Why do Android phones come with beefier specs?

[Friday13th]

I was hoping someone could explain this for me. How come top of the line Android phones have such powerful specs when compared to say iPhones, Nokias and Blackberries? Does Android not make proper use of hardware or is this just for the spec conscious? How come Apple, for eg, can make do with so little RAM and cameras with like half the megapixel size (just as an eg) of top of the line Androids? Do Blackberry, Windows and Apple make more efficient OSs?

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Because they can and the hardware is availible. So why not? The hardware isn't as expensive as Apple believers think.

Why do Apple over price lower spec phones then?

Also, there is more than enough low spec Android phones to prove that the OS is working fine with low end hardware. Vodacom Smart Kicka is one.

 

[Johnatan56]

Android phones all use the same OS, they have to compete somehow, in this case hardware is the major difference.
iOS and Nokia they also have a different OS, they can focus more on the OS, rather than the hardware. (Most likely higher profit margins on the OS than the hardware)

 

[Friday13th]

Because they can and the hardware is availible. So why not? The hardware isn't as expensive as Apple believers think.

Why do Apple over price lower spec phones then?

Also, there is more than enough low spec Android phones to prove that the OS is working fine with low end hardware. Vodacom Smart Kicka is one.

I have no idea why Apple overprice lower spec phones. My guess is, because there are people willing to spend more money on iDevices. I didn't know that smartphone/tablet hardware is not that expensive. I always thought it's like on PC's: the more RAM, faster CPU and better GPU equates to a better experience on one's computer. That does not seem to be so for smartphones. Which led to my OP...

Android phones all use the same OS, they have to compete somehow, in this case hardware is the major difference.
iOS and Nokia they also have a different OS, they can focus more on the OS, rather than the hardware. (Most likely higher profit margins on the OS than the hardware)

This didn't cross my mind. You're right. Samsung, Sony, LG, HTC, Huawei, etc have to compete against each other too.

 

[Sl8er]

I was hoping someone could explain this for me. How come top of the line Android phones have such powerful specs when compared to say iPhones, Nokias and Blackberries? Does Android not make proper use of hardware or is this just for the spec conscious? How come Apple, for eg, can make do with so little RAM and cameras with like half the megapixel size (just as an eg) of top of the line Androids? Do Blackberry, Windows and Apple make more efficient OSs?

Correct me if I'm wrong but:
Out of all those OS's, android is the most true to real time multitasking, which would require a boatload of RAM....

 

[ahoudet]

Apple has their OS optimized for few devices whereas Android is for the masses - therefore, the more optimized is able to perform better with lower specs

 

[Friday13th]

Correct me if I'm wrong but:
Out of all those OS's, android is the most true to real time multitasking, which would require a boatload of RAM....

I unfortunately can't correct you. I work in sales instead of IT, and learn so much from this site. I wouldn't know how real time multitasking translates to user experience on smartphones. Did you mean something similar to Samsung's Multi Window? Because that's the only time I notice how good Android is at multitasking - two different apps running alongside each other, and going so far as sharing data between each other by dragging/dropping items.

Apple has their OS optimized for few devices whereas Android is for the masses - therefore, the more optimized is able to perform better with lower specs

Would this problem be solved if Google released two different flavours of Android? Say one for the likes of Samsung Galaxy Pockets and a different version for say the Galaxy Note?

 

[ahoudet]

Probably not due to the number of high end and low end phones available. The two different groups would still have to support many processors and various other components

 

[AthenianOwl]

Why not?

 

[PostmanPot]

Because without their own OS, it's all the Android manufacturers have in order to compete against each other. It's the usual marketing gimmicks which the sheep follow - the higher the number, the more they sell. CPU, camera MP, and screen resolution are typical examples. It's the same as TVs/monitors and their exaggerated response times, dynamic contrast ratios, etc. in order to woo the potential buyer.

Throw all you can at Android, iOS will still be faster and smoother.

 

[Ho3n3r]

I was hoping someone could explain this for me. How come top of the line Android phones have such powerful specs when compared to say iPhones, Nokias and Blackberries? Does Android not make proper use of hardware or is this just for the spec conscious? How come Apple, for eg, can make do with so little RAM and cameras with like half the megapixel size (just as an eg) of top of the line Androids? Do Blackberry, Windows and Apple make more efficient OSs?

Faster hardware = faster phone. Faster phone = happier clients.

The old core 2 duo's combined with 2GB RAM and a normal HDD could run Windows 7 fine, but we don't have to be stuck in 2008. Progress.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Because without their own OS, it's all the Android manufacturers have in order to compete against each other. It's the usual marketing gimmicks which the sheep follow - the higher the number, the more they sell. CPU, camera MP, and screen resolution are typical examples. It's the same as TVs/monitors and their exaggerated response times, dynamic contrast ratios, etc. in order to woo the potential buyer.

Uh, no. The OS, due to how it initially operated(true multitasking, running applications in a process virtual machine) needed the greater overheard. It's no coincidence that Apple's hardware requirements have increased in the later iterations of their devices, while Android has gone the opposite route.

 

[cerebus]

From a benchmark standpoint, the Apple devices easily match the equivalent monster spec Android phone.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9111/samsung-galaxy-s6-and-s6-edge-preview

 

[Chevron]

Why not?

Most of the time it just wastes battery.

 

[PostmanPot]

Uh, no. The OS, due to how it initially operated(true multitasking, running applications in a process virtual machine) needed the greater overheard. It's no coincidence that Apple's hardware requirements have increased in the later iterations of their devices, while Android has gone the opposite route.

Still double, and in some cases triple, more than what iOS devices have. Laymen are at prey here. And the sheep love it.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Still double, and in some cases triple, more than what iOS devices have. Laymen are at prey here. And the sheep love it.

You mean things like Retina and 64-bit processors, right? Let's not pretend that misinformation through specification is the sole domain of Android manufacturers.

 

[PostmanPot]

You mean things like Retina and 64-bit processors, right? Let's not pretend that misinformation through specification is the sole domain of Android manufacturers.

Definitely not pretending, it's as bad on the other side of the fence, and all around.

The difference here is that performance/camera/etc. specs are a greater decision maker than the screen. Everyone has come to know that a higher end device will have a Retina+ resolution screen.

There is also the irony in that one gets a faster and smoother experience on less than half the hardware.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Definitely not pretending, it's as bad on the other side of the fence, and all around.

The difference here is that performance/camera/etc. specs are a greater decision maker than the screen. Everyone has come to know that a higher end device will have a Retina+ resolution screen.

Unfortunately, but thankfully this has changed.

There is also the irony in that one gets a faster and smoother experience on less than half the hardware.

There is, but it's not an entirely apples to apples comparison

 

[PostmanPot]

Unfortunately, but thankfully this has changed.

Changed to what, or are you suggesting that they care less? Maybe more schooled people do, but most heavily rely on marketing. When you have a conversation with an average person on the cusp of technology and information about it, the discussion is always about specs. Be it phones, TVs, cameras, etc.

Those who've bought into lines of higher end phones can certainly be assured of decent performance/camera/etc. in each new iteration. But if you consider laymen, average people, or people buying into a new brand for the first time, they'd be completely thrown off by the difference in specs.

There is, but it's not an entirely apples to apples comparison

They're extremely fragmented, unfortunately it cannot be.