Android Tablets Were Born Too Soon

adeelarshad82 writes "When you look at the Apple iPad's sales figures, it's not hard to see why every technology company on the planet is jumping on the tablet bandwagon, a lot of which are Android tablets. Unfortunately though, some of these Android tablets were born way too early. They are haunted with a series of problems including flimsy hardware, low-quality resistive touch screens, serious display resolution issues, and old Android versions with limited or non-existent access to apps. Even the Samsung Galaxy Tab came well before its time. Even though it's fast, well-designed, and comes with a decent Android implementation, its functionality is limited to that of an Android smartphone. So here's to hoping that Honeycomb's functionality make up for the lost ground."

Comments

What's interesting about Android

[mcrbids]

Unlike the iPhone / proprietary equivalents, it will mostly be a non-issue to upgrade older hardware to the new stuff. Thus we'll see android acting as an insurance against near future obsolescence!!

Re:What's interesting about Android

[Anonymous Coward]

you're kidding right? Have you been hearing all the issues early adopters have been having with getting their Android devices updated? I'm no iToy supporter by any means, but Android is much more fragmented than iOS, both in hardware and software.

Re:What's interesting about Android

[beelsebob]

Pardon? Are you serious?

It's hard to name android devices that even got the bump from 1.6 to 2.0, hell, 90% of them don't even get *minor* OS version updates from the one they started on, there are still plenty of 1.5/2.0/2.1 devices out there for exactly that reason.

Compare this against iOS devices that are guarenteed to get 2 major OS updates and all minor ones for those major versions. Sure, some functionality is disabled in the newer OSes, but that's typically because the older hardware can't deal with it (e.g. old 3G iPhones with a measly 128MB of RAM and multitasking).

Basically, you're comparing being at the mercy of {motarola | samsung | ...} to get OS updates (hahahahaha), against a guarentee written into the EULA that you'll get upgrades. I know which I consider to be the non-issue of those two ;).

Re:What's interesting about Android

[HateBreeder]

How can you compare 1 type of handset (the iPhone) with about a THOUSAND different handsets from different manufacturers running Android?

If anything, you should compare the iPhone to a specific brand or manufacturer for instance, the HTC Nexus One - which not only has been getting ALL the android updates officially, but also has INCREDIBLE community support and car run a host of custom ROMs!

It's sad that misinformation has to be the key tactic to make apple look good.

Re:What's interesting about Android

[dafing]

What the heck are you on about?

When a new computer update comes out, you get it day one, within the hour, surely? You dont have to wait for your internet provider to decide to give it to you, without your permission, you dont look up at your screen and see "hello, I'm downloading a major OS update in the background! I may appear to have frozen, please dont turn me off, ok?", do you?

It doesnt matter if you have an HP, or Dell, you get Windows X whenever YOU want to get it.

Lets face it, apparently only the Nexus One, and its successor the Nexus S, both "by Google" get updates... the rest are SCREWED. You buy a "top of the line device", and its instantly obsolete when a new model comes out with a slightly larger screen, 4.3 inches vs 4, with the new OS update. You feel like a fool when you device doesnt have some obvious new feature enabled through an extra few dozen MB being used.

Its not good enough, no matter what your brand loyalty.

Re:What's interesting about Android

[tehcyder]

When I bought it I immediately loaded a much faster and more feature-rich ROM than the one they provided me.

which you should not have to do, and which 99% of people never will do.

Re:What's interesting about Android

[DJRumpy]

I can see you're a bit of an Android minded individual, which tells me that we're not talking on the same level of consciousness.

When it comes to rooting a phone, you are essentially doing hte same thing as jailbreaking an iPhone. In the end you are still at the mercy of the handset vendors. The OS may be open, but the vendors and cell networks most definitely are not. Faced with a choice of letting the provider make the decisions, or the manufacturer, I'd choose the manufacturer every time since they have more incentive to make their hardware a popular buy, where the provider doesn't care once they get you under a contract.

You slam the parent for essentially ignoring Android, and then agree with the parent that the tablets are crap. The parent stated his reason (uncertainty of support from the manufacturer or the community) and the poor state of the current crop of hardware, both of which should be valid concerns for any buyer, yet you dismiss his concerns simply because he opted for hardware that will definitely have vendor support for many years, and has a polished interface.

I should also point out that 3G runs iOS4 with support directly from Apple. I believe you are referring to the iPhone 2g released in 2007 which cannot run iOS4. Unless there is some hidden Android phone I'm not aware of, there are none that were around when the 2G was released. Given it's memory, not a surprising call from Apple, however there is an active mod community for the phone in either case.

http://www.redmondpie.com/ios-4.0-for-iphone-2g-ipod-touch-1g/

You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[mjwx]

I don't think they were released too soon. They were the teething stage of tablets, the infancy where mistakes could be made. Thanks to this Google, Motorola and others have learned valuable lessons. Some of the previous Android tablets are hardly failures. Dell's Streak turned a profit, Samsung's Galaxy Tab sold well with a small return rate not to mention the Archos products which others have pointed out.

