back to article Android is a BURNING 'hellstew' of malware, cackles Apple's Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook took a few minutes of his two-hour keynote at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday morning in San Francisco to stick his thumb in Android's eye. "Over 130 million customers who bought an iOS device in the past 12 months were buying their first Apple device," Cook told the 6,000 developers …

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  1. StimuliC

    That's what my boss used to shout

    "Hell Stew, you've gone and done it again and messed things up". LOL

    Then I hear I am Toxic.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: That's what my boss used to shout

      Many Android users have 4+ year old versions of the OS? I guess if you buy an Android you don't need a new phone every year. Imagine that.

      1. Mike Flugennock

        Re: That's what my boss used to shout

        Well, Apple may want me to think I "need" a new phone every year, but the wife and I luckily have the good sense to know better.

      2. Bill Neal

        Re: That's what my boss used to shout

        Yeah, I'm not using KitKat and I'm still happy with my experience until I really want to shell out the cash for a new device that can handle it. I have seen several friends & family in the last year switch from iOS to Android for exactly the same reason, "The iOS update made my iPhone4 crap!" Everyone has their reasons. Mine are simple: total cost of ownership and device lifespan.

        1. Slap

          Re: That's what my boss used to shout

          At least the update was offered, which is sadly not the case with many android handset manufacturers.

          However, whether you should take the update offer is another story entirely.

      3. Shane Sturrock

        Re: That's what my boss used to shout

        You can still buy a brand new (admittedly very cheap) android phone with Gingerbread. I was issued a Gingerbread phone about four years back and it was terrible - one of those slider things with the physical keyboard which kept slipping out and was pretty useless for my big thumbs. The battery life was dire too. I ended up buying the iPhone 4 out of my own hard earned cash and I'm still running that. It is struggling a little under iOS7 but still works pretty well. I've tried a few of the latest Android phones and like the Nexus 5 a lot but I have to say that the integration of iOS8 with OS X.10 is swinging things back in favour of iPhone. Whether I go full retard and buy the latest and greatest or just dial it back several notches and get a used 4S so I can get the features I'm after and keep my current set of peripherals is the big question.

        The reality is that Android has indeed come on in leaps and bounds, and Google is pushing Apple hard and vice versa. If it is your money, spend it wisely. I'm a Mac user and I've enjoyed my iPhone 4 a lot more than any other mobile phone right back to the old Nokia 5110 I started with. I buy Apple gear because it works well for me and is by far the best value for money due to the lifespan of the hardware. My cash, my choice.

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: That's what my boss used to shout

        "Many Android users have 4+ year old versions of the OS? I guess if you buy an Android you don't need a new phone every year. Imagine that."

        Just as well if you are left without support from manufacturers who don't give a shit once they have your money really isn't it. I mean, malware isn't their problem, so who cares, right?

    2. LarsG

      It's the silly season again

      Here we go again....

      Trying to put your point across to an Android user is like trying to negotiate with a teenage Kevin.

      They think they know it all but in fact know very little.

      1. Alex Rose
        Thumb Down

        Re: It's the silly season again

        Whereas iPhone users are all paragons of unbiased, well informed, objective thinking.

  2. ThomH

    Of course it dominates the malware market

    If a majority of devices have property X then what's the probability that a device with property Y also has property X? Or, rather, what doesn't a higher probability of X given Y imply?

    I heard that more house fires occur at the homes of people with Windows PCs than occur at the homes of people with Apple computers. Just sayin'. Could be because the total amount of sunlight that falls on Windows users is so much greater? Etc, etc, etc.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Of course it dominates the malware market

      You may want to look up what a percentage actually represents :)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Of course it dominates the malware market

        Amusing that the person mocking based on the definition of percentage fails.

        If 60% of all people who get malware on their phone have Android phones, and 75%+ of people who have a phone have an Android phone, then that would make iOS the leader of malware.

        I'm making up the 60% number here of course, but if anyone has the real number, have at it.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Of course it dominates the malware market

          Wow. Logical twist with an injection of bullshit at its finest. Ah. Bullseyed. A real master bater when it comes to trolling...

    2. gkroog
      Mushroom

      Re: Of course it dominates the malware market

      And with more people using Android by far, its more worthwhile to find ways into Android than iOS. Its the old "PCs have viruses, Macs don't" nonsense. Its not because it can't be done to an Apple, but because not enough people care to do so.

      If the majority of people had an iOS device, then the malware for those would come tumbling out of the woodwork.

  3. Bladeforce

    Nice try Cookie..

    ..but iOS and OSX has holes that you dont seem to want to patch thats even if you get around to admitting the problems

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Nice try Cookie..

      ..but iOS and OSX has holes

      have holes, but we'll let that slide. Can you back that up with facts? Links? Evidence?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Nice try Cookie..

        A link like this?

        http://news.yahoo.com/back-iphone-data-now-huge-ios-ransomware-scam-194129345.html

        1. PC1512

          Re: Nice try Cookie..

          Yeah - no. That wasn't a security breach, that was some guy with a list of passwords.

      2. Crisp

        Re: Can you back that up with facts? Links? Evidence?

        All non-trivial software solutions have holes. See The Halting Problem.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Nice try Cookie..

        Hmmm, asking for evidence usually ends up with the person supplying it getting banned as a dev.

        Apple - Affen bleiben Affen, wenn man sie auch in Sammet kleidet

      4. smartypants

        Re: Nice try Cookie..

        An innocent bystander observes that it is self-evident that IOS and OSX have holes.

        Unless I'm very much mistaken, they are both examples of software written by humans.

        There is a small chance that just this once (or twice in this case), a vast collection of software which is collectively known as IOS and OSX is utterly free of defects which pose a security risk.

        Even if it were true (and it's impossible to prove), it maybe wouldn't be true in 3 months after countless thousands of new commits...

        I'm not bashing IOS and OSX of course. It's the nature of software.

        It's why Cook made such a deal about the importance of security updates too.

        So... self evident.

      5. Gannon (J.) Dick

        Re: Nice try Cookie..

        Not evidence, but maybe precident ...

        "Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one" -- Wilt Chaimberlain (1936-1999)

        In this case, the assholes both make OS's, but the difference is minor.

        1. JoshOvki

          Re: Nice try Cookie..

          No bugs here! They are just undocumented features... yes that is what they are!

    2. Spearchucker Jones

      Re: Nice try Cookie..

      Good thing Android has no glaring issues or your argument wouldn't have legs...

  4. Mitoo Bobsworth
    Stop

    Really?

    And what, exactly, is to prevent IOS from being a 'hellstew' of malware, should those with the inclination choose to put their minds to the task?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really?

      Apple's walled garden for one. A nasty app has to get past Apple, and if it does make it through Apple has the ability to remotely disable it from everyone's device if it is serious enough.

      If someone makes a browser based exploit they have to get people to visit their site (same problem for Apple as for Android or Windows in that respect) but unlike Android, when Apple provides an iOS update to close the hole, it is quickly adopted by a large majority of iPhone owners.

      Is Apple immune to malware? Of course not, only a foolish fanboy would even suggest such a thing. But it is a harder target than Android, and if attacked the lifetime of a serious exploit would be fairly short on iOS. On Android, the lifetime is measured in years, since there are many Android devices currently in use which will never see another update (if they have even seen one)

      Sure, those with premium devices like a GS5 would see an update relatively quickly, but premium devices are a niche market on Android these days. The mass market is on the low end, and most of those devices never see a single update.

      1. David Paul Morgan

        Re: Really?

        but you're not allowed to leave the walled garden...

        http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/19/apple-imessage-failed-iphone-samsung

        1. jai

          Re: Really?

          but you're not allowed to leave the walled garden...

          Adam & Eve left their garden, and some would say it's been downhill for the human race ever since....

          1. Eponymous Cowherd

            Re: Really?

