Android hits 100K apps by Jul... late case Sep 2010
If Android and Apple current trends continue, Android will hit 500K apps by Nov 2010 Apple shall have about 400K apps then. And Feb 2011 Android shall have reached 1 million apps while Apple will have reached 500K or there about.
In terms of devices. Apple released the 3GS cause the G1 had many of the options the 3G lacked: copy / paste, mms, and bluetooth, global search being the main ones. Other unknown ones was the ability to connect a 500GB drive to the G1, Apple doesn't have that yet.
Apple this year is releasing the 4GS with multitasking and large storage capacity being the main reasons for the upgrade. Its playing catch up again and has to contend with the N1, the Incredible, Evo 4G that are today's technology. 3 months down the line when the 4GS comes out, do you care to wonder what Android may have to offer?
The fact that Android has standard Flash within its OS (as of Android 2.2) will be a major issue for Apple and it may be forced to eat its words and release Flash on the 4GS or the HD. I'm sure Apple will do its best to push HTML5 standards trying to kill Flash before it reconsiders. But it did so before.. remember why Apple stated multitasking was bad for you?
If you've ever been in industry and worked with technology, you understand that large companies have a hard time and take time to make changes on products that work and are profitable.
They generally react behind the curve of leading technology (take a look at Apple with multitasking, how it stated it many times that if they had it, it would kill your battery), though now forced with current technological trends, it will offer it in its product line.
When and if you get a chance to stop by Verizon and use an Incredible you will only be able to state that Apple's advantage is the iTunes market, as apps and other consideration are not relevant. The fact that technology at iLike or used to be Lala (killed by Apple) provides you with a cheap way to stream what ever you want when you want, makes iTunes irrelevant.
Apples use of the back of the phone as a Touch pad (like its mouses) is an interesting concept, but hardly a game changer. The fact that it will have a LONG battery life will be a nice touch and many will have to follow Apples lead. Still not a game changer.
Companies are not too big to fail. The trends clearly show that Android with 9% of the smartphone market compares equally to Apples 25% in terms of Add hits in the US (43% for Android 39% for Apple -- Admob). Have you ever wondered why this is a clear fact? Android is better at surfing the internet and allows tethering through apps like EasyTether, PDANet or rooted devices do so wirelessly which is a game changer. This being one of the reasons why the G1 is still around.
If and when Android reaches the same level of penetration (years end if current trend continues, Apple activating 30000 sets a day and going down, while Android activations are 60000 a day and going up). The activity on the Internet (Admob and Quatrro, Flurry Metrics) should paint an interesting picture.
As you've seen with Palm. Once you become second after being top dog. Regaining your throne becomes a real big challenge (not impossible). Apple went through that in the past. And the day Steve can't to do his Jobs (pun intended), it will suffer MS fate, as it did once before.
Android is a community based effort, where million of bright engineers and developers world wide are working on making it better. Not just one mans vision with a few thousand talented people at best.
Here is where the difference lies. And this is why Android will persist over the long haul compared to Apple's proprietary vision. More ideas, more concept and led by imagination of many more people than Apple. This is the reason MS has never been able to kill Linux. Google recognized this and gave it some direction, they know and understand open source better than anyone.
I reiterate my words, lets wait and see.
In Nov of 2008, when I defended the G1 after ditching Apple 3G many Apple fans or by standers with IT knowledge, like you, stated it was a product destined to oblivion. 18 months later its still around and it still proves to be a useful tool. The use of custom roms (and choices you have) make it very versatile.
Hope some concepts were clarified for you
