Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone 7, and WebOS are all cell phone operating systems looking for a piece of your attention. This may seem like way to many options on the market, yet they all have their advantages and disadvantages. The nice thing is the consumer gets to decide what is best for them. Yet, all this competition is great for consumers. Just look at what we get thanks to all these developers fighting for your attention:
More integration – Integration started out with just being able to setup an address book on your computer and have that sync automatically to your cell phone. Now we see integration spanning the gamut of entertainment and usability. Android nicely integrates with all your Google services. Windows Phone 7 connects to your Xbox Live account. iOS makes getting your media to your phone that much easier. This integration allows us to bring little bits of our personal lives with us no matter where we are on this pale blue dot.
Better improvements – The more companies find their way to the front row of cell phone fame, the more consumers demand improvements. Remember how iOS never had copy and paste when it first hit the cell phone scene? It took a lot of customer complaining, and a lot of advertising from competitors to make Apple realize the error in their ways.
This is not all though. With each release of software, new features are added, current features are tweaked, and broken features are removed. Android looks at WebOS and enhances features that users beg for. The smartphone may have been around in some form or another for sometime now, but it is still growing and expanding.
Competition drives innovation – Not only does competition give the consumer more choice, but also it continuously drives new innovations. Here is an example. The iPhone was touted for a great screen. HTC ups this screen by dropping a 4†AMOLED screen that is big, crisp, and gorgeous. Apple then releases the retina display that has become the benchmark for all screen comparisons once again. This may never have happened had it not been for a little competition.
It does not stop their either. Phones keep getting slimmer, add on new phone features, receive new processors, and recently started to see two or three cameras becoming the standard. Cell phones now allow you to do video calling, and this feature is only improving thanks to the competition between cell phone customers.
Cost – The last part that cell phone competition really helps is in costs. There was once a time when smartphones would cost the consumer $600 – $700, and that is with a contract. Now, cell phones that are more powerful can be purchased in bundles like two phones for $30 on contract. These cost savings have only started to come into play due to manufacturers looking to snag as many customers as they can.
You should always choose your cell phone on your needs, not what everyone tells you are best. Remember, what is great today just may be old hat tomorrow. One thing is for sure though; the smartphone is only going to get better with every iteration.
