Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

iPhone vs. Android Battle Goes To Afghanistan

Posted by Soulskill on from the no-blood-for-apps dept.

redlined writes "Cell phones are tired of waiting for the troops to come home and are going to war themselves. Tech startup Berico Tailored Systems, Lockheed Martin and apparently an army of Slashdot users are currently making tactical 3G cellular networks and smartphone applications for the military to use overseas. While DARPA has held a competition to develop iPhone and Android applications, tactically-deployable 3G networks from companies like those above should open up a slew of opportunities for Apple and Google to duke it out on an actual battlefield."

19 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Android by XPeter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For a few key reasons:

    1. Swappable battery without sending the phone back to Apple.
    2. Open development
    3. Custom ROMs

    --
    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits" - Albert Einstein
    1. Re:Android by samkass · · Score: 2, Insightful

      1. Swappable battery without sending the phone back to Apple.
      2. Open development
      3. Custom ROMs

      1. Actually, a swappable battery means another latch/compartment to get dirty, broken, wet, or damaged. The ideal device would be hermetically sealed. Barring that, as few ports/hatches as possible.
      2. What restrictions do you think the Army has on apps they distribute?
      3. No, but yes. Custom hardware (not ROMs) is the key to Android's future in the Army. If you need to take out the radio or camera for security restrictions, add a hardware switch for any features, put a glove-friendly touchscreen on, ruggedize, or otherwise customize the hardware it's possible with Android and impossible with Apple.

      --
      E pluribus unum
    2. Re:Android by AnonGCB · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The point isn't about replacing the battery because of wear (though that is a plus, and the fact that you don't have to unscrew the whole damn backplate to get at it), it's about carrying a 6 pack of batteries when you're going on a mission and swapping them as needed.

      --
      http://CryoLANparty.com/ A lan I'm staff on!
    3. Re:Android by swb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think the idea is that the mission has a defined length of time (ie, you won't be gone from resupply for that long) and that if the batteries last for 1/4 of your mission, 6 is enough power for the entire mission plus extra for delays or problems. You're also not dependent on recharging which takes time and depends on a battery working. With spares, you just replace a battery and if it doesn't work, you take another.

      A charger might be a reasonable thing to have for very long missions or for units attached to a mechanical company of some kind. Otherwise it's time-consuming to use and doesn't solve anything if batteries have failed and won't or can't be charged. Further, the only reliable power source in the field is solar power which doesn't help the charging time or the cost of the equipment.

    4. Re:Android by spyder-implee · · Score: 5, Insightful

      1. Actually a removable battery is very important and you have completely missed the operational reason. Soldiers carry a bunch of equipment which use batteries (NVG's, LRF's, NAD's, Radio's, Illuminated sights, not to mention simple things like torches etc...) and it's important they all (where possible) use the same type of batteries. Simply put, if the battery in my Night Vision Goggles die and I have run out of spares, I want to swap the battery from my phone into my NVG, since it's more critical piece of equipment for my current task. Soldiers are entirely capable of keeping their kit free of dust & grime (I'm capable of stripping down an m4 to the ejector claw without getting dust through it, why wouldn't I be able to manage a phone?)

      --
      Take what ye can. Give nothing back!
    5. Re:Android by stephanruby · · Score: 3, Insightful

      2. What restrictions do you think the Army has on apps they distribute?

      Ok, I'll try to answer that one:

      1. Full device encryption, which some of the Android ROMs provide, but which the iPhone Enterprise-level ROMs do not (as of yet!). Not to mention custom hardware that you just mentioned, which will probably never be doable with the iPhone.

      2. A device that's second sourced. In other words, the Department of Defense doesn't want to be solely dependent on one company (one-point-failure) to supply its critical infrastructure. In the case of Intel for instance, Intel had to train to a certain level and license some of its core technology to its arch enemy AMD so that it could be able to win the very lucrative government contracts that the Department of Defense was doling out. This is one of the main reasons that the military is credited for having started the computer revolution. It was not just the funding that was important, it was ultimately the strings that were attached to those funds.

      3. The idea that the phone shouldn't be manufactured in Mainland China (for fear of a Chinese back-door). Thus far, only a few of the Android phones meet that criterion. The iPhone doesn't.

      4. Standard parts that can be found, swapped, hacked, replaced, and repaired locally (without going against the terms of the license if they were to buy non-approved OEM parts that were just as good as the original but way-way cheaper than non-Apple batteries). And by locally, I don't mean Paris or the UK. I know we can find iPhone headphones over there.

      5. Easy to develop on. Again, another clear win for Android. It's not just easier to code on, cut and paste examples, and just make them work with some tweaking (unlike the iPhone), Google is also Beta testing 'App Inventor', a visual IDE which lets you build Android applications visually while the code gets generated in the background.

