iPhone vs. Android: where are we now?
By Dean • Apr 6th, 2010 • Category: Industry News
- Photo: Motorola
The iPhone OS and Google Android OS have raced ahead as the smartphones of choice, with a wide range of carriers building their smartphone handsets on Android OS, and Apple’s iPhone continuing its vice grip on the industry. Where do we stand now and where to next?
Mobile OS
Both mobile OSes have performed and aged well. The much-anticipated Android 2.1 is expected soon, bringing with it a lot of new functionality, stability and a slight interface tweaking. iPhone 4.0 is set to bring with it rumoured new functionality, most notably video conferencing. Based on momentum and hype alone, Android 2.1 pips iPhone 4.0 in terms of having the more exciting mobile OS.
Applications
- Photo: Apple
At last report, the iPhone had over 140,000 applications in its App Store, with Google’s Android applications store showing signs of life having crossed the 30,000 mark. The major difference between the two has been that people are prepared to spend a lot of money on Apple’s App Store, while the same doesn’t hold true for Google.
This is due partly to Apple’s store being built on top of iTunes, which is already a well-established platform. Though Google Android is beginning to show life in this area, it needs to catch up quickly if they want their share of the predicted $15 billion dollar mobile applications industry.
Handsets
The iPhone is still the archetype for smartphones. It still looks great, even though not much has changed since 2007, and various tests have indicated that it has the best touchscreen of any smartphone in the world. Google Android handsets have been catching up fast, though.
The Motorola Droid was the first competitor to show that the iPhone’s capability could be matched and the HTC Legend and HTC Desire have shown that the iPhone’s aesthetics can be matched and its capabilities outperformed, respectively. At the current trajectory, it would be safe to assume far more capable and better looking handsets will come from the Android camp if Apple don’t completely rethink the iPhone.
Perception and success
- Photo: HTC
The big difference maker, however, remains sales, and here the iPhone is king. It is to the smartphone market what the iPod was to personal music players, but the gap isn’t nearly as wide as it was back then. Google Android is putting up a brave fight, and making a sizeable dent in the industry, but it finds itself playing catch up to a company that, in many rabid fans’ minds, can do no wrong.
In terms of mobile OSes and handsets, Google Android OS seems more exciting, but if the applications and public perception don’t catch up, it will do the company little good.
Tags for this article: Android OS, google android, iPhone, mobile OS
“The big difference maker, however, remains sales, and here the iPhone is king”.
Are you serious? RIM has way more market share than either iPhone or Android.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20001788-265.html
Hey Dean,
Nice little comparison! A good read! I am anti-iphone and anti-blackberry… i don’t follow any hype! So, I got the HTC desire couple of days ago… representing Android! Android will show iphone its place… second!
Jay