Android OEMs should make fewer devices

[Muhammad Farrukh]

No matter which carrier you use, when it comes to Android, there is no shortage of options. HTC, Motorola, LG and Samsung have spread their many devices across all major US carriers and they come at varying price points and in all different sizes, colors and form factors. The chances of there being at least one Android phone out there that suits your needs are pretty high. Power in numbers, right?

Although having a wide selection of devices is never a bad thing, it's beginning to be a bit much to digest. And too many options makes it difficult on the consumer. But the real problem is the shelf life of the devices. Back in February, HTC claimed that the average shelf life of a cell phone used to be an astounding three years. Android's Law, however, cut that estimated shelf life down to anywhere from six to nine months.

That was February, this is October, and a lot has changed. A device shelf life of six months is now a stretch ? we're now looking at two to three months. Sure, the carrier keeps the device in their lineup for much longer, and I'm sure they still sell some older devices to customers looking for a bargain. But in truth, those phones were likely dated by the time they actually hit the shelves, and were long forgotten a month or two after they launched.

Take the HTC Sensation 4G for example. It was easily one of the most-hyped phones of 2011. There's no doubt about it. The Sensation finally landed in May, but by the time it arrived, we were already informed of another Sensation-like device coming with added NFC support and a better camera. This slightly better device turned out to be the Amaze 4G, which was announced in September and launched earlier this month. There are also two other iterations of the Sensation floating about: the Sensation XL and Sensation XE.

Source and read more: http://www.phonedog....-fewer-devices/

Edited November 12, 2011 by SHoTTa35
Formatting and edited

[Pam14160]

Too much verbiage. Shorten it up lost you after the third paragraph.

[Dick Montage]

There's a whole lot of anti Android BS in this post (unsurprisingly), but I do agree that manufacturers are making WAY too many handsets. Do a low-end, mid-end and high-end for a platform. The whole thing of customising it for a carrier is weird IMHO.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Yeah, sorry, I got lost when you were talking about the Sensation.

By lost, I mean bored.

Try breaking it up a bit into paragraphs and maybe pictures.

[Roger H. Veteran]

Here's a rebuttal from DroidLife:

After yesterday?s piece by Ron on the idea that Android manufacturers need to slow down, we had another reader step up and put together a well-thought-out rebuttal. As a site that prides itself on having the greatest group of Android enthusiasts in the world, this is the type of stuff that solidifies that claim. Who else sees discussions turn into featured posts by readers? Let?s take a look at what Skipper K. has to say.

____________________________________________

Is Android coming at us too fast and too hard? Are we really better off with fewer handsets?

It?s been argued that Android manufacturers need to slow it way down. We?re inundated with new devices; it seems like every week there?s a shiny, brand-spankin-new model with iterative, minuscule feature updates. Even within the same make and model lineup one can get lost or left behind seemingly in an instant. Just look at your and my favourite device of all time: the OG Droid (don?t argue; it?s your favourite).

Ah, the OG. It?s been called the Droid, Droid 1, OG Droid, Sean Connery Droid, and Battlestar Galactica (OK, maybe I?m the only one who?s called it that). A ground breaking device in it?s day, it began to feel a little dated when the Droid X was released a scant 9 months later. And then the Droid 2 a month after that?and the Droid Pro the same month. Then the Droid 3, X2, Bionic, and now the RAZR. What?s next, the Droid X3.5 Halloween followed by the Droid X3.6 Thanksgiving Slide?

We hear the same story from HTC, Samsung, LG; heck, even Sony Ericsson! Take them all together, and it feels like there?s a new device hitting daily. The phone you pre-ordered today is obsolete the day before it ships!

Slow down and take a breath there, turbo. What we need is a big heaping dose of perspective. Whereas this situation is fairly annoying to gadget bloggers who have to write about every device release imaginable and gadget enthusiasts who can?t seem to keep a single device for even half of their contract period (guilty), these two demographics are far from the targeted consumer. With the heroic rise in Android adoption over the past few years, I?m going to go out on a limb and say that Google, Moto, HTC, Sammy, and the rest of the gang have to be doing something right.

Read More at: http://www.droid-life.com/2011/10/28/rebuttal-maybe-android-manufacturers-dont-need-to-slow-down-opinion/

And first mention of this topic i read: http://www.droid-life.com/2011/10/27/android-manufacturers-need-to-slow-down-opinion/

[still1]

the real question is "Is it bad for consumers?"

"and too much option make it difficult for the consumer" if the shelf time is shorter then those devices are gone from the list for consumer isnt it?

and the options are limited with some variety...... people who think this is bad are the morons.... haha

[Open Minded]

I like having choices. Keep em' coming!

