We are becoming very dependent on our mobile devices. They are being used on a daily basis for communications, getting tasks done and even for entertainment.
Google has a nice video here to give you an insight of how important the mobile devices are becoming.
Mobile devices comes in many different shapes and styles, but I think what is more important than the hardware is its operating system.
Symbian
Dead! I have used Symbian ever since I got my first mobile. They were the best back then and until just recently. But Nokia had to make a change and now they are tied with Windows Phone 7.
Android
Pretty much a copy cat! Maybe this is a bit harsh, but this what I really think. Of course I mean copying iOS. Same grid of icons style and many other things. The only cool thing I see about Android is how easy it is to customize everything. Heck, I can even replace the SMS app! Which personally never thought of it before. At the end I feel it is clunky and more geek oriented. Not very much for the normal user. Many analysis companies predicting its dominance in the future. In my opinion that is because it is free. Free for the hardware companies to install it on their devices. Which make them able of shipping many kinds of hardware with Android system. Still, I don’t like the user experience with it.
As for developing for Android you use sort of Java. Probably will use Eclipse or what ever IDE you like.
Coming from .NET development, I didn’t like it! The IDE compared to Visual Studio is just lame.
Windows Phone 7
I was so excited when I heard Microsoft are working on a new version of their mobile system which will be done from scratch. And I think they delivered. They came out with a unique design and user experience. They didn’t just imitate other operating systems! You really feel that they had researchers who worked to study each aspect of it. For example, you can see here how they had a team to research the best way to make a virtual on screen keyboard.
Windows Phone 7 now is still a version 1 which means it still lacks some stuff and behind more mature operating systems such as Android and iOS. Also seems to have restrictions on developers more than what iOS had when it was out.
As Microsoft promised in Mix 11 event, all of these issues will be address with Mango update which is probably coming out on September 2011.
As for developing for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft got the best tools for it, and they are free!
Microsoft is mainly a software company, so I think they got the best developing tools.
Windows Phone 7 has a bright future in my opinion.
iOS
Smooth, currently best user experience, mature. That’s it!
I think Apple are truly innovators. They ask for premium prices, but in exchange they give you delicious hardware and great user experience.
