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Head to Head: iPhone 4 vs Windows Phone 7 vs Android

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By Clare Hopping, 19 Oct 2010

We compare the features of the three major smartphone operating systems, iOS4, Windows Phone 7 and Android, to see which is best-suited for business use. Our findings may surprise you.

The once-common sight of businessmen on their BlackBerrys is changing. With the introduction of the iPhone, Android and now Windows Phone 7, there are more choices than ever if you’re looking for a business smartphone. We compare Windows Phone 7, Android and Apple's iOS to see which mobile operating system is the best for businesses.

Email/Exchange support
Windows Phone 7, iOS4 and Android all have Exchange support using Microsoft's ActiveSync connecting technology, but which is the best for delivering push email on time and managing your schedule?

Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7 inbox One would expect at least a competent email app from a Microsoft smartphone operating system and that’s what you’ll find in Windows Phone 7. Integrated within the Office Hub, Outlook email allows you to sync your email, calendars and contacts. It’s quick to set up and supports multiple Exchange accounts, unlike Windows Mobile.

The Outlook application works as one would expect. It’s simple to manipulate multiple emails, either to delete them, mark them as read or flag them for later follow up.

If you have multiple email accounts and calendars, these can be viewed in a unified inbox and unified calendar view respectively. Alternatively, you can switch between accounts by swiping to the left and right. Security-conscious users will be pleased by the ability to remotely wipe them if the phone is lost.

Android
Android 2.2 has significantly improved email and Exchange features compared to previous versions of Google's smartphone operating system. Exchange calendars and address books are now supported, as is remote wiping.

Multiple Exchange accounts have been supported since the introduction of Android 2.0, but there’s still no option to have a unified inbox to view multiple email account inboxes in one place. Although unified inboxes don't suit everyone, it would still be good to have the option.

Like the iPhone, SSL is supported. If your accounts support this technology, account passwords can be encrypted instead of being sent across the internet as plain text where they could be intercepted by villains, closing a potential security hole.

iOS4
Unlike previous versions of Apple's groundbreaking smartphone operating system, iOS4 now supports multiple Exchange accounts. Remote wiping, using either Exchange ActiveSync or Apple's paid-for MobileMe service is available. There’s also a unified inbox so you can view all of your email inboxes on one screen.

If you have multiple email accounts, all of your inboxes are displayed at the top of the Mail application's window, while the accounts are displayed at the bottom. Tapping on an account shows you all of your other folders as they appear on your computer.

The Edit mode makes it easy to archive, move or delete emails whether you're using the unified inbox or not. There’s no option to set a priority when composing emails though and you can't mark emails for later follow up.

Winner: Windows Phone 7

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3 comments

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User interface and customisation

You awarded a partial win to Apple in the category for customization? Are you serious? WinPho7 may not allow you to change your home screen drastically but you can pin just about anything to it (including contacts). I would call that a tie between Android and Windows.

By FaceDog on Tuesday Oct 19

Symbian-powered / Nokia business smartphones

@Claire Hopping:
I read your article with a lot of interest. However, I was extremely surprised to see that you had omitted the world’s leading operating system – Symbian – which powers a wide range of business smartphones from Nokia, namely the enterprise-grade Eseries devices.

Email/Exchange support: Nokia smartphones have Exchange support using the ActiveSync protocol, giving users real-time access to their email, calendar, contacts and company address book. Other features include full folder support, support for up to 10 email accounts including Exchange, and viewing multiple email account inboxes in one place. Nokia business smartphones feature one other key Microsoft enterprise feature not available in other operating systems (other than Microsoft’s own OS of course) – Office Communicator Mobile, which was designed, developed and tested by Microsoft.

By combining the global leadership in mobility and business applications, as well as enterprise experience and consumer understanding, Nokia and Microsoft will jointly design new user experiences for future Nokia smartphones. The result will be ground-breaking, enterprise grade solutions designed to better meet the future needs of mobile professionals.

