Some of you may have already seen the latest quarterly stats for Smartphone platforms in the U.S. Android is still growing at the expense of RIM and Microsoft. With RIM finally releasing new phones after almost two years, and Microsoft releasing Mango, will the tide turn?
What was also a little surprising was this note in the report:
For the three month average period ending in July, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices.
What? 13 and older?
Source
A couple of months have passed since I blogged about my top 5 mobile devices. Since then, I’ve seen the Blackberry OS7 devices, several devices running Windows Phone 7 Mango, and Android 2.3 devices. Has my list changed? Why of course, otherwise why call this revised? So, what’s on my top 5, and what’s actually my primary device right now? Read on…
HTC HD7S
This device is currently at the top of my list and is also my primary device. It’s running 7720 Mango and with the upgrade, it did push this device to the top of the list. The integration of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in the device, as well as to-do over the air sync back to my calendar make this my favorite phone and well as my primary. Apps have also improved, with everything I have loaded on other platforms and actually use (# of apps available mean literally nothing if you install and never use). Add to that my previous comments on Windows Phone 7 (tight integration with Outlook/Exchange, One Note), and the pro’s on this device drastically outweigh the con’s.
Samsung Focus
This is still a strong second for me. The only real reason the HTC HD7S is first on my list is the screen size. The older I get, the more I realize how much the larger display helps. Otherwise, the devices are similar (also running 7720 Mango).
Apple iPhone 4
This is still one of my favorite phones. It’s running the new iOS 5, and the improvements Apple has made to the platform are great, including the new notification system. All of my previous comments regarding the iPhone are still valid however. The primary reason this is not higher in my list quite frankly is the integration with Outlook, particularly the Calendar application, is still a horrible experience.
Samsung Infuse
In a word, this phone is FAST. Combine the processor with HSDPA/HSUPA network and the combination makes this a great Android experience. Add to that the 8-MP camera, and the plethora of applications in the marketplace (add to that all of the security issues these pose), the great notification system,
I will add however that the significant number of application updates is getting quite tiresome. You would expect a large number of updates when something is new, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t receive 5-10 application update notifications, and heaven forbid I don’t update for a week or so. I thought Apple updated frequently, but Android blows all others out of the water. The sad part is, I update the apps and barely notice any of the “updates”. If the updates aren’t significant, why not wait to notify users?
Why isn’t the device higher on the list? Again, Outlook/Exchange integration primarily. Add to that there is a lot of basic functionality that is either lacking or that I just don’t care for (who decided black background and white text was the way to go on these???), plus the poor sync capabilities to the laptop (getting data on and off the phone), and this doesn’t go any higher on my list.
Blackberry Bold 9900/9930
Yes, last but not least, the Blackberry is still on the list. Why? The Bold 9900/9930 is the best device RIM has ever produced. The display is incredible, battery life is still what you expect from RIM, fully integrated inbox with all notifications in one place, very tight, full, secure integration with Exchange, and overall functionality. Apps are probably my biggest disappointment, but you can read all my other comments here.
Conclusion
There you have it. My top 5. Yes, I know. What an idiot right? Putting Windows Phone at the top of the list? Are you kidding me? It has what, like 5% of the market? No way it will ever beat Apple or Google. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Everyone has the primary reasons they choose the phones they carry. For me, I need Exchange/Outlook to work on my phone, and work well. Windows Phone isn’t popular. Will it ever be? Who knows. Once Mango is out, and new phones are available, time will tell. I’m really hoping the Microsoft chooses to continue to develop and invest in the platform. I think they are definitely headed in the right direction. Give them a year and we’ll see what happens.
I thought I would post a quick update on the testing I’ve done on the new Blackberry’s being released over the next month or so (9810, 9900/9930, 9300/9330, 9850/9860). I’m really disappointed. If RIM, in my opinion, does not change something, and fast, they are at risk of losing even more market share. Here’s why:
- Blackberry OS 7 should have been named Blackberry 6.5. There aren’t significant enough changes to the OS, the UI, the functionality or the apps to make an OS change. View it similar to Microsoft going from Windows Mobile 6.1 to 6.5. It’s NOT OS 7, even though they named it that. I call it somewhat enhanced from a few years ago, certainly not a major upgrade.
- Lack of apps. Most Blackberry users I know (me included) are asking for more apps. Blackberry OS 7 took a bad turn and most apps that I use just won’t install. So, not only was I limited before with what the phone can do, I’m more limited now. The App Store won’t let the apps install on OS 7 so I’m left with a device that has even less it can do. Let’s hope they fix that quickly.
- The apps that do work are poor compared to their iPhone or Android counterparts. Poor design, poor functionality, poor UI (and most much slower).
- Devices are still sluggish, which leads me to believe it’s an OS issue. The devices have more RAM and storage and faster processor, but the devices still lag when pressing icons. Some of the delays are very noticeable.
- Top-notch security? I keep hearing this over and over again but quite frankly, I don’t get it. Yes, it provides secure corporate email and policies can be enforced. No question on that at all. It’s probably the most secure corporate email platform. But, and this is a big one, we’ve all heard about the consumerization of IT. There’s a blend today between corp and personal. And here’s the rub. OS 7 makes it VERY easy to get all of your data back after a remote or local wipe. After a hard reset, as soon as the device sees the carrier network, all your personal stuff comes back. If you’ve set up personal email accounts on your device in addition to corp email, that all comes back after the wipe without doing anything else. Personal email accounts, sounds, settings, wallpaper, etc. Why doesn’t the device stay dead? A wipe should be a wipe and I should be required to provide some additional authentication before service books get pushed back to my phone. Users actually have to take the additional step of killing personal data online or it will all come back. They call this top-notch security? No, it isn’t and RIM needs to fix it. Thankfully I’ve never lost a Blackberry to have to worry.
- The display is incredible, and the camera is good (both pictures and video) but again, not good enough. I was certainly hoping for more “wow” and in my opinion, it’s not there.
Yes, for you diehard Blackberry fans out there, these are definitely the best Blackberry devices made by RIM, but it’s not good enough to be the best PDA, and certainly not enough to oust Apple or Google. If they don’t come out with new, modern phones quickly, they are in trouble. From what I see, existing Blackberry users are upgrading, but I’m not seeing Android or iPhone users giving up those devices moving to a Blackberry.