            Leaving aside the fact that Adam and Eve are fantasy characters, it really all depends on whether you prefer freedom to make your own way and make your own mistakes, or live forever in a pretty garden and have everything done for you as long as you obey the rules.

            1. Sander van der Wal

              Re: Really?

              You mean, making life-enhancing mistakes like installing some malware that sends premium SMS on your dime? The single experience everybody must have had to feel really, truly and utterly alive?

              On this site, most readers think smartphones (computers) are interesting and worth tinkering with. But that is a minority standpoint. Most people want a cheap and reasonable phone, a big minority want to pay more and have a phone that some something extra.

              And then there's the status. On this site tinkering with phones is status-enhancing, but that is also a minority view in the wide world. The minority buying iOS devices is a lot bigger. And willing to spend cash.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Really?

            I don't know, no longer being the disposable playthings of a sociopathic supreme being is surely a good thing even if comes with a downside or two.

          3. Darryl
            Happy

            Re: Adam & Eve left their garden

            And the origin of all of Adam and Eve's problems? An Apple.

            1. Fink-Nottle
              Happy

              Re: Adam & Eve left their garden

              > And the origin of all of Adam and Eve's problems? An Apple.

              'Fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' sounds more like a Google product to me.

              1. gkroog

                Re: Adam & Eve left their garden

                But if that fruit has rounded corners, Apple will claim the thought of it first and sue.

          4. gkroog
            Trollface

            Re: Really?

            Yeah, after eating an...Apple...

    2. PC1512

      Re: Really?

      It's structure from the ground up, and entire design of the ecosystem from day one?

      Seriously, you can keep trying this line on Mac users, but there's no "security through obscurity" on IOS, it's a massive and lucrative market for anyone able to get some malware working on the platform. The reason they haven't (but have been able to run riot on Android) is that iOS and the Appstore in particular makes this very, very difficult.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Really?

        $15M taken from iOS users by ransomware and banking exploits in the last month shows that Apple are losing their war against malware. Most Apple users think they're invulnerable, but there are so many holes in iOS (have you seen the partticularly nasty bluetooth exploits yet?) that their phones are unusable (apart from sometimes making phonecalls when they can find a cell tower - their radios are very poor).

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Really?

          Proof. Have you heard of it?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Really?

            Yes iPhones have bad radios. HERE is the proof.

            Links from Apple Support. I only chose one of each for brevity. There were many more covering all models.

            Cell

            https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1617546?start=0&tstart=0

            WiFi

            https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4328735?start=30&tstart=0

            GPS

            https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2075209?start=0&tstart=0

          2. Mitoo Bobsworth

            Re: Really?

            @A.C. -"Proof. Have you heard of it?"

            OK, Lazybones -

            http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/10/03/mac-malware-history/

            http://www.wired.com/2012/07/first-ios-malware-found/

            Granted, the second link is the only officially recognised instance of IOS malware - the point is, it can be done, & this incident will most likely not be the last attempt.

            As my old Math Teacher once graded me - "D+ - would do better if he applied himself."

        2. Joel 1

          AC Re: Really?

          >(apart from sometimes making phonecalls when they can find a cell tower - their radios are very poor).

          I seem to remember the AnandTech in depth reviews suggesting that the radios were in fact rather good.

          I can only assume you are making your comment from the US - the phone network there is rather poor in general, hence the emphasis on "cells" rather than "network"

          1. Joe Harrison

            Re: AC Really?

            The Apple guy's argument doesn't make sense. We all know you can make your users more secure by locking down their ability to do things. Does not mean that is necessarily a good idea. I don't need a phone nanny thank you.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              @Joe Harrison - "I don't need a phone nanny"

              Maybe you don't, but a lot of people do, or prefer it that way. If you don't, you have have Android and even root it if you want maximum freedom. If you want an iPhone but don't like the walls, you can jailbreak.

        3. chr0m4t1c

          Re: Really?

          >$15M taken from iOS users by ransomware and banking exploits in the last month

          Link?

        4. Mike Flugennock

          Re: Really?

          I'm certainly not foolish enough to think my iPhone or Macs are invulnerable to malware, and haven't been foolish enough since at least 1988, when the first malware serious enough to get media attention appeared -- ironically enough, on the Mac, iirc.

          I've never been into silly-ass games, or any of that find-your-friends-and-tell-them-what-bar-you're-hanging-out-at bullshit. I have a grand total of 1 (count 'em) 1 third-party app on my 4S -- Twitter. That's it.

          1. Shaha Alam

            Re: Really?

            "I've never been into silly-ass games, or any of that find-your-friends-and-tell-them-what-bar-you're-hanging-out-at bullshit. I have a grand total of 1 (count 'em) 1 third-party app on my 4S -- Twitter. That's it."

            you seem to have purchased the wrong kind of phone.

      2. Chairo
        Flame

        Re: Really?

        The reason they haven't (but have been able to run riot on Android)

        can you back this up with some data? When has any Playstore App caused any riot (apart from twitter and facebook, but that's a different story) for any length of time?

        Otherwise I would say you are spreading the usual FUD.

        Oh, you can disable the app signature check and sideload unsafe apps? Big news. Every IOS Version up to now could be jailbroken. At some point of time there was even a jailbrake web page Jailbreakme , that unlocked IOS, using a drive by attack, exploiting various zero day vulnerabilities in Safari.

        Not that I would say that IOS isn't generally safer than Android. But to keep it safe, they have to lock it down in a very aggressive manner, to the point where it gets unusable for some purposes.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really?

      "should", "when", "if", etc. Yawn.

    4. Mitoo Bobsworth

      Re: Really?

      I love watching the thumbs up/down scores swing around every time things Apple are commented on - I genuinely admire the fervour & passion people express on the subject.

      I've been using Apple gear since System 6 & the venerable LCII, and have munched my way through much Apple kit since then. I've also seen many Applen of all description fall over from malware (uncommon as it was in the early days, it did exist) and have helped friends with rescue missions on more than one occasion.

      I'm no techie, but I'm also no fanboi - Apple kit serves my needs, but like any hardware/software combo, it has strengths & weaknesses, and even Apples strict oversight & walled garden approach won't protect users from a focussed, concentrated attack if there's malicious motivation & ill-gotten gain to be realised from those with the expertise. Adding the still young cloud vector into the mix opens up even more opportunities. If someone can make it, you can pretty much guarantee someone else can break it.

    5. Jez-UK

      Re: Really?

      A couple of things actually:

      One is the more permissive policies. You can "side-load" apps, and while that has an upside (you don't need Google's approval for anything you install) some of these apps will contain "bad stuff", and unlike stuff from the official Google Play Store the isn't even retrospective policing from Google. Also software has more access to the device, the classic example is custom keyboards. Though Apple have a facility for this coming in iOS8, though without knowing more about it I cannot comment about the security implications.

      Another problem is "customised" versions of Android. Here this means that devices never get updates (that contain security fixes) or get them very much later. It is this that lead to the quote. It is also true that OEM customisations are often of a far lower quality than Google's own Android base code, often leading to security flaws being introduced.

      So if you do want an Android device there are things you can do to keep the device safer:

      Don't side-load applications.

      Choose either a locked down implementation (Kindle) or a Nexus device.

      It would be nice to see some research on the malware situation for both (supported) Nexus devices and Kindle devices vs "other Android".

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Really?

        "It would be nice to see some research on the malware situation for both (supported) Nexus devices and Kindle devices vs "other Android"."

        Agreed.

        I'd like to know more about this supposedly malware in general. I'm an electrical engineer who runs an IS/IT related team for a Fortune 100 company... and I've never seen or heard of anyone actually getting malware on their phone.

        The closest thing I'd consider to be malware are apps that demand access to too much of your data. With Apple that isn't an issue, because they already consume all of your data (not that Google doesn't either). Every once and a while you hear about beggar-ware taking money from people, on either Apple or Android. The dollars here are dwarfed by the cost of apps in the Apple store or the in-game microtransactions for games on either platform.

