As of right now their are several mainstream smart phone operating systems. The earliest one to be released and actually gain ground would have to be Windows Mobile. Since the late 1990’s it had been released on select phones on various networks. Then came Blackberry, which is still one of the leading providers due to it’s popularity in the early 2000’s. Then came the iPhone by Apple, with what is now called iOS. This was the most advanced system to date, and because of the demand of users the first company to have a large amount of traction is the app ecosystem. The “newest” leader in the market would be Android. Although Microsoft’s rebranded Windows Mobile, now called Windows 7 Phone is technically newer. Android took the openness of open source software and applied it to a high quality operating system most similar to iOS .
So in this confusing market of fragmentation and many options, which system should you invest in? Here are what I consider the top pro’s and con’s of each system. We’ll start with the most popular down to the least popular.
iOS
iOs is known for its sleek interface, speed, and what some people would deam “sexiness”. For the beginning user up to the more advanced technical geek this is a system loved by all. It is pretty simplistic at its core, and doesn’t allow users to make a lot of choices about how their phone runs “under the hood” but its stability and ease of use make up for that. It rarely crashes and its speed is stunning compared to most entry level smartphones. So if your looking for something you can learn to use in 30 min. or less and not have to worry about bugs or your device being “broken” I recommend checking out an iPhone.
Android
Android has become one of the fastest growing cell phone markets due to its cheap entry level price and the amount of carriers that have a phone running the system. For the more advanced users or someone who likes to tinker with their device, this is the system for you. It is highly customizable and relatively easy to change out to a customized ROM.
Blackberry
This is the last system that I feel is worth mentioning. While the system is quite outdated in today’s age of smart phones it is still a leader. Now more popular with younger teenagers because of their private messaging service BBM and their dirt cheap devices. This is not the system to go with if you want an update anytime soon, but if your on a budget and do not need the “smartness” of the other systems its