Shopping for smartphones: tips from an expert

TORONTO, On. – As smartphones evolve into more powerful pocket-sized computers, there’s no denying the fact that all the choices out there can get confusing.

680News spoke with Andrew Moore-Crispin, editor of mobile tech website Butterscotch.com, in order to help shed some light on the four major smartphone operating systems (OS): Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, RIM’s Blackberry OS, and Windows Phone 7.

“All of the smartphone operating systems that are currently on the market are fairly easy to use,” Moore-Crispin said. “Obviously there is a learning curve, there always is with something like this,” he said.

So what sets the four major platforms apart?

If apps are your thing, Apple’s iOS is the way to go. They have over 300,000 applications available for their users, more than the other three major smartphone platforms combined.

“What Apple’s iOS has done really well is its ability to make everyday users feel like power users,” he said. “You can download all these apps, email on the go, and feel like you’re really part of the digital revolution.”

iOS is also the easiest to update, with the latest versions of the platform just a click away. The only drawback is their lack of choice. If you want to use iOS you’re limited to either the iPhone 3GS, or the iPhone 4.

Android has the second largest amount of apps, clocking in at over 140,000. Where this OS really excels is its open platform that allows companies to develop their own Android experience. It also has the widest range of phones to choose from.

“With Android, you can have literally dozens of phones available,” Moore-Crispin said. “You can find [a phone] with a hardware keyboard; you can find one with entirely on screen input; you can find one that’s inexpensive and not so powerful, and you can find with that’s more expensive and very powerful. So you really have a large variety to choose from,” he said.

Their open platform is also a drawback when it comes to Android updates. Once an updated version of the OS is released, it’s up to the phone manufacturer to pass the new version onto the consumer. If you’re phone isn’t the latest in the company’s line up, you could be waiting a while for the update.

If you find yourself emailing more than anything else, you may want to take a look at BlackBerry.

“BlackBerry has a legacy in email and messaging,” Moore-Crispin said. “Their hardware keyboard is where it really made its name. For secure corporate email, BlackBerry is the best option for that.”

According to Moore-Crispin, BlackBerry’s Appworld offers the user around 18,000 applications and is playing catchup with the other three major platforms.

Windows Phone 7, the new kid on the mobile block, is offering its users a different experience.

“They are kind of bridging the gap,” said Moore-Crispin. “It’s as easy to use as the iPhone and has an open OS similar to Android.”

The Windows platform offers users a sort of ‘in-and-out’ experience, he said. 

“When you start up the phone you’re immediately brought to the home screen, which they call the start menu […] And you can basically tap into whatever it is you want to do. It’s a very simple experience.”

And with the announcement of Nokia using Windows Phone 7 exclusively for their smartphones, expect to see Windows Phone 7 making a larger impact in the market in the near future.

“[Nokia’s] presence in the smartphone category has not been that great, at least in North America,” he said. “But elsewhere in the world they have done reasonably well with their Symbian-based smartphones. So, the switch to Windows Phone 7 really means you will see [Nokia] start to take off. It might even be the narrow edge of the wedge that gets Nokia into the smartphone market in North America.”

But that’s not to say there aren’t any other smartphone platforms to choose from. According to Moore-Crispin WebOS, originally developed by Palm for their Palm Pre, is a well designed and easy to use platform. Recently purchased by Hewlett Packard, WebOS will be included in two new smartphones being developed by HP in an attempt to take  a piece of the mobile pie.

Whichever smartphone you choose to go with, Moore-Crispin has one final piece of advice to share.

“The major thing you need to ask yourself is ‘Can I see myself using this two or three years form now?’ […] You really have to figure out what you want to use it for, and find out what smartphone best addresses your needs.”