We have predicted that Android will triumph over iOS in this OS battle of the new century. It will not even be close in four years. Android will win. Period.
Why? Because Apple is not recognizing that the world is getting more open. The fact that it continues to refuse the inclusion of Adobe Flash Player hurts its business model. You cannot play this game without carrying as many people as you can. It will not work in these days of Android. iOS will not allow you to make the cool videos with Flash. And even when you make it in another platform, iOS will not allow you to enjoy it. That is a big problem. The option? Forget about iOS and move to the Android world. And this is happening daily.
We know that iOS owners have explained that Flash consumed a lot of power. Oh yes, but many may not care if they can watch that video on Android and iPad does not allow them to do that. We agree that iOS is cool and the interface exceptional, but that does not mean, it has to exclude many people that come with different platforms or technologies.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
The opportunity is very huge – markets will decide winners. But business decisions could play major roles. The whole thing boils down to which platform is easier to work upon. We think it is Android. You can find answers easily on the web. The programming for Android does not require an alpha level skill. You can do a decent job with limited experience. Have some basic skills on Java, HTML, you are up and running. But iOS requires a more level of preparation; no wonder, not many people do that in Africa.
On the other hand, iOS is clean with solid API. It is matured and the documentation is legendary. Also, the fact that it is harder means you are locked with a huge opportunity. You are few and that means you skills are worth more.
In summary, Android owns the future and the opportunities are there. Yet, it is not helping issues with many vendors by deciding winners as it does not release the OS to all at the same time. Another problem is that its fragmented versions of ver 1.3, 2.3, 3.0, etc cause confusion. It makes you become obsessed with what version the device is built on, rather than can I just buy an Android device. They must learn from iOS that has just one version and that is all you care about. Android must end the constant version progression and just make the system downward compatible. This will eliminate the implied loss of value to devices when a new version comes out.
