One More Way Android Trails the iPhone

By Mike Schuster Jun 03, 2010 2:30 pm

Third party app DoubleTwist should remind Google to update Android's severely lacking media player.

This past November, I became a Motorola Droid (MOT) owner. At the end of last year, the Android (GOOG) OS and devices were finally looking like they were coming together, and I was pleased as punch that there was a viable alternative to Apple's (AAPL) draconian methods with handling the iPhone and AT&T's (T) utter incompetence with handling its network in the New York metro area. The Droid's Gmail integration was top-notch, the turn-by-turn navigation app was stellar, and I couldn't remember the last time I was so pleased with a device since the Nintendo 64 allowed me to play a 3D version of Mario.

But the Droid came with a glaring flaw, one that dampened the excitement.

I'm not talking about Android's inability to update multiple apps all at once -- which will thankfully be fixed in the next OS version. And I'm not talking about Droid's poorly constructed headphone jack that loosens over time, causing MP3s to crackle, pop, and mistakenly pause. Or how vertically oriented photos always rotate 90 degrees when uploaded to Twitter or Facebook. (Granted, I'm beyond furious about those defects.) No, this flaw affects every Android user who doesn't rely on a third-party app to fix it.

The embarrassing media player.

Slightly modified with tabs in the Android 2.1 update, the default media player is still a chore to use. The navigation is clunky and confusing, cover art is often broken or missing, and the interface is just plain ugly. In short, it's a far cry from the versatile iPod software on Apple's mobile devices and arguably one of the few things on which Android trails the iPhone OS.

Enter DoubleTwist.

An iTunes alternative for both Mac and Windows (MSFT) users, DoubleTwist syncs your MP3 and video libraries to your mobile device. Not only Android-compatible, DoubleTwist works with BlackBerry (RIMM), Palm Pre (PALM), Amazon Kindle (AMZN), Sony PSP (SNE), Nintendo DSi, and even some versions of iPhones and iPods.

And now, Android has its own DoubleTwist media player.

The difference between DoubleTwist and the other third-party media players in the Android Marketplace is its desktop software, which enables greater control over your media library. Like iTunes, ratings, play counts, and podcasts can be synced to your device -- even playlists created in iTunes. The interface is vastly superior to Android's default player, but it does lack a home-screen widget to control media playback. But not to worry: DoubleTwist CEO Monique Farantzos told TechCrunch that a widget is being developed, along with online radio and wireless sync support.

Plainly and simply, this is what the default Android media player should be. A well-developed, attractive, feature-full product. Google plans on implementing media streaming capabilities and its own wireless syncing into Android, but unless the default player undergoes a major overhaul, it won't be able to outshine a third-party app.

And it certainly won't be able to catch up to the iPod app.