Smartphone OSs – Strange Times in
the Market for Operating High-End Phones
Fellows and Associates’ independent correspondent Oliver Cox, gives his opinion on the very interesting developments in the smartphone market.
systems has been very distinct from its desktop counterpart during the latter
part of the last decade and the beginning of this one. This is mainly because,
though users still chose from the main three software providers, Microsoft, Apple
and Linux/Open-Source (though in its Google-supported Android format), – along
with RIM (and to some extent Nokia/Symbian) – their successes have been
drastically different from in the desktop market. Moreover, with Microsoft
beginning a massive sales campaign, this market seems to be moving towards a
very competitive period.
When iOS – Apple’s operating system for
iPhones and iPads etc. – came to the market in 2007 with the iPhone, it was
massively successful, while its traditional nemesis Microsoft lay in despond.
More recently, the Android operating system, which uses Linux architecture and
is developed by Google, has received prodigious popularity. It seems that the
two operating systems which have languishing in the patch of the desktop market
share not occupied by Microsoft, are able, with an old technology format – but one
which feels so new that the paint shouldn’t have had time to dry yet
– the smartphone, to excel.
Android achieved a 47.1% [1] UK market share in 2011, making it the most popular phone OS.
– The
Operating Systems –
Android
Remaining loyal to its Linux roots,
Android offers the user a very robust and customisable system. The interface
offers the user five virtual panes in which they can embed their preferred
applications, such as Facebook or a stock ticker. There has been criticism over
it being difficult to use, but this has been limited. Apps – 100,000
Blackberry OS
Blackberry’s OS 7 offers its users a
product which is usable almost straight out of the box, which is perfect for
some people who want to get to work straight away rather than spending time
customising. Blackberry’s touch interface is not amazing, but this is
counterbalanced with its voice activation software. Apps – No one knows but it
ought to be in the tens of thousands.
iOS
It was iOS which perfected the
quintessential smartphone OS feel, arranging applications in a grid and
refining touch-screen usage. What it lacks in customisability it makes up with
ease of use, as per Apple tradition. Apps – 350,000
Windows Phone 7
The replacement of the clunky
‘Windows Mobile’ approaches the smartphone challenge in a very different way to
its competitors, orientating the user around data rather than applications. It
presents the user with information, e.g. the news or weather, on rectangular
tiles, which the user can click activate the underlying applications if they
require more information. Apps – 10,000
– The
Storm Ahead –
Having been left behind in the
smartphone OS market, Windows Phone 8 (supposedly to be released alongside
Windows 8 and modestly called Apollo) appears as a source of genuine
innovation. This, along with Windows Phone’s displacement of Symbian (Nokia’s
old smart OS), make Microsoft deserve greater consideration.
In addition, smartphone
manufacturers, because of Microsoft’s possession of many driver licences
(thanks partially to the purchasing consortium between it,
RIM and Apple amongst others)[2], have to pay the company royalties every time they use another phone OS. This
has nudged several smartphone manufacturers, such as HTC, to adopt Windows
Phone 7. Meanwhile, Blackberry sales are
whistling downwards, leaving a definite opening for a new competitor.
The Windows 8 pre-Beta version has a
look and feel which is strongly inspired by the tablet and smartphone
user-interfaces. This, alongside a ‘missed calls’ dialogue which was spotted in
a Windows 8 video[3], have convinced software watchers that Microsoft is planning an operating system
which will be able to run across tablets, smartphones and desktops.
Android may be able to muster
sufficient clout to maintain the high-ground when it releases Ice Cream
Sandwich, an OS which will beat Windows 8 in the universality ideal in that it
will run on both tablets and smartphones. This OS should be a powerful product
wielding tabbed browsing, holographic visuals and facial recognition.
With customers often expressing their
dissatisfaction with RIM’s Blackberry OS 7, and their competitors all releasing
new OSs, this would be a prime time for RIM to release the forever promised QNX
(possibly called BBX). RIM assure the tech world that this release will be made
of stuff which should slam the competition…in early 2012.
October 4th saw the
release of the iPhone 4S, featuring iOS 5 with its interesting cloud storage
features, which will allow users to sync with Apple’s online service to access
greater storage. The OS also offers ‘iMessage’, a facility which aggregates all
the user’s messages, such as email and SMS, into one sending and receiving
service.
When the tech companies are more
equally matched, they tend to be at each other’s necks. When they’re at each
other’s necks, customers get innovation – corporate war is the locomotive of
technology.
Footnotes
[1] http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2106625/android-market-share-doubles-apple-ios-falls-cent
This article reflects the author’s opinions only. You can contact our news team via email at [email protected].