Today's Hottest Phones: They're All Android
How quickly the world of smartphones has changed. Two years ago, a story about the best models would have featured the iPhone and some BlackBerry handsets, with Android-based phones scarcely mentioned. One year ago, the iPhone would have been front-and-center, with a mix of BlackBerry and Android phones in the supporting cast. But in 2011, Android is king, and even in the volatile world of smartphones, it seems likely to dominate for some time to come.
Tue, May 31, 2011
PC World — How quickly the world of smartphones has changed. Two years ago, a story about the best models would have featured the iPhone and some BlackBerry handsets, with Android-based phones scarcely mentioned. One year ago, the iPhone would have been front-and-center, with a mix of BlackBerry and Android phones in the supporting cast. But in 2011, Android is king, and even in the volatile world of smartphones, it seems likely to dominate for some time to come.
The Android How To Guide: Tutorials, Tips, and Updates
More mobile consumers now say that they want an Android phone than an iPhone, according to an April 2011 Nielsen survey. The difference isn't huge--31 percent for Android to 30 percent for the iPhone. But the trend looks good for the little green guy: Android's polling number has risen significantly from 26 percent in late 2010, while the iPhone's desirability has slipped slightly from 33 percent in that same period.
Slideshow: 20 Weird and Wacky Products for Android Fans
Part of the reason that Android is capturing the hearts and minds of consumers is that prospective buyers have so many Android phones to choose from. Dozens of Android phones have come out in the past year on all of the Big Four cell-phone networks (AT&T, Sprint (S), T-Mobile, and Verizon (VZ)) as well as on the smaller, prepaid carriers. Android phones range in price from $50 to $300, so whether you're on a tight budget and need a prepaid phone or you're a tech-savvy gadget freak who wants the latest and greatest features, you can find an Android phone that meets your needs.
The competition among the many companies that make Android phones is driving innovation in design, in components, and in new features and capabilities. The biggest practical advantage that Android has over its rivals involves its support of 4G networks (LTE on Verizon, HSPA+ on AT&T and T-Mobile, and WiMax on Sprint) for faster data speeds. Right now, the only phones capable of handling 4G are Android phones--and it doesn't look as though Windows Phone 7 units or BlackBerrys will be jumping aboard the 4G bandwagon anytime soon. Plenty of rumors have been swirling in the phone industry about the possibility of a 4G iPhone 5, but we haven't been able to nail down confirmed information on that front. Meanwhile, in our head-to-head tests of competing 4G Android phones, we recorded staggering performance differences between 4G and 3G data speeds on all four networks.
