Android Kitkat optimized for low end devices, time for MS to worry?

[chezm]

I think if we all are truly honest all platforms have things about them that are very frustrating. We have to pick which platform frustrates us the least.

Agreed, hence "preference and payoff" statement i made. I will agree WP isnt without its frustrations either, i will still stand behind the fact that one of the 3 big players can offer an enjoyable experience, just depends on what the users preferences are.

 

[hopmedic]

Agreed, hence "preference and payoff" statement i made. I will agree WP isnt without its frustrations either, i will still stand behind the fact that one of the 3 big players can offer an enjoyable experience, just depends on what the users preferences are.

Exactly. No single phone, or even phone OS, will ever be THE one that will meet everyone's needs. So we need competition to breed innovation, and variety to satisfy varying needs and desires.

 

[Jas00555]

That really has nothing to do with open vs. closed source... Try running Goobuntu or Linux Mint on the same hardware (say a slightly old C2D or a newer i3 box) and compare to Windows 8. I'll bet money that the Linux box is faster. This is just because Linux has better process control and memory management. It's just because, like you said, OSX is smoother because Apple knows the specs of every machine that it will ever run on while MS has to make sure that Windows will run on tens of thousands of RAM/CPU/GPU/mobo combinations. That is also why iOS and WP8 are smoother than Android, it really has nothing to do with the closed vs open source nature of these platforms.

Even today, on my i7 gaming box with 16 GB RAM, SSD and a GTX 660M, I get 4-5 second delays when I right-click on the Desktop. And the Downloads folder always takes 10-15 secs to open. This same machine will happily play Skyrim or Borderlands or Battlefield 3 on Ultra/Very High. Why does that happen? No idea.

Very true, but like I said, I was vastly over simplifying it and what I said won't always hold up, but my point was more optimization of the code rather than "well, its open source so its slower".

 

[techiez]

Android can't even run smoothly on dual quad core processors. You really think they can optimize it for the low end?

Yes as of now it doesnt but with KitKat it seems google acknowledges this, so I think if they manage to optimize it for the low end then it is a threat, infact it would be a deathblow

 

[squire777]

I think people need to stop being so insecure about anything Google or Apple does. I mean anytime they release something new the usual suspects start waving their arms in the air crying that Windows Phone is going to die. It's not like the lag has stopped people from adopting low end Android phones already - what's to say that people will rush out to buy them even more now?

Google has claimed that their last few iterations of Android reduced lag, better for low end devices etc but it usually isn't the case after real-world use.

 

[ag1986]

Very true, but like I said, I was vastly over simplifying it and what I said won't always hold up, but my point was more optimization of the code rather than "well, its open source so its slower".

Yep, and I was saying that optimised code and it's open or proprietary nature have nothing to do with each other. I think you were making the point that it's easier to optimise code when you have a limited set of platforms that code will run on, versus having to make sure it runs on many platforms and therefore is less optimised. That is how I would put it

 

[techiez]

I won't deny WP is lacking the functionality Android offers in terms of mobile OS. I had an GS3 before my 920 so I can appreciate some of the offerings, such as tools management and portable PC design. However, I'd take a lag free, stable functioning, start screen unique UI over Android mobile phone any day (I still have and use my Nexus 7, haven't completely left).

People can go on and on about how stable Android is...but my boss has a S4, couple of friends with Nexus 4 and sister with HTC one...they can at least all admit the simplest things are sooo frustrating.so I guess its preference and payoff.

But if google manages to fix the lag and stability many would move back from wp to android? because android at this point is way more functional.

 

[Jas00555]

Yep, and I was saying that optimised code and it's open or proprietary nature have nothing to do with each other. I think you were making the point that it's easier to optimise code when you have a limited set of platforms that code will run on, versus having to make sure it runs on many platforms and therefore is less optimised. That is how I would put it

*sigh* being on WPC while being tired was not the best idea thank you, yes, that was the point I was trying to get across.

