by The iPhone broke new ground in the world of mobile phones when it was initially released in June 2007. It set the smartphone standard that other companies attempted to rival. For a while, it was clear that the iPhone was the best smartphone available. Since then, much has changed. If you are looking to get a great smartphone, you have many other options.
Alternative Options
Android
There are Android phones – Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. Android has many apps and can perform many of the functions you would expect from a smartphone like web browsing, email, media playback, and more. Unlike iOS, which can only be found on iPhones, Android runs on many different types of devices.
Some of the best Android phones on the market include the Samsung Galaxy SIII, which has an incredible super AMOLED screen with accurate colors that rival the retina display on the iPhone. Another great Android option is the Motorola Droid Razr MAXX HD, which features the best battery life found in any smartphone. There’s also the fantastically built HTC One X+. This Android phone has a premium build and the hardware inside is just as respectable, making for one of the fastest phones around.
Windows Phone
Then there are phones running Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Windows Phone 8 phones include the Nokia Lumia 920, featuring one of the best smartphone cameras ever created with Carl Zeiss optics and Nokia PureView technology. There is also the HTC 8X, bolstering great hardware from HTC that offers a smooth experience. The major difference between the Windows Phone phones and iOS or Android phones is that the app store for the phones is underdeveloped. If apps are important to you, consider the amount of apps that each operating system will offer you.
BlackBerry
The last OS you may want to look out for is BlackBerry’s freshly released BlackBerry 10. As always, BlackBerry phones are tailored to business users. If you are a business user, look into BlackBerry 10 which can be found on the new BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone. The downside is that the App Store has very slim offerings.
Ecosystems
Be sure to know what ecosystem you’ll be introduced to when you decide on a smartphone. The iPhone flows through Apple – iTunes, iCloud, and other Apple products like the iPad. Android phones flow through Google – Gmail, Google+, Google Maps, and other Google products. Windows Phone smartphones will be integrated with Microsoft’s other applications, most notably, integration with your home PC.
App Stores
When it comes to picking an iPhone over any other phone, the Apple App Store is a great reason. Unique to iPhones, the Apple App Store is the largest app store. If you are interested in getting a multitude of quality apps, you will have the biggest selection with the iPhone. For reference, the Windows Phone app store only has 150,000 apps while Android and iOS have more than 700,000 apps for you to choose from.
Diversity
If you are interested in variety, along with customization of your software, you may want to divert your eyes from the iPhone’s alluring hardware. The iPhone’s operating system is tightly controlled by Apple and uses proprietary hardware and file types.
Choosing a smartphone can be important. Make sure you research the different types of smartphones available. An iPhone may be for you if you want a simplistic, tightly controlled experience and do not mind being integrated within Apple’s ecosystem. Otherwise, there are plenty of great alternatives.