        So really, what is in this nebulous malware category? That $10,000 app Apple had that made the background red?

  5. Mike H.

    A what????

    Quote "And a better life"

    There's a quote from a man who needs to get out more often. Honestly, its a phone.

    1. gkroog

      Re: A what????

      Tim Cook must have confused iLife with the real thing.

  6. 45RPM Silver badge

    Yeah, I thought that was a bit unnecessary. It may be true, it may not be true. I don't really care. Seems to me that iOS has some advantages and that Android has some advantages too (not least HTCs sweet hardware - but I digress), Windows mobile looks pretty damn cool too.

    Choose your OS. Be happy with it, I hope. Be happy for everyone who chose something different because it suited ther needs. But let's not get all religious about it. That's be as stupid as getting all religious!

    Why can't we… work things out? Little people… why can't we all just get along?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Why can't we… work things out? Little people… why can't we all just get along?"

      Because some platforms are open and other platforms demand you play their way or they take their ball and go home.

      When you figure out which platform is which, you'll understand why so many hate fruity firms.

      1. 45RPM Silver badge

        @Bullseyed Disagree. This is OS Wars plain and simple, and you can wrap a reason around it if you like - but just remember that religious zealots have been wrapping spurious justifications around their chosen beliefs for centuries too.

        Microsoft is anything but open (do you hate them too?), and yet there are many people out their who love Microsoft and hate Apple with all their hearts. In the past the same was true of Amiga (TripOS) and ST (TOS), Commodore 64 and Spectrum - it was ever thus.

        The thing is that there are closed elements to Android too (Google Play Services, I think, is one, Google Search, Google Calendar and so forth), and open elements to iOS (the whole underlying OS (Darwin) for a start - download at opensource.apple.com). Google is in just as much of a position to take their ball away except…

        …Except that the formats used are open. Contacts are stored as vcard. Calendars are stored as ical. Email is stored as eml. So if you try one particular platform, and then decide you don't like it, you can take your toys away and get something else - with no loss of data. And that isn't just true of Android. It's true of iOS too.

        And why should you care what's in my pocket (unless you're trying to chat me up?). It's really none of your business, and it doesn't affect you in the slightest. Equally, I couldn't give a shit what you use. Got Blackberry? More power to you. Got Android? Cool, it's a nice *nix OS. If you want a super connected Internet OS, great for sharing and social networking, then Android is probably the best in the business. If you're a little more private then maybe you'd like to consider iOS. It isn't for me to say what you should use, or what reasons you have for using it.

        And, as I say to my son, hate is a very strong word. And life is far too short for it.

        1. Malcolm Weir Silver badge

          @45RPM... I've watched the "wars" over the years, and I have to say that in my analysis, there is very little "pro Windows" or "pro Android" sentiment in the abstract. Instead, there is a strong anti-Apple one, and the reasons usually boil down to the same simple concept: if you don't want to go "the Apple way" (e.g. use a different graphics card), the Apple universe abandons/blocks/attacks you. So people who want choice (in desktops, laptops and phones) look at Apple as a one-size-fits-all dictatorship, and are repelled towards "something else" (actually, "anything else"). Where this becomes obvious is that you cannot honestly compare iOS with Android, because you cannot isolate iOS from the handset; instead, you should compare an iPhone with (e.g.) a Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, HTC One, or whatever. Likewise, you can't really compare MacOS with Windows 8 or ChromeOS, but rather the entire platform including the hardware -- and you may find a Dell a better experience than an HP, even with the same software.

          This concept plays nicely into Apple's marketing, because they have figured out how to project an idea of excellence, even when the idea isn't really supportable. Yes, they frequently do produce products that are top class, but very very rarely so exceptional that they're in a class of their own (one example where they did was with Final Cut Pro before version X; FCP X has of course destroyed any technical lead that they had). If you can convince people that Apple are genuinely "the innovators" while "the other guys" are not, then they'll perceive controversy where there really isn't one. So by Apple's marketing, the absence of choice is a virtue, not a drawback.

          So speaking personally, one of my objection to iPhones is not the fact of the walled garden, but the fact of the singular garden.

          1. 45RPM Silver badge

            @Malcolm Weir It sounds to me as if you have some very good reasons for not choosing Apple. Having very good reasons for not choosing Apple for yourself is not the same as having very good reasons for 'hating' Apple (I know you didn't use the word hate), or even for objecting to anyone else using an Apple product. For my part, I have very good reasons for using Apple products (and no reasons whatsoever for objecting to someone else's choice of platform).

            Sure enough, I like Apple's hardware (and as you point out, that's just as well because I can't choose to run their software on anything else), but it's their software that really floats my boat - and so I'd have one foot in the Apple ecosystem even if their hardware was like Dell's or Samsung's. My other foot is in the Linux ecosystem and… shit. I've run out of feet. I also use Windows (actually, I develop software for Windows, Linux, iOS and Mac OS).

            I don't hate any platform. They've all got their pros and cons. But I do find the continual waging of 'ner-ner-nyah-nyah-ner my OS is better than yours' and expressions of hatred very boring and childish. Especially since the insults are usually backed up with no experience or evidence - and when they are backed up by experience or evidence, the experience or evidence only applies to the use-case of the person lobbing the criticism.

            My objection is to a product being purchased purely for reasons of fashion rather than for the merits of the technology itself. It annoys me that people buy an Apple (or HTC or Samsung or Sony…) device because it's fashionable rather than because it represents the best solution to their particular problems. Only education has a hope of solving that particular problem - but I fear that herd mentality and bloody minded tribalism will always win.

  7. Tony W

    Latest version, not always greatest version

    My wife updated her rather old iPhone while we were on holiday. It gave constant trouble, and she was cursing until she could get to reliable WiFi to roll it back. Mr Google says she's not the only one.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Latest version, not always greatest version

      Mr Google would say that ;)

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Latest version, not always greatest version

      @ Tony W

      What on Earth were you both thinking!?!?

      Probably for the best, or you would've been using it in the sauna.

  8. ElReg!comments!Pierre

    Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

    I don't seem to recall Jobs presenting snake-oil-merchant slides to diss the competition; seems like he wanted to push the idea that his products were "special", as in, not on the same level as anything else.

    Try and push the idea that your product is "99% better than the competition", and people may start to think that maybe you're just talking shit, that your kit is "just another phone" and think about doing real comparisons. Risky for a brand such as Apple, almost entirely built on unquantifiable "user experience" values. Time will tell, but there will be no Jobs Emergency Recall button this time to save Apple with the iMac, so Tim may want to thread more carefully.

    1. asdf

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      Good points I suppose. It always tougher at the top (market cap wise) though when you are more interested in defending existing fat revenue streams than risking all creating new ones.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

        "It always tougher at the top"

        Indeed. Will be tough for Google's 75% and growing marketshare. Once Apple falls below the 15% mark, Windows will have enough mindshare to challenge Android. Then we'll settle down to roughly 60% Android, 30% MS, 10% Apple.

    2. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      I don't seem to recall Jobs presenting snake-oil-merchant slides to diss the competition

      I agree - it was always seen as bad marketing to give competitors airtime. Personally, I found it a bit petty (but I'm not a marketeer, clearly :) ).

    3. svim

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      This does seem to be one of Tim Cook's more negative presentations. If this is just a hiccup than whatever but if it's a new direction for Cook to take than it's a telling sign on how much Apple higher-ups are getting nervous about the competition.

      I'll tepidly argue Jobs did his own share of dissing, not much for most of his Apple career(s) but increasingly towards the end. While a lot of people become more spiritual because of a health crisis, it seems like he went through a reverse process. Each time he returned after one of his medical sabbaticals he became more and more capitalistic and defensive.

      1. Fluffy Bunny
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

        I think it's a sign he's scared of the competition.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

          It is of course true that the competition has a much bigger user base, but in this case it seems more like Cook saw an opportunity to differentiate (i.e., iPhones mostly running newest shiny shiny iOS vs. huge number of Android phones running years-old software with associated vulns) and decided to make that a talking point.

