The holiday season is steadily approaching and with that comes the launch of Windows Phone 7 - Microsoft’s answer to Android – which debuts in October. While Android will go into battle with a full head of steam, WP7 is sure to make an impact in the market. Whether or not Android will be able to continue to gain momentum is something only time can tell. What I can tell you though is that if Google wants to slay this giant they need to continue to develop exclusive features like the new voice actions and separate themselves from the competition. After the break, I’ll explain what areas will play big roles in the battle for smartphone OS supremacy.
Now Microsoft hasn’t exactly been the most innovative company over the past several years but they are still humongous. And there were changes made in Redmond recently. So don’t sleep on Windows Phone 7, it’s got some things going for it. Microsoft has aggressively made sure that all WP7 phones feel very similar to the user. Minimum system requirements are more strict than Android’s and the UI will not be skinned by the manufacturer. This will ensure a high quality end product that operates exactly the same as every other WP7 phone. While Google intended customizable UI’s to be a feature for manufacturers who want to separate their product from the competition it has been more of a hindrance in reality. This is all expected to change with Android 3.0 Gingerbread. System requirements will be bumped up to a minimum 1 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM, identical to WP7 for these two aspects. Also the UI is getting an overhaul and custom skins will be a thing of the past. So goodbye to MotoBlur and HTC Sense, I’m sure only one of you will be missed. Jokes aside, the UI will be a deciding factor in this battle. Microsoft has opted away from the application grid seen on most smartphones and created a new tile scheme. Early impressions have been good and the tight controls are said to be on par with the best of current devices. Gingerbread will need it’s UI to be as attractive and responsive if they want to continue to grow in the market.
Media consumption is another area WP7 focuses heavily on, in particular gaming and music.
Notable gaming features include integrated Xbox Live and the ability to transfer progress made in a game between PC, Phone, and Xbox. At this point, as far as gaming is concerned emulation is really the only thing Android has going for it. This is nothing to sneeze at I know but many consumers will never exploit it. As flash integration furthers gaming should improve some but Google needs to find a way to get developers making games for Android. Hopefully Android 3.0 will be the last upgrade we see for a while and developers don’t have to worry about making sure their app runs on all the different versions of Android out there.
Music and video is another feature Microsoft has focused on. WP7 essentially has a Zune HD inside of it. This is no doubt a major step above Android’s stock media player. Apps are available to improve this but Google knows they need to take the reins themselves here. The forthcoming streaming music service shows Google’s dedication to high quality and innovative media consumption. So I feel this issue will be addressed just fine.
I’ll conclude this article by saying Android will have an edge over Windows Phone 7 from day one and I feel it will be their game to lose. WP7 won’t get flash integration until a couple of months after launch and it does not support multitasking. If Google continue’s to bring new features to Android they should continue to see sales go up. Comment with your thoughts.
This has been an original article by Brett Clapper. Follow me on twitter @baclap. Send comments and tips to clapperbrett@gmail.com.
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