Why is it easier to make a great Twitter client for Apple’s iPhone than for Google Android phones like the new Verizon DROID? After Robert Scoble wrote a typically impassioned post entitled The Droid fails AS A PRODUCT when compared to Palm Pre and iPhone, and used Twitter clients as an example, Thomas Marban of Android’s premiere Twitter client, Twidroid, responded:

one of the main reasons why UIs are unequally inferior are not only the way you build apps (open vs. closed hw/sw system) and the SDK itself but also marginal to non-existing UI standards, no ready-made drag & drop UI items, variations in carrier- & device firmware, hard- & software input, screen sizes, international customizations, modded phones, rooted phones and last but not least completely different expectations among users and the linux’ish target group itself. in a nutshell: beautiful mess. obviously, all these reasons eat up a huge pile of time that one could better spend with improving UX and polishing the interface. those who started early with android development have learned and are still learning it the hard way, just like they did with win 3.1 back in the days.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball, in Lots of Excuses comments:

That doesn't sound like someone who plans to ever ship something of the caliber of Tweetie, Birdfeed, or Twitterrific. From what I've seen of Twidroid, it's not even as good as Craig Hockenberry's original version of Twitterrific for iPhone, which was written as a jailbreak app before the iPhone officially supported third-party software. If Android hardware diversity is already a problem for third-party developers, it's only going to get worse.

This also highlights the advantages Apple has given iPhone developers. Not only is the iPhone based on OS X, but the development tools are based on Xcode and Interface Builder, and while not as many developers are likely already familiar with Cocoa touch as, say, developers might be with Android’s language(s) (or web developers may be for the Palm Pre), existing Mac developers can make those tools sing. And, given the SDK Apple provided, even new developers get a huge head start in terms of functions and user interface elements.

Sure, that means there’s a lower barrier of entry to creating poor iPhone apps, but it also means great developers aren’t wasting their time re-inventing UI wheels, or fighting the OS to do right by their apps. They investing that time in making great apps.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Why It’s Easier to Make a Great Twitter Client for iPhone than for Android

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, market share and profit share aren’t the same thing, and just to prove that point, it looks like Apple’s iPhone has shot passed Nokia to become the most profitable handset on the market. Says Telephony Online:

The firm estimates that Apple's iPhone operating profit came in at $1.6 billion in Q3, while Nokia recorded only $1.1 billion in operating profit. "With strong volumes, high wholesale prices and tight cost controls, the PC vendor has successfully broken into the mobile phone market in just two years," said analyst Alex Spektor in the research note.

That’s based on 1.6 billion in Q3 iPhone profits for Apple vs. 1.1 billion for Nokia and their handsets.

Why does this matter to us? High profit margins for Apple means more cash they can re-invest into the iPhone and its technology, and like the MacBook and iMac line (and the boilerplate they keep feeding us on their conference calls) it means they can decide to amp up the innovation, even if costs them a little in the short term. No margin, no room for that kind of competition.

So, Apple, we hope you take a lot of that 1.6 billion, check out your competition, and invest heavily in wowing us again in 2010, b’okay?

[Strategy Analyst via Telephony Online via MacRumors]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple iPhone More Profitable Than Nokia

Orange UK sold 30,000 iPhones on release day, despite their dodgy unlimited data = 750MB, and despite the iPhone already being available on rival O2 UK since 2007. By contrast, Verizon launched the much-hyped, geek-liked Droid for the first time on any network, anywhere, ever, and sold — according to Bloomberg — 100,000 over the weeked. Three and a bit times as much sounds almost as good as their “5x the 3G coverage of AT&T” commercials. But then the US is a much bigger market and Verizon a much bigger carrier, and Orange has only a day, not a weekend, but whatev…

The iPhone 3GS, as a third data point, sold over 1,000,000 it’s first weekend out the gate. Sure, that was international, but then the iPhone 3GS was available internationally, all under the same brand, in several countries at the same time. Verizon licensed the Droid trademark, so even when the same device rolls out in Canada and Europe, it won’t be the Droid but the Milestone, which is 5x less the geek name sex-appeal.

What does this all mean? iPhone mindshare is still huge and demand in countries that were exclusive to one carrier is still high. In part, this may be because there’s a single, global iPhone brand (and feature set) for consumers to identify with, and rather than controlled by a carrier (like Droid), it’s controlled only to Apple — so it might just appear on your favorite carrier one day as well, be it Bell/Telus, Orange/Vodafone, or Verizon…

[via AppleInsider and BGR]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Orange UK Sells 30,000 iPhones 2 Years In. Verizon US Sells 100,000 Droids 1st Weekend Out.

