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Packages are too inflexible and don't provide competitive differentiation, but custom-built solutions are too slow [to develop] and costly. System integrators are starting to offer next-generation pre-built solutions. - Gartner Research

Cell / Mobile Phones: Android vs. Windows Mobile 6, 7, 8 VS iOS / Apple

by Zoran Zaev, 2012-07

With many cell / mobile phone choices out there, with "smart" phones and other less 'smart' ones, what is one to choose? What are benefits and drawbacks of the choices? What are some of the best value choices? What features are available and are they worth it the cost?

THE MARKET SHARE, THE TRENDS

First, let's look at what others have been buying, to give us a general idea of where the market is at this time:

Other informative statistics are

• The breakdown by OEMs i.e. phone manufacturer's: Samsung (25.7 %), LG (19.1%), Apple (15 %), Motorola (12 %), HTC (6.1 %). [1] Others estimate Samsung (29.1 %), Apple (24.2 %), Nokia (8.2 %), etc. [2]
• Out of the 110 million people in the US who owned and used smartphones, during this period, 74.8 % sent text messages, 49.5 % downloaded applications / apps, 49.2 % used their web browser, 36.1 % accessed social networking sites or blogs, 32.2 % played games, 24.8 % listened to music on their mobile phone. [1] US smartphone owners are estimated to be at 41.8 % of all subscribers [2].
• Smartphone worldwide sales were estimated to be 491 million units in 2011, by IDC. Gartner estimated it slightly lower, at $472 million units worldwide (31% of mobile communication devices). In comparison to year 2010 sales, the smart phone sales increased 58 %, for one year. [2]
• A Pew Internet Project survey from February 2012 found 46% of US adults owned a smartphone. The figure is 71% among 25-34 year-olds. [2]
• IDC expect 2012 smartphone sales to reach 686 million, and predict they will rise to 982 million in 2015. [2]
• IMS Research expect smartphones to reach 1 billion in annual sales in 2016 (half the mobile device market). [2]
• Morgan Stanley Research estimates sales of smartphones will exceed those of PCs in 2012. [2]
• Data from the NPD Group, who found Android phones making up 57% of new smartphones purchased in the US in Q4 2011. The iPhone OS took 34% and all others 9%. [2]

[1] comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending May 2012. (RESTON, VA, July 2, 2012)
[2] Smartphone statistics and market share, By Mark Brownlow, July 2012

A related topic, tablet sales and shares shows iOS tablets (iPad) leading the way, though losing share to Android tablets (iOS having 83.9 % in 2010, 68. 7 % in 2011, to est. 63.5 in 2012, with Android having 14.2 % in 2010, 19.9 % in 2011, and est. 24.4 % in 2012). Other players are significantly small. (***) netmarketshare.com estimates the current tablet OS market share at: iOS 65% and Android 20%, with Java as the OS at 10%, and Windows with 1 %. [4] But, I will leave the tablets topic for another article.

[3] Apple Tablet OS Share will be Reduced to 47% in 2015, By Qudsia Jamaal on April 12, 2011
[4] Mobile/Tablet Operating System Market Share, netmarketshare.com

APPLICATIONS & FEATURES

How do the various smartphone operating systems compare in terms of features?

Feature \ OS's	Android 1.5	Android 2.1+	iOS	Windows Phone 6.x	Windows Phone 7.0	Windows Phone 8.0
PHONE TESTED	Dell Aero	Samsung i897 Captivate		HTC / AT&T 8525	Sansung i917
Available Apps	600K+ (or less)	600K+	650K+	?	100K+	100K+
Expandable Storage/ SD Cards Support	Yes, 32GB SD Cards	Yes, 32GB SD Cards	No	Yes, 32GB SD Cards.	Yes, BUT limited to phone management.	Yes, BUT limited to phone management.
File Management, Drag and Drop Files	Yes	Yes	No (uses iTunes)	Yes	No (uses Zune)	No (uses Zune)
Widgets	Yes	Yes	No	?	Live Tiles	Live Tiles
USB host support	Yes	Yes	Limited with Camera Connection Kit	?	?	?
OS Core	Linux	Linux	Darwin	Windows CE 6	Windows CE 7	Windows NT
Centralized Notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	No	No

All, perhaps except for Windows Phone 6.x, support multi-core processors and high-resolution displays.

[5] Mobile OS comparison: Windows Phone 8 vs iOS 6.0 vs Android 4.1, 20 Jun 2012, 15:19, by Victor H.

 

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