Another take: Android is the future

Choosing what phone to purchase is one of the toughest choices one has to make. Saddled with three-year contracts you have to make the right pick.
For that reason I couldn’t stand by and allow this debate to revolve solely around BlackBerry versus iPhone. My friends, there is a third way: Google Android.

I was a BlackBerry carrier for over two years. Over time I grew tired of it. Being on call 24/7 through BlackBerry Messenger was exhausting and I wasn’t a big fan of waiting ten minutes for a page to load in the browser and the endless stream of glitches. The choice was difficult — most of my friends were on BlackBerry and I grew attached to the QWERTY keyboard. But I demanded better.

The Apple iPhone presented itself as an option, but I was skeptical. The e-mail functionality was abysmal and most of the apps seemed very unnecessary.
The cost was high for a lot of functions I would never use. My concern was practicality and I felt the iPhone was more an expensive toy than anything else.
And to be frank, I hate Apple products.

Apple marks up its prices simply because of the brand and has a cult following of hipsters who think they are cool and chic. Thanks, but no thanks.

Then I was introduced to Android and my life changed for the better. The great thing about Android is that it is just the operating system, so you can choose the individual phone from a specific company that suits you.

Personally, I am a big fan of HTC, but Samsung, Motorola and others also have top quality phones each with their own strengths. Most of the top-of-the-line phones have operating speed and screen quality that more than rival the iPhone 4 and beat the hell out of any BlackBerry.

Concerned about practicality, I was looking for a phone with decent e-mail functionality. Luckily Android has push Gmail, which means I lose little of what was offered on the BlackBerry.

Other e-mail accounts are pull, but no one takes you seriously with a hotmail account anyway, so you might as well get rid of it. Web browsing is a breeze — gone are the days of endless waiting for the BlackBerry browser to load and although the Torch is better than previous BlackBerrys, it still lags behind most smartphones on the market.

The reality is RIM is on the decline and Apple’s growth is slowing in the market. Android effectively blends the practical and business side of a smartphone with consumer-friendly elements unlike both its competitors. Android is the future — might as well get on board.

2010 Smartphone market share

41% Android market share among new smartphone subscribers

27% Apple market share among new smartphone subscribers

19% RIM market share among new smartphone subscribers