When trying to decide on a smartphone, most buyers focus on the two biggest platforms: Google's Android and Apple's iPhone. But those aren't your only choices.
Two veterans are still in the game. Research in Motion, or RIM, still has its BlackBerry, and Microsoft is offering a completely revamped mobile operating system.
Last week, I compared Android and iPhone; this time around, it's BlackBerry vs Microsoft's Windows Phone system.
BlackBerry
RIM may have been the top smartphone dog at one time, but its failure to respond to the iPhone and Android has dramatically decreased its share of the market. There are still plenty of BlackBerry devices to choose from, and RIM is working on new ones built around the QNX operating system it started using in its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
The pros. When it comes to handling large amounts of email and messages, no one does it better than BlackBerry. Its Messenger client is legendary for organizing overwhelming flows of information and doing so in a secure manner. Email gets routed through RIM's servers, which provide an extra layer of security.
The BlackBerry is also known for the quality of its physical keyboards. There are models of the phone that are narrow, but the flagship BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Curve provide roomy keyboards with a solid feel.
RIM offers phones in two versions of its operating system: BlackBerry 6 and 7. A new OS based on QNX, to be called BlackBerry BBX, is due next year, and should come with updated hardware. BlackBerry devices are available from all four major U.S. carriers, and some models work with faster 4G networks.
The cons. RIM's competitive flatfootedness is largely responsible for its market-share decline. Critics say the phones' approach to handling data is somewhat dated, even with the newer BlackBerry 7 OS. Its Web browser, for example, remains among the slowest among smartphones and can have trouble rendering some Web pages.
One of the advantages to BlackBerry is also a disadvantage. BlackBerry owners usually pay an extra monthly fee for the privilege of routing messaging through RIM's servers.
And while they add security, they also can be a point of failure. When they went down for several days in October, BlackBerry users couldn't get email or access the Web.
There aren't as many apps for BlackBerry devices as for Android or iPhone, and there are relatively fewer free ones.
Windows Phone
As with RIM, Microsoft got run over by the iPhone. Realizing its Windows Mobile software would no longer cut it, the company threw it away and developed a brand new operating system, Windows Phone 7, which was recently updated to 7.5. New phones are coming later this year and early next, and Nokia has adopted Windows Phone as its primary operating system.
The pros. If you're tired of the same old apps-on-a-grid look of Android, iPhone and BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7.5 offers something different.
It features dynamic tiles on its home screen that update with information pulled in over the Net from a variety of sources. The Windows Phone software is divided into hubs that focus on different topics, such as a People hub for social media and an Office hub for productivity. And yes, as you'd expect, Windows Phone has the best support for working with Microsoft Office documents.
Social media are deeply integrated into Windows Phone, particularly Facebook. It's very easy to keep up with friends' statuses without ever opening a Facebook or Twitter app.
Windows Phone hardware comes from a variety of manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung, LG and more, and tends to be priced lower than most other smartphone types. It's available for all four major U.S. carriers.
The cons. Windows Phone's newness means it doesn't have all the features of the more mature mobile platforms.
For example, it doesn't formally support memory cards or dual-core processors. Windows Phones also don't work with faster 4G networks.
In addition, Windows Phone doesn't support very high resolution screens. So, although its upcoming HTC Titan has a 4.7-inch screen, it only has a resolution of 480-by-800 pixels.
Windows Phone also has more than 40,000 apps, putting it far behind Android and iOS. It also lacks some of the best-known apps, such as Hulu Plus.
Source is
http://www.chron.com/business/silverman/article/Silverman-BlackBerry-vs-Windows-Phone-2281510.php
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