Picking a smartphone based on its operating system might seem a strange thing to do. But this year’s emergence of Google’ Android and Palm’s WebOS as worthy rivals of the iPhone OS was a handy reminder of the increasing importance of software in determining user experience, and a direct challenge to the traditional powers of the smartphone business: Nokia, Microsoft and Research in Motion.
Of the new software platforms, Android remains the most intriguing. I was among the doubters before the first handset hit the streets. But almost to my own surprise I now find I’ve ditched my BlackBerry (something I never thought I’d do) and count myself an Android user (version 1.5 of the software, on an HTC handset).
It’s still early. But the progression from version 1.0, launched a little more than a year ago, to 2.0, which has just hit the market inside Motorola’s Droid, shows how fast things are moving. And with Samsung and Dell also among those to have announced handsets based on the software – and more expected – 2010 will be the year many more consumers get to try them out.
At this point, Android is still playing catch-up with the iPhone.
The basics – the browser, maps functions and email – work very well. As you’d expect with Google, search is never far away: on my HTC handset there’s a dedicated button that opens a search box inside any of these applications, or inside the ‘phone application to help you find a contact quickly.
Integration with Google’s Web apps is also seamless. That means, for instance, that if you make a note of a meeting in an entry in Google Calendar from your PC, a notification will flash up on the handset 10 minutes before it is due to start.
There are certainly limitations. Early Android handsets do not have the multi-touch screens that make the iPhone a pleasure, and Google’s online market still lists far fewer applications than the iPhone’s app store. Also, my handset is running increasingly slowly as it gets loaded up with more software.
On the other hand, Google has already shown a determination to bring compelling new experiences to the Android platform that could set it apart from even the iPhone. Last month it out brought a free turn-by-turn navigation service for version 2.0 of the operating system (since then, Google has extended the application to version 1.6 as well – though I’m still waiting for it to work on my handset.) Compare that to the iPhone, where TomTom’s navigation app costs $99.
Android phones also support Google Voice, a service which lets users coordinate all their phones through a single number. The initial rejection of that service on the iPhone was a reminder that Apple and its mobile operator partners may not always be as open to new communications apps.
With a wave of new Android phones about to hit the stores, these are good reasons for at least giving them a road test.
