Windows Phone 7 vs iOS 4
Old enemies, new war
You can bet that one question pops up more than any other in the minds of punters who have wandered into mobile phone shops over the last couple of weeks enquiring after Windows Phone 7 handsets: how does it compare with iPhone?
But while Microsoft would be more than happy to snap sales off Apple, Windows Phone 7's main target doesn't appear to be iPhone.
Indeed, though Series 7 doesn't take the open approach of Android in terms of operating system, the way it enables OEMs to differentiate themselves and carriers to operate their own sections on Windows Marketplace demonstrates a degree of openess that Apple has had no intention of entertaining.
An iPhone wannabe this is not. As such, trying to judge its performance against iOS is almost like comparing a bus with riding a scooter: they're both forms of travel but neither is really in competition with the other.
Except, in one important respect, they are. There's only room in your pocket for one smartphone, so which one should you get?
Round 1: The games
Given that you're reading this article on Pocket Gamer, there's a fair chance you're interested in games.
Few mobile platforms can compete with iPhone on that score, even though Microsoft should be praised for managing to get so many titles on board from day one – flicking through Windows Marketplace at launch was a surprisingly lengthy process.
Regardless, there's no way it can hope to compete with the tens of thousands of titles currently sitting on the App Store in a couple of weeks.
That said, of the Xbox Live-branded games currently available, Microsoft hasn't skimped on quality. Big blockbuster releases – in mobile terms – like The Harvest show the ambition the giant has for its new OS.
As things stand, however, you'd be hard pressed convincing any gamer that Windows Phone 7 is the platform to go for right now. The numbers don't lie. Chalk this one down to iOS.
Windows Phone 7 0-1 iOS 4
Round 2: The user interface
If there's one thing more than any other you notice about Windows Phone 7, it's how different the UI is compared with other platforms.
Stripped back, the 'tiles' aren't all too different to standard app icons – tapping them naturally loading the app in question – but it's the live nature of them that makes them stand out.
Watching pictures of your contacts flash away on the home screen is a small but engaging measure that sets Windows Phone 7 apart from the competition.
On a more practical level, its integration with Facebook is its biggest advantage over iOS – browsing through your contacts is an unprecedented experience on mobile, their posts, pictures, and activities all gathered together in one stream feels like a genuine step forward.
As does the general level of presentation throughout, both in terms of Microsoft's own apps and those offered by third parties.
Indeed, the general design principles behind Windows Phone 7 are second to none – simple things, such as the way it displays emails with each user's picture and name mounted above, through to the way everything links up – from Bing search, to maps, to the surprisingly quick and robust Internet Explorer.
Of course, most of these qualities – at least in a functional sense – also apply to iOS. The primary difference between the two is how the presentation of Windows Phone 7 makes Apple's platform look visually antiquated.
Picking between the two from an aesthetic viewpoint is arguably a matter of taste, but there's no denying that this is one area where the new kid has the upper hand over the past master.
Windows Phone 7 1-1 iOS 4
Round 3: The online networks
The launch of Game Center on iOS hasn't caused the stir we expected. Though the list of titles that tap into the network is growing by the week, its implementation is rather bland.
In contrast, one of the major successes of Microsoft's Xbox business over the last eight years is Xbox Live. Its online network is unparalleled on consoles, and its appearance on Windows Phone 7 is a major feather in the platform's cap.
At the moment, however, its implementation isn't quite the finished article. Though its achievements system is nicely realised and will be especially familiar to any Xbox 360 owners, online play – though promised – is yet to feature in any of its line-up.
As such, this is a hard battle to call. Game Center is far from ideal – arguably outdone in terms of presentation and community by iPhone's leagues of third-party networks. And Xbox Live obviously has the potential to blow it out of the water in the long term, with cross play with XBLA games on Xbox 360 a major advantage. However, as things stands, this one is even stevens.
Windows Phone 7 2-2 iOS 4
Round 4: Hardware
This, for many, may well be the deciding factor between the two platforms, but it's also one of the most difficult to determine.
For starters, all iPhone handsets are manufactured by Apple and, aside from a few retailers still selling the 3GS, there's just one model available. In stark contrast, there are several OEMs behind Series 7 devices, most of which have produced more than one handset aimed at a range of different consumers.
Given that iPhone 4 pitches itself as a high end smartphone, it's probably best to compare it to the two Windows Phone 7 devices aimed at a similar market – HTC's HD7, and Samsung's Omnia 7.
This doesn't necessarily make it any easier to discern a winner, however.
In terms of screens, the initial take would be that iPhone 4's 640x960, 3.5-inch IPS LCD screen is top of the class, but, as many commentators have pointed out post release, high resolution doesn't necessarily mean the best screen.