    4. jai

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      I don't seem to recall Jobs presenting snake-oil-merchant slides to diss the competition;

      you should re-watch some of the old keynote speeches then, refresh your memory.

    5. Blitterbug
      Happy

      Re: Tim may want to thread more carefully.

      Don't be dissin' on his sewing skills. That's just mean.

      1. ElReg!comments!Pierre

        Re: Tim may want to thread more carefully.

        Good point I sew-pose

    6. Wade Burchette

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      I will give Tim Cook 3 reasons why the Android UI is always, and will always, be better than iOS: (1) the back button, (2) the menu button, and (3) I can choose which browser I want.

      I bought my first iPad when I was still using a Blackberry. I thought the UI was great. Finally I bought an Android. After using an Android for a long time, I will never go back to iOS because of the missing menu button and back button. The only button I use more is the home button. Those buttons are so convenient, they are always in the same place, the icons do not change with each phone update, and there is no need to waste valuable screen space for extra icons.

      And there are many more reasons why iOS is inferior. No removable battery and no SD card -- my SD card is filled with my music. No option to restart in iOS, you must power-off then power-on. If I need to take apart an Android it is easier because there are screws. In fact, there is only 1 thing iOS does better than Android: printing. Other than that, Android is better than iOS.

      1. PC1512

        Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

        Well plenty of Android phones have soft buttons for these so yes, there is wasted screen space, and I wouldn't assume the icons will never change either (or that they'll necessarily stay in the same place either).

        Personally I think those buttons are awful. On the Galaxy Tab 3 I was given, which did have hard buttons on the bezel bizarrely centred in the landscape position, I found I was forever hitting menu or back while just trying to hold the thing, especially in portrait. On a full touchscreen device they just seem anachronistic and pointless, and indeed the iphone/ipad prove them as such as far as I'm concerned. Maybe if you picked one up now and forced yourself to lose the muscle memory you'd realise that too.

        Oh and of course not every Android has a removable battery or SD card, and there is a perfect option to restart in iOS - simply holding down power and home will always get you out of anything and reboot the device. Of course, these days especially, it's never actually necessary.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

          "Well plenty of Android phones have soft buttons for these so yes, there is wasted screen space"

          If the screen is on average an inch bigger, not really a problem. Android devices don't have to make the most of their screen, because it isn't tiny like an Apple device.

          "and I wouldn't assume the icons will never change either"

          If they were to change and you didn't like it, you could just skip the update. Benefit of Android.

          "Personally I think those buttons are awful. On the Galaxy Tab 3 I was given, which did have hard buttons on the bezel bizarrely centred in the landscape position"

          Whereas with Apple it is bizarrely centered on the portrait position, making it impossible to press while using the device.

          "I found I was forever hitting menu or back while just trying to hold the thing, especially in portrait"

          Fat fingers will do that. Also, odd that you'd be using a tablet in portrait mode. Do you also prop your computer monitors up sideways? To quote your god Steve Jobs, you're holding it wrong.

          1. PC1512

            Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

            Wasted space is wasted space, whatever size the screen - and what advantage is that slightly bigger screen meant to have if its given over to clutter?

            Not sure why you think the ability to skip an update is some kind of Android advantage. Unless you're talking about the ability to not actually be offered any update in the first place, which of course is a feature of many Android phones. Don't want the latest iOS update? Don't accept it. Skip all you like.

            How on earth would a button in the portrait position be "impossible to press"? I think a good few million ipad users would raise an eyebrow at that bizarre claim. And as for it being odd to use a tablet in portrait mode - I guess all your books are printed landscape, right? Do you rotate your magazine 90 degrees before opening?

        2. Richard 12 Silver badge

          I have to reboot my iPhone quite often

          It regularly decides that the "telephone" function is beyond its ken, and the only way to change it from being a very small WiFi iPad into a telephone again is to power off, wait then power it back on again.

          This happens at least once a month, possibly more often.

          I'm not alone, it does seem that iPhones genuinely do have unstable GSM radios.

          1. PC1512

            Re: I have to reboot my iPhone quite often

            Well, I've been using iPhones for the past 5-6 years and have frequented all the forums etc and that is literally the very first time I have ever heard of anything like that happening with an iPhone. So, ok, you may not be "alone" but you are certainly not indicative of any trend either.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: I have to reboot my iPhone quite often

              that is literally the very first time I have ever heard of anything like that happening with an iPhone

              Well, make that twice then. I have seen this too, infrequent but very annoying when it happens. It IMHO not the GSM modem itself, but somewhere in call handling. Sometimes the phone rings, but refuses to answer the call, and it appears to happen more if you try to pick up on first ring (because, for instance, you already had the phone in your hand). At that point it freezes instead, and needs a reboot. It has occasionally a matching problem at the end of a call. When told to drop a call it sometimes hangs, just sitting on the "ending call" screen (which baffles me, why not just drop the carrier, anyone with phone knowledge who can explain?). Again, a reboot is required.

              This happens infrequent enough not to be a major problem, but it does happen. Having said that, I have an old model, if it happens with a new phone I'll have to get noisy :)

    7. Scott 1

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      "I don't seem to recall Jobs presenting snake-oil-merchant slides to diss the competition;"

      Really? Almost every one of this major keynote speeches had at least one slide to that effect. He has snubbed the names of the Android versions, high percentages of Android devices on old OS versions (like Cook just did), the smaller number of apps available for Android vs iThings, build quality of Android devices, etc. etc.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

        I still fail to see why "higher percentage of devices on current OS" is a selling feature to consumers.

        1.) It means iOS devices don't last long enough to get to outdated.

        2.) It means old iOS devices have crap performance being forced onto software that postdates their hardware.

        3.) It means iOS users desperately want new functionality because they are not satisfied with the old OS.

        4.) It means having to relearn your phone whenever Apple decides to push something new out.

        5.) It means if your favorite app decides not to update, you can't use it anymore.

        6.) It means it is easier to mount an attack against the OS, as you can assume certain things about every iDevice you want to attack.

        The list goes on and on. That's ignoring the whole "choice" option Android people have to customize their UI.

        I have an HP Touchpad (firesale) dual booted to Cyanogen Mod 7 (Gingerbread 2.3). I have absolutely zero interest in bringing it up to KitKat. All I need is the web browser and Netflix on it. If it were an iDevice it would be unusable because it would not have the hardware necessary to support the software... and all it needs to do really is browse the web!

        1. PC1512

          Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

          It means literally not a single one of those things. Not one. That whole list is so wide of the mark it's hilarious!

    8. Captain Queeg

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      Jobs wasn't ever averse to sticking the boot in. Endless references to cheap plasticky buttons slides of BlackBerry keyboards and such. The BSOD on the OSX windows share icon too.

      Oh yes, he could mix it with the best (worst?) in the most childish of ways...

    9. gkroog

      Re: Not so smart; desperate housewife is desperate.

      But that's the problem. Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs. I'm not a fan of the late Mr. Jobs, but he was a visionary and had great insight into what Apple's products needed to be and do. Tim Cook can't do that. He does seem to have the arrogance of Mr. Jobs, though, but without the talent, that may spell trouble for Apple.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Think is - he's right - so many Android phones are running old versions and will not or cannot be upgraded.

    1. asdf

      yeah

      Somewhat bad except that I think a majority of punters don't keep the same phone for more than a few years anyway due to new contracts, obsolescence, etc. This might not be true for the third world, however.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: yeah

        But isn't is supposed to be fanbois that run out and buy new shiny every (other) year?

    2. Jordan Davenport

      On the other hand...

      Google has moved the majority of their services and applications away from the core OS to the Play Store so that they can in fact be patched even when the older operating system isn't. Basically, if you have Android 4.0 or higher and use the Google services, security really isn't much of a problem on Android unless you start trying to pirate apps - same situation as on the iPhone, really.

