I Phone Review

If someone had asked the man in the street a few years ago if there was room for Apple and Android, he may have wondered what on earth that person was talking about. Now, most of us know it's about two very hot smartphones that have been pitched against one another in the mobile phone arena. However, it should be noted that there are 3 other smartphone platforms also performing well in the US, too, but of the 5, it seems that Apple and Android are the ones on everybody's lips! It's all great hype for the two companies! Maybe they are pitched against one another because, as some claim, they are so very different -like comparing Apples and Oranges? The question is- is there room for Apple and Android?

Apple iPhones have really only been on the market for 4 years and they have already produced four generations of the iPhone with remarkable development in each progressive model. It is now very much a success in many countries and sales have been incredible with a total of 73.5 million iPhones sold by the end of 2010. By comparison, Google's Android is much newer to the market but is already dominating sales according to some reports. Some even say it outsold Apple in the last quarter of 2010.

Apple has a fantastic range of Apps amounting to over 300,000, whilst Android trail with 200,000+. However, with Android's open system for developers, Android may soon catch up. Openness is the key to Android, with its multiple carriers and open handset alliance, it is this very trait that sets it apart and is the very essence of the difference between Android and Apple. Some say Apple is far too restrictive and that this will be its ultimate downfall.

Does it have to be Apple or Android or is there room for two? The more competitors in the smartphone market, the more investment we are likely to see by these two respective companies and a faster rate of development of goods and services is likely to follow. Good competition is favorable for the humble consumer and it usually leads to competitive pricing which will allow more people to afford smartphones.

Google's entry into the smartphone market with the acquisition of Android has been relatively newer but with excellent results. It prides itself on its openness in the market with multiple carriers, open handset alliance and open system for developers. Droids are already seen on Verizon so that could make for interesting watching for that network and a potential overload? Critics say Android's openness is far too broad and disparate and the word "fragmentation" is widely used when discussing Android's downside.