Why do androids come with touch screens mostly?

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kriplani

Disciple
Dear Friends,

I am an average mobile user whose main use of mobile is for talking, listening to music, some sms and light usage of internet (EDGE).
What I have gathered is that there aren't androids by any established brands with normal keyboards in budget of around 5k. For someone like me, who is not much into gaming, graphics etc. and does not feel the need for having large screens/ touch screens, there do not seems to choices in the market. Hence, the following questions:


  1. Why don't mobile companies make android mobiles with smaller screen (2.5-3 inch) with normal keypads?
  2. Is there a cartelisation in the android mobile phone makers, as a result of which there aren't budget androids (5k) for day to day talking, music, sms, internet etc. usage?
  3. Finally, can you suggest androids by any established brand, if available, that satisfies the above criteria.

Sorry for not writing in the prescribed format, but i m not strictly seeking a buying advice as i m in no hurry to buy one.

Thanks,
SK
 
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Because the whole experience is designed around interacting with the phone using a touchscreen. If put on a non touchscreen, 2.5" screen phone, it would be counter intuitive and clumsy.
 
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kriplani said:
  1. Why don't mobile companies make android mobiles with smaller screen (2.5-3 inch) with normal keypads?
  2. Is there a cartelisation in the android mobile phone makers, as a result of which there aren't budget androids (5k) for day to day talking, music, sms, internet etc. usage?
  3. Finally, can you suggest androids by any established brand, if available, that satisfies the above criteria.
Click to expand...

1. As manu1991 has told, after iPhone was released, Google changed the plan of making it like s40 OS and focused on touchscreen experience. It is not feasible to interact with touchscreen if it is that small. Still you can find phones like Galaxy Pocket, which have 2.8 inch screens. Also most of the applications designed wont look good or wont work properly on small screens/portrait screens.
Android was developed with touchscreen in focus and it will stay so.

2. There are no criterion on making Android Phones like there is for Windows phone 7/8. But Android is a heavy OS, not optimized like Symbian or made for low end like s40. It needs fairly good processor to run well. Also as android infringes on many of the Microsoft patents, all the cell manufacturing companies will have to pay Microsoft royalties (MS cant sue Google, as they are not making any profits from Android, it is free). These hardware requirements and large touch screens drive the price high. Also as Android has become very popular, companies try to sell them at even higher prices to have good profit margins. For example you can have AMOLED, Clearblack screen, 8MP camera, HD recording, 1GHz processor, Gorilla glass and more on a Nokia phone like C6-00 around 12k. For the same hardware plus Android, you will have to pay 6-7k more. Companies trying to make more profit.

3. You cant find Android Phones from Established brands near 5k. The usable ones start from Samsung Galaxy Y which costs around 7k.

PS: The answers may not be pin point accurate. But I have tried to give you a fairly good idea how it works.
 
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Thanks for replies. I was wanting to go for android because of ability to install some useful apps. Although symbian also provides this facility, but it is on it way out.
Well, if android can compete with iphone, why can't they think of competing with S60/ S40 also, with some sort of scaled down version.

Guess competition will drive down prices and the entry level phones by established brands will come in 5-6k in 3 months time.

thanks,
sk
 
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Dude because of competition (direct/indirect) the prices of other phones have already came down. As per my understanding of the market situation now a days people(mostly) are using Symbian phones for as secondary phone purpose only. ( :) like me)
kriplani said:
Thanks for replies. I was wanting to go for android because of ability to install some useful apps. Although symbian also provides this facility, but it is on it way out.
Well, if android can compete with iphone, why can't they think of competing with S60/ S40 also, with some sort of scaled down version.

Guess competition will drive down prices and the entry level phones by established brands will come in 5-6k in 3 months time.

thanks,
sk
Click to expand...
 
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1. Physical keypads are now considered passe. The iphone changed the way users interact with a phone, causing the other mobile companies to react and release their own touch phones.

Phones with physical keypads were released but did not do to well after the slew of touch phones. Hence, the number of such phones dwindled. The current state:

HTC makes none
Samsung, Sony, Motorola have them but only 1 each - starter and midrange

2. Not really possible to make one and sell for less than 5k because:
@ components are costlier, it is not possible to run android on Nokia 305's hardware
@ company's do adequate research before launching a product at a specific price. If they know that people will buy the device for 10k, it will be priced at that pricepoint even though the actual manufacture price is 3k.

3. Reputed brands. NONE

You can although find multiple phones by mucromax, karbonn and other local brands.
 
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