There was a time when the iPhone was the undisputed king of smartphones. While it still outsells, there are several competitors that can match the iPhone and even surpass it in capability. This leads to the debate: is the iPhone still the best smartphone? That question may not have a definitive answer. Depending on who you ask, it could be answered with a resounding yes or a resounding no. To shed some light on this debate, we need to look at the differences between the iPhone and its competitors.
There are some obvious advantages that make the iPhone so popular. First, Apple has set the standard when it comes to apps. There is no comparison with the App Store. Since its launch in July 2008, there have been more than 15 billion downloads of more than 425,000 apps available on the App Store. Match that success with the success of iTunes, and those two things alone are enough for customers to choose the iPhone over the competition.
Backed by an easy-to-use interface and quality specs, it’s no wonder the iPhone stands head and shoulders above its competition.
The most obvious competitors to the iPhone are available on the Android operating system. Samsung, Google and HTC are just a few of the big names threatening the iPhone’s dominance. In order to eat up some of Apple’s market share, these companies have had to step up their game for attention. They have not failed to deliver. With the increasing capabilities of the Android operating system, they have become a rival to the iPhone.
Samsung’s best phone right now is the Galaxy S II. One instant advantage this phone has over the iPhone is its processor. The Galaxy features a 1GHz dual-core processor, surpassing the power of rival Apple. With a larger screen and more RAM, this phone is certainly attracting attention (and users!) from the iPhone.
The Nexus S is Google’s (co-developed by Samsung) latest effort in the smartphone battle. The phone itself is very similar to the iPhone in specifications. Both have 512 MB of RAM, 16 GB of storage and 1 GHz processors. Like Apple, Google is known for offering a quality product. From the name and specs alone, this phone is a worthy opponent.
The last phone we’ll see is the HTC Sensation. As the name suggests, this phone is going all out in an effort to conquer the iPhone. Like the Galaxy II S, this phone is also equipped with a dual-core processor, a larger screen and more RAM, all better than Apple’s. Between the Sensation and the Galaxy, they may take market share from the iPhone, but they will also take market share from each other.
Ultimately, it’s impossible to say that the iPhone is the best standalone smartphone on the market. There are too many factors that make one phone superior to another and they can differ from person to person. So while it’s definitely the best for some, it’s not the best for everyone.