The problem with Android tablets isn't a lack of maturity. It's that Google and its hardware partners are playing the wrong game and they haven't realised it yet, says Jason Hiner.
Samsung, ASUS, Acer, and Toshiba — all spurred on by Google — seem to think that shoving hi-res cameras, USB ports, HDMI connections, quad-core processors, keyboard docks, and a handful of dongles at customers will give their tablets a fundamental advantage over Apple and the iPad.
But how many times have you seen someone make a video call from a tablet? How often have you seen someone hook up a tablet to a 50-inch high-definition TV and use it to watch films and play games? How many people do you know who have attached a keyboard to their tablet and completely ditched their laptop?
I've used virtually all the main tablets over the past two years and I've rarely done any of those things with them. Nor have any of my tablet-owning friends, or people I see when travelling or at conferences.
And yet, here we are again at the start of 2012 with a number of technology companies talking about quad core CPUs and hi-res cameras in their Android tablets.
Tablet design out of step with consumers and professionals
These companies are still backing uses for the tablet that are out of step with the wishes of most consumers and professionals — beyond a handful of really smart tinkerers and technologists.
The truth is that there are much better and easier tools for video-calling and watching digital content on your HD TV. And if you're a serious content creator who wants to use a tablet with a keyboard all the time, then buy an 11-inch laptop such as the ASUS Zenbook or the MacBook Air, where you get a much stronger set of tools but still have a tablet-like form factor.
Video-calling and watching films are not what tablets are good at and they're not what make people want to buy them. Plus, all these high-end hardware features are expensive and they are driving up the cost of Android tablets so that they are more expensive to build than the iPad. And, for what? For features the masses won't use and don't want.
To make things worse, when these companies market their tablets they almost always focus on the technical wizardry. And, Google certainly isn't helping the situation.
Google proudly boasts that it's an engineering company. That's worth being proud of, but the problem is thinking the rest of world thinks likes engineers or should think like engineers. It doesn't, and it won't.
The fact is the technology market is no longer dominated by technology lovers. Google, Samsung, ASUS, Acer, Toshiba, and others like them need to stop acting like the PC clone-makers of the 1980s and 1990s, building computers for the technically-inclined.
Today's market is a lot bigger and it's dominated by people who couldn't care less about a gigahertz or a megapixel.
Android tablet makers are trying to make tablets more like traditional PCs and have failed. The sooner they realise that, the better. Android tablet makers need to...
Talkback
In some ways I agree with the article but I think you’re selling the consumer short. You’re right, it isn’t all about the highest resolution screen or the fastest processor, and this is where here the Apple competitors fail. But the potential tablet owner, consumer or business traveler, does want video calling (face time) and the ability to stream to an HD TV (via Air Play/Apple TV).
Another often overlooked part of the Apple offering is the strength of its ecosystem. Being able to seamlessly manage content across you iPad, iPhone, iMac, AppleTV, and iCloud is where the competitors fail miserably. Granted, Google have a good set of tools but sill a poor second.
Excellent points! I find the mind set of these corporations unfathomable. What are they thinking? Do they think? They just don't get it. I guess the "solution" is too obvious and they can't see the forest for the trees.
Many do not realize this is the "post PC era". This does not mean there will no longer be traditional PCs or computers, but most people simply want the device to work and be useful - like their car works. Not everyone needs the specs. Specs can be important, however many people do not realize that battery life, software and the ecosystem are also important specs. This is somewhat ironic, as the IBM/MS/ -win/tel PC dominated due to software and vendor support for personal and enterprise use. They still do - to a large extent - dominate enterprise, but this is slowly changing.
Apple is not perfect, but the buying public has shown they (mostly) like the choices and trade offs Apple makes in design.
Ice Cream Sandwich may help Android gain share, however most Android users (phone wise) I know have gone through two, three or more phones, because - for the most part - they are junk. I would even say half have switched from Android to iOS/iPhone. For some Android phones are better ... depending on what you want/need, but Android is much weaker in tablet space and I do not see this changing anytime soon.
I do like Google's open approach, but for something I want to use and depending/rely one, I think Apple's approach is generally better.
Some of the Android tablets we've seen are trying to run before they can walk. It's not really that surprising that the first big sellers have been less technically ambitious.
But existing laptops are still pretty heavy and the new ultrabooks pretty pricey. There is a very significant segment of the market that's up for grabs - and it's my guess that in a year's time it will be Android tablets that are moving into that space.
I agree that the ecosystem has been crucial to the success of the Kindle Fire and the iPad. I'm not do sure it will matter as much for the business traveller type looking to replace a laptop. They probably want something lighter, with better battery life for travelling and the wherewithal to edit a proper document and run a presentation - and that quite likely means HDMI and a keyboard.
You are absolutely right in saying price is the main issue holding back Android tablets.
I would disagree with you over the spec - I think people want a good basic tablet, but not one that sucks. So it's got to be responsive enough, have the necessary memory, camera, capacitative screen etc. Good apps ready to use would really help.
I would say the price has to be < $250 for a 10 inch, good all round spec tablet. It doesn't have to be better than the ipad. People are building them for a lot less, but they generally aren't up to much.
I think you are at least half way there with what problems are plaguing Android tablets. It boils down to simplicity, smooth navigation, and good software support. The first thing any tablet user does is take a test drive. What does it feel like out of the box. How do my kids interact with it? How often do I have to mess with it to keep it working: battery life, ease of use and ease of set up. No one wants a puzzle to figure out that requires time and energy to Learn how to use. Most importantly we never want to get stuck in a software loop that requires restarting the machine. Is there anything more frustrating than getting stuck waiting for your system to reboot while you are trying to guess what went wrong this time. Tell me you have never wasted 4 or 5 hours trying to get a pc to work? A tablet has to have instant on and easy set up. This is where Apple's whole widget advantage pays off. Fix the software and you don't need bleeding edge hardware. Good smooth response time is plenty fast enough and it saves battery life to boot.
