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Windows Phone 8 on a Nokia 920, Android 4.2 on the Nexus 4, and an iPhone 5 running iOS 6.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Android is the most popular smartphone platform, followed by iOS. Windows Phone is fifth
- iOS is the easiest to learn, but Android offers more flexibility and control
- The just-released Windows Phone 8 is fun and might appeal to faithful Windows PC owners
There are multiple
factors to consider when picking a new phone, such as the carrier, your
budget, hardware and the operating system.
Apple, Google and
Microsoft each has its own mobile operating systems and ecosystems --
iOS, Android and Windows Phone, respectively -- and they've all been
updated in the last year. The three rivals will be going head to head on
shiny new handsets this holiday season.
We spent a week or so
playing with new phones running these systems to see how they stack up.
(For now, we're skipping other struggling smartphone platforms,
BlackBerry and Symbian, even though they are more popular globally than
Windows Phone. Both are quickly losing market share, although BlackBerry
could bounce back when it releases its new smartphone OS, Blackberry
10, in 2013.)
Here are our impressions:
Android has the most detailed interface of the available operating systems.
Heather Kelly/CNN
The Android operating
system was released by Google in 2008 and has become the No. 1
smartphone OS in the world. It was running on three out of every four
smartphone handsets sold in the third quarter of 2012, according to IDC. (The following descriptions are based on the latest version, Android 4.2, aka Jelly Bean.)
Interface
Android has the most
detailed interface of the available operating systems, with many options
and a lot of flexibility for setting it up to meet your needs. The home
screen has a Google search bar at the top, and a bar at the bottom can
hold four app icons or folders. The middle button brings up the complete
list of apps installed on the phone.
You can place icons for
your favorite apps anywhere on one of the multiple home screens, then
tap an icon to launch that app. You also can decorate the pages with
widgets. Widgets are like interactive mini-apps, and they show live
information such as the latest from your Twitter feed, titles in your
media library or little photo albums that you can flip through from the
home screen. You can add widgets on the lock screen as well.
Dragging a finger down
from the top of the screen shows notifications. If you're ever lost, you
can just hit the back or home button at the bottom of the screen.
Apps and content
On Android phones, apps,
games and content such as movies and music are sold in one unified
marketplace, the Google Play store. There are about 675,000 apps and
games in this store, which is just below the the number in Apple's App
Store.
The devices often come
preloaded with extra, unnecessary apps from the phone maker and wireless
carrier, many of which try to get you to sign up for some paid service.
The same is true for Windows Phone handsets.
A sizable library of movies, music, TV shows books and magazines is also available in the Google Play store.
Key features
Customization and control are big draws for Android users, and the platform is crammed with options.
The latest update adds a
fun, swipe keyboard feature called Gesture Typing that lets you spell
words by dragging your finger around instead of tapping on each letter.
Google Now uses your
location and timing to show you the most relevant information, such as
your upcoming flight times and public transit updates. There is voice
search, so you can speak questions and search terms into the phone.
And of course, Android has the Google Maps app.
Hardware
Android is available on
the largest number of smartphones. There is a device for every price
point, and they have different features, manufacturers and carriers.
Because Android is open
source, different companies can take the OS and modify it to work with
their hardware. That means there are several versions of the same
operating system. One of the downsides to this fragmentation is that
software updates have to be adapted for each version, and the updates
can be maddeningly slow to come to Android devices.
Currently, the only phone running Android 4.2 is Google's own Nexus 4, by LG.
Who it's for
Android is made for
anyone heavily invested in the Google ecosystem (Gmail, Google Drive,
Google Calendar); people who prefer their maps with public transit
directions and a high level of accuracy; people who like control over
their computer systems and who are fans of customization and tinkering;
anyone looking for a low-cost smartphone and are unable (or unwilling)
to pay the Apple premium; and buyers who want a large screen.
iOS 6 has been relatively unchanged since the first iPhone came out in 2007.
Heather Kelly/CNN
Apple's iOS operating
system powers iPhones, iPads and the iPod touch. It's is the second
top-selling smartphone operating system; 14% of all smartphones sold
worldwide in the last quarter were running iOS. The gap between Android
and iOS is huge, but keep in mind that Apple's platform only runs on one
smartphone line, the iPhone.
Interface
This is the most
straightforward interface in the bunch, and it's been relatively
unchanged since the first iPhone came out in 2007. There have been nice
minor tweaks, such as the addition of folders and notifications, but the
gist is the same.
The home screen displays
icons for each app; they aren't stashed away in any second location.
You can organize apps in folders or search for them using the Spotlight
search feature.
The iPhone doesn't
display live-updating content on the home screens like Android and
Windows Phone devices do. It does have a notification center and
notification badges that can appear on icons. The lock screen isn't very
customizable beyond the background photo.
A fixed dock along the bottom of the screen can display the four apps you use the most.