[pack34]

I've personally never liked how carriers would all get their own slightly altered version that's called something different. Instead of a low, mid, and high-end phone on all carriers updated annually/biannually. However, the upside is that the more hardware variations, the more work there is to do so more jobs.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I've personally never liked how carriers would all get their own slightly altered version that's called something different. Instead of a low, mid, and high-end phone on all carriers updated annually/biannually. However, the upside is that the more hardware variations, the more work there is to do so more jobs.

That's my only problem with choice. I have the international SGS2 and there's no reason AT&T couldn't have just taken that body and used it. The only difference is the inclusion of NFC and 4 capacitive buttons instead of 2. So many little variations that it drives me nuts. So to a point I agree they need to freaking slow down!

Samsung Galaxy S2 - GT-I9100

Samsung Galaxy S2 - SGH-I777 (AT&T)

Samsung Galaxy S2 - SGS-T989 (T-Mobile)

Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch - SPH-D710 (Sprint)

Samsung Galaxy S2 SkyRocket - SGH-I727 (AT&T LTE)

All the same freaking phone!! :angry:

They have a few differences such as screen sizes and radios and all that but still the same!

[Open Minded]

That's my only problem with choice. I have the international SGS2 and there's no reason AT&T couldn't have just taken that body and used it. The only difference is the inclusion of NFC and 4 capacitive buttons instead of 2. So many little variations that it drives me nuts. So to a point I agree they need to freaking slow down!

Samsung Galaxy S2 - GT-I9100

Samsung Galaxy S2 - SGH-I777 (AT&T)

Samsung Galaxy S2 - SGS-T989 (T-Mobile)

Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch - SPH-D710 (Sprint)

Samsung Galaxy S2 SkyRocket - SGH-I727 (AT&T LTE)

All the same freaking phone!! :angry:

They have a few differences such as screen sizes and radios and all that but still the same!

It's my understanding that the international version has a different SoC than the AT&T 4G SGS2. It's slightly faster (the AT&T phone), or so I've heard.

[Roger H. Veteran]

Not at all, the T-Mobile and Sprint and the AT&T LTE version use Qualcomm SOC while the normal AT&T and International one uses Eynos. Those 2 are identical in make except the button layout and NFC. Everything else is exactly the same.

[-KJ]

Yeah, it is getting ridiculous and how the same base phone model has different names for different carriers. I also find it weird how some people constantly have to have the latest and greatest and yet don't really need it for what they do with it, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

One disadvantage of this whole thong is the updates. We've recently seen how many good, semi flagship, devices have been deprived off of ICS.

Fewer the phones, better the marketing, more chance of getting the updates

[-KJ]

One disadvantage of this whole thong is the updates. We've recently seen how many good, semi flagship, devices have been deprived off of ICS.

Fewer the phones, better the marketing, more chance of getting the updates

Definitely. It seems they only support the latest phone briefly before abandoning it.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Definitely. It seems they only support the latest phone briefly before abandoning it.

(Y)

Just look at Sensation he is talking about. Truly one of the most hyped devices of year and then within 5-6 months two new versions XL and XE.

[Growled Member]

Myself, I like the latest and greatest. I hope Android keeps churning out the updates.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Myself, I like the latest and greatest. I hope Android keeps churning out the updates.

Yeah, but you can have two or three of these latest and greatest devices. Why do you need two dozen?

[Allan]

Yes, there are a plethora of devices - some high end, some low end, some mid-range. Some have physical keyboards, most don't. Some CDMA, some AWS, some HSPA/+. Some in colour casing, some just black, some white. Apparently, the consumers want it.

Me, I like my HTC Panache (Glacier/MyTouch 4G) with the solid metal back, and small amount of plastic. 4.3" screen is awesome too.

Let there be choice! Better than "do you want 16gb, 32gb or 64gb. Black or white?"

[Zain Adeel]

I would like to add that this also drives consumers like me away from android ( who buy a phone once every 3 years ).

[Anibal P]

I would like to add that this also drives consumers like me away from android ( who buy a phone once every 3 years ).

Don't know why, get the best phone for your budget/needs and forget about another phone for 3 years, not like you'll get a major update from Apple or Nokia in those 3 years, if you get any at all, as long as you get a mid to high end Android phone it will be supported software wise for 18 moths, or half your 3 year contract.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Don't know why, get the best phone for your budget/needs and forget about another phone for 3 years, not like you'll get a major update from Apple or Nokia in those 3 years, if you get any at all, as long as you get a mid to high end Android phone it will be supported software wise for 18 moths, or half your 3 year contract.

3GS got iOS 5.0

So will the new Nokia ones

[Roger H. Veteran]

I don't get why if you buy a phone every 3 years it drives you away? Just look at the choices in 3yrs time or do you want to feel like you have the best phone for 3yrs?

