So, my iPhone 4 is up for a replacement pretty soon and I’m considering my options.
The new iPhone 5 is rumored to appear this year and I’m pretty curious for the specs and the design. I’ve always been very happy about my iPhone. Sure, it has some drawbacks, the design is fragile, the battery life is terrible, but the camera is fantastic, the UX is first amongst it’s equals and the amount of apps/the quality of those apps is unsurpassed.
Android isn’t bad, but I just don’t like it for some reason. Is it the UX? Is it the design of the phones? I can’t say, it doesn’t appeal to me.
But now there’s Windows Phone 7.5, better known as Mango. Boy oh boy. Sleek UX, seamless integration with Lync/Exchange/e.a. Social networks are integrated right within the address book, creating circles of meaningful people, family or coworkers for example, and getting updates from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter specifically from those people. Information Rights Management built right in, just as Office 365 and OneNote.
And yet, I’m still not convinced. Several reasons are holding me back.
First off, the amount of apps available. Several apps that I use regularly on my iPhone are not (yet?) available on the Marketplace. Sure, it’s just a matter of time but I want instant gratification! Are there actually developers working on the new platform, I sometimes wonder.
Second, the amount of information from Microsoft is scarce. I’ve got several songs from the iTunes store, Microsoft doesn’t tell you if you’re able to carry them with you to your new phone. Such info would be very handy for users in doubt, such as myself. In an ideal world, the iTunes music store would be available from any brand of phone, but that day is not even close.
Come on Microsoft, make a good case and convince me to buy a phone with your newest mobile OS. Otherwise, I’ll just stick with iPhone and wait for the “5th” incarnation.