them are grossly unfair criticisms.
There are legitimate criticisms of Apple’s iPhone, too. I generally don’t take umbrage at these. You want to cast aspersions on Apple’s app store control freakery? Have at it. I don’t share those concerns, but it generally doesn’t anger me if you bring it up. You want to vilify Apple for its relative lack of customizability? Go for it. I myself am pretty comfortable with its level of customizability, but if it’s not to your liking, knock yourself out.
Here’s what does bug me about Android enthusiasts.
1. They often accuse us Apple customers of being thoughtless victims of “slick marketing.” They say we are shallow and vain, chasing after whatever is new, shiny and fashionable without regard to its actual utility or value. There is rarely any acknowledgement of an Apple products genuine merits.
2. There’s a feeding frenzy of bad tech press and free software zealots who absolutely go apeshit every time something Apple does isn’t perfect. Even worse, they occasionally just make shit up. Have you read that the new iPad has battery problems? Well, it doesn’t. But doesn’t it overheat? No. Have you somehow gotten the idea that Apple is especially ruthless with regard to Chinese laborers and that the responsible thing to do might be to avoid their products? Well, they aren’t and you shouldn’t. Every time some Linux nerd gets out his calipers and claims that the iPhone is .002 millimeters thicker than Apple’s spec sheet it hits the front page of Slashdot where the snark runs high and the misinformation runs deep…only to have the issue debunked later.
That stuff bugs me. Because it’s unfair or wrong or unnecessarily personal and ad hominem. I think if you take a glance back at my list of Android concerns you won’t’ find anything like that.
So I’m not as much of a dick as those other guys.
No, seriously. I’m not.
I agree you’re not as much of a dick as the others. I only think you’re being dickish (cuz really you aren’t a dick and the dickfight was an illustration of a duel between respective cultists) by propagating what you complain about from the other side. It’s a binary measure rather than measure of magnitude. Not that there aren’t viable issues to address, but the presentation is less than objective in most cases.
That aside, I’m not sure how you can dismiss underpaid Chinese labor. It’s not that Apple is the only culprit or particularly worse than other companies. It’s the fact that because others do it that somehow makes it okay when it’s pointed out that Apple does it.
I appreciate your candor, Vic.
I don’t dismiss Chinese labor practices, though. I only maintain that it isn’t an Apple problem. There’s every reason to believe that making iPads in FoxConn factories are some of the best jobs in Shenzhen. Which is to say, they’re terrible by Western standards. But when we take one of the more responsible actors on the issue and make them the sole poster child of the problem, that’s not fair. Although I admit that because of Apple’s size and brand recognition, they may be the most effective target of consumer and regulatory ire. It’s a weird situation. They’re one of the good guys–but also the guy who has to get nailed in order to make things better.
I agree that Apple isn’t the sole offender. And not saying they are the worst, either. The problem overall with the tech manufacturing industry is, like you said, it’s terrible by Western standards and corporations (Apple included) only do the minimum to make it better, which isn’t even good enough. Even when CEOs are confronted about the human rights issues they shrug it off because it’s profitable. For example, when Nike’s CEO was confronted about their sweatshops and child labor issues, the dude listened but ultimately didn’t change a thing. The same has been said of Steve Jobs so I have a hard time considering Apple one of the good guys despite marginal improvement over the norm.
I think part of the reason Apple is targeted is because of their emphasis on quality…but only on the surface. Underneath, it’s still interested in profit like every other corporation. Cheap labor makes cheap products which can be marked up for profit. It’s no shocker that the bulk of manufacturing isn’t done in America where there are standards (not what minimum wage is actually livable either) I find it troubling that Apple products cost more than other products (agreeably, some of that is due to quality but not all) and yet they only marginally improve conditions for their workers.
Another thing that bothers me is the “shit doesn’t stink” attitude a lot of people have in regards to being an Apple user. I have to say upfront that I don’t think you have been that way despite the Android sucks linking you do at times. I also know a lot of other Apple users who are not like that but the handful I do know that are, really blow the top off. Seriously, they almost make up for non-over-the-top Apple users on scale of bloviating enthusiasm. Like I mentioned earlier on Twitter, the whole Apple elitism thing became a problem for me when people took that arrogant attitude and applied it to Apple’s human rights violations. I really do think “not as bad” is not equal to “not a problem”. That ire gets generalized whenever anything “Apple better” comes up these days. And I really think the Android/PC elitism is in response to the initial Apple/Mac elitism years ago. Not that that really helps or contributes anything.
One thing you’re missing: the cost of labor isn’t the only reason why so much manufacturing is done in China. It’s because they are set up to deliver mega-fast supply chain management. I heard it described thusly: if the screw factory is right next to your factory, you can go next door and get 10,000 of a new screw by the next day. In America that would take two weeks. It’s isn’t just–or even primarily–labor costs that dictate these things.
Old post, but I stumbled across it doing some research. I am an Android girl through-and-through, but I would recommend the iPhone (assuming price isn’t an issue) to anyone who simply wants their phone to work out of the box. When someone asks me which to go with, I consider who they are. iOS is probably simple enough for my mom to use, but I’d spend a lot more time fielding calls if she suddenly bought a Galaxy S III.
With that said, I’m not ready to give up my freedom for the chains of an iPhone. Sure, that freedom comes with some sacrifices (IE, you can do this but it’ll take some work) but that’s sort of the definition of freedom. Still, what I want and need isn’t so important to you or John or Susie, and that’s what always frustrates me when listening to Android fanboys (fanboyds?).
At the end of the day, if my carrier ever picked up a Nokia Windows phone, I’d so consider it. I am a Nokia fangirl above all d=/
Thanks for reminding me about this old post! Guess what? I have a new Android concern now!
I trust Apple a lot more than I trust Google. With Apple, I know who pays the bills: me. I’m the customer. Apple gets money by making me happy. On the other hand, I can’t think of when I last paid Google any money. Even phone handset makers don’t pay Google to use the Android OS, it’s free to them. So, how does Google earn money? Who’s their customer? Turns out, it’s ad and marketing people. And you know what Google’s product is? It isn’t Android OS. It’s me. Google’s business model is to sell me to ad/marketing people. And if they have a choice to make about my privacy or the ad guys’ money.. I’m not entirely confident that their incentives will lead them in the direction I’d like. Plus, think about it. Google reads my email (Gmail). They know what I search for (Google search). Just how far do I want Google to reach into my life? I no longer have the good feelings about the company that I once did. You’re mileage may vary.