March 17th was an exciting day for fans of Apple, as they announced iPhone 3.0 the latest version of their phone software. But how well does it actually do against its rivals? Has it already been left for dead? Let’s find out!
iPhone 3.0 – what’s new?
No-one was really sure what to expect from the new iPhone 3.0 OS, although rumours were spreading like wildfire before the official announcement. Well, now, the feature list is finally known, and whilst it certainly gives the iPhone a lot more functionality, it consisted almost entirely of features that really should’ve been included right from day. The new list of features, including MMS and copy/paste, is a list that may seem old news to anyone else with a different mobile phone, as it includes features that they’ve been using for years. However, what was announced does bring the iPhone up to a standard where it can actually compete on what it can do, and not just how pretty it is, or how good the interface is (which is, admittedly, stunning). However, with features like MMS and Bluetooth file sharing only now reaching Apple’s prodigy, are the other big manufacturers still way ahead of the game…?
Toshiba TG01 – Windows Mobile enters the fray
One OS that iPhone users constantly berate is Windows Mobile, and it undoubtedly has its flaws. However, the new generation of WinMo phones is proving that it is still a viable and powerful system, and no handset is showing it off quite like the Toshiba TG01. With a huge 4.1 inch screen, and a dual-core processor running at 1GHz, it finally gives WinMo the power it needs to shine. The front-end interface is astounding, as well as beautiful, and the truth of the matter is that the Toshiba TG01 will already do all of the basic features that were only announced in iPhone 3.0. However, Windows Mobile is, admittedly, something of an acquired taste, as there ARE a few areas where it falls down, notably when you go deeper into the menus on the phone, where the Toshiba TG01 does have a very ‘Windows-ish’ feel. That said, it can easily match the iPhone on features, but in terms of user interaction, it still has a way to go. Not far, but there’s a definite opportunity for Microsoft to make their back-end interface better before the successor to the Toshiba Tg01 arrives.
HTC Magic – Android vs iPhone
And so, we move onto Google Android, and the new phone showing it off, the HTC Magic. The HTC Magic is much more comparable to the iPhone, sharing a similar keyboard-less design. Again, it’s with the software that the HTC Magic shines, with Android living up to the title some have given it, that of ‘game changer’. Its completely open source nature makes adapting the OS, and adding extra software much easier than the locked-down iPhone OS, and the interface itself is once again a finger-friendly, sleek, and polished affair, with gesture controls the order of the day. The tight integration of the full Google suite (including Apps and Gmail), makes it a real force to be reckoned with, and it has to be said that the battle between iPhone 3.0 and the HTC Magic really will be a hard one to call…
However, there IS one operating system that not only matches what’s been announced in iPhone 3.0, but firmly blows it out of the water; it’s a wonder of software engineering called WebOS. And the phone you’ll find it in?
The stunning Palm Pre…
Palm Pre – the ultimate iPhone Killing interface?
The Toshiba TG01 may be the big powerhouse phone, and the HTC Magic may be the open source wunderkind, but the Palm Pre is without a doubt the most intuitive and innovative phone to appear for a long time. Key to that is its interface, using the brand new WebOS. WebOS, quite simply, out-iPhones the iPhone, with full touch controls and an incredible simplicity making the Palm Pre a true wonder of the telecoms age. However, it’s only simple from the user’s perspective; inside, the Palm Pre is working away furiously behind the scenes, making it seem almost telepathic, at times. It really is almost as if the Palm Pre is doing all the thinking for you. You just say what you want, and it does all the hard working out, and removes that from your side of the equation. Take, for example, the contacts menu, which will automatically take a person’s name, pull in their contact details from disparate sources like Facebook, Gmail, or your Exchange server, and display them all under ONE entry, for that person, saving you the hassle of having to manually move all their details into one entry. Tie in full device search (where you simply type something on the QWERTY keyboard, just on the front, and it looks through the phone, your music, your apps, your contacts, and even the internet, without you having to manually search for info), and it really does make the Palm Pre into the most intuitive device seen in the mobile world for years. As things stand at the minute, there’s one clear winner, here. The new iPhone 3.0 software may well be the best Apple have ever announced, but the WebOS built into the Palm Pre leaves it, and every other phone, in the dust!
Originally posted 2009-11-25 11:10:22. Republished by Old Post Promoter