If you remember the days when a mobile phone was used to make calls and that was just about it, I sympathize – those days are long gone, and with many analysts all too happy to point out that even the “dumbest” phone has more capability and power than the computers responsible for putting the Apollo program and astronauts on the moon, it’s almost frustrating the way we take advantage of the incredible power that has been placed in our hands.
Smart phones have been absolutely positively carving up the cellphone market, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone on a mobile phone that wasn’t tied to a data plan – the worldwide web has permeated every single part of our lives, and with no signs of slowing down we all almost need to be connected to the web to still be a part of the modern world.
And though there are a multitude of solutions out there on the marketplace for getting a brand new smartphone, two platforms really stand head and shoulders above the rest as the top of the mountain – the iPhone iOS solution and the Android operating system. Offering many of the same capabilities and range of services but truly serving two different sides of the coin, it’s not that easy to choose between these top tier offerings – you are really and truly making an ideological choice, one that fits like a glove with your personality. And though you can get much of the same results with either platform there are still mission critical distinctions that will play a big role in whether or not you end up happy with your decision in the long run.
Here are the major points in the new Mobile War that we have been dealing with for the past few years.
A lot of people have jumped into the iPhone world – but most of them have done so without even thinking about the decision they are making
It cannot be denied that Apple is responsible for really getting the smartphone world out of the blocks and into homes all over the world – and though there were phones like the Palm products and the line of Blackberry phones that offered more capabilities than the original iPhone, the iOS platform promised simplicity over everything else. People flocked to the device (and continue to do so today at an amazing rate), and this was really the opening of the flood gates for smartphones.
Initially a pared down version that focused on mastering the fundamentals of being an awesome phone before venturing into more cutting edge technology, the iPhone has been a commercial success since the day it hit the stores. And while Apple’s marketing department and business arm deserves a lot of respect and accolades for making this the hottest consumer product in the world, the range of features and solutions that you can get when running iOS is also a pretty big deal.
With the most developed App Marketplace, the Apple App store, (just recently selling their billionth app in the history of this business model), you’ll always have access to the latest and greatest tools and extensions when you choose the Apple platform – that is, unless Apple decides that you shouldn’t have access. For as long as the company has been in business Apple has been known as a “Walled Garden” kind of company, and though the experience is almost always seamless it’s not the most user friendly – sure you can customize your phone, but only if Apple thinks it’s a good idea. You definitely give up some freedom when you choose the iPhone.
Android has always had a bit of a wrap as the second fiddle when it comes to smartphone platforms – but the truth of it all is that these phones have been grabbing more and more market cap since they first rolled out, and offer one of the best experiences you can find on a mobile phone
Up until just recently, Android was the little brother to Apple’s smartphone market share – but things are changing dramatically. One of the biggest benefits of using Apple products was the fact that their hardware was designed to work with the software, and that was the biggest draw back from using Android – it was an open source technology that anyone could use to power their products. And though it has gotten a lot of support from handset creators and developers, it wasn’t until just recently that major companies like Samsung have been full embracing all of the leverage offered by Android.
We now have phones that are iPhone beaters (the Google Nexus 4 and Samsung Galaxy S3 come to mind), and when you combine that with the freedom to do whatever you want to your phones whenever you want (and even create and sell your own apps easily and simply), there is nothing else on the market like it.
If you want to follow the herd and have a seamless experience while giving up some freedom, go with Apple – but if you want to unlock the power of your handset totally and enjoy the purest example of a smartphone, make sure you choose Android.
