Monday, November 02, 2009

Android will overtake Windows Mobile


The predictions by the Deutsche Bank is that Android will overtake Windows Mobile and become the dominant operating system for HTC, a leading smartphone manufacturer. You may not be very familiar with HTC because their phones often get rebranded as Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T phones. However, HTC is one of the largest smartphone makers and they are currently the world's #1 producer of Windows Mobile smartphones.

As I read this story in BusinessWeek magazine, I'm faced with a question inside: when will I make the switch to Android? Maybe the question isn't "when." After all, in my mind, the major question centers on Apple's iPhone. Currently, the iPhone is making some significant inroads in the world of health care. I'd be an iPhone user if I weren't stuck on Verizon. If Verizon offers the iPhone in the near future, I'd be torn between choosing the iPhone vs. Android. I already have an iPod touch, so I'm very familiar with the iPhone operating system. BlackBerry is also catching up, but I think that Android could leapfrog into a leading position if Google positions this smartphone OS strategically. I've used the BlackBerry Storm and I'm impressed by the progress that RIM is making in this space.

I've been a loyal Windows Mobile user since the old days of Windows CE and Pocket PC. I had a grayscale Windows CE PDA and moved my way up Compaq iPaqs and now to an HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone. Unless Windows Mobile 7 ends up being a complete overhaul of the current Windows Mobile operating system, Android will certainly overtake Windows Mobile. BlackBerry still has the edge over corporate users, but that is likely to change as other smartphone operating systems infiltrate the corporate arena.

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