Vector 46: Amazon Fire Phone vs. Android and iPhone

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

Vector is a news and analysis show focusing on the biggest stories, hottest trends, and most important issues in technology, past, present, and future. On this week's show, Ben Bajarin of Techpinions joins Rene to talk about the Amazon Fire Phone, why it was made and who it was made for, and what it means for Google's Android and Apple's iPhone.

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Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie has been covering the personal technology industry for almost a decade. Editorial Director at Mobile Nations, analyst at iMore, video and podcast host, you can follow him @reneritchie on [Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/add/reneritchie), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/reneritchie), or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/reneritchie).
12 Comments
  • Meh
  • This guy says "you know.." way too much. Had to stop listening, sorry.
  • He's one of the best industry analysts in the business, so that's a pretty big price to pay for intolerance :)
  • you missed the perfect opportunity to start that sentence with You know :^)
  • Thats true !! LOL ! it's quite annoying
  • With a possible new version of Android tomorrow this situation may change again. Hardware on all platforms is now pretty amazing; so can a revised OS-ecosystem really blow us away any more? Awesome AC.
  • L 0 L aijphoney ... ( 0ppo F5) ...
  • Would be interesting to have some follow-up later on that go over which predictions/generalizations turn out true and which less so
  • Seems like Ben is trying to say that android will be in trouble if Google keeps making good apps for ios. Am not sure I agree, there is many reason why people buy Android devices than just for Google services. I didn't buy my 1st android phone because of Google, my 1st Android phone in fact introduced me to all google services and if I never purchased a android device chances are I would still be using Hotmail etc. For a number of years people like Ben have been saying why does Google need Android and how important is Android in the long term if you can get there services on ios etc and sometimes these people imply google might not put as much effort into Android etc but each year Android has been getting better and stronger and imo they are putting more effort behind Android than ever before. Sure Google services is available on ios but it's not front and centre and you have to individually install each google app where as with Android, google services is front and centre and as long as that remains, Android will be more than OK. His "worry" that Android will struggle to differentiate imo makes no sense. There is plenty of things Android still does, removable battery, removable storage, choice of different designs by different oems, oems have there own custom festers like the ability to use screen with gloves etc etc so that fear that Android will lose its deferential card with ios because ios has good google services and extensibility is unfounded.
    Posted via Android Central App on nexus 7 (2nd gen)
  • What's going to be interesting is whether or not Google can use iOS 8 Extensibility to co-opt the experience and essentially make the iPhone or iPad, customer willing, a very Google-centric device. Google can "win" on both Apple and their own platform. That's their huge advantage. What do they really care if people buy Samsung or Apple or HTC if Google services are front and center?
  • Agree Google just want people primarily using only there services regardless of platform(windows is another story) but as I was saying there service is front and centre on Android, Android phone makes you a Google user pretty much the moment you boot up where as on ios if you are a google user already then that's great, you just go searching for there apps but it won't bring in new users, most likely non google users will sign up with all apple stuff. Extensibility may make being a google user better on ios but it still won't make it front and centre which is my point. Android for google is also a platform to introduce people to google, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be for people who are already Google users. As I said I myself was introduced to google services through Android and so were quite a few of my friends and family. I think people in the tech circle sometimes forget that ad popular as google is(or apple) they are not remotely close to getting everyone on earth using there services and so they will continue to develop Android and make it look attractive as possible so not only current google users want to use it but also brings in non google users to purchase a android device and in the process become a google user. Posted via Android Central App on nexus 7 (2nd gen)
  • Should I buy the new Amazon Fire Phone www.nijarco.com/all-new-amazon-fire-phone/
    OR Samsung Galaxy series phone ? I liked amazon for its dynamic perspective.
    Any views?