Google blames developers for battery life woes

Lifeisabeach · May 19, 2010

"The issue took center stage at the big Google Zeitgeist event in London yesterday when Google co-founder Larry Page proclaimed that if your Android phone isn't giving you 24 hours of usage, there's something wrong," Goldman writes. "But instead of taking ownership of the issue, and taking responsibility for a platform that doesn't adequately power-manage all the software his phones can run, Page committed the cardinal sin of blaming Google's third party applications developers instead."

Goldman writes, "It's their programs, and users running them all the time that suck up all that juice, not our phone."

Now... what I find more interesting (and absolutely DEAD ON) is the author's conclusions:

"Naturally, with Apple's support of multi-tasking [in their forthcoming iPhone OS 4 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad], there were instant questions about how this would affect iPhone's battery life, and Jobs was quick to address it: 'It's really easy to implement multitasking in a way that drains battery life. If you don't do it just right your phone's going to feel sluggish and your battery life is going to go way down. We've figured out how to implement multitasking of third-party apps and avoid those things,' he said last month," Goldman writes.

"Hmmmm. And therein lies the difference between Google and Apple when it comes to innovation," Goldman writes. "Google: The Android battery life is sub-par and we blame you, the developers, our partners out there who are slaving away at trying to expand the platform. Apple: We've identified an issue in our platform and we have come up with an innovation to address it, so that we can help you the developers, our partners out there who are slaving away at trying to expand the platform."

In my opinion, Apple is so far ahead in thinking out of the box and looking forward into the future that everything they do that today seems "wrong" or self destructive often proves to be sheer genius in retrospect. Say what you like, but the same will hold true in time for banning Flash and apps compiled with 3rd party tools. Apple didn't approach that decision lightly and they most certainly can see the big picture. All the naysayers mostly just know the status quo and we just can't see the big picture. Not like Apple has. Keeping a tight leash on the platform is making Apple more competitive, not less. Apple may seem slow in adding features, but when they do it, they do it right. Everyone else does it haphazardly and are digging themselves holes that they just can't dig out of.

iggibar · May 19, 2010

Life,
I could not have said your last paragraph any better. Spot on! Remember when Jobs said ,"…and that's why we're late to the game!" When talking about multi-tasking? That guy sure know how to say the right things!

Lifeisabeach · May 19, 2010

idrinorbarsaku said:
Life,
I could not have said your last paragraph any better. Spot on! Remember when Jobs said ,"…and that's why we're late to the game!" When talking about multi-tasking? That guy sure know how to say the right things!

Thanks. Speaking of which... that reminds me of what someone (a developer, I believe) said early on when Apple announced the features and developer restrictions on OS 4.0. His belief was that 3rd-party compilers were being banned because, with the multi-tasking features that were coming, the OS needed to better monitor running apps in ways not possible if they are made with 3rd party tools. If that is true, then absolutely yes... it is so much for the better. It doesn't bother me in the least that some developers feel inconvenienced by it all. As the consumer, I want and demand the best experience and performance (including battery life) out of my device, and if this is what it takes, then I am all for it. If that makes me a fanboy, then pass me the Koolaid.

the8thark · May 20, 2010

That aricle is pretty much truth.
It's best to delay something a little but make sure that thing is right, and done well like Apple always does. The "First to the market" tag quickly wears off and the "poor quality" is what people remember.

Apple are not remembered for not being first to market with their products. Apple are remembered for being best to market with their products.

So that's a lesson to the rest of the IT world. Take the time, and get the product right. Blizzard are like this and the proof is there. They get the millions of dollars of revenue and extreme brand loyalty just like Apple.

Everyone else needs to wake up and smell the roses.

RONE · May 20, 2010

This is exactly why I'm completely okay with Apple not supporting Flash. Thanks for sharing the article.

Google blames developers for battery life woes

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Lifeisabeach

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