As a (self-proclaimed) gadget enthusiast, I am often asked by friends and colleagues about my recommendations for phones, tablets or computers. Of course, I have my biases driven by personal experiences (good & bad), but I always try to provide an objective analysis of various options. Ultimately, gadgets are a matter of personal choice. Different gadgets appeal to different use cases / preferences... knowing how to distinguish them can help make a better decision. In this post, I share my thoughts about the smartphone world. There are four major platform choices for smartphones (and tablets): Android (with Samsung phones leading the charge plus HTC & Motorola/Google); iOS (iPhones 5, 4S and 4); Blackberry (several models) and Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia leading the pack; Samsung & others).
There are two major factors that contribute to a platform: Experience and Eco-system. Once you are hooked into an experience & eco-system mix, it is tough to move away. Experience is difficult to define; can be considered as the sum-total of various features (hardware, software and design) that you feel while using a phone/device. Most Blackberry users swear by the (almost unique) keyboard experience or the tight email integration with corporate mail servers. Samsung Galaxy S3 users might be wowed by the sleek, beautiful form-factor (in spite of the large screen) and its intelligent camera. Eco-system could be the content, applications and accessories that surround the device, as well as the other people with whom you are able to engage with using the device. BBM is a huge eco-system draw for Blackberry; iTunes content or paid apps may play that role for the iPhone. An eco-system not only creates unique value (and adds to the experience) but also creates exit barriers. You will lose (money, connections, content, etc.) if you move away from that platform. Therefore, it's easy to see why I would almost never move away from the iPhone... I am too heavily invested in that platform (paid content & apps, tight integration with my iPad & Mac, iCloud, etc.) to seek an alternative. I will overlook Apple's flaws or shortcomings because the overall value to me is still greater. Of course, were Apple to screw up big-time, there would be net positive value to churn out.. So, if you are already "wedded" to an experience & eco-system, then the smartphone choice is obvious -- the next iteration of your current phone or another model from within the same platform. On the other hand, if you haven't made a particular choice yet (or looking for a new platform), then I encourage people to look at both the aspects of experience & eco-system. Don't just go by popular perception or the outward brilliance of a device's appearance... ideally, try to experience the alternatives for a while before you plonk $500-800 on a new phone. And remember, there is really no one perfect (or best) phone out there... all of them have several gaps; all of them have many wonderful features. The smart choice is the one that works best for you. Parting thoughts: Another important factor that you may want to look at -- resale value. If you like to use the latest gadgets in town but don't want to blow your fortune away, you have to become good at recycling your investments. Gadgets lose value very quickly... my Lumia 800 lost almost 40% value within months of purchase (partly because Nokia cut prices by 15-20% immediately after my purchase!!). The Blackberry doesn't retain much value either, because the older models are available at heavy discounts in the primary market. I have never owned an Android phone, so I can't speak to its resale market. The best of the lot, in my experience, is the iPhone. My iPhone 4, even two years after purchase, is likely to fetch nearly 50% value. Post-script: Based on the experience / eco-system framework, there's one great company which is not yet in the smartphone business -- Amazon. If anyone can challenge Apple (today) in terms of user experience and building platforms, it is Amazon. There are several rumours about an Amazon smartphone; I think it's just a matter of time. (Disclosure: I have been using an iPhone since 4 years; I replaced my Blackberry with a Nokia Lumia (800 first & now 900) earlier this year.)