 

[techiez]

I think people need to stop being so insecure about anything Google or Apple does. I mean anytime they release something new the usual suspects start waving their arms in the air crying that Windows Phone is going to die. It's not like the lag has stopped people from adopting low end Android phones already - what's to say that people will rush out to buy them even more now?

Google has claimed that their last few iterations of Android reduced lag, better for low end devices etc but it usually isn't the case after real-world use.

Well as of now the biggest risk is more due to what MS did, Apple and google are improving and moving ahead and WP is stil much behind playing catchup but some of the Marketshare is just due to Nokia's name, have to see how sales go in countries like India n China once Nokia branding is removed.

 

[Blacklac]

If you've ever submitted an app to Google playstore, you'll notice that nobody from Google bothers to test it, whether it is bugged, loaded with worms, malware or if its some scam app.
The app is only reviewed if there's complaints and stuff, but whats the use now? the infection is already spread.

Compare this with Apple and Windows (Closed source, they do not allow rooting and stuff, APple does to a certain extent but not as much as android), each app is manually reviewed before its made public. You try to upload some worm and they'll catch you for real.

The difference?
I can spread a very nice game, loaded with a nasty worm that hacks the users data and stuff under android.

Try the same thing with Apple and wp8 and I won't be able to breach the gates.

Besides, Playstore has a 1 time fee of $25 to publish unlimited apps, all are made live without any checking and stuff. Meaning, pay $25 and infect countless souls.

Apple needs a yearly payment, wp may have changed policies, but from what I remember they needed an yearly payment too, they did drop it to a 1 time payment of $19 but I don;t know if its still valid.

If you think Apple/Microsoft/BB thoroughly test every App submitted, you are delusional.

 

[xandros9]

Microsoft should be worried in the fact that Google is working on the problem.
However, I used an HTC Aria with a custom CyanogenMod 10 ROM (4.1 JellyBean I believe, kudos to WinSuk) and it was pretty serviceable. Specs were 384-ish MB RAM, CPU scaled and had max overclock at 800 MHz (ARMv6).
The experience wasn't a laggy purgatory as some may believe.
but then I started using Firefox (since Chrome isn't compatible with ARMv6 CPUs) and other apps and performance went down the tubes pretty quickly. Its been a long time since I've used it, but I don't think my memory is that foggy.

Keep in mind, it was hardware that got its last update to Gingerbread (I think) and wasn't meant for 4.x.

 

[cckgz4]

Amazing how it's the same two asking for sales numbers when no one is boasting about the 520/521 outselling the competition, but CLEARLY the point is that the low end devices make up the bigger portion of WP's marketshare.

But if google manages to fix the lag and stability many would move back from wp to android? because android at this point is way more functional.

You assume they will fix that, and it's been how many years since Android has been out? Yeah I doubt it's going to happen in the immediate future, if at all since it's an open sourced platform. The ONLY phones with consistent user experiences are locked down platforms (BB10, WP, and iOS).

I've used everything under the sun outside of BB10. And to keep it Android since a lot of that is being thrown around, my most recent device was the LG Optimus G for AT&T. Before that, it was the MyTouch 4G, and before that it was some Samsung slider. The last two were very slow in experience. My LG Optimus G ran smoothly...........for a few months. Then I experienced some app crashes, freezes, and lock ups. Another minor annoyance was whenever I was on the phone, I could NEVER hear any alerts outside of an incoming call, so I would miss texts while taking a phone call. Even with all of that separate volume control, I couldn't hear my text alert. There wasn't even a vibration, which BTW is SO small, you barely notice your phone vibrating. The other annoyance was the keyboard. The auto correct was HORRIBLE. I would spend more time editing than typing.