I dont know who you hang out with, but my friends and family who have gotten IPads think its horrible as you cant have any USB ports. Also, contrary to what you said, they do watch movies on their ipad when travelling.
I don't contest the article's assertion that the iTunes/amazon backbone has boosted these tablets, but I am very surprised to read that people don't use tablets for video calling and movies. I for one have used my ipad2 heavily for video skype, in fact a tablet is much more versatile for that purpose than a desktop PC because it is portable. Streaming movies (Lovefilm etc) is also great, not as substitute to the TV but e.g. when in bed&sick. Also, the word is that the ipad3's key feature is a much higher resolution display so not sure about that market who "couldn't care less about megapixels".
Thank you for your article. However, Sir, I must disagree. I regularly use my iPad to make video calls via Skype, and I see no reason to claim that the iPad is not well-suited for the job. Quite on the contrary, it is very delightful to Skype via iPad. Yes, I also use FaceTime. But that only works with those friends that also own an iOS device. As for using the Apple TV, I must say that all my friends use Apple TV on a regular basis, and like to brag about how much they enjoy doing so. Perhaps the consumer conduct I am reporting is more typical for the US than the UK. Could that account for the great discrepancy between your observations and my experience?
Agree with Thinklog, Voice and video talk has been a key feature between all my friends who also use tablets.
I completely disagree with this article. I believe the reason why Google are not successful in the tablet space is because of two reasons:
1. Android legacy lag (response time is slow).
2. Stuttery jerky non-hardware accelerated (or ill designed) compositing engine (non-smooth scrolling).
Even with the quad-core Android devices, the legacy "Android lag" still exists.
Make Android super responsive and smooth, and the rest will fall into place.
I think all your above points are increasingly more invalid. The android ecosystem is open and evolving and maturing day by day. developers are increasingly migrating there ios apps to android on a day to day basis. Quality of apps have increased greatly since start of year and android 4.0 has improved the user experience. With google music and googles youtube channel signing up all the tv networks and movie makers shows that google is taking android seriously now. google will be as seamless as ios within time, android phone makers are now reducing handset portfolio's to reduce framentation and push google into maturing a bit quicker.
android will always beat ios due to price, quality, openess and a now less fragmented handset portfolio from all manufacturers.
*** BUT, and this is a big but, with windows 8 evolving to tablet will result in true dual boot tablets, with a dedicated hardcore os for intensive enterprise use, coupled with a huge app portfolio in years to come threw a combine windows 8 and android.
developers will hack windows 8 tablets to dual boot with android, and they will find a way to hack any tablet if microsoft prevents it as they have mentioned.
i for one cannot wait for windows 8 to arrive on scene
Do not get me wrong iphone has a good os but it is to restricted, no flash, lack of ports, cracking shitty screens, aluminium incased batteries and they need to stop suing people before they seriously get bit back!!!
And that android legacy lag thing is gone on an android 4.0 samsung galaxy 2.
google android has been doing a nokia since birth and she is maturing nicely!!
My thoughts are that there's some space for change in the business world for tablets as destop replacements.
I'd contend that the tablet has a more useful form factor for business than the laptop. You can take your skinny, unobtrusive tablet into a meeting, then plug it back into your full fat screen/keyboard/network pipe.
Many business are moving towards thin client solutions, which goes well with a relatively low powered tablet solution.
However, I don't think the operating systems are there yet. The iPad and Fire are little better than toys. Very very good toys, admittedly. Not sure about Android currently.
I would want to do a LOT of checking before replacing my desktop with it.
So I think if MS get it right and learn from the competition (and that is a BIG if) they could turn the whole tablet thing round in their favour.
I have to disagree with this article. Maybe there is a cultural difference between the US and UK, or maybe your network of friends is less "technical" than some of your readers. Whichever may be the case, I know my friends were specifically shopping for the hardware, the usb/hdmi ports, the open nature of the android OS, and the performance when streaming video on their device. The very things that you state are "going in the wrong direction" are the very things that made them choose an Android over an iPad, and is the very thing that, if I ever cave and decide to spend the money, I will end up basing my purchase off of. In these regards, I think Apple and Amazon have some catching up to do ... but especially Apple, for one of the very reasons you championed - price. All the technological bells & whistles that the Androids are adding, and they still sell for less than or equal to the iPad 2. If Apple wants to stay in the game, they are going to have to realize their price tag doesn't meet the hardware specs. Compare the Transformer to the iPad 2 wifi (no 3g) ... for the same price tag you get approximately the same size, but the specs favor the Transformer in all other categories. So you are spending the excess money on services, and as others have pointed out, those services are growing daily for Android.
Then again, my friends and I are more towards the "engineer" side of things, so maybe I am speaking out of turn. ;)
"But how many times have you seen someone make a video call from a tablet?"
I do myself a lot.
"How often have you seen someone hook up a tablet to a 50-inch high-definition TV and use it to watch films and play games?"
Every time I want to watch a film.
"How many people do you know who have attached a keyboard to their tablet and completely ditched their laptop?"
I don't have a laptop, but I use the keyboard dock extensively to do work.
Please, if you're going to attempt journalism, at least do some research first - don't just base it on what You think the public wants.
There are too many tablets to support with Android.
@yoda fud. Thats the whole point of Honeycomb/ICS
@jamescheese Same as me
@jason hinter Stop criticising tablet manufacturers for giving peoplea choice of what they want to do instead of following Apples behaviour control methods its fanboy slaves are used to. Android lets me do what I want to do instead of whst Apple/MS want me to do.