For starters, though iPhone 4's extra pixels mean individual pixels aren't discernible, it does so almost to the point of lunancy - offering up a crisp clarity that goes beyond the abilities of the human eye.
The Omnia 7's 480x800, 4.0-inch AMOLED screen is the brightest on offer here with the best contrast, making it many analyst's favourite Windows Phone 7 handset available.
However, while HTC's HD7 has a dullest screen on offer, it's also the largest, meaning this is a contest that comes down to personal choice – each screen has its merits.
Likewise, the Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz processor both the HD7 and Omnia 7 sport is just as competent as iPhone 4's 1GHz A4 processor – both CPUs are capable of handling 720p video and 3D graphics.
As final evidence of this apparent stalemate, when you look at the relative features of each handset, differentiation is hard to come by. iPhone 4's trump card, perhaps, is its gyro sensor, though it's questionable just how many games have made this indispensable to date.
It's also worth remembering that 3GS owners running iOS 4 don't have access to it, either.
On the other side of the coin, both the HD7 and Omnia 7 have radios – something the iPhone 4 lacks.
Whether this is important will vary from user to user, of course, as will the addition of a front-facing camera on iPhone 4, primarily used for FaceTime. Windows Phone 7 handsets come with just one camera, although Microsoft would no doubt argue the sheer speed at which it can be equipped gives its platform the advantage.
The one factor that just might tip the balance for most is the quality of iPhone 4's main camera. A direct comparison between shots taken on all three devices reveals crisper, brighter pictures on iPhone 4 (see below), despite all three cameras coming with a similar, 5MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash (dual for the HTC7) setup.
Round 5: Longevity Apple is a master at whipping up crowds of journalists into a frenzy over the most menial of iOS announcements. While the updates continue to roll in, since the launch of the App Store it's fair to say the only major addition to iOS has been multitasking, which – admittedly - makes the platform a somewhat different entity to all previous versions. Nevertheless, it's an OS showing its age. Visually, the once minimal style of iOS now looks plain as it heads towards the end of its fourth year, with its simple style of lining up app icons in rows copied by scores of its rivals. Indeed, squint while you hold a Galaxy S running Android 2.2 – without any operator add-ons – and you could almost mistake it for iOS. Kudos to Microsoft, then, for taking what some might see as a stab in the dark. There's no escaping the fact that Windows Phone 7 looks and feels like a different beast from every other OS out there, doing away with the uniform approach of iOS and its competitors to deliver a social phone, with a focus on personalisation. The screen is alive at all times, whether it's your Xbox Live avatar popping into view, or the simple sweep the OS gives any contacts you place on the home screen – tiles flowing from picture to name and back again throughout. It may seem like an inconsequential matter, but the constant movement not only yearns for your attention, but it also makes you more inclined to show it off. Like driving a brand new sports car, popping a Windows Phone 7 handset out of your pocket is likely to incite the exact same fascination within anyone in the vicinity as the original iPhone did at launch. This is an OS that, despite its faults (the current lack of copy and paste the most prominent) changes the rules regarding both how an OS should look and how we should use it. Most exciting is the fact that this is just the first step – the potential within Windows Phone 7 to grow beyond its current setup – perhaps even to tablets – is undeniable and, perhaps controversially, means it picks up a point at iOS's expense. Windows Phone 7 3-3 iOS 4
Verdict
What comparing Windows Phone 7 with iOS 4 proves more than anything is that the current battle between the smartphones on our shop shelves is an entirely different one from the kind of contest we're used to. Microsoft's decision to impose a series of specs on manufacturers and the fact Apple holds all control over iPhone handsets means the phones themselves are somewhat inconsequential. The kind of purchase decisions we might have made five years ago over which network to go with, what package to pick up, and what handset to opt for are now archaic. Signing up for a smartphone essentially means deciding which platform holder you want to bet on. Plump for iPhone, and not only do you tie yourself to iOS, but you also sign up for iTunes and the App Store. Likewise, anyone who picks up a Series 7 device will find themselves equally chained to Zune – Microsoft's more than adequate iTunes alternative. Smartphones in 2010 are more than mere mobiles. They're windows into an ecosystem of apps and media and, as long as the devices in question are equipped with the hardware to cope, determining which one is best comes down to personal choice. Extra time needed!
If you disagree with the results of one or more of the rounds above, then your decision has effectively been made for you. Think iOS 4 still looks fresh? Then iPhone is the phone for you. Conversely, if the games on Windows Marketplace have already caught your eye, then the idea that iPhone's library outclasses Microsoft's is null and void. Handsets and operating systems are converging in terms of what they're capable of. Picking one over the other is simply a question of which ecosystem you're most comfortable investing in, and when it comes to Windows Phone 7 and iOS 4, neither is a loser.
HTC HT7
iPhone 4
