Steve Wozniak: Android Will Dominate in the Smartphone Wars (Update: No.)

Apple’s founding hacker genius Steve Wozniak is an iPhone user and fan (although he has no issue with jailbreaking iPhones), but he’s nonetheless detached enough in his analysis of the burgeoning smartphone market that he says Google’s Android platform will win out, at least in reach.

In an interview with a Dutch-language newspaper, Wozniak said that while he thought that the iPhone and iOS comprise a high-quality platform, they’re ‘not for everyone,’ that the Android’s current consistency issues are reminiscent of the early days at Microsoft, and that the Android platform will ultimately dominate as Windows dominated PCs.

Update: Wozniak tells Engadget that he was misquoted.

De Telegraaf: (Google Translated)

Wozniak made two other strong statements. He reported that Apple’s iPhone but not smart phones running on Android dominant. The operating system of Google seems to win the race. Like Windows dominated the PC world, so is the Android platform for phones that offer the same possibilities as computers.

According to the American who developed the first Apple computer and still with the company from Cupertino on the payroll, Android struggling with the same problems as Windows in the early days. The quality and user satisfaction can be better. Android is also not always consistent. Wozniak expect Android will eventually be as good as Apple’s operating system (IOS). “The Apple phone has very few weaknesses. True complaints and problems are not. When it comes to quality, iPhone is leading,” he says firmly. “Apple has the direction for the entire wereld.Android phones have more features.” A disadvantage is that Apple on your own content on iTunes can set up. According to Wozniak, the iPhone is not for everyone. Android offers a much wider range under the motto for everyone.

Note that Android is already beating Apple in smartphone market share, although they’re both bested at present by Symbian. (Which is, however, losing share.)

Wozniak also said that Apple had created a phone in 2004, a full 3 years before the iPhone’s unveiling, but that the device was ultimately shelved.

(De Telegraaf via Engadget; chart via Wikipedia)