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Android

iPhone 3GS

Operating System (OS) made by:

Google, Open Handset Alliance (mostly cellphone manufacturers), and the Open Source community. Versions of Android are still being released by Google. It is open source but it is still under strong guidance from Google. It is not the wild wild west.

Proprietary to Apple.

Only Apple can make changes to the OS.

Processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit):

Depending on manufacturer, from 500 MHz ARM Cortex A8 to 528 MHz Qualcomm processor to 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512 MB of processor’s RAM (found in Nexus One). This is almost twice the power and speed of the iPhone’s processor.

Samsung S5PC100 ARM Cortex-A8 clocked at 600 MHz with 256 MB of processor‘s RAM.

Hardware design:

HTC, Sony, Motorola,  Samsung, LG, Dell, Archos, Acer, Asus, and growing. Click here for the list of many Android phones (pictures and specification).  This is one significant advantage over iPhone: CHOICES.

Only one choice: from Apple.

Application software:

Open. More than 20,000 apps (December, 2009) and rapidly increasing as more phones are being introduced and more adoption by the public. This is incredible considering that most Android phones did not even come out until October of 2009. Just look at the timeline.

This comparison should not even be listed. Microsoft’s Windows platform has perhaps billions of apps. Do Windows user install all these apps on their PC? How about a thousand of these apps? Not even close. It is better to have a few quality apps than thousands of junk apps.

Open. About 6 times more than Android at this time. Apple had a 2 year head start with the iPhone.

Apps. Store

Not limited to the ‘Android Market’ (an App Store created by Google). A few other independent app stores are springing up for Android platform as well.

Only one choice: iPhone App store.

Apps. Installation:

Installing apps is easier than iPhone. Free apps don't require a password each time you try  to install anything. You don't need iTunes. With paid Apps, you are only required to enter your info on Android Market once.

Easy, but not as easy as Android. Need iTunes the first time you activate the iPhone.

Camera resolution:

Most Android phones support a 3.2 Megapixel camera. It varies from 2 Megapixel (LG Etna) to 5 Megapixel (Motorola Droid) to 8 Megapixel on the upcoming Sony Ericsson Xperia X10).

One choice: 3 Megapixel.

Take picture in the dark:

Some phones come with built-in LED flash.

No choice, No built-in flash.

Phone Thickness:

10 mm (Archos) to 11.5 mm (HTC Nexus One) to 11.9 mm (Samsung Galaxy) to 17 mm (HTC G1 with sliding physical keyboard).

12.3 mm.

Screen size:

Depending on manufacturer, from 3.2” to 4.3” on a cellphone to 4.8” on a media tablet to 7” or larger on tablets / netbooks.

Phone: One choice, 3.5”.

(Tablet: One choice, 9.7”).

Screen resolution:

From (480 x 320) pixels to (854 × 480) pixels. This is almost twice the resolution of iPhone. Android supports multiple screen sizes and screen resolutions. A few phones support the new OLED (Organic LED) which is brighter and has a more vibrant display.

One choice: (480 x 320) pixels.

Phone carrier / network:

Depending on phone manufacturer: You can choose from T-Mobile (GSM), or Sprint (CDMA), or Verizon (CDMA). Click here to see what is available now in the U.S. market.

One choice: AT&T (GSM).

Unless you are technical minded enough to hack on it. Still, you are limited to GSM. How about CDMA networks like Verizon? No possible way.

Text Entry:

All of them have touchscreen virtual keyboard but several of them also have a slideout physical keyboard as well. Some people love the physical keyboard while others don’t. The choice is yours.

No choice, only a touch screen virtual keyboard.

GPS:

Yes since the first Android phone. There is a free Android app that allows you to do voice recognition turn-by-turn GPS navigation using Satellite and Street View. You can simply say “Navigate to the museum with the King Tut exhibit in San Francisco” and this app will figure it out for you. Don’t need specific address or go through Point-of-Interest list.

Click here to see the video demo.

Yes.

Navigation software is not as advanced as Android.

Electronic compass (hardware)

Yes, since the first Android phone, the HTC G1 in 2008.

Yes, only on the newer iPhone 3G model (starting from June 2009).

Copy and Paste feature:

Yes, since the original Android version 1.0 in 2008.

This feature is so basic and essential that even the original first generation Palm Pilot PDA (small pocket device) from 1996 (yes, over 14 years ago) supports it.

