Wednesday 15 September 2010

Android! Android! Android! Message Received!


AND...

those of you not filling my email and blog comments with barcode scanner questions, it's Android.

Curse my transparency - hold onto your hat as you read this message from B0lty:

Why haven't you included a barcode scanner? More like why haven't you included a Tesco Android app?

I find it flabbergasting that so many leading UK businesses seem to ignore or lag behind in developing for the Android OS. It's like they're oblivious to Android. You'd be a very short-sighted company indeed to ignore the phenomenal growth in the Android userbase.


It's well recognised that Android will eclipse iPhone next year for number of users. App usage will go through the roof as affordable smartphones hit the market. With Ocado sitting pretty with their app, Tesco really should be feeling a little nervous right now.


Anyway, it's back to my Ocado app right now. Ta ta Tesco.


We have heard you; we are on the case! The production mobile team we have put together is getting stuck in. On the other hand we're not going to rush something out. Whatever we do for Android will be gorgeous on Android and we won't release it until it is.

It starts with me - I am ONLY using a Google Nexus One with Android 2.2 installed from now on. My beautiful beloved iPhone is now the possession of my very happy husband and I have vowed not to touch it beyond using it for testing updates to our iPhone apps (and placing grocery orders) until something from Tesco appears for Android.

I'll stay true to my word - those of you coming to see me on business can ask me to show you my phone and prove to you when I last used it by showing the 'call log' screen (the phone is often glued to my ear).

You want Tesco apps on Android!
Message received!

14 comments:

  1. The sad thing is, we've been saying it for ages and you've been saying "yes, we understand" and then you release another 15 updates for the iPhone.

    I'm pretty sure you could have at least released a simple 'clubcard on your phone' application for Android without much effort.

    Actions speak louder than words.

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  2. Fuzzycat, it took us a year from announcing we were going to create an iPhone groceries app to actually delivering it. I just can't say when we will deliver the equivalent Android app (or any other mobile OS for that matter) but let me tell you the countdown has been underway a while now. Patience, sir.

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  3. Excellent news, try the IMDB app, it really makes great use of the Android UI

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  4. Haha good to see you're on the case and thanks for picking up on my post :) Can't wait to sit on the bus home from work doing my grocery shop!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Some clever person has made an unofficial Clubcard app.
    Search for 'clubcard' on the Android Market

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nick,

    I am starting to feel a little bit unloved. I am an android boy through and through and was a tad upset when I see you have sidestepped me and built a windows phone 7 app. Come on, give us fandroids some love with a shiny new app that lets us shop on line. If a tiddler like Ocado can then I am sure it is within the scope of a behemoth like Tesco.

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  7. when is Android v2.2 going to be made available for the HTC Wildfire?

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  8. Hi Nick, I came across this blog when I was searching for if Tesco's had finally brought out an App for Android. Low and behold my disappointment, having seen the new TV Advert for the Barcode scanning IPhone app it appears Tesco have decided to ignore Android users entirely. Its quite an insult to the growing android market and will make me think twice when making my choice of who to shop with. Regards, A

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  9. Have you any idea when Tesco will have an android shopping app? It's quite frustrating to see an app for Windows & ovi phones which are new compared to android. Come on Tesco don't loose our trade.

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  10. I agree with the above. Get your act sorted out and get an android app written. We WANT to give you our money but this is stopping us.

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  11. What....a win7 app and no Android !!!!!!....how can this be ?????

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  12. It's amazing that 5 months on and still Tesco ignore the Android community. It's a pretty large community to ignore, especially when you are developing for Symbian and Windows.

    Carphone Warehouse announced on the 20th of Jan that Android devices outsold the Iphone devices in the UK throughout 2010.

    It was also announced that Android has now taken over Symbian as the most popular OS, with over 32 million sales worldwide, compared to 31 mil of Symbian and 16.2 mil of the Iphone.

    Nielsen estimates that in the US 40% of smartphone sales are Android devices, against 27% for the Iphone. I wouldn't be surprised if the figures were similar in the UK.

    Now that's a pretty large market you seem to be ignoring. Maybe you should look through your own stores and see how many devices now are carrying Android, compared to Iphone O/S win 7.

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  13. iPhone users probably shop at Waitrose anyway 'cos they are more expensive.

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  14. So, any news on the Android app? Like Tesco say, every little helps, and we can't all afford to buy an iPhone...

    ReplyDelete

As this blog grows in readership - and because it carries the Tesco brand - I have had to become more careful about the sort of comments that are acceptable. The good news is that I'm a champion of free speech so please be as praising or as critical as you wish! The only comments I DON'T allow through are:

1. Comments which criticise an individual other than myself, or are critical of an organisation other than Tesco. This is simply because they cannot defend themselves so is unfair and possibly libellous. Comments about some aspect of Tesco being better/worse than another equivalent organisation are allowed as long as you start by saying "in my personal opinion.." or "I think that...". ... followed by a "...because.." and some reasoned argument.

2. Comments which are totally unrelated to the context of the original article. If I have written about a mobile app and you start complaining about the price of potatoes then your comment isn't going stay for long!

3. Advertising / web links / spam.

4. Insulting / obscene messages.


Ok, rules done - now it's your go: