I said it in another post earlier today, but if you ignore the operating system, the iOS isn’t the best phone on the market hardware wise. It’s about the fifth or sixth best. If iOS was installed on a Galaxy SIII, it would trump the iPhone, if iOS was installed on a Lumia 920, it would beat the iPhone too.
In 2007, the iPhone was groundbreaking. It was just so far ahead of anything, it wasn’t even worth quantifying it, both for hardware and software. But from then on, as people started ‘inspiring’ themselves from it, the gap closed, and I think as of the iPhone 5, hardware wise, there are a handful of other phones that are superior.
But for those select phones, there is one huge problem: the OS. While the hardware has caught up and overtaken, the OS, whether it be Windows or Android, hasn’t. In fact, it hasn’t improved dramatically, if at all many would argue. It’s still, certainly in terms of functionality and user experience inferior to iOS by a long way.
And this is why I continue to use the iPhone. Its best feature is iOS. That’s the USP. I’ll admit I have considered switching to a Blackberry, only because it is, I think, the next best OS.
The iPad differs from the iPhone in that hardware wise, it is also the best tablet. Not only in terms of OS, but the hardware is also better to any other tablet out there.
Why do I say iOS is the best? Things like Siri. Its far from perfect, but when you consider what voice functionality exists on Android or Windows, it’s heaven. Maps. iOS 6 changes the game as far as Maps is concerned, and gives what seems to be a much better app than Google Maps or the Windows Phone version. And of course how could you forget all the other apps. The way they look, feel and act just seems more natural.
What I’ve just said is textbook Apple fanboy. And as far as some things, like iOS, there’s no denying that I am one. But it really is true. There’s no other way of putting it. It’s all about the user experience, and with iOS, Apple nails it.
iOS carries the iPhone above the competition, but at the same time it’s a shame. It would be great to see an iPhone that’s as good as a Lumia 920 from a hardware perspective (in terms of new and exciting features), as that would really seal the deal. Complete domination, both hardware and software, like Apple had in 2007. And it is not by slow and steady upgrades that this is done. It’s by every once in a while releasing one groundbreaking product.
