iPhone OS 4 versus Windows Phone 7: the tale of the tape
So now that Apple's finally addressed (well, sort of addressed) the 800-pound gorilla known as multitasking, it's time to take a good, hard look at how iPhone OS 4 stacks up against Redmond's completely redesigned mobile monster that's destined to hit handsets toward the end of the year. Though the two companies have taken vastly different paths to get to where they are with their mobile strategies today, there are some striking similarities between the platforms; take that multitasking we already mentioned, for example -- both iPhone OS and Windows Phone are looking to keep processor and battery utilization to a minimum by putting the emphasis on managed services for background apps rather than just letting them run roughshod over your fragile hardware. Of course, there are some striking differences, too -- so let's have a look, shall we?
iPhone  | iPhone  | Windows  | Windows  |
Kernel Type | OS X | OS X | Windows CE 6 | Windows CE 5 |
Platform Adaptability | Good | Good | Good | Excellent |
Platform Age | Adolescent | Adolescent | Young | Mature |
First-party Enterprise Support | Exchange | Exchange | Exchange | Exchange |
Wireless Tech | GSM, WiFi | GSM, WiFi | GSM, CDMA, WiFi | GSM, CDMA, WiFi |
Screen Gestures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
Screen Tech | Capacitive | Capacitive | Capacitive | Capacitive / Resistive |
Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
UI skinning | Limited | No | No | Yes |
Input methods | Virtual / external keyboards | Virtual keyboard only | Virtual / physical keyboards | Virtual / physical keyboards, T9 / triple tap, character recognition |
Notification style | Modal pop-up, icon badge | Modal pop-up, icon badge | Unobtrusive banner / pop-up | Modal pop-up |
Contact integration / management | Exchange ActiveSync, Mac OS Address Book, Google Sync | Exchange ActiveSync, Mac OS Address Book, Google Sync | Exchange ActiveSync, Google Sync | Exchange ActiveSync, Google Sync, Domino, BlackBerry |
Multitasking | Limited / managed | No | Limited / managed | Yes |
Copy / paste | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Media support / ecosystem | iTunes | iTunes | Zune | None |
Global search | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Firmware updates | Tethered | Tethered | Tethered, OTA | Tethered, limited OTA |
Browser Engine | WebKit | WebKit | Trident (IE) | Trident (IE) |
Tethering | Yes (varies by carrier) | Yes (varies by carrier) | Unknown | Yes |
Stereo Blutooth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SDK Availability / Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Official App Store | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
App Availability | High | High | Low (unreleased) | Medium |
Native Applications | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Unsigned Applications | No | No | No | Yes |
On-Device App Management | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
