Apple’s iPhone Faces Serious Competition

Recently, Mashable did an article which detailed 6 free Android apps that will make you get rid of your iPhone. Check it out, here.
Android is designed by Google is a very smart OS. It supports many cellphones and carriers. The Android OS which is open source (meaning anyone can make a build for it) has many features the iPhone does not have at this time. Since Android apps are Java based, there are already many more developers who will create apps for it over the iPhone (which is written in the less-popular Objective C language). Android utilizes your Google account and will instantly and sync all of your existing data. It allows the user be in control of everything from home screens, minor tweaks, icons and fonts. Some more features that the Android OS supports: multi tasking, multi-touch, and multiple formats of media support. The app approval process itself is pretty laid back; mostly just pornographic apps get denied. That being said, the turn around time to have an app approved to 1 to 2 days. Overall the Android OS is a great and allows a lot of user customization.
The iPhone OS designed by Apple is a simple OS, which only supports AT&T. The iPhone OS is pretty locked down. The user must abide by Apple’s rules and OS features, and can not change certain features. That being said, I can’t imagine anyone complaining about the simplicity here. It’s a pickup and go device. The rate of iPhone developers is growing everyday; more and more people are wrapping their hands around this booming device. For the most part, the device is simple but does not easily open itself up to other features. Currently the iPhone device can only run one (yes I said one) app at a time. That means you cannot play music and be certain apps at the same time. A lot of users are upset about this since the Android does this and the iPhone does not. Being an iPhone developer, I can speak from experience when I say that Apple runs a tight ship when approving an app for the App Store. The process takes 4 to 7 days and is passed to 2 developers before it hits the Store. The registration fee is $100 yearly; compared to Google’s $25 lifetime fee.
Both of these beefy mobile OS’s have their pros and cons, but the mobile community is torn heavily in either direction. I know I’m asking for trouble here, but what’s your take on the subject? Are you an iPhone, an Android..or neither?

