Difference between iPhone and Android Phone
For a considerable number of people, the iPhone is the be-all and end-all of mobile communications devices, and for good reason. This innovative and massively popular piece of machinery is after all almost as iconic as the company that released it: Apple. The iPhone certainly was a runaway hit just as the iPod was before it, although there is a contender looming on the horizon in the form of the Android phone. Does Google’s answer to the nearly ubiquitous iPhone have what it takes to measure up to the competition? Let's see!
Features
The iPhone boasts of a number of innovative features to be sure, but as to whether or not those features are useful to you depends on your specific needs and circumstances. For instance, the company has made a lot of noise with regard to its cut/copy and paste features, but the people who say that they will make use of this feature are in the vast minority. What has the market excited however are the enhancements to the iPhone’s search, email, contacts, and calendar capabilities. One of the best features that the Android has going for it is its pull-down notification area that displays several alerts at a time. This allows you to access email, SMS, Twitter replies, missed calls, and virtually everything else from a drag and drop window. The iPhone’s use of a pop-up box that you have to actively cancel seems quite cumbersome in comparison.
Background Processes
While the decision of Google to go with a background processing of applications may seem like a good idea–and it is–it is hampered somewhat by the huge drain on the battery. The iPhone on the other hand features push notifications that make battery drain a non-issue. Of course push notification is something that Apple has promised–and failed to deliver–in the past, so it remains to be seen just how beneficial the feature will be.
Market Impact
It is interesting to note that market interest in the Android phone has increased considerably in the past several months, as seen in two separate surveys. The first survey conducted in September of 2009 showed that 65 of 4,000 respondents expressed interest in the Android phone. That number blossomed to 21% by December of the same year, only 3 months later. That being said, the iPhone still commands the lion's share of the market, although the Android phone does show a potential to catch up.
Summary
iPhone
- An icon in the mobile communications industry
- Has the formidable Apple brand behind it
- Offers excellent search, email, contacts, and calendar features
- Cumbersome way to handle alerts
- Still ahead of the Android in terms of consumer preference
Android Phone
- Excellent notification area for multiple alerts
- Elegant handling of background processes, although this comes at a cost in terms of battery life
- Has taken over the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Palm in terms of consumer preference, although it still comes in second to the iPhone