      1. Lamont Cranston

        Re: "if you have Android 4.0"

        But isn't Gingerbread still the most prevalent flavout of Android?

        I don't care much for the tone of Tim Cook's presentation, but he is right about many Android phones being trapped on a dated OS. I upgraded mine from Gingerbread to ICS, but I doubt I'd have bothered if I weren't the tinkering type.

        1. Alan Twelve

          Re: "if you have Android 4.0"

          "But isn't Gingerbread still the most prevalent flavout of Android?"

          No, it's not even close to Jelly Bean's share:

          https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html?utm_source=ausdroid.net

          1. Lamont Cranston
            Pint

            Re: "if you have Android 4.0"

            You can't quote sources on the internet, Alan - you're supposed to make wild, unsubstantiated claims!

            I'm happy to stand corrected.

            1. Alan Twelve

              Re: "if you have Android 4.0"

              "You can't quote sources on the internet, Alan - you're supposed to make wild, unsubstantiated claims!"

              Sorry - I forgot where I was there for a moment...

              Your other comment about only upgrading your Android because you're a tinkerer kind of puts the lie to the notion that upgrades are super-important to users, I think. I used to have a Samsung Galaxy S2, as did a number of my acquaintances. When the ICS upgrade was made available for the phone, only two of us actually bothered to upgrade. The others were perfectly happy with the phone as it was (Touchwiz and all!) and didn't see the point. I also see plenty of iPhones and iPads at work that are still on iOS 6.

              I appreciate there are security issues with not upgrading, but outside of dumb iOS vs Android arguments online, I don't think that almost anyone really gives a toss about using the latest version of their phone OS.

      2. PC1512

        Re: On the other hand...

        That's all well and good, but issues with the "core OS" are often the most serious and are certainly not unheard of - take the Heartlbleed bug for example. That flawed SSL code was baked into many Android handsets and can't be fixed by an update to any Google app.

        1. sisk

          Re: On the other hand...

          Heartbleed only affects the server side of a SSL connection. Android handsets are almost always clients. Only once in a great while will you come across some geek who for some obscure reason has set up a server using SSL on their phone, and even then it's not part of the core OS.

    3. Gav

      Not Always Good

      An upgrade on your OS is not always a good thing.

      There's nothing more annoying than finding that the latest update has been designed for newer models, and your phone now crawls because it's not fast enough or doesn't have the memory.

    4. sisk

      That's not as bad as you might think. My phone is still running Cyanogen 9. I simply have no reason to update. The "glaring" security holes everyone's always talking about on Android require that the user either use the Android web browser or install unfamiliar apps. I use a different browser and I haven't installed an app, familiar or otherwise, on the thing for over a year, so my chances of picking up one of the malwares out there for Android are next to nil. Additionally newer versions don't offer any features that I want badly enough to have to mess with setting my phone up all over again.

      So no, my phone will not be upgraded. IS that a bad thing? I don't think so. My computer is running Windows 7 and it won't be upgraded either. I have a file server in my house that's been cut off from the internet and happily plugging away on a version of Debian that's two versions past when it was oldstable since it was current. I won't update that either. (And, to be fair, I'm not entirely certain I could remember the root password even if I wanted to. I haven't actually logged onto the thing for several years. No need to. It just sits there doing it's job.)

      Simply put, upgrading any system carries an element of hassle and a little risk (the update could always go wrong, even if the chances are vanishingly small). So, unless you actually have a reason to upgrade, it's usually best not to. The fact that Apple shoves updates down your throat whether you actually have a reason to update or not annoys me greatly.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Desperation.

    Any company that spends their developer conference talking out what their competitors are upto has run out of ideas, or are deeply in the crap.

    It's all spin anyway, as we all know, on Android, the underlying Android version is mostly irrelevant these days, as all the good stuff has been moved up into Google Play Services.

    In other news.

    Apple copies Android's Widgets, User Keyboards and Sharing.... All of which were available in those old versions that that pleb Tim Cook seems so obsessed with.....

    1. RyokuMas
      FAIL

      Re: Desperation.

      as all the good stuff has been moved up into Google Play Services.'s attempt to make Android their very own walled garden, complete with profiling and data mining.

      FTFY

    2. PC1512

      Re: Desperation.

      It was about 30 seconds worth in a 2 hour keynote. I think they're probably going to be ok.

      Apple copies widgets? The widgets that Android copied from OS X, those widgets? Yeah, ok then. I don't think Android ever had a monopoly on sharing either did it? Swappable keyboards - again that was never new to Android, I could do this on my Windows Mobile phone years ago, it's just a logical step taken by many touchscreen oriented OS's over the years and I don't think Apple presented it as anything more than that.

      Look at Continuity. Look at Swift and the effect that's going to have for developers. Out of ideas? They look pretty on top of their game to me, sorry.

      1. Darryl

        Re: Desperation.

        The widgets that Android copied from OS X, those widgets?

        Yes, the widgets that Apple copied from Konfabulator. Those widgets.

        Just doing my part to torpedo the usual "Apple invented everything" rhetoric.

        1. PC1512

          Re: Desperation.

          Oh, you're talking about the Konfabulator that was based on Apple's Desk Accessories from 1984? How interesting that you bring that up.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And Yet...

    ... millions would rather use the inferior years old Android than iOS. Why would that be Tim?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: And Yet...

      A large population on Earth doesn't like paying the hipster premium to join the club/cult?

      1. jof62

        Re: And Yet...

        No premium needed, just common sense

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: And Yet...

      Because it's cheap. The same reason as to why Microsoft's windows became popular quickly.

      1. RyokuMas
        FAIL

        Re: And Yet...

        "Because it's cheap."

        So it's basically an open* operating system aimed at people who like to pay as little as possible for something, and preferably not pay at all.

        That would explain the piracy rate, I guess.

        *according to Google.

        1. Alan Twelve

          Re: And Yet...

          "So it's basically an open* operating system aimed at people who like to pay as little as possible for something, and preferably not pay at all."

          I've never understood this attitude that it's somehow desirable to overpay for your gadgetry. Just why is it preferable to have your hard earned cash sitting offshore in an Apple bank account rather in your own? It's insanity.

          1. DropBear
            Facepalm

            Re: And Yet...

            I've never understood this attitude that it's somehow desirable to overpay for your gadgetry.

            It's a consequence of the thoroughly delusional "something I pay for is always better quality than something free, and the more I have to pay for it the better it gets" mindset. Don't bother arguing with such people, just nod approvingly and back away slowly and carefully.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: And Yet...

            The inference is that older versions of Android are more popular because they are technically better. While this may or may not be true (it isn't), it's not the reason why. We're the android market to be dominated by high-end handset, there may be a point. It isn't. It dominated by unsupported, low end handsets that are cheap. It has the market because it is cheap. Besides, market share is meaningless; ask HTC how Android's market share is working out for them.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: And Yet...

          @RyokuMas

          I'm not sure why your butt hurt over your piss poor rip offs of 80's arcade games not selling well translates into google being the bad guy.

    3. jof62

      Re: And Yet...

      Cheapskates comes to mind

    4. PC1512

      Re: And Yet...

      Because it's cheap. Next question.

  12. Paul 87

    Wonder what the percentage of malware on a per capita basis is instead, rather than a nebulous "99% of malware in the mobile sector is for Android"

    However one telling statistic there is the number of users which get an upgraded OS, Android manufacturers are lagging behind on getting updates deployed, a fact I'm sure not assisted by the sheer number of different devices on the market.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A Stat that Tim Cook forgot to mention.

    Android shipments in Q1 2014: 241m

    iPhone shipments in Q1 2014; 44m

    Wonder why there wasn't a slide with that on, given his Android obsession.

    It's also worth noting that IOS8 key features were introduced in Android 1.5, Cupcake back in April 2009. Which according to the Android platform distribution dashboard has 100% coverage....