Finally on newer iPhone OS version 3.0 release in June 17, 2009. Apple was so proud of this feature that it was included on their press release presentation.

Multitasking (ability to run multiple apps at the same time):

Yes from day one, on all applications and background services. See below for specific example.

No. It can only multitask on built-in internal applications.

Notification:

Background services allow apps to have access to the notification background services. Notification bar can alert you if you have new e-mail, new Tweets on the Twitter page you have been following, or new images been added to a particular Flickr account. Not just notification, you will have instant access directly to that new information. All these made possible because Android is can fully multitasked. This one minute video will demonstrate this feature.

Only way to check if Twitter or Flickr is updated is by opening each individual apps and check it manually.

Interchangeable batteries:

Yes, depending on manufacturer.

No.

Apps development:

Easier, according to this article (July 2, 2009.

Article above is about comparing Android and iPhone development with a focus on tools, platform, and the developer’s experience.

More difficult than Android.

“Apple’s developer tools are shockingly bad by comparison” - see article on the left.

Web browser:

Android supports multiple web browser, like Opera Mini and Dolphine. Android's default browser supports Flash (like YouTube video). It also loads pages faster than Safari. No separate apps needed to view YouTube video. Dedicated YouTube app. do exist on Android. Flash enable browser is an important since it allow user to run Flash apps.

iPhone's Safari web browser does not support website using Adobe's Flash animation/video or Flash apps.

PC connection:

No proprietary software needed.

Dependent on Apple’s proprietary software iTunes just to connect and managed your iPhone. This is the same problem with iPod, and iPod Touch.

Turning ON and OFF data connection:

Just one page to turn ON or OFF bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, 3G cellular network. Fast way to conserve battery if you are not using those specific connections. This is good for security protection as well. One of Android Apps also allow you to automatically turn off Wi-Fi connection when none is available.

Use settings screen and navigate through multiple layers of options to access data connection status.

Desktop:

Uses Widgets to perform specific task like the ability to instantly read your e-mail in a single click. Supports 3 “home screens”, essentially 3 desktop space. Android 2.1 supports 5 “home screens” and an interactive live wallpaper.

Icons clutter the entire desktop of iPhone.

Personalization:

Allow user to configure the desktop look and behavior the way you want it. You can have an entirely different desktop if you wanted to.

Limited to how Apple dictates it.

Google Intergration:

Well, somewhat an unfair comparison since Google created Android. Naturally all Google's application are seamlessly integrated.

Not so good.

Multi-touch screen:

Now: Yes (official) since Feb 2, 2009.

Before: Yes and No.

Multi-touch is native to Android, just disabled for the U.S. market. Has this something to do with Apple’s copyright or is it because of the cozy relationship between Google’s top executive sharing Apple’s board of directors? This mounts to a conflict of interest to Google’s share holders and that relationship is also being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission on antitrust issues (The New York Times, August 3, 2009).

The FTC inquiry begun on May 4, 2009.

Video of Android’s multi-touch in action.

Yes

In January of 2009, Apple was planning to sue Palm over multi-touch patents. Just like in the 1980s Apple sued Microsoft over the “look and feel” of Windows. At that time Apple had no merit because the Graphical User Interface (windowing environment) was first invented by Xerox not Apple. Turned out that Apple patent for the multi-touch is also in question because they are now on the receiving end of the lawsuit by Elan Microelectronics of Taiwan for patent infringement of their multi-touch technology (The New York Times, April 8, 2009).

Google Voice:

Allows user to make a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone call over the network connection. This means you can make free long distance and extremely low International calls using local cellular or simply using a Wi-Fi connection. If you rely solely on Wi-Fi, you don't even have to pay for cellular phone bill to make phone calls. In addition to VoIP, Google Voice allows you managed your voice mail and the routing of your phone number.

Here is an article from one person’s perspective: How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice.

Google Voice app for iPhone was rejected by Apple's iPhone app store. It was rejected on July 7, 2009 (Wired Magazine).

AT&T claim that it played no role in this app getting rejected. Apple disagree.

Apple rejected it because "it appears to alter the iPhone's distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone's core mobile-telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging, and voice mail".

Apple insinuate that AT&T is not just an innocent by stander when Apple made a statement that "There is a provision in Apple's agreement with AT&T that obligates Apple not to include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&T's cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) session without obtaining AT&T's permission".

Why the FCC wants to smash open the iPhone (The Washington Post. August 1, 2009).