Tips on choosing a new phone
By Speedway
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Thursday, September 16, 2010
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09/16/2010 - It is hard to find a phone that surpasses the iPhone in terms of functionality or design. But perhaps you are locked into a contract with a carrier other than AT&T, or you are sick of the dropped calls and poor service that AT&T is infamous for. BlackBerry is the iPhone's closest competition and has quite a loyal following, as well.
Both BlackBerry and iPhone have been around long enough that I probably could not tell you anything you do not already know about them. What you may not know is that Google and Microsoft are both working hard to make phones that will serve your needs better than the two current leaders. If there is anything I learned during my time working at Microsoft, it is that competition drives innovation. We should be thankful that the underdogs do not give up and let Apple have a monopoly on smart phones.
Google emerged on the smart phone scene with its Android platform, which is now available on a variety of phones with all major U.S. carriers. You have most likely seen Google phones advertised through Verizon's rampant marketing campaign, promoting its Droid brand of Android-powered smart phones. The Android interface is similar to the iPhone and is open to outside influences. Users can replace Google-made applications with third party apps as they please, which is something you cannot do with an iPhone.
Android phones also have an app store similar to the iPhone's, but with the proliferation of various phones running Android, app developers are flocking to the platform for the same reasons they did when Windows was competing against Macintosh for desktop computers. That is to say, Apple only has one phone on one carrier, while Google has dozens of phones on all carriers. The phone designs among Android phones come in all shapes and sizes. If you prefer a slide-out keyboard for typing, the Motorola Droid or Droid 2 are good options.
If you do not mind typing on a touchscreen, the Droid Incredible or Droid X are both sexy choices. T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T all have similar offerings if you prefer to avoid Verizon. Microsoft was one of the first to emerge on the smart phone scene, back when smart phones were only owned by nerds like me. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Apple and BlackBerry’s innovative ideas left Windows Mobile in the dust, a phone that only die-hard Microsoft fans (or corporate users with no choice in the matter) use. However, Microsoft has been deep in its labs working on a revolutionary update to its smart phone platform that will be featured on new devices in the coming months. This platform is called Windows Phone 7, and Microsoft plans to compete with Android by making it available on several different phones with all of the major U.S. carriers.
One of the big advantages of Microsoft’s new phones will be their ability to stream music from Microsoft’s vast Zune Marketplace. After paying a monthly subscription fee, users can listen to practically anything they want whenever and wherever they please. So, if you are looking for a new phone, I suggest checking out some of these devices and upcoming options before settling on one of the current leaders. I myself carry an iPhone, but I am hoping that the home team, Microsoft, comes out with something that leaves Apple in the dust.
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