New iPhone

The difference between Androis and iOS is one of fragmentation: because a lot of Android tablets are sold at the budget and ultra-cheap end of the market, they're stuck running old/antique versions of Android because they don't have the capacity to be upgraded.

That means that while Android may have a much larger raw device count (number of devices out there running the OS) developers can count on a much larger number of people having the latest version of iOS.

This is true of iOS7 as well - when it comes out in a couple of weeks, all iPhone models 4 or higher will be upgradeable (i.e. the 4, 4s and 5 - and of course most of the iPads as well)

So until Android really starts grabbing big chunks of marketshare at the top end i.e. on high-power, future-resistant devices, this will always be an issue.

 

how powerful does a phone need to be? apple push you into upgrading. my ipad 2 can't use ios7 but i won't be buying another one.

 

I guess it's like PCs.

If lost productivity has a real "opportunity cost" it's worth upgrading if the newer model will be faster/more useful and means you can get more done more efficiently in less time.

For PCs, the tipping point was passed 2-3 years ago for the average user. A top end PC from that era will be perceived as just as fast as the top end machine you can buy today if you're using it for internet browsing, email, Word, Excel etc. Whereas that wasn't true 5 years ago.

I should know - since the mid-90s I've built my own PCs, and I've upgraded my machine every couple of years since then, taking it through about 6-7 iterations*. Until 2010. I've still got the same machine I put together in August 2010, and frankly I have no plans to upgrade (not even an inkling of an urge to do so)

In other words, computers have now gone beyond the maximum speed that a typical office user will notice. Gamers and high-end users (graphics designers, 3D modellers, video artists etc.) will still benefit from every ounce of speed, but the average user won't notice - everything happens "instantly".

I don't know if we're there yet with phones or tablets, but once we reach that point I expect there will be a massive slowdown in the upgrade/replacement market, just like there has been for computers.

*For the hardware geeks: 486, Pentium, Pentium MMX, Pentium 2, Pentium 3, Pentium 4, Core i7 930 (which is what I have now)

 

I think it depends on the user. A lot of people just want to take photos, browse the web and even make calls. You don't need to keep upgrading for that. I have to upgrade my ipad when the latest game comes out and the kids want it. I wouldnt bother otherwise.

 

Intel finally realising that mobile is not just a fad will make things interesting over the next few years.
Microsoft might actually start clawing back some ground once you can get a tablet at a decent price which can run a full range of software your used to using on your desktop.
If that doesn't happen then I'd expect android to take over long term people want choice when it comes to price features etc.
I'm not sure what apple can do to stop themselves ending up in the same position they did with the PC market.

 

iOS 7 is available for iPad 2, just missing a few features.

 

Had a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 for a few days and liking it so far. It's bigger than any phone I've ever owned but I think I will enjoy this "phablet" form factor. I'm not getting rid of my Q10 or iPhone 5 though!

(Note 3)

 

Did you get a watch with it? If so, what does it do?

 

I didn't buy that. It's extra. Not my thing.


(from iPhone)