  14. Neoc

    Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

    I have a couple of servers running Linux, PCs and a Laptop running Windows 7, phone and tablets are running Android and, yes, I have and iPad. One of the original. Whose OS *can't* be upgraded to 6, let alone 7 or 8. Physically CAN'T. And since my iPad 1 still does what I need it to do, I feel no need to buy a newer one. So I am in the 11% running an outdated iOS version. Surprise!

    Apparently, the reason most Apple users run the latest iOS version has nothing to do with how easily Apple makes new versions available, it has to do with the facts that most of them will slavishly upgrade their hardware every time Apple brings out a new version. I, on the other hand, am perfectly happy with my old v1 iPad (I keep it for a comic-book reader which is not available on Android) and feel no need to upgrade my hardware. And so do most Android users, who don't feel the need to compulsively upgrade their hardware "simply because".

    I know I sound like an Android pusher - I am not (see hardware list above - the right OS for the right job). I just want to point out that Cook was talking bullshit in this respect.

    1. Terry Barnes

      Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

      "Apparently, the reason most Apple users run the latest iOS version has nothing to do with how easily Apple makes new versions available, it has to do with the facts that most of them will slavishly upgrade their hardware every time Apple brings out a new version."

      You're rather ignoring the fact that those 'slavish upgraders' tend to sell their old devices and the new owners put the latest OS on. Or - are you suggesting that they just bin their old devices?

      1. Britt
        Holmes

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        But the point here is that they can't update the old hardware. Same issue as old Android devices, either as a by product of hardware moving on or a forced lockout from upgrading to push new sales.

        Your counterpoint is rather moot Terry.

        1. PC1512

          Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

          Not moot at all, he's just pointing out the fallacy in the original comment that the high adoption rates of the latest IOS is anything to do with Apple's purchasers rushing out and continually buying the latest thing. The latest thing doesn't make the previous thing not exist - those old ipads etc that can't be updated (and we are only talking about the original ipad here, iPad 2 and upwards are getting IOS 8 this year) still exist and are still counted in the stat he's trying to discredit, they're just vastly outnumbered by the fully supported devices.

      2. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        In my case the reason why my household's various iDevices are running the latest version of iOS is because of the way Apple has them automatically download the update. So my iPad2 for example 'lost' about 3GB of memory due to a major iOS update - which is significant on a 16Gb system - install the update and memory is freed up.

        As for Tim's point "is that we make available our software updates for the OS available to as many customers as possible." practically all software vendors can say that, nothing new or unique here!

        However, from various comments on various forums, it would seem that Apple would do better if it didn't , so that owners of older devices aren't forced to upgrade iOS only to discover it's weight has degraded the usability of their device.

    2. jof62

      Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

      But will whinge when Apple doesn't bring anything new out

    3. Hans 1
      Windows

      Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

      LOL

      You should upgrade to the latest OS, always, because you need the latest security fixes. Obviously, you upgraded from iOS5 to iOS6 easily, this is not possible on Android. You need to get the phone manufacturer to release a new version of Android for your phone, which he has no inclination to do coz he wants you to get the new shiny one. Sony Android phones, for example, are cr*p for that ... they ship with heavily outdated Android versions with not one update in the pipeline - riding the freetardOS wave. NoName Android devices have the same issue. Admittedly, Blackberry 10 devices have similar issues if you buy them subsidized, since the carrier will release the update later.

      With Apple, you download the update via iTunes, regardless of your provider. Now, I hate iTunes with a passion - bloated piece of crap that cannot even play flac or ogg. iTunes is also the reason why I do not like iPhones.

      Android phones are crap because they sync everything to the cloud ... now you can disable some of those "features", but it remains a sieve. You are often stuck with an outdated OS and with multiple apps that have similar confusing names, some of which are malware/adware.

      My BB10 phone I bought cash does the job, gets updated regularly (3 updates since October). I get to see what each app can do and I can disable this or that privilege (the feature associated with the priv will then be disabled), but the app still works as I expect it to. I can also sideload Android apps on it. The OS is pretty secure, nobody has yet managed to root it.

      Windows phone ? I have not tested that platform recently, but the last version I tried was horrid.

      1. RoninRodent

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        > You should upgrade to the latest OS, always, because you need the latest security fixes. Obviously, you upgraded from iOS5 to iOS6 easily, this is not possible on Android. You need to get the phone manufacturer to release a new version of Android for your phone, which he has no inclination to do coz he wants you to get the new shiny one.

        It has already been posted that this is completely incorrect unless you have Honeycomb or earlier which is nearly 4 years old. As of Ice Cream Sandwich Google have decoupled almost everything from Android and linked it to Google Play. This allows them to deploy security updates without having to upgrade Android itself.

        > Android phones are crap because they sync everything to the cloud ... now you can disable some of those "features", but it remains a sieve.

        By default it only synchs your contacts and email and only if you sign in with a Google account.

        > You are often stuck with an outdated OS and with multiple apps that have similar confusing names, some of which are malware/adware.

        You only have multiple apps with similar names if you have installed them. That is user choice not something dictated by the OS. Your claim of malware is pretty ridiculous too unless you are downloading from dodgy sources and side-loading as Google checks the store contents just like Apple do. I have yet to see a malware-infected app from the Play store and I have been using Android since Froyo. I admit there is more than on Apple devices but that is only because Apple is far more restrictive with what you can do with their devices.

        Apple = locked down walled garden where you can only do what Apple allow. Very old devices don't get updates.

        Android = More open platform that allows the user to decide what they do and don't want to do. Very old devices do not get updates.

        2 sides of the same coin and neither is "better" than the other - it is just preference. Just pick which one you like. Pretty simple really.

      2. hoola Silver badge

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        Err, and where exactly does iOS sync everything to? But of course, iTunes and the Apple Cloud is not "the Cloud" because is it run by Apple.

      3. John Sanders
        Windows

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        """This is not possible on Android. You need to get the phone manufacturer to release a new version of Android for your phone, which he has no inclination to do coz he wants you to get the new shiny one."""

        Aaaand you miss the point that you can buy an Android phone where updates are released daily, weekly, quarterly, etc. If you wish so.

        If keeping up with the latest and greatest is so important, buy a device which is upgrade friendly, for example the Google nexus line.

        I run CM 11.0 and I update it monthly.

      4. PC1512

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        No need for iTunes with the last two or three releases of IOS - for a couple of years now you've been able to update any iphone or ipad over the air. They also backup OTA to iCloud (if you so choose) so basically the only use for itunes is as a media bridge between your mac/PC and phone. Of course you can dispense with that entirely if you get your music and stuff some other way.

      5. kpanchev

        Re: Idiot misses the point... on purpose?

        @ Hans 1, I have had an android phone for the last 5 or 6 years, and I have upgraded pretty regularly, in fact, on my GS2 I used to do upgrades to the latest version of the OS every day.... CyanogenMod for you.

        "Android phones are crap because they sync everything to the cloud ..." Only if you like to do this, you can run it completely offline, or you can run it with Google cloud, or any other third party cloud, or if you want, your own private cloud.

        Your BB10 phone is pretty secure, nobody has yet managed to root it.... Maybe because it is not worth it rooting the total of ten BB10 phones out there...

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm a big fan of Android?

    'Android fragmentation turning devices into a toxic hellstew of vulnerabilities'

    Yea, he sure sound like a big fan, before Android he was a big fan of Linux ref, go figure ..

  16. GitMeMyShootinIrons

    Hellbrew....

    Whether you agree or not, you've got to admit that he has a great turn of phrase!

    For me, this is the word of the day.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I thought it is fanbois that are supposed to get all butt-hurt and whiney like this? Fandroids; projecting since 2008.

  18. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Poor performance

    This was the first time I've seen Cook on stage and man was he poor. Okay, the numbers don't lie and Apple is still creaming the money, but the performance was nothing like Jobs. Relying on quote from a ZD hack to attack Android would have been below Jobs, even if the very idea of Android made his blood boil.

