iPhone OS vs Android

My first cell phone was an Ericsson, one of the original ones with a single line of LEDs for a screen! Since then, with the exception of 2 years with a Samsung, I have had Nokias. Most recently a 6300, an E51, and currently a 5800 XpressMusic. I like Nokias; they’ve served me well. Later this year I’ll be due for an upgrade, and geek that I am, I’m already weighing up my options, and scheming how I can get the best “bang for my buck”!


I would like a true smartphone, but even Nokia's latest version of Symbian, ^3, fails to impress. No, there are only 2 players in the game right now: Apple's iPhone and Google's Android.


Choosing between the 2 is a tough decision; with the apps you buy and the systems you integrate with on the internet, you're not going to want to start from scratch every time your contract is up for renewal. Your decision should include some longer term thinking; which is the system you will still want to be using a few years into the future?

The iPhone is an icon, as was the iPod. It epitomises cool. However, going the iPhone route means buying into the Apple eco-system, and that's a fairly difficult hole to climb out, should you want to. iTunes is a great concept, and no-one has done it better than Apple, but it still sucks! Apple dictate formats and decides which ones they will support. Download something from the net - good luck trying to get it to work on your iPhone! There is only 1 model of the iPhone released each year, and you better like it, because there is no choice. Should Apple bring out a dud, you're stuck! The Apple vision is seemingly that of a single man, and he will decide what is best for you. Steve Jobs is indisputably a visionary, and many people trust that he will continue to set the trend for years to come.


The majority of people are scared of tech. They want gadgets with simple menus, that work as they should. They don't want too many options to confuse them. These people buy Apple products.

Android is the underdog. Android is open sourced. Android has been adopted by HTC, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Motorola and others, in a variety of form factors. Android is all about choice - it is the polar opposite of the iPhone! Google hasn't developed an equivalent of iTunes and their App Market is far from perfect. They rely heavily on developers to add the additional features that iPhone users may take for granted.

Yesterday (20 May), Google announced Android 2.2 (Froyo), and lots of exciting new features to up the ante in their war with Apple. Lots was said about the number of handsets being sold, and the growth rate of Android vs iPhone. The internet has been abuzz with people praising this update, and taking comfort in the latest figures. The latest handsets from HTC are stunning, and at this stage I'm definitely swaying towards Android, and all the Google goodness!


However, in a couple of weeks time it will be Apple's turn to take to the stage. They've got their 4th generation iPhone due for release in the northern hemisphere summer, along with V4.0 of the iPhone OS, and Steve Jobs is sure to have something up his sleeve to wow the crowds with.


Maybe I'll hold back on my decision a bit longer!


Thanks for reading.