Android!

[Tarami]

I'm surprised he isn't gone by now. He left a similar message in the game design section.

[Quinton]

I was waiting for the "cheap unlock codes" message, figuring that was this thread's equivalent of gold seller spam...

[bhodi]

So, out of curiosity, is there some documentation on neat tricks / how to use android? The only thing I got with my phone was a quick start guide which had instructions on how to split the case open, insert the battery, and turn it on. With pictures.

It was like a year and a half before I realized I could double-click the button on my iphone to bring up the music player without having to unlock it when it's in standby mode - what delicious secrets does android 2.X + sense hold?

I notice I almost never use that trackball-esque thing at the bottom of the incredible, it doesn't seem to be needed for a majority of things I've done. I'm sure it has a use and I've just not discovered it. Is there a document somewhere that talks about hotkeys/tips/tricks/whatever?

[Quinton]

Quick answer on the trackball:  It's useful in the web browser on link-dense pages when you want to hit some small target without a bunch of zooming around.  It's handy for editing and text selection.

A lot of android "shortcuts" are available via long-press (press-and-hold).  I'm not a huge fan of long-press as it's hard to discover.

Home screen shortcuts can be really handy -- longpress on the home screen and choose shortcuts, and you can drop instant-call-buttons, driving directions, playlists, etc right there.  Apps can publish their own specific kinds of shortcuts.

I need to look at a device running eclair or wait until froyo ships for more random details, as I'm using a late pre-froyo build and I'm not entirely sure which UI goodies have been here since eclair and which are new (it all blurs together after months of debugging).

[KallDrexx]

The trackball is mostly used for text editing, so you can move the cursor to the spot you want.

Here are some tricks I can think of off the top of my head (these are with my Droid with no sense so YMMV)
1) Holding the home button shows the last 6 ran applications
2) When in doubt, long press.  You can long press on almost any list item or object and extra options usually come up
3) In most media players (android stock, Pandora, etc), the microphone button on headsets will pause and resume music
4) If your battery is dying quickly, you can get an idea of why by going into the settings application and going to "About Phone" -> Battery Use

[bhodi]

The trackball is mostly used for text editing, so you can move the cursor to the spot you want.

Speaking of this.

Cut and paste? Specifically, I had a situation yesterday where I wanted to copy a 20 character randomly generated password from an email from my gmail account into a webpage. What's the best way of doing this? I couldn't find the notes program either; I know there was one since it was on one of the pages when I first got the phone, but I can't find the damn thing now.

[Quinton]

Copy and paste from gmail does not exist.  Yes, this is terrible.  Yes, it is being fixed.

[KallDrexx]

As a whole, cut and paste sucks on Android.  I haven't found one good app that implements it well.  Web browsers inherently suck at this as they all seem to think that you have super perfect touch abilities and are able to select all the text you want to copy in one go (it only counts text rolled over in the first finger drag, so if you miss a letter or word you have to redo the whole selection).

[schild]

Google's Android operating system edged up into second place in the US smartphone market during the first quarter of the year, leaving it still well behind RIM's BlackBerry OS, but marking the first time that it has moved ahead of Apple's iPhone OS. Specifically, NPD found that RIM maintained a strong 36 percent market share for the quarter, with Android coming in at 28 percent, and iPhone OS in third at 21 percent. The growth for Android was attributed largely to strong carrier support -- like Verizon's buy-one-get-one free offer which, incidentally, also helped Verizon maintain a 30 percent smartphone market share, which is just slightly behind AT&T at 32 percent, and ahead of T-Mobile and Sprint at 17 and 15 percent, respectively.

I probably should've put this in the Apple thread for maximum lulz.

[Trippy]

Not sure why this is so lulz. Though Apple boosts about iPhone market share now that's not really their objective. If it was they would've never had exclusive agreements with carriers which drastically limits their potential market share.

[RhyssaFireheart]

How much would Apple's market share change though once the iPhone is available on additional carriers, like Verizon for example?  Right now the husband and I have BB Storms which we both enjoy (and I've found it much more useful than I thought I would) but if/when the iPhone comes to Verizon, we'd seriously consider switching.  I can't believe we'd be the only ones either.  In fact, probably the only reason we don't have iPhones now is because we refuse to have AT&T for our cell provider, despite the fact that we're fine using them for our landline and internet services.

[Ghambit]

Anyone gottent their grubby paws on a Dell Aero yet?  From the specs it looks like yet another mid-range ATT 'droid product.  It's like they have some personal aversion to phones with 1gHz+ procs. 
In other news, ATT just released that MicroCell tech.  Enables up to 10 users to xfer cell calls to their broadband (ideally U-verse), and back again.  If the pricing it right, might save a helluva lot of money - eg. you wont need a landline and you wont be eating cell minutes.

So like, anyone here tired of their unlocked NexusOne yet?   (craigslist calls I guess)

[Righ]

How much would Apple's market share change though once the iPhone is available on additional carriers, like Verizon for example? 

We're not about to find out. Because the biggest anticipated market for iPhone 4G is that of existing iPhone users, Apple was forced to extend their exclusivity agreement with AT&T in order to gain their commitment to selling the next version of the phone. This is why Apple keeps telling us how well iPhones are selling in Asia.

[Quinton]

I wouldn't be surprised if iPhone hit VZW.  There is some speculation they might wait until next year to avoid being caught in the middle of the LTE switchover (the transition plans I've heard discussed involving two radios operating simultaneously (cdma+lte) sound like a total nightmare).

Everything's negotiable.  If Apple and VZW come to some agreement, Apple will sort out the rest.  Also, without seeing the contract it's unclear *what* exactly the exclusivity is for (all apple phone devices? a particular industrial design? etc).

I totally believe that if they launched on VZW they'd get huge piles of users defecting from AT&T, but the way they report numbers that doesn't matter -- sales are sales.  Apple has never reported 7-day-actives or anything like that.  There's plenty of evidence that many purchasers of older iphone models have upgraded to newer and not every 3GS sale is a new customer.  But again, since Apple makes profit on every unit, it's actually advantageous for them to get the same userbase to buy a new device every year or so -- hell they do a good job of that with laptops.

[Trippy]

I wouldn't be surprised if iPhone hit VZW.  There is some speculation they might wait until next year to avoid being caught in the middle of the LTE switchover (the transition plans I've heard discussed involving two radios operating simultaneously (cdma+lte) sound like a total nightmare).

Everything's negotiable.  If Apple and VZW come to some agreement, Apple will sort out the rest.  Also, without seeing the contract it's unclear *what* exactly the exclusivity is for (all apple phone devices? a particular industrial design? etc).

Current rumor is that AT&T's exclusive contract on iPhone OS devices was extended to sometime in 2011 in exchange for the favorable pricing plan on the iPad 3G.

[AutomaticZen]

Android passes iPhone OS in market share.

[schild]

Android passes iPhone OS in market share.

Posted about that 5 posts up.

[Salamok]

How much would Apple's market share change though once the iPhone is available on additional carriers, like Verizon for example? 

To a smaller extent the same could be said of the droid though, the android phones available for AT&T do not seem to be near as nice as those available on other networks (unless that has changed in the last 5 months).

[NiX]

Android has the upper hand as long as Apple keeps their OS on the iPhone. How many phones right now operate under Android? How many will be using it by year end? Apple will still only have the iPhone.

[squirrel]

Android has the upper hand as long as Apple keeps their OS on the iPhone. How many phones right now operate under Android? How many will be using it by year end? Apple will still only have the iPhone.

Not sure market share per se is what Apple's after. They make huge margin on the hardware of every handset, plus kickbacks from their exclusive network partners.

Not sure what Google gets but I assume it's licensing fees from each handset provider?

Point being, Android might get a bigger share of the pie, but there's WAY more forks waiting to get a bite than in Apple's case.

[Ingmar]

Apple is the Nintendo model, yeah. No loss leaders there.

[Teleku]

Ok, I've decided finally get a smart phone, and not one made by apple (plus, fuck AT&T).  I have Verizon.  I'm to lazy to go back and read through this thread.  Can somebody summarize what the newest/best Android phone I should get is?

[MisterNoisy]

I was under the impression that the Incredible was the new hotness on Verizon.

[schild]

^^

[caladein]

Ok, I've decided finally get a smart phone, and not one made by apple (plus, fuck AT&T).  I have Verizon.  I'm to lazy to go back and read through this thread.  Can somebody summarize what the newest/best Android phone I should get is?

If you want a physical keyboard, get a Droid.
If you don't want a physical keyboard, get an Incredible.

[Abagadro]

There are rumors the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S will be multi-carrier.

[Teleku]

Oooh, that Galaxy S looks pretty damn nice.  I might have to wait and see for that one.

The Incredible looks awesome though, so think I might lean that way if the Galaxy isn't an option (or it gets bad reviews).

[NiX]

Oooh, that Galaxy S looks pretty damn nice.  I might have to wait and see for that one.

I can't believe how blatantly they are with copying Apple's whole design for the icons.

[Nerf]

The incredible is fucking money, you will not be disappointed if you get one.

[Ozzu]

I currently have a Palm Pre Plus through Verizon, but maaaaan, that EVO 4G through Sprint that's coming out this summer looks awfully tempting. Since Verizon's early termination fee is actually pretty cheap, I may bite the bullet and make the jump.

[rattran]

I love my droid keyboard. If you have beefy lumps instead of fingers, it may not be for you.

[Quinton]

Not sure market share per se is what Apple's after. They make huge margin on the hardware of every handset, plus kickbacks from their exclusive network partners.

Not sure what Google gets but I assume it's licensing fees from each handset provider?

Point being, Android might get a bigger share of the pie, but there's WAY more forks waiting to get a bite than in Apple's case.

Google does not make money on handset sales.  The Android OS is free of licensing fees.  Android is strategic -- it is better for Google (and many others) that there be a widely available modern mobile platform with a level playing field for app deployment, which makes it worth investing in such a project and giving it away for free.

I'm sure that Steve would love to own the entire market or even a lot of it, the way ipod did.  Big margin x many devices = tall dollars.

[Ingmar]

I love my droid keyboard. If you have beefy lumps instead of fingers, it may not be for you.

Yeah touch-screen-only devices are not for me. The Droid has been great.

[Yegolev]

I just want to submit that RIM devices are horrible anachronistic torture devices.  I LOATHE my Curve.  Loathe!

[KallDrexx]

Google does not make money on handset sales.  The Android OS is free of licensing fees.  Android is strategic -- it is better for Google (and many others) that there be a widely available modern mobile platform with a level playing field for app deployment, which makes it worth investing in such a project and giving it away for free.

I'm sure that Steve would love to own the entire market or even a lot of it, the way ipod did.  Big margin x many devices = tall dollars.

While that may be true, I was under the impression you have to pay license fees for your handset to have access to google apps.