Friday, February 3, 2012

iOS Less Stable than Android

from forbes.com
OS stability has always been a big concern when choosing which device you’re going to upgrade to. When it comes to the battle between Android and iOS, Apple fanboys would have you believe that their mobile OS is a smooth and steady as an ocean liner, but as history has taught us, some titans — sink. In my talks with friends and acquaintances on why they’ve chosen iOS over Android, I’ve heard everything from, “It just works,” to the argument that “Android is just too fragmented,” or “Apps constantly force close.”
Well, then you would assume that data gathered from Crittercism — a research startup that analyzes mobile app crashes — would show that iOS suffers from fewer, if any, app crashes when compared to Android. Right? Wrong.
Surprisingly,  Crittercism’s data (gathered from more than 214 million app launches between November and December of 2011) shows that apps on iOS crashed much more frequently than comparable apps on Android. Just take a look at that pie graph. It’s easily dominated by iOS, covering nearly 75% of total crashes. Yup. I was just as blown away as you. Numbers don’t lie.
Now, the reasons for these app crashes are numerous. Everything from iOS 5 being new to the market, problems with hardware, internet connectivity, language support, or just plain ‘ol poorly coded apps. It can even be argued that because there are so many more iOS devices than Andr– oh, wait. I almost forgot. There isn’t.
Even with this newly released data, I almost still don’t believe it. Android. With all the talks of fragmentation, force closes and incompatible apps, could somehow turn out to be more stable than iOS? Well, slap my momma and call me Sally. Who’d-a-thunkit. Now, I’m sure this will come off as the flames of an Android fanboy but I assure you, I’m not hating. Just found this information interesting and felt like sharing. Did this data surprise any of you?

14 comments:

  1. Damn straight, as a developer I make Apps for both and I find making stable code is more difficult for Apple than it is for Android. They crash, on average, 42% more on iOS. You can blame my coding all you want but from what I see the OS itself can't handle many simple device calls.

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  2. Ditched the Iphone 4 for a new Galaxy Nexus and loving it! My wife is thinking of doing the same thing cause she's so jealous!

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  3. My friend and his wife saw my Galaxy S2 the other night and are currently in the process of switching. Android FTW

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  4. In case anyone is mislead by the headline. The data leading to this conclusion was gathered by a relatively small subset of applications (specifically those who chose to incorporate a proprietary reporting system).

    I'm not convinced that that this is a statistically valid sample. While the number of app *launches* (214 million) sounds impressive, how many *different* apps were actually involved? If most crashes were due to a few poorly written apps, that would be enough to skew the results. I'd like to see a breakdown by application.

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  5. More nonsense from the fayboy. What's next Brett? Are you going to argue that there is air around you? I mean, you can't see it and no one should take the word of "scientists". Or hey, maybe you can delude yourself into thinking that Mac has 94% or the computer market with Windows trailing behind with only 6%. Come one, spin us another tale!

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  6. I have no problem with science. But I am not persuaded by conclusions based on insufficient sampling. I doubt if even 1% of available iPhone and Android apps were included in this study. Where is the real data?

    I make no claim that the Mac has the majority of the personal computer market. It is, however, steadily gaining. Apple only needs enough market share to keep developers interested in the platform, and to provide sufficient profit to survive and grow. I'd say Apple has that covered. Anything more than that is just bragging rights.

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  7. Nah, I bet that if you did see all the data, you would just claim that it was made up or something. As for the Mac gaining, it really isn't. I do know that Mac losers like to include iPads when comparing numbers to PC sales. The tablets are not equivalent to PCs, not even close. Keep lying to yourself tho.

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  8. Even without counting iPad, Macintosh IS gaining marketshare.

    Macs are still a distant second to Windows PCs (especially outside the US), and will likely remain so for a long time, but there is no question which way the trend is going. With the success of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple has a lot more credibility these days.

    http://www.bgr.com/2011/11/02/windows-market-share-slides-in-october-as-mac-linux-gain/

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  9. Lol at pretending Android is a decent OS. "Yeah, the apps don't crash as much! Hold on, let me scroll through my laggy screen and garbage loading times!"

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  10. "Numbers don't lie."

    Your inability to interpret basic information still makes you a dumbass.

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  11. What "laggy screen" are you talking about Anonymous coward? I own 2 Android phones and have played with many other Android phones and tablets. I have yet to see a laggy screen. Maybe you should actually learn something before opening your mouth so you don't sound so stupid.

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  12. Anonymous wrote: "I do know that Mac losers like to include iPads when comparing numbers to PC sales. "

    I wonder where anyone could have gotten got that idea…

    "Apple Named Top 'Mobile PC' Maker, Thanks to iPad"
    http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400658,00.asp

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  13. Android screens ARE more laggy than iPhones or iPads - that's a fact. When you drag the screen on an Android, the dragged element doesn't "stick" to your finger as firmly as on an iPhone.

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  14. This article still holds true. I develop for both platforms. I have crashes more often on the iOS side and getting approval is a royal pain. Android is way simpler and less buggy. I am not really a "hater" but these are my experiences. Apple has also increased their percentage on my sales making it less cost effective to develop for them. Android will come out very much on top within the next 2-3 years.

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