Android Hope

[Flaviu Simihaian]

I am a Java developer, but also have a couple of iPhone apps, and have been enjoying working with Cocoa and Objective-C quite a bit recently.
So, unlike the previous posters, I will not create different posts for my questions, but rather ask them all here:

1. I want to start developing on Android right away, but there is a major barrier: a $400 dollar phone. How is that acceptable and how can I get around it?

2. What can I do about animation to come even close to Cocoa Touch's UIKit and such already defined effects?

3. Could someone please explain the Android's take on the MVC. I am a bit confused of what Google is trying to do there.

4. When do you guess the next phone will come, that might actually take some of iPhone's shares? In other words HTC will never make compact innovative hardware. Why can't google sign with Nokia, or Samsung, or even LG?

5. How friendly and accommodating is Android to web developing, such as HTML5 and new CSS transition and transformation features?

I love google, and just need a good reason to start developing that way. Thanks

[Rohan Dhruva]

Flaviu Simihaian wrote:
1. I want to start developing on Android right away, but there is a major barrier: a $400 dollar phone. How is that acceptable and how can I get around it?

You don't need to buy the phone, the SDK bundles an emulator. The emulator is even better than the actual phone for testing, as it supports various configurations (screen layouts, network speed, etc etc)

Flaviu Simihaian wrote:
2. What can I do about animation to come even close to Cocoa Touch's UIKit and such already defined effects?

You can have custom look and feel using resources/ folder, but usually it's better to stick to the default platform look-and-feel to give the user a coherent experience. Your app may look like the iPhone "cool" looking apps, but other apps will not.

Flaviu Simihaian wrote:
4. When do you guess the next phone will come, that might actually take some of iPhone's shares? In other words HTC will never make compact innovative hardware. Why can't google sign with Nokia, or Samsung, or even LG?

There is already one Vodafone branded HTC phone in the works - hhttp://www.vodafone.com/start/media_relations/news/group_press_releases/2009/vodafone_and_htc_unveil.html which is quite better than the G1. What it, or the other phones, might do the iPhone shares, no one can answer. Google does not "sign" with anyone - the manufacturers themselves choose (or not) to use Android. LG and Samsung both are members of Open Handset Alliance (http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/oha_members.html) so you can expect them to have Android phones, but it's highly unlikely that Nokia will ever endorse or use Android - they have their own S60 OS for mobile phone.

I hope that at least answers some of the questions you have

[Flaviu Simihaian]

Thank you very much. I like how we answer each other's questions. See you around.

[Gregg Bolinger]

Flaviu Simihaian wrote:

1. I want to start developing on Android right away, but there is a major barrier: a $400 dollar phone. How is that acceptable and how can I get around it?

This is an interesting issue. I assume as an iphone developer, you bought an iphone. So why is there a problem buying an android capable phone?

You don't need to buy the phone, the SDK bundles an emulator. The emulator is even better than the actual phone for testing, as it supports various configurations (screen layouts, network speed, etc etc)

That may be true but I'd never release something without testing it on real hardware first.

[Flaviu Simihaian]

Gregg,

Yes, that's true, but the iPhone is twice as cheap. The plan is what's expensive.

However, I can at least say ok, I'll invest this money in the phone with the terrible ATT plan and develop any application I want for it using all of its capability for all iPhone and iPod Touch users and get my money back for the phone and the plan within a few months.

With Android, how do I know Samsung won't release some flashy phone that is much better than the G1 (which would not be that inconceivable) and all of the sudden I bought the Android phone or G1 for nothing, and have to get that new Samsung phone in order to program for the more advanced multitouch and other features.

By the time it's all set and done, I've spend $1000 or more and have made almost no profit from apps, because of spread out users over multiple hardware platforms. I am just trying to figure out how developing for Android could be as cost effective as developing for the iPhone.

[Ed Burnette]

Regarding question #4, you might like this site, which will be tracking and reviewing Android phone hardware:

http://www.topandroidphones.com/

(btw their feed is syndicated with many others on http://www.planetandroid.com/)

[Flaviu Simihaian]

Thank you Ed. Let me ask you your opinion: Which phone should I buy to start developing? Or should I not buy a phone at all and just use the emulator?