Applications and productivity: Nokia’s Ovi Store sees more than 2.3 million downloads per day. 70 developers and publishers have surpassed the million download mark for their content in the Ovi Store. According to other publications (Oct 1), Nokia has overtaken RIM in daily app downloads. While references are quickly made to the number of apps in each of the other manufacturers’ stores, there is little mention about the types of apps for business smartphone users. Nokia’s Ovi Store features applications which enhance productivity (Mail for Exchange, Office Communicator, Battery Extender, Quickoffice, Adobe Reader, Quickoffice Premier, Advanced Call Manager), applications which are relevant for travel, business and security (AccuWeather, WorldMate, Psiloc World Traveler, F-Secure Anti-Theft for Mobile, HandyWi, Boingo, JoikuSpot, Currencies, Here and Now, Career Manager), and applications for social networking (Facebook, Gravity, Socially).

Sharepoint mobile web access is also available on Nokia business smartphones (E71, E72, E52), and is also available on the new Symbian^3 smartphones, including the currently-shipping N8 and C7.

Nokia business smartphones (and other Nokia devices) also come with Ovi Maps, which gives the user access to free voice-guided navigation and additional features in 78 navigable countries, 19 countries with traffic info, 69 countries with pedestrian navigation, 46 languages. Furthermore, preloaded and side-loaded maps virtually eliminate network use for navigation, making Ovi Maps cost effective for business and personal use.

User interface and customization: The new Symbian^3 smartphones have three homescreens and feature up to 24 widgets, bookmarks and shortcuts. The user interface enables live messaging (email and IM), and live social networking from Facebook, Twitter and other popular social networks, and also a wide range of other mini-applications direct from the homescreen.

Security: Nokia Eseries business smartphones feature a robust range of security policies and are also compatible with third-party applications for security and device management. Nokia Eseries devices meet Exchange ActiveSync’s baseline security controls and key policies including enhanced password, device lock, encryption with device and remote control lock/wipe. Locating misplaced devices is possible with F-Secure or other applications.

Another useful feature for business smartphone users that’s prevalent in Nokia devices is tethering, so that the phone can be used as a modem when a WiFi connection is not readily available.

With all these features that are available on a range of enterprise-grade smartphones, and more, it would be remiss to omit Nokia and the Symbian OS from your comparison of operating systems and devices suited for business use.

The Nokia E7, also featuring the Symbian^3 OS, will begin selling before the end of the year. It features a 4-inch screen with ClearBlack display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and tilting screen, HDMI port, USB-On-The-Go (a feature that’s unique to Nokia), and brings with it the best of Nokia’s enterprise features.

If you are interested, a Nokia product manager in the UK will be able to meet with you so that you will be able to familiarise yourself with some of the new Symbian^3 smartphones, especially the Nokia E7, and their features.

Dinesh Subramaniam
Communications
Nokia

By dineshsubramaniam on Wednesday Oct 20

What about fundamental phone features

Yet again you have a review that seems to ignore some fundamental features that essential for basic phone use.

What about voice dialling?
I have found that Android's voice recognition seems quite poor. By contrast even with hundreds of contacts Microsoft's Voice Command even on very old WM phones has been both accurate and quite fast.

Remarkably voice dialling capabilities via bluetooth have n't been supported until the latest Android release !
How crazy is that ?

A smartphone O/S with lots of marketing hype that didn't support voice dialling !

With Apple there is then the question of proprietary tie-in.

If you are to use your phone for music also do you really want to be tied in to Apple formats?

For those wanting higher music quality, as the capacity od mobile devices increases and prices reduce higher audio quality via Flac for example becomes a desirable feature. This is a device specific feature and not O/S unless your looking at Apple. A few good smartphones now support Flac (Samsung Galaxy S and Blackberry Torch spring to mind) and for me it would be good if all manufactureres did so as standard.

So in summary I do wish that more smartphone reviews properly tested the important features and capabilities that people really use and require as must haves rather than looking at availability of thousands of apps that they'll never use.

By nable on Friday Oct 22