Apps and content
Apps must be purchased
in the official Apple App Store, which currently has more than 700,000
apps and games in stock. The importance of a platform with a large
volume of apps is overblown. What matters is the availability of quality
apps and the willingness of major developers and companies to produce
good products for that platform.
Content including music,
movies, TV shows, podcasts, books and audiobooks are purchased through
the well-stocked iTunes Store, though you can also buy them through
another company such as Amazon and synch them to your iPhone. Books are
also available directly through the iBooks app.
Apple has the tightest
control over its operating system and the heaviest hand when it comes to
editing exactly what features reach the final product. That means no
extra preinstalled apps, just the necessities.
Key features
The iPhone is iOS's
killer feature. It is a stunning piece of industrial design, and the
newest version is durable and lightweight.
The voice-assistant
feature, Siri; ease of use; and high-quality, third-party apps are other
big selling points. If you're near an Apple store, the free tech
support is a great perk.
Hardware
Apple's iOS operating
system only runs on Apple's iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The latest
version, iOS 6, runs on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and the
iPhone 5, though some features such as the camera's panorama mode and
Siri are only available on the iPhone 4S and later.
The cheapest phone
currently sold by Apple is the iPhone 4, which costs $450 unlocked but
is free with a two-year wireless contract when you buy it through
AT&T, Sprint or Verizon.
Who it's for
iOS is designed for
people who want a simple interface; nontechnical types who will
appreciate the convenient and free hand-holding available at the Genius
Bar; Mac users; and design lovers.
Windows Phone 8 is fresh and fun, but relies heavily on big text.
Heather Kelly/CNN
This is the second
generation of Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, which began in
2010. Windows Phone 8 was launched in October, and Microsoft hopes the
expensive marketing campaign and improved features will help it climb up
from fifth place. Last quarter, only 2% of phones sold in the world
were Windows Phone devices.
Interface
Instead of icons, the
Windows Phone 8 home screen is covered with a quilt of brightly colored
squares and rectangles. Each tile can display live information, such as a
photo album or your newest e-mail, which can save you a trip into the
sometimes jumbled innards of the operating system.
A swipe to the left
brings up an alphabetical list of installed apps. Tap and hold on an app
to place it, or "pin" it, on the start screen. Tap a tile and hold to
change its size or placement.
There are some odd
design choices, such as allowing text to be cut off randomly to make the
most of the smartphone screen. Overall, the design relies on flat,
simple images and a lot of large text. By default, the text is mostly
white on black, which is jarring but saves battery life. You can switch
it to black on white and change the color of your tiles.
It's possible to display
personalized information on the lock screen, such as your most recent
calendar event, e-mail, text message or missed phone call.
Apps and content
The current app
selection on Windows Phone 8 is the smallest of the three platforms, but
Microsoft is working hard to woo developers. The system shares its
underlying framework with Windows 8, so that may make it easier for
developers to make apps for both platforms.
Like Android phones,
there is usually some preinstalled clutter -- apps from carriers and
manufacturers -- on Windows Phones, but these can be deleted easily.
Tunes are available in
the Xbox music store, but you have to sync movies and TV shows over from
a desktop application. Pandora radio comes preinstalled along with a
free year of ad-free service. Nokia phones have the Nokia Music service
installed.
Key features
The main screen is the
winning ingredient for Windows Phone 8. It's simple, fun and easy to
understand, and it does a great job of surfacing important information.
Kids Corner is nice
touch for parents. It creates a separate profile for kids, limiting them
to approved apps and keeping them out of your personal accounts. Data
Sense is a new feature Microsoft claims will help optimize the amount of
data you use.
As part of its latest
marketing push, Microsoft has been talking up the "people" angle of the
phone for consumers (for example, the Rooms feature is a nice way to
communicate with custom groups of people, such as family members).
However, the company might be better off promoting Windows Phone's
business side. Working with Office documents and syncing them across
devices is much easier, and there are built-in features for large
companies that need to support phones for employees.
Hardware
The new version of
Windows Phone adds support for more advanced hardware than its
predecessor, including phones with higher resolution screens, multicore
processors and near field communication. So far, there are only a
handful of Windows 8 phones available, from HTC, Samsung and Nokia. The
most anticipated of the bunch is the Nokia 920, which features a
powerful camera.
Unfortunately, people
who already own a device running Windows Phone 7 will not be able to
upgrade to the new operating system. To upgrade the OS, they must
purchase a new phone.
Who it's for
Windows is the most used
operating system in the world, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said
he thinks 500 million people will be using Windows 8, the newest
PC/tablet operating system, by the end of 2013. Windows Phone 8 will be
best as a companion device for people using Windows 8 on a PC. It's also
a nice choice for people who want a simple and customizable interface;
heavy Microsoft Office users; parents; and anyone who likes to root for
(the corporate overlord version of) the underdog.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/05/tech/mobile/smartphone-operating-systems/index.html
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