    Fragmentation? How about properly (the I-Pad Mini is a hack) supporting multiple form factors Apple? Android is running on watches, phone, tablets, notebooks and TVs.

    Update - tell us about the 10 % or so who can't update to the latest version or even the version before that because Apple invalidated the hardware. Then again, many of those users may, like the millions of Android users with older versions, be perfectly happy with their hardware.

    I switched off after about 5 minutes. Did it get any better?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Poor performance

      It did, although not from Cook who I agree is a terrible presenter. Craig Federighi on the other hand, he basically did 1hr 50 minutes that were entertaining and informative while Cook filled the other 10 minutes with drivel.

      1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

        Re: Poor performance

        Yeah, I liked Federighi in the Mac OS part. I don't have an I-thingy just a Mac so the IOS stuff is less interesting anyway.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Poor performance

      It didn't get any better. Their engineers are currently at work doing a find and replace in the iPhone 5 version if iOS6, and replacing all references in the code of v7 and changing them to v8.

      It's all you need to do to fool people in thinking you are getting the latest version of your product (that doesn't come with all the bells and whistles that the latest phone that has the supposedly same OS has..)

      Apple: Fooling idiots with smoke and mirrors since 1985. Perhaps Google should just give in and follow suit. Rename ICS "about page" to KitKat and tell users it's KitKat but their phones are too old to support all the features. It's essentially what Apple do.

      1. PC1512

        Re: Poor performance

        What are you even talking about? Every new feature they mentioned on stage yesterday for IOS 8 is coming to the iPhone 5, and even the older iPhone 4S. Sure, the iPhone 6 will be announced in the Autumn with whole extra swathes of whatever, but that doesn't change anything that was announced yesterday.

        Continuity? Being able to pick up an app on your mac that you opened on your iPhone, or make a phone call or text from your mac for example - that's all coming to the iPhone 4S and up. If that's somehow equivalent to changing the text on an about page then... I don't know what you're smoking.

    3. John Sanders
      Thumb Up

      Re: Poor performance

      With Android if the tablet device is not viciously locked down or way too underpowered, you can keep upgrading it even after the vendor has discontinued the product: IE: motorola xoom and KitKat.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    Tired

    No, it's not me that's tired, it's Apple.

    Didn't cook promise a new product category launch? Maybe that's to come, but really, this?

    Apple is looking so tired right now. It's like the drunk in the shop doorway wearing new shoes and shouting abuse at passers by, "Who you looking at!? Eh!? Eh!? I can take you all on! I'm the Prime Minister don't you know!"

    There was a time when Apple did new things, but this is just bolting onto existing products things that already exist in other products, by other people.

    Honestly, the Kool-Aid has gone flat.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Tired

      Its a developers conference, for developers! Not a product launch, not a public announcement.

      Hardware launches and public announcments re software etc will come later in the year. If you were a developer you would realise that what was announced yesterday was about laying foundations for new app development, product integrations etc. All good, important and necessary steps for ensuring the strength of the ecosystem and developer by in

      1. Fink-Nottle
        Facepalm

        Re: Tired

        > Its a developers conference, for developers! Not a product launch, not a public announcement.

        Absolute drivel. WWDC has regularly been used to announce hardware since the Xserv in 2002.

    2. jof62

      Re: Tired

      Tired ? best phone, best tablet, better computers

      1. kpanchev

        Re: Tired

        >Tired ? best phone, best tablet, better computers

        Apple hasn't been best in any of these since 2007

    3. PC1512

      Re: Tired

      Kool aid? In 2014? Now *that's* what I call tired.

      You have not understood a word of what you were watching yesterday. It's a developer conference. It's all about the OS, not new product categories.

  20. wolfetone Silver badge

    Over 130 million customers who bought an iOS device in the past 12 months have more money than sense.

    1. jof62

      Don't talk crap

      1. wolfetone Silver badge

        Who's talking crap? You need your head checking if you think it's perfectly fine and reasonable to pay £500 for a device that doesn't do anything different than a £100/£200 device does. The only difference really between an iPhone and a £200 Android phone is that the iPhone is shiny and is trading off a mystique that because you have an iPhone you're automatically cool.

        Oh, and QuickType? Android and BlackBerry have had that for years! Yet again, you're paying £500 for something that isn't even new or exciting! All your £500 is buying you is marketing. Pure and simple.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hellstew?

    Is that american for vindaloo?

  22. Eradicate all BB entrants

    After the hell I had with Samba ....

    ..... on OS X (all the other Solaris, Linux and Win servers had no problems connecting to the share) I wouldn't trust Apple to interconnect TP with their asses.

  23. RyokuMas
    Holmes

    Makes me laugh...

    I can't help but suppress a chuckle watching people getting all tribal over phones - it's kind of the same as watching two children arguing who has the better version of a particular toy because of what colour theirs is.

    It's pretty pointless comparing Android to iPhone as the two are on completely different strategies: Apple are trying to get you to buy into a brand, and a premium brand at that. However, I've yet to hear anyone outside of my technical circles saying that they're looking at a new Android phone - it's the handset that they're bothered about, it just happens to run Android.

    Apple are in considerable need of some innovation to keep the brand fresh, while a lot of Android is slowly being devoured from within by Google and suffering from (comparatively) massive problems with malware and piracy. The mobile scene is due for a shake-up - maybe Samsung has the financial muscle and brand loyalty to get their Tizen project off the ground... definitely interesting times.

  24. Glostermeteor

    It's about control

    It's really about control, the reason why Android has more malware is because it is a more open architecture that allows people to do more things. It's exactly like Windows vs Mac, Apple shuts a lot of avenues down to modify and change things, and exerts a fascist control over the entire system.

    It's all swings and roundabouts, if you want more flexibility then you have to put up with more incidents of people doing things they shouldn't be doing.

    Personally, I think the security on Android is pretty good as long as you stick with apps from the Play store.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    pot, kettle, lump of coal

    Apple, Google and Microsoft are American companies and all will protect your data/privacy as much as they are forced to (or not) by US law. Those long legal things you have to agree to in upgrades basically say Na Na Na Na Naa - good luck, you are on your own. We control everything that we can and take no responsibility.

    "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss" - The Who

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Clever.

    As he uses the word "many" without giving any specific numbers (they can't possibly know how many Android users have gone to iPhone.

    As usual, bullshitting idiots that want to believe...

    Calling out Android versions from 4 years ago as "ancient", but that "ancient" version already has the features he announced for iOS today is laughably pathetic...

  27. Unicornpiss
    Pint

    Personal preferences

    I was going to go on a long tirade about this, but decided it wasn't worth it. I support both devices at work and have used both, and I find Apple's UI to be very lacking and both platforms to have problems.

    I just prefer Android's UI, as it seems a lot of IT people do. And I appreciate the freedom of being able to access the FS and use an SD card, among other things. And frankly, Samsung's 5s makes all Apple phones I've used look and feel like poorly thought out toys.

  28. Piro Silver badge

    I'm not a fan of overly slick experiences that appear to have read my mind, so although I have an Android device, I have a de-bloated custom ROM, plus I've frozen a lot of the Google services (google now, search, etc) using Titanium Backup, as I prefer to search (in Opera Mobile Classic) using DuckDuckGo.

    I use XPrivacy to lock down anything that I am even vaguely suspicious of, and I rarely install new things anyway.

    My phone has incredible stamina (RAZR MAXX HD) and a great form factor, and I can just dump any files I want onto it or the 32GB microSD card in the side at will (which I regularly do for shuttling large files from work to home).

    I don't see what iPhone could do for me, other than cost me more, give me shorter battery life, and force me into an incredibly claustrophobic experience.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What percentage will it be..

    ..who aren't on the latest version when iOS 8 comes out this year which won't run on the 4, and will probably run like a dog on the 4s?

