Smartphones are high on the list this holiday season, and there are three main contenders—iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry. Each has its own drawbacks and perks, and each is suited for a specific crowd. We’ll start by matching the best phone for each person on your list, and go into more detail after.
Teens: The iPhone makes the ideal gift for teens, mostly because it is still considered cool. Android has a bit too much to it, and the BlackBerry just isn’t that hip.
Techies: Any tech-savvy user will love Android. It has a much more open app store, it allows for more customization, and it allows for tethering—which means users can connect it to a laptop and use the phone’s Internet connection to surf the Web.
Users Who Prefer Simplicity: The iPhone is still the most simple and easy-to-use smartphone on the list. Just slide a bar to turn it on and you’re ready to go. Since there isn’t a whole lot users can do in terms of customization, filtering through options is easy. Most of the phone’s more advanced functions are run through apps, which vary in complexity.
Business Community: Nothing says you mean business like a BlackBerry holstered on your belt. The phone is common in the big-business community due to its encrypted e-mail and full external QWERTY keyboard that makes it easier to type e-mails and review documents. Even President Obama has one, right?
iPhone 4
Teens: The iPhone makes the ideal gift for teens, mostly because it is still considered cool. Android has a bit too much to it, and the BlackBerry just isn’t that hip.
Techies: Any tech-savvy user will love Android. It has a much more open app store, it allows for more customization, and it allows for tethering—which means users can connect it to a laptop and use the phone’s Internet connection to surf the Web.
Users Who Prefer Simplicity: The iPhone is still the most simple and easy-to-use smartphone on the list. Just slide a bar to turn it on and you’re ready to go. Since there isn’t a whole lot users can do in terms of customization, filtering through options is easy. Most of the phone’s more advanced functions are run through apps, which vary in complexity.
Business Community: Nothing says you mean business like a BlackBerry holstered on your belt. The phone is common in the big-business community due to its encrypted e-mail and full external QWERTY keyboard that makes it easier to type e-mails and review documents. Even President Obama has one, right?
iPhone 4
The Apple iPhone is definitely the most talked about in the group, having established the touch-screen phone craze long before Android entered the scene. It also has set the bar for downloadable content with the Apple App Store.
One downside to the iPhone is that Apple is currently locked into a partnership with phone service provider AT&T. This means that anyone who wants an iPhone needs to get a plan through AT&T, which could cause problems for users already using a different service provider.
Still, the iPhone has its perks. Since Apple exercises more quality control over its App Store than Google does for Android, the apps tend to be of higher quality, and there are still more than 200,000 downloadable apps.
Although the iPhone technically doesn’t support Flash, there are apps available that enable it, and this opens a whole new field of hand-held gaming for iPhone users.
The iPhone is also simple. It’s easy to navigate, there is no hassle when answering calls, and most users can pick it up and use it without trouble. For the most part, since it has a scratch-resistant screen and an aluminum body, it’s also pretty durable.
Android
Android is more of an operating system than a single phone, so the exact details will vary a bit depending on which model phone you choose, but this itself is a symbol of what Android is about—choices.
Android has open source code at its foundation, and unlike Apple, has little regulation over its app store. Basically, with Apple, any app going to the App Store needs approval. With Android, however, pretty much everything gets through; so there is a lot more to choose from, and it is more of an open field for developers.
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One downside to the iPhone is that Apple is currently locked into a partnership with phone service provider AT&T. This means that anyone who wants an iPhone needs to get a plan through AT&T, which could cause problems for users already using a different service provider.
Still, the iPhone has its perks. Since Apple exercises more quality control over its App Store than Google does for Android, the apps tend to be of higher quality, and there are still more than 200,000 downloadable apps.
Although the iPhone technically doesn’t support Flash, there are apps available that enable it, and this opens a whole new field of hand-held gaming for iPhone users.
The iPhone is also simple. It’s easy to navigate, there is no hassle when answering calls, and most users can pick it up and use it without trouble. For the most part, since it has a scratch-resistant screen and an aluminum body, it’s also pretty durable.
Android
Android is more of an operating system than a single phone, so the exact details will vary a bit depending on which model phone you choose, but this itself is a symbol of what Android is about—choices.
Android has open source code at its foundation, and unlike Apple, has little regulation over its app store. Basically, with Apple, any app going to the App Store needs approval. With Android, however, pretty much everything gets through; so there is a lot more to choose from, and it is more of an open field for developers.
Continuned on the next page...
Customization is a key factor with Android, making it the ideal phone of tech-savvy users. iPhone users had to go through many levels of hurdles to get legal rights to “jailbreak” their iPhones in order to customize them, and Apple still doesn’t seem too happy about it. Android users have no worries in this regard, though, as the phone is open to nearly all the tweaks and innovations they can dream of.
Android also allows users to tether the phone to a computer. This lets them use the phone’s Internet connection to surf the Web on a computer. This helps quite a bit while on the go, and there are paid and unpaid ways of doing this.
Some users have complained, however, that answering the phone can be a pain. One wrong move and they can end up having to go through several screens to get back to the call-answering screen.
The phones are also a bit complex, with more buttons and more options than the iPhone.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry smartphones have maintained a steady stream of users in the business community, and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
The BlackBerry has many of the same perks as the Android, including tethering, but its main features are in its QWERTY keyboard and encrypted e-mail.
While other smartphones ditched their keyboards for touch-screens, the BlackBerry held its ground, and this makes it much easier to send e-mails and review documents. The QWERTY keyboard has all the letter keys and a few others that make typing much easier.
It’s also secure. The BlackBerry has approval from NATO and several governments around the world to store and transmit sensitive data. Its encrypted e-mail makes it a must-have for anyone who works with sensitive information—such as financial documents or business plans.
It should be noted, however, that because of its security features, the company behind the BlackBerry, Research In Motion (RIM), ran into trouble with several countries, including India, China, and the United Arab Emirates. In order to keep business in the countries, RIM has bent its standards a bit.
The BlackBerry’s app store is also lacking when compared to the iPhone and Android. While the store does offer some games and apps, BlackBerry users have significantly less to choose from.
Android also allows users to tether the phone to a computer. This lets them use the phone’s Internet connection to surf the Web on a computer. This helps quite a bit while on the go, and there are paid and unpaid ways of doing this.
Some users have complained, however, that answering the phone can be a pain. One wrong move and they can end up having to go through several screens to get back to the call-answering screen.
The phones are also a bit complex, with more buttons and more options than the iPhone.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry smartphones have maintained a steady stream of users in the business community, and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
The BlackBerry has many of the same perks as the Android, including tethering, but its main features are in its QWERTY keyboard and encrypted e-mail.
While other smartphones ditched their keyboards for touch-screens, the BlackBerry held its ground, and this makes it much easier to send e-mails and review documents. The QWERTY keyboard has all the letter keys and a few others that make typing much easier.
It’s also secure. The BlackBerry has approval from NATO and several governments around the world to store and transmit sensitive data. Its encrypted e-mail makes it a must-have for anyone who works with sensitive information—such as financial documents or business plans.
It should be noted, however, that because of its security features, the company behind the BlackBerry, Research In Motion (RIM), ran into trouble with several countries, including India, China, and the United Arab Emirates. In order to keep business in the countries, RIM has bent its standards a bit.
The BlackBerry’s app store is also lacking when compared to the iPhone and Android. While the store does offer some games and apps, BlackBerry users have significantly less to choose from.