Basically the demand was there, proven by the 22% of tablets sold that were not made by Apple. So now armed with this knowledge, the multitude of manufacturers can create a truly competitive tablet market.

Personally I'm still not convinced tablets aren't a fad, much like an overpriced Tamigotchi or flares.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[Duncan Booth]

Samsung themselves say the return rate is below 2%. I guess it depends whether you believe Samsung who presumably have the figures but may be biased or some random bunch of Wall Street Analysts who have no figures and may or may not have a hidden agenda.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[joh]

Both the 2% and the 16% may be correct. Samsung could be relating the actual returns to devices they have sold into the distribution channels (but many of which are not yet in the hands of any customers), while the 16% returns are from those devices actually sold to actual users.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[Cinder6]

Android may be more complex, but the summary specifically mentions hardware, which has nothing to do with what OS is running. You make a good point about where you set the bar, but it also raises the question: Which is more important--quality and lower-tech or bug-ridden and bleeding edge? There's no real answer to this, as it's a matter of perspective.

I used to revel in the latter category ("Yeah, there's bugs, but I'm using stuff other guys won't see for months, or maybe even YEARS"), but now I'm closer to the middle. I don't want to be hopelessly obsolete, but I still expect my stuff to work well most of the time, and that includes having quality hardware. It seems like many (certainly not all) Android-based manufacturers neglect the hardware side of things, which is puzzling.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[joh]

Personally I'm still not convinced tablets aren't a fad, much like an overpriced Tamigotchi or flares.

Judging from the earnest interest I experience from real (non-technophile) people, I'd say no. People are just yearning to turn their backs toward "computers". PCs still are glorified office machinery and except for work everyone hates them. The time has come for "computers" turning into mature appliance-like things for casual use you don't have to waste a single thought on before or after using them.

And Google should be very careful not to turn Android into another highly complex and confusing OS with an desktop-like interface. This is exactly what most people are running away from. They want something plain, pretty and "magic". There's only a very small part of the population wanting widgets and full customization abilities. For *these* users tablets may well be a fad anyway.

Well, we will see.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[MrDoh!]

Very much so. It's amazing to see what a terrible job is being made, when really, there isn't a mad pressure on to come out with something that quickly.
We saw Android Tablets before the iPad was even officially announced, and a year and a half later, we're still seeing those same lousy specs being produced.
And when someone /does/ get something close to a decent competitor to the iPad, they either disable half the functionality in a market (no voice calling on the Galaxy Tab), or throw a bunch of carrier specific nonsense on (Verizon/AT&T), or disable simple features like sideloading apps/hotspot functionality.
Really looks like they're trying hard to fail.

They're pushing the Android Tablets with comms functionality when it appears /most/ customers would be happy with wireless and stock Android. Now, considering they're getting the fees for 2 years, how they justify a HIGHER cost than without that cost is... mad.

I keep waiting for a decent Android Tablet, only to be disappointed by /someone/ (and yeah, the telco's point to the hardware supplier, and the hardware suppliers point to the telcos. Android's getting out there because Google's backing off, but they really need to start throwing their weight around, perhaps that 'Approved by Google' stamp for stock Android?

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[dafing]

We're waiting :-)

The problems with the Android tablets, you cant call them EARLY...when they were basically cancelled and restarted after the iPad was announced, which would have TROUNCED the intended designs even further....

seems to have been the hardware itself. They were all cheap ass plastic, the screens were TERRIBLE, darker, far lower resolution, viewing angles, overall quality...

The OS used may not have been intended for a tablet formfactor, thats fixable through a free update though...you know, when it comes out? Oh wait, the companies cant be bothered giving you future updates for your top of the line device :-)

The hardware sucked, lets face it. Having a camera or two did NOT make it "better" than the iPad.

I'm looking forward to seeing the competition for the iPad 2. As consumers, we win in the end.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[beelsebob]

As was pointed out above, there's a difference between the number being returned to the manufacturer as faulty, and the number being returned to the shop as unwanted.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[node 3]

I don't think they were released too soon. They were the teething stage of tablets, the infancy where mistakes could be made. Thanks to this Google, Motorola and others have learned valuable lessons.

Yet somehow Apple managed to clean house in the market on their first try. I doubt anyone learned any lessons other than not to run a desktop OS on the tablet. Hell, they even had the iPad itself to look at for inspiration, and still failed to come out with a compelling alternative.

Some of the previous Android tablets are hardly failures. Dell's Streak turned a profit, Samsung's Galaxy Tab sold well with a small return rate not to mention the Archos products which others have pointed out.

What? "Turned a profit" is notable praise? Archos a successful tablet maker? Galaxy Tab sold well? With a small return rate? WTF?

On the Tab specifically, they shipped 2 million, but actually sold very few. Of the 2 million, their return rate may very well have been around 2%, but the actual return rate for Tabs people bought was 16%. That puts the number actually sold more like a quarter of a million, not 2 million.

Basically the demand was there, proven by the 22% of tablets sold that were not made by Apple. So now armed with this knowledge, the multitude of manufacturers can create a truly competitive tablet market.

