iPhone, Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone: Which Suits You?

Start with what you will use it for

People often ask whether to buy a BlackBerry or an iPhone, and the answers they get tend to come from fans of one platform. The author, who had worked with BlackBerry, then used an iPhone, then Android, and tried a Windows phone, suggested asking a different question: what will you do with it?

iPhone: apps, media and games

The author pointed to the largest app and game catalogue, the Retina display and ease of use, with most people mastering it in about a day. The downsides were limited customization, glass on both sides, a high price, one of the smaller screens, multitasking that was not full multitasking, and no expandable storage or removable battery.

BlackBerry: messaging and security

BlackBerry came as a touchscreen with a slide-out keyboard, or a smaller screen with a fixed keyboard. It was praised for email, texting, BlackBerry Messenger, security and a long-lasting battery. It lacked apps and games, and the small screen was poor for photos and video.

Android: customization

Android allowed new home screens, replacement of the texting app and keyboard, custom notification sounds and widgets. Phones ranged widely in price, from $249 to $729 at the time, and often cost less on contract. The author called it one of the least user-friendly options only because the choices can overwhelm a new user, and noted that battery life was among the shortest, so a nightly charge was needed. These points were based on mid to high-end phones such as the Galaxy S II.

Windows Phone: simple and fast

The Metro design puts live tiles with missed-call and message counts on the home screen, and the system felt fast even on modest hardware. The cost was functionality: few customization options, a thin app market and a weaker camera. The author considered the platform too young at that time and recommended trying the others first.

Summary of pros and cons

Platform	Strengths	Weaknesses
iPhone	Biggest app selection, games, easy to use, good camera	Glass body, small screen, price, little customization, no expandable storage
BlackBerry	Email, messaging, security, keyboard, battery	Few apps, small screen, slower
Android	Customization, large screens, true multitasking, many phones	Battery, learning curve, pre-installed apps
Windows Phone	Fast, simple, Facebook and Xbox Live integration	Few apps, weaker hardware and camera

Still useful today

The method holds up even though the platforms do not: list your top uses, choose the phone that does those well, and ignore brand cheerleading. The author called the opinions personal and asked readers to keep discussion civil.