Am I saying Windows Phone is without flaws? No, far from it. My phone freezes and reboots, but I also have a $100 phone brand new. My 822 didn't do that nearly as often as the 520, but don't confuse my use of "often" for "all the time". The app gap, at times, seems to get to me but it has a lot of what I use. But at the end of the day, people are going to choose what they want to use. They don't care if Google is hard at work to optimize performance or if Microsoft has finally added a file explorer. As long as a customer finds a phone they like and the apps they need, that's the only thing that matters for the general consumer, not this other stuff y'all arguing about

 

[cckgz4]

Windows Phone sales explode in Europe, gain in the US, and pass the iPhone in Italy | Windows Phone Central

Report: Windows Phone is the world’s fastest growing smartphone operating system | Windows Phone Central

Nokia's double digit growth today bodes well for the Windows Phone platform | Windows Phone Central

Nokia Lumia sales up a mild 19% quarter-on-quarter to 8.8 million units in Q3 | Windows Phone Central

Report: Nokia sold 8 million Lumia Windows Phones in Q3 | Windows Phone Central

 

[chezm]

But if google manages to fix the lag and stability many would move back from wp to android? because android at this point is way more functional.

There's other additional reasons for me to not return to using an Android phone, although i do find their OS decent for a tablet. And if Google's claims were actually true about correcting all the LAG and stability issues, i actually think a lot of people could potentially leave WP for Android. But the problem is Android's know for its open source and im confident by fixing those long time issues would scale back the open -endedness of the OS...and people would not be happy, so i doubt it will happen. But again, i have additional reasons for not wanting to return to Android as a mobile OS platform...if i had to leave WP, i'd go to iPhone.

 

[Jas00555]

Windows Phone sales explode in Europe, gain in the US, and pass the iPhone in Italy | Windows Phone Central

Report: Windows Phone is the world’s fastest growing smartphone operating system | Windows Phone Central

Nokia's double digit growth today bodes well for the Windows Phone platform | Windows Phone Central

Nokia Lumia sales up a mild 19% quarter-on-quarter to 8.8 million units in Q3 | Windows Phone Central

only the first one is very positive news, everything else is a twist.

"fastest growing" doesn't mean anything when there are low numbers to begin with. For example, I could start a phone company and sell 2 phones, then next year, sell 20 and have 1000% growth, while only having .0000000000001% market share

 

[Jas00555]

If you think Apple/Microsoft/BB thoroughly test every App submitted, you are delusional.

I remember reading something a month ago where an unofficial BBM app got released on the store and broke everything, but I can't remember... Hmm.... Nah, probably never happened

 

[inteller]

I think it is important to note that Google is quickly sewing up the open-source services that are core to its business. If you take the stock android it is a shadow of the Google provided services like Search, YouTube, etc. Open only goes so far with Google.

 

[techiez]

Windows Phone sales explode in Europe, gain in the US, and pass the iPhone in Italy | Windows Phone Central

Report: Windows Phone is the world?€™s fastest growing smartphone operating system | Windows Phone Central

Nokia's double digit growth today bodes well for the Windows Phone platform | Windows Phone Central

Nokia Lumia sales up a mild 19% quarter-on-quarter to 8.8 million units in Q3 | Windows Phone Central

Report: Nokia sold 8 million Lumia Windows Phones in Q3 | Windows Phone Central

Add this too.
Windows Phone surpasses 9% sales across Europe, experiences decline in Italy and China | Windows Phone Central

 

[squire777]

The majority of the arguments in this thread are based on the big assumption that people are only buying phones like the 520 or 521 because they got tired of Android and its lag. Where is the data that suggests this?

If anything I think it's more likely that the type of people who buy low end WP and Android phones are those who are switching from feature phones. It could also be the case that people are buying a Windows Phone because they like the platform for other reasons, or they like the hardware etc (I know the Android fanboys will find that hard to swallow).

 

[chezm]

I think it is important to note that Google is quickly sewing up the open-source services that are core to its business. If you take the stock android it is a shadow of the Google provided services like Search, YouTube, etc. Open only goes so far with Google.

They will leave it open enough so that the users who want the root access can have it...if they start taking away the flexibility and openess thats made them so successful, they will get hurt by it. They might be sewing it up, but i dont think they will take it to an iOS/WP level of lock down. They know people root their devices and its a big reason for their success, it would be foolish to strip away a major success generator.