22% was based on the deliberately misleading numbers put forth by Samsung. And even with those completely false numbers, that puts Apple at 78% (and much higher with the actual numbers).

Personally I'm still not convinced tablets aren't a fad, much like an overpriced Tamigotchi or flares.

Why would they be a fad? Because people bought too many iPads and not enough Android tablets?

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[node 3]

Um, yeah. The iPad is so awful it only took over the entire market, but those "more powerful" Android tablets only garnered a small percentage.

For example, the Streak and Galaxy Tab you mentioned doing so well? The iPad outsold them both more than ten times over. Combined.

Re:You have to learn to crawl, before you can walk

[ducomputergeek]

Thing is for Apple, it's not about having the latest and greatest features it's about making sure the features that you do have work and work well. That is why a vast number of consumers are buying their products even when they are more expensive.

Not born too soon.

[Renderer of Evil]

Born out of wedlock.

None of these Android ODMs care about growing and nurturing the platform whether it comes to constant updates or application compatibility. It's only market growth in raw numbers with the thinnest of margins, but that's just a consequence of dumping bargain-basement hardware into the stores by truckloads to see what sticks. See: Augens, Streaks, Galaxy Tab, and whatever Archos is doing.

On the mobile phone front if you pick up any two Android phones you'll see completely different methodologies, bizarre UI conventions, half-done features that exist for no logical reason for the sake of filling out checkboxes on spec sheets.

Despite this, Android phones took off because a) there was a vacuum of other more coherent, non-iOS platforms and b) because carriers subsidize the cost of the hardware and everyone needs a phone. It's an essential device.

Tablets face a much harder battle because majority of consumers are unwilling to sign a contract for a non-essential, secondary devices. Note the historically flaccid Netbook sales coupled with subsidies. This is especially true when most people have prior contracts with their phones. Having 2 mobile contracts doesn't quite gel.

Motorola XOOM's pricing came out today at $800 USD with additional, carrier specific caveats. You'd be insane to shell out that much money for a 1st gen, untested device with no compelling app ecosystem vis-Ã-vis iPad/2.

My belief is that the market is wide open right now and the second place is still up for grabs. Could be HP, could be Microsoft's new WP7 thing (if they get their heads out of their ass), or Android.

But just showing up with a tablet is not enough. You need to have healthy margins, curated app ecosystem, and platform continuity. iOS provides that. Android is too fragmented at the moment to pull it off. Sad thing is, Google is unwilling to exert any control and clean up their cluttered, spam-ridden marketplace or force these manufacturers into shipping devices without silly skins.

It's been said before that Android is a meta-platform, and I tend to agree with that. This gives hope to other OSes into jumping into the fray and becoming second to Apple. I truly believe that iPad has an iPod-like lock on the tablets for years to come (check above about subsidies).

Re:wtf

[Telvin_3d]

Not quite. Everyone else released a beta. Apple released a finished product. And they did it a year ahead of their first real competition's 'beta' products. And yes, while tablets are still more on the toy side of the product category that shouldn't be an excuse to release a half-assed product. The competition is releasing products that are neither ahead of the curve or polished. That's just sloppy and sad.

Re:Then revise market share

[HateBreeder]

All I'm asking is that you compare apples to apples.

iOS Market share vs. Android Market Share.

How many times do we need to repeat this: Android is an OS not a Phone!

iPhone market share is much greater than any single Android based handset.

The CDD is the biggest issue

[DrXym]

Android has a compatible device document which determines if a device is eligible to receive the marketplace app and by extension all the google apps. Features like compass, GPS, camera etc. were all mandatory in So the market has split into two camps. The el cheapo tablets and Archos tablets sit in the incompatible camp and suffer from lack of marketplace. The Galaxy Tab and Dell Streak sit in the compatible camp but suffer from bloated price which is unattractive to buyers. This probably explains why the Tab is suffering so much. Apparently the 2.3 CDD loosens up some requirements, but it's too late for most tablets. Perhaps the Archos devices might be able to upgrade to 2.3 become certified.

So I hope when Android 3.0 turns up that in addition to making the UI more friendly it also addresses the CDD. GPS, compass etc. are nice to haves. The basic tablet spec should not force them. But perhaps it should specify extended profiles for PMPs, ereaders etc. For example, perhaps a "media" tablet profile might mandate more codecs, while an ereader tablet might specify certain screen visibility characteristics, possibly even allowing for e-ink displays.

The point being that Android is growing up but the CDD has long been an impediment and it needs to be improved.

Re:wtf

[rjstanford]

Oh, please. The iPhone 4 lasts for a solid day of heavy use, all most people need, and you can easily use a "boost" charger to juice it up mid-flight if you have to - something that's no bulkier than carrying around an additional battery, I might add. It also recharges amazingly quickly from wall outlets.

This isn't about a pissing contest. I'm sure that your phone is nice and meets your needs as well. But most people don't carry additional batteries (regardless of their phone brand), and the vast majority of the millions of iPhone users have no battery issues. Its not a big liberal-media-coverup, its just a boring fact.