Gigaware and RadioShack have teamed up to bring you an exclusive HD Radio iPhone/iPod touch solution with the Gigaware In-line Control with HD Radio for $80. Previously, if you wanted a portable way to listen to HD radio, your options were limited — the best solution being the Zune HD. This version’s highlights include:

• Easily connects to your iPhone and iPod touch via the dock connector
• Receive HD radio signals that offer CD-quality sound
• Song information, such as title and artist, appears on your iPod’s display
• iTunes Tagging saves artist and song information to your iPod for purchase via Apple’s iTunes
• Discover HD2 substations hidden between your regular stations that only HD radio can deliver
• Play, Stop, Pause, Forward, Backward and Scan controls that your fingers can locate by touch

So at $80 a crack, is this something you would be willing to try out or are you happy enough with your own music and iTunes?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Gigaware HD Radio for iPhone/iPod touch Now Available at RadioShack for $80

Update: Apple is now reporting all services are back up and running.

MobileMe is currently down for some via client (Mail on Mac and iPhone — count me in), and the Web (working fine for me). Maybe they were upset we gave GoogleSync all the love this morning?

Let us know how it’s working for you, and we’ll update when it’s back online for everyone.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Updated: MobileMe Mail Down (Fixed!)

Universal Home Entertainment will be introducing Blu-ray releases that contain iPhone and iPod touch enhanced features. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Universal will include their pocket BLU application with Blu-ray versions of Bruno, Public Enemies, Funny People, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, and Inglourious Basterds.

Pocket BLU will further enhance your Blu-ray experience with the following features:

• Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.
• Video Timeline: By turning the phone to landscape mode, users will bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.
• Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of exclusive bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
• Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. Free previews and more.
• Pop-Up Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray player with this easy and intuitive keyboard that will facilitate such Blu-ray(TM) features as chatting with friends and sending messages via Facebook and Twitter.

The application will be a free download for your iPhone/iPod touch and should be available the day the Blu-ray titles are available. With the movie studios and Blu-Ray showing the iPhone and iPod touch some love, one would think Apple would give a little back…

[Via 9to5Mac]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Upcoming Universal Blu-ray Releases to Include iPhone/iPod Touch Features

In Stock: Covertec Ergonomic Pouch Cases for iPhone

The Covertec Ergonomic Pouch Cases for iPhone [$27.95 - TiPb store link] offer great protection by covering the perimeter of your device leaving the screen and side buttons exposed for easy-access! Features:

• Comes with a Red and Black Case
• Specific Design for iPhone 3GS or iPhone 3G
• Lightweight Hardshell Construction
• Direct access to Widescreen
• Easy access to all controls and devices features
• Allows charging while in case
• Includes Screen Protector

For more on the Covertec Ergonomic Pouch Cases for iPhone, see the TiPb iPhone Accessory Store…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

In Stock: Covertec Ergonomic Pouch Cases for iPhone

Making good on their promise from a few days ago, O2 UK has launched a website where customers can get their iPhone’s officially unlocked starting November 10, 2009. Here are the details:

• Pay Monthly customers can get the unlock any time, but you have to keep paying O2 for the length of your remaining service contract.
• Pay Go customers can get the unlock after 12 months, for a one-time £15 fee (deducted from airtime balance).

To begin the process, customers need to complete the online form (via the link above). The process will take up to 14 days, but customers will get an SMS confirmation when it’s completed, and they can then place a non-O2 SIM in their iPhones, hook up to iTunes, and finish the unlock.

Curious as to whether the other major new iPhone multi-carrier market would be following suit, TiPb contacted Rogers and received the following reply:

Rogers policies haven’t changed in this regard.

One step forward, one step back. Hopefully Rogers will reconsider and take a page from O2’s consumer-friendly approach.

Meanwhile, if you go for the new O2 unlock, let us know how the process works out for you!

[Via Chris Oldroyd]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

O2 UK to Start Unlocking iPhones Nov. 10. Rogers Canada — Not.

We’ve gotten a few reports from readers that GoogleSync, the ActiveSync connection Google’s using to push Gmail (and contacts and calendars) to iPhone users has just stopped working.

There’s a discussion going on in Google’s Support threads, including time changes, sporadic spurts, changing parameters, and other troubleshooting attempts.

If you’re having intermittent issues, or if GoogleSync is just not working for you right now, check it out and let us know what, if anything, helps fix the problem. (Other than waiting it out — GoogleSync is still in beta, of course…)

[Thanks Andrew for the tip!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

GoogleSync Gmail Push for iPhone Down?

11-point multitouch tracking might sound nifty in a theoretical spec throwaway, but what does it mean to an end-user? Likely still not much, but thanks to FingerMgmt we can at least see it in action now — on a MacBook glass trackpad at least.

Apple may have debuted their modern multitouch in the iPhone, but they’ve quickly spread the technology out to their MacBook glass trackpads and now Magic Mouse for desktops. Ultimately that’s good for all of Apple’s products, as innovation in each one can benefit the others on their next revision as well. Now, 11 points might be overkill for any practical need on a display this small, but when we start dreaming of unicorns and larger form-factor iTablets… Oh the games they could make (never mind the obvious jokes about just what constitutes that 11th finger…)

[Lericsson via Reddit via Gizmodo]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Mac Multitouch Trackpad 11-Point Demo