Choosing the right mobile phone is not easy. There is no simple answer to the question: “which operating system is the best?” What is working with phones running Android like, and how does it differ from using Windows Mobile? There are four types of systems powering modern smartphones on the market, but two of them account for more than 90 percent of the market: Android, designed by Google, and iOS, owned by Apple. The third and least popular is Windows Phone, created by Microsoft. The differences between them come down to our individual preferences.
iOS – expensive but secure
Each system has a different degree of closedness. What does this mean? Above all, we must take into account the relationship between the manufacturer and the developer of the operating system. Apple, currently the most popular smartphone manufacturer, created its own software for managing the iPhone, called iOS. Its main advantage—and at the same time its drawback—is the very high degree of dependence on the company. On the one hand, this guarantees full security (as well as access to updates) through the lack of unauthorized applications; on the other, it significantly limits the scope for customizing the system according to our preferences. By choosing the latest iPhone, we give up the possibility of fully controlling the system.
Android – popular and compatible
Android’s architecture allows anyone to create an application and give it unlimited functionality. There are no barriers or guidelines imposed by the manufacturer. Google’s system can boast a huge number of different software applications. Android currently controls almost 80 percent of the entire market, making it the most popular operating system in the world (GSM comparison on Komórkomat.pl makes it easier to choose the model that interests us). Despite the differences between individual editions of Android, resulting from adaptations made by manufacturers (e.g. Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay), the system core itself and the number of configuration options remain the same. Full integration with a Google account enables easy access to our mailbox, the Chrome browser (including transferring bookmarks, history, etc.), and online documents.
Windows – attractive but limited
Windows Mobile is currently the least popular operating system. It was created by the American company Microsoft. The main idea behind bringing computer Windows to smartphones was to combine two worlds: the traditional one, represented by PCs, and a mobile solution. The biggest problem with Windows Mobile is the small number of available applications and the limited distribution to just a few models available on the market—mainly those made by Microsoft. Its advantages include its appearance, derived from the interface known from personal computers: the tiles look impressive and are easy for a beginner smartphone user to learn.
On the internet, we can find many studies analyzing the differences between individual operating systems. Windows Phone or Android? iOS or Google’s solution? Each of us has to answer this question for ourselves.
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