  30. Moosh
    Mushroom

    I think customer satisfaction is so high because of the religious zeal that most apple proponents have regarding apple products. Its truly ridiculous. Android users are much more willing to complain about shortcomings, rather than simply accepting mediocrity.

  31. James Pickett

    "Nearly half of Apple's customers in China during the past six months, he said, switched from Android phones to the iPhone."

    What else would they switch from? And how many moved the other way..?

  32. Kay Burley ate my hamster

    If Apple are so successful...

    Why does he feel the need...

  33. PaulM 1
    Linux

    Buy a Nexus phone to get security updates

    This is very true. However, the answer is to buy a Nexus 5 phone for £280 or Nexus 7 tablet for £190. Nexus devices are guaranteed to get all Android security updates. The new Google Silver branding program will overcome this issue. Phones will only receive Google Silver certification if they run standard Android.

  34. hoola Silver badge

    Twaddle....

    If it works & does what you want it to do then it is irrelevent what the device is. How often have you updated some softwarebecause the culture is that you must have the latest, only for it to then be a pain in the backside.

    The main issue with Smartphones and Apple stuff in particular is that the physcal object is a status symbol. It it immaterial whether it actually works or does what you need it to do. My Father-in-law was persuaded to replaced an aging Motorola v3 (that worked perfectly) with an iPhone. He could not drive it and as far as he was concerned it was a waste of money. Compared to the v3:

    Battery life - rubbish

    Use as a phone - very poor reception on the same network

    Usablity - unusable, too many slide to this press this hold something else and it doing things that unrelated to his primary requirement.

    All he needed was a basic mobile phone that made phone calls. That is what many people want but the "smartphone" Android/iOS is pushed rentlesslyto the exclulsion of common sense.

    1. PC1512

      Re: Twaddle....

      So your father in law bought an expensive smartphone he didn't need, couldn't work it, and now it's us that have to learn common sense?

      Non-smartphones are still available, and cheap. Buy one if that's what you want. If you think I'm going to give up my iPhone because you're too daft to appreciate it, think again.

      1. elaar

        Re: Twaddle....

        The problem is, he probably asked people for recommendations (knowing very little about the technology himself) and the Apple brigade (like Cook) told him how much better his life would be with an iphone, hence his purchase :)

  35. sisk

    Stop the presses!

    Apple CEO slams a rival that's trouncing them in the market! In other news, the sun is expected to rise tomorrow morning.

  36. Stevie

    Bah!

    No problem! Just recode the next Android release in Swift (no, not that one, the new one that will Save The World).

  37. Toothpick

    What amazes me....

    ... is that the headline has the word "Apple" in it, and the story is actually about Apple.

  38. tommydokc

    cooking the facts to suit his stew

    well, seems to me that Cook is making up "facts" to pander to his biased audience. I would like to see the actual facts to back up his statements, if they do indeed exist, which i highly doubt. he's a plutocrat leading his shareholders blindly down the path. i see no innovation or thinking differently on the horizon for apple under his command. basically everything the "new" iOS 8 has implemented seems to already been standard on Android for some time now. glad to see they're "innovating" and catching up. what's up for ios9? a choice of browsers perhaps? ooh the ios users must be drooling over that update why they stave away their pennies to camp out to get that innovative piece of kit.

    1. PC1512

      Re: cooking the facts to suit his stew

      Yeah, your own lack of bias and slavish adherence to "facts" is really shining through like a beacon there.

  39. Mike Flugennock
    Coffee/keyboard

    "...to as many customers as possible."

    "One of the reasons that iOS has such high customer satisfaction, he said – citing a 97 per cent satisfaction rating in a survey conducted by ChangeWave Research – "is that we make available our software updates for the OS available to as many customers as possible..."

    ...by forcibly shoving their goddamn' bug-ridden updates down the pipe to my phone whether I want them or not.

    An installer for IOS 7.1x is still sitting on my 4S waiting for me to run it and download the update -- and will continue to sit there for the foreseeable future until Apple gets off its ass and does something about the battery-draining bug which has been plaguing users who unwittingly updated from IOS 7.0. The fact that you can't delete that steaming plopper easily sure doesn't endear me to them, either.

    I got to watch my wife working her 4S after installing the 7.1x update. Cripes, what a mess. It's like watching Berlin Alexanderplatz.

    Protip for fellow iPhone users, if you haven't figured it out yet: if you turn off WiFi, Apple can't shove the whole fat, wheezing load of update down to gobble up space on your phone -- just the installer.

  40. DrXym

    And in other news

    Freedom comes with risks sometimes. I'd rather a device which lets me choose what software I want to install on my device than one that doesn't. Sure, that means morons will install "sexy girl screensaver" which wants to dial phone numbers, or whatever.

    For me it means I can choose to use a different browser, dialler, bittorrent client, emulator or anything else that is regularly or outright banned from Apple's store.

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    SSL?

    at least my Android device has always known how to trust/verify a certificate presented by an HTTP server and didn't have a big 'own me' hole :/

    GOTO FAIL indeed ;-)

    1. PC1512

      Re: SSL?

      Let's hope it's not one of the many hit by the Heartbleed bug instead, eh.

  42. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apples and Oranges?

    Apple are a single company making one set of devices for one OS.

    How many companies make and fork Android? Is the graph the same for Google (sponsored/backed) only sets? Or for say one particular brand of Android phone?

    I can easily show the average set of cars not Ford are not as good as a Ford. But I'd be hard put saying and average Ford is better than a Ferrari. But just as with Android and iOS, there are benefits and drawbacks for each. :P

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    numbers....numbers

    "130 million customers who bought an iOS device in the past 12 months were buying their first Apple device" - and over 300 million customers who bought an iOS device in the past 12 months were buying their first Android device...

    ..and how many of THOSE were switching FROM Apple because of the same reasons Cook? eh? ;-)

  44. TReko

    Apple just keeps things quiet

    How will you know if you have malware on your iPhone? It is a closed system, and hard to analyse. Apple was bugging everyone's location for years before being discovered.

    There have been large numbers of people in the last week in New Zealand and Australia who had ransomware on their iPhones. No mention of that from Cook.

    1. gkroog
      Big Brother

      Re: Apple just keeps things quiet

      Indeed, Apple will have been silenced by the national security letter they were shown from disclosing what malware the NSA is pushing into their systems to spy on everyone with.

  45. thexfile
    Trollface

    Apple tried to patent the letter i. A judge had to strike that one down.

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Frankly I'm not surprised about the majority of switchers coming from China.

    1. It's a big country. More people = more sales

    2. Google keeps getting blocked so you have to rely on Chinese providers for apps & content. Apple very kindly agree to the Chinese authorities censorship rules and so don't get blocked.

    3. Siri is pretty useful when used in Chinese, if you've ever tried typing in Chinese you'll understand why speaking is often quicker.

    4. iPhone was a status symbol and so many people buy it as they want that status. However, I doubt that is a sustainable business model here due to the way trends change so quickly. Particularly as Chinese brands get better such as Xiaomi & Huawei.

  47. Ben Rosenthal

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbole now just links to this statement.

  48. elaar

    If you have an OS that has (or tries to have) the ability to work on a variety of different phones from a variety of different manufacturers then inherently there will be more issues.

    I am more than willing to accept this as it gives me more choice, rather than being restricted to a few phones.

    For Cook to claim IOS users have a better life because of this, just shows what a tit he is.

  49. gkroog

    Tim Cook has confused which of Apple's competition to focus on.

    I have a Google Nexus 4. I get the latest version of Android not long after it becomes available. I'm on KitKat right now. Manufacturers like Samsung will take longer as they want to test and develop it to their liking first. And they'll only push it out to some handsets and not others.

    Of course, Mr. Cook doesn't care about that kind of specificity. He wants to say that Android is rubbish, use iOS on a shiny new iDevice. I have nothing untoward in my Android experience to pay much attention though. And if I changed, it wouldn't be to Apple. I've used one. I don't like it.

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