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I would like to add that this also drives consumers like me away from android ( who buy a phone once every 3 years ).

I don't get why if you buy a phone every 3 years it drives you away? Just look at the choices in 3yrs time or do you want to feel like you have the best phone for 3yrs?

3 years is a long time mates

[dnast]

I also think manufacturers should slow down on the number of devices. I'm not saying that devices should be released anywhere near the rate of one per year like like Apple, but there are too many Android devices coming out these days. It has come to the point that when looking at Android phones, any purchase outside of "Best in Class" simply becomes a somewhat random guess of the phone you'd like best if you're not the type of person that does a lot of research before you decide on a phone.

Although I'm pro-choice (hehe), there are a few reasons for more focused releases:

1. Marketing - Someone mentioned it earlier, and I agree. An obvious example is the original Motorola Droid. It was well marketed and didn't have a clear successor for quite some time. The phone sold very well for an Android handset at the time and to this day some people still call Android phones in general "a Droid phone". Unfortunately, Verizon holds the rights to that name (from what I understand) so the brand didn't reach its full potential in my opinion.

2. Accessories - A good reason to have a lot of people using the same phone model is that more accessories are available specifically for your phone. A lot of problems have been mitigated by manufacturers finally agreeing to use standardized connectors, but there is still room for improvement. For example, try looking for a car dock for your Android phone. While I found one that fits my phone perfectly, not everyone is so lucky. Though during my search I found that there is a plethora of iPhone/iPod-only docks available and they integrate very nicely with the features of iOS. I have to admit that there is some substance to "It just works" in that regard.

3. Apps - I hate to bring up the F word, but I do believe that Android users would benefit from developers not having to develop for so many variations in hardware - yes, I'm talking about fragmentation. Many argue that "any good developer can handle multiple configurations. Look at the PC". While true, this overlooks the fact that developers are spending time and money supporting quite a number of additional configurations - time and money that could be spent on improving the experience for users of existing devices.

While I don't think it's a huge issue, when I go to update an app and see that the only new feature is that it now supports "x [recently released Android device], variation y on OS version z" it makes me think that resources that could go towards new features and better optimization are being diverted to adding support for the new flavor of the day. I'm sure this is especially annoying for very small indie devs that don't have a lot of resources in the first place and need to test and code for countless devices (not to mention that they have to purchase said devices - even if they're giving the app away for free).

I could have elaborated more on each point, but I'm already into TL;DR territory. I have no plans to stop using Android, but I do think that these manufacturers are in ADHD mode and that the Android platform could benefit from less frequent device releases.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I also think manufacturers should slow down on the number of devices. I'm not saying that devices should be released anywhere near the rate of one per year like like Apple, but there are too many Android devices coming out these days. It has come to the point that when looking at Android phones, any purchase outside of "Best in Class" simply becomes a somewhat random guess of the phone you'd like best if you're not the type of person that does a lot of research before you decide on a phone.

Although I'm pro-choice (hehe), there are a few reasons for more focused releases:

1. Marketing - Someone mentioned it earlier, and I agree. An obvious example is the original Motorola Droid. It was well marketed and didn't have a clear successor for quite some time. The phone sold very well for an Android handset at the time and to this day some people still call Android phones in general "a Droid phone". Unfortunately, Verizon holds the rights to that name (from what I understand) so the brand didn't reach its full potential in my opinion.

2. Accessories - A good reason to have a lot of people using the same phone model is that more accessories are available specifically for your phone. A lot of problems have been mitigated by manufacturers finally agreeing to use standardized connectors, but there is still room for improvement. For example, try looking for a car dock for your Android phone. While I found one that fits my phone perfectly, not everyone is so lucky. Though during my search I found that there is a plethora of iPhone/iPod-only docks available and they integrate very nicely with the features of iOS. I have to admit that there is some substance to "It just works" in that regard.

3. Apps - I hate to bring up the F word, but I do believe that Android users would benefit from developers not having to develop for so many variations in hardware - yes, I'm talking about fragmentation. Many argue that "any good developer can handle multiple configurations. Look at the PC". While true, this overlooks the fact that developers are spending time and money supporting quite a number of additional configurations - time and money that could be spent on improving the experience for users of existing devices.

While I don't think it's a huge issue, when I go to update an app and see that the only new feature is that it now supports "x [recently released Android device], variation y on OS version z" it makes me think that resources that could go towards new features and better optimization are being diverted to adding support for the new flavor of the day. I'm sure this is especially annoying for very small indie devs that don't have a lot of resources in the first place and need to test and code for countless devices (not to mention that they have to purchase said devices - even if they're giving the app away for free).

+1 (Y)

Well written and spot-on.

While I was not sure about Accessories at first, you made some very good points on it and reminded me of my brother who was in the same situation a couple of months ago