      6. Not being tied to the various whims and moods of Steve Jobs such as: "You May NOT Use iTunes To Design, Manufacture or Produce Nuclear, Chemical or Biological Weapons". I doubt that such a clause would bother the Army, but at least with Android, Google didn't put their "Do no Evil" clause in their terms and conditions. In fact, it's a given that since Flash is allowed to run on Android, it means that "Doing Evil" is clearly allowed.

    6. Re:Android by delinear · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A charger is also going to be bulkier than a spare battery, so you either have to give it to one guy in the unit to carry and risk losing it if anything happens to him, or you give chargers to several soldiers and increase the weight of kit the unit is carrying unecessarily. The beauty of spare batteries, like spare rounds, is that everyone can carry one without adding much weight, and assuming everyone's using a compatible device you can get a replacement from anyone else in the unit, you're not putting your eggs in one basket.

  2. Outsourcing by cosm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So we're outsourcing our flame wars now as well?

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
  3. Not surprising to me... by DSS11Q13 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, you would be surprised at how much 3g coverage there some spots in in the Middle East, or at least Edge network. I did a lot of volunteering in the Palestinian Territories...in the wilderness and desert. While I didn't have a 3g smartphone I had my Kindle with me, and I never once lost 3g coverage. Here is a map of the Kindle coverage which should give at least a general idea http://client0.cellmaps.com/tabs.html#cellmaps_intl_tab Frankly I'm surprised they haven't set up these networks already, especially for military ops.

  4. Re:Post-war Afghan interrogation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Afghan soldier:

    U.S. et al. is fighting alongside Afghan soldiers, not against them

  5. Winner: BlackBerry! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Despite the hype, BlackBerry still has a bigger market share than Android and iPhone.[1] Besides, the BlackBerry's keyboard has better tactile feedback than Android/iPhone touch screens, which is important for combat operations.

    [1] http://gigaom.com/2010/08/02/android-sales-overtake-iphone-in-the-u-s/

    1. Re:Winner: BlackBerry! by HBoar · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yep, there is simply no substitute for tactile feedback when it comes to a good UI. Touch-screens are great -- in ADDITION to buttons, not instead of.

  6. Re:What is the over seas data rate? and how unlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It looks like Berico Tailored Systems and Lockheed have built their own 3G military networks. Berico Tailored Systems web site says the data rate for their PraefectaCELL 3G is 14.4 mbps.

    http://unleashbts.com/praefectacell_3g.php

  7. From a soldier... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Short, easy answer: Android.
    Long, easy answer: Android phones because they have changeable batteries, textile keyboards (keep in mind that most of us wear gloves, rendering most touch-devices useless), can be loaded on any hardware we want, supports text-based passwords instead of PINs, uses a standard USB connection, are generally cheaper, and don't look as civilian-esque as some Android phones (see Droid, Droid X).

  8. There's an app for that... by robot256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Need to look up the best way to get a Humvee out of a mud pit? There's an app for that.

    Need to find the nearest supply depot while avoiding roadside bombs and enemy fire? There's an app for that.

    Need to see the location of every friend and foe within a 100m radius without any additional devices or infrastructure? There's an app for that.

    1. Re:There's an app for that... by Stile+65 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Need to find Osama bin Laden? There's an app for that.

      --
      I claim first use of "Error No. 0B" - or "No. 0B error." It'll be the new ID 10T!
  9. iOS has the apps by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The good/great ballistics apps are on iOS, so I reckon it has the general edge.

    http://isnipe.webdiligence.ca/
    http://www.knightarmco.com/bulletflight/
    http://ballistic.zdziarski.com/

    There are a couple for Android, but they aren't as good as iOS has.

  10. an open platform matters by LodCrappo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If the military wants a device that meets certain physical specifications (ruggedness, waterproofing, shielded from EMI, bulletproof, god knows what) then they have very different options with an iPhone vs an Android phone:

    With Apple's platform, they must ask Apple nicely and hope for the best. They would have to rely on a single source for the devices.

    or

    With Android, they can publish their specs and let any manufacturer that cares to try build a device (or contract with one or a few to specifically build something). They can have multiple sources for the hardware and switch as desired.

    Similarly, if the military wants specific features in the operating system, they can:

    Ask Apple nicely and hope for the best

    or

    Modify Android any way they'd like, or contract pretty much anyone to do this for them.

    Seems Android has some pretty clear advantages.

    --
    -Lod
  11. Hardened Android phone available by catherder_finleyd · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A big plus for Android is that there is already a "hardened" Android system available, the Raytheon Android Tactical System (RATS) :

    http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/technology/rtn09_rats/index.html