Smart operators, but which phone has the best software of them all?

Android Jelly Bean, Windows Phone 8 or iOS6? Getting the software right is critical for smartphones

The smartphone market has become a battleground in recent years as Google, Apple and Microsoft go head to head to win over consumers.

Apple has managed to carve out a niche for itself with the iPhone, but it’s a constant battle against the rising tide of Android handsets, which has put Google’s platform at the top of the smartphone market.

A major factor in success in the smartphone market is getting the software right. All three platforms have had updates lately: Apple rolled out iOS6 in September ahead of the iPhone 5 launch; Android Jelly Bean is available on newer Google- powered handsets, and is being slowly made available to existing customers with certain phones; and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 was unveiled a couple of weeks ago.

So how do they compare? We looked at the strengths and weaknesses of each platform to see how they stack up.

Interface

Each of the smartphone platforms takes a different approach to how users interact with the systems. With Apple, you know what you’re getting, regardless of what version of the iPhone you’re using. The iOS interface doesn’t vary much in aesthetic terms, although it has been tweaked over the years to add things like a notification centre.

The options for customisation are fairly limited. Sure, you can change the lock screen and the wallpaper but, with the exception of a few accessibility options, there is little you can do with iOS to make your own mark on it.

It’s a grid of apps, and the only significant change in recent years has been the addition of folder apps. If you open iOS 6 on an iPhone 4S and an iPhone 5, the only major difference you’re likely to see is the extra row of apps that the latest handset’s larger screen allows.

At the other end of the scale, you have Android, which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each has its own way to display the basic Android icons, and there are different widgets to allow access to certain functions on the phone.

Google’s own handsets have Google Experience overlaid on the basic Android software. Samsung has Touchwiz; HTC has Sense. Each gives the interface something unique and distinct.

That’s both an advantage and a drawback. While the phones can look very different, a poor interface can slow up the phone and make it practically unusable.

Windows Phone 8 has more or less the same features from phone to phone, but it not only has the dynamic live tiles of its predecessor, it also now lets users choose the size of the tiles on the start screen. Colour themes can be customised too.

Winner:Draw. Each system has its strengths and weaknesses here.

Messaging

Each of the phones has its own way of dealing with instant messaging, SMS and even video chats. Apple has iMessage, which can be used only between other iOS devices and the messaging app on Macs. The latest version of iOS brought in the ability to use FaceTime over 3G, a function that had previously been reserved for wifi only. Facebook and Twitter are now integrated too, so you can tweet and update your Facebook page from within iOS.

Android uses GTalk for communicating with other Android users and those who are Gmail chat-enabled. If you want to use video, you can do it over 3G or wifi without having to download a third party app. And once you download a social networking app, integration is automatic.

Out of the gate though, Windows Phone has always been big on integrating all your conversations into one place. Windows Phone 8 is no exception. Regardless of whether it is a Twitter message, a Facebook chat or a standard SMS, the People Hub on WP8 keeps all the conversations together. The new software integrates Skype and other voice over IP software into the system, giving you every choice for communicating with friends and family from within the system.

Winner: Microsoft. The People Hub just edges it.

Apps

The number of apps available on each of the platforms is growing day by day. The iOS App Store currently has about 700,000 apps. Apple has had a huge head start on its rivals; it was launched in July 2008 and passed the 25 billion download mark in March this year.

Android has been slowly creeping up on its rival, and now boasts 675,000 apps built for the devices. The latest figures available indicate some 25 billion apps have also been downloaded from Googles official Play Store, although that was as of September.

Window Phone is the relatively new kid on the block but, according to Microsoft, it is adding developers and apps every day. At the last count in October, it had 125,000 apps in its Phone Store.

If you’re talking a numbers game, Apple certainly takes the lead. The issue, however, is with quality control. Apple vets every bit of software that comes through its app store, an approach that has led to some frankly baffling decisions.

Microsoft vets its apps too before it puts them on sale in the Windows Phone Store.

The Play marketplace has less quality control than Apple’s App Store, which has led to a few cases of malware sneaking in to phone applications. And that’s before you get into the problems caused by the range of different devices running Android, with all their various hardware footprints, screen sizes and RAM limitations.

The upside though is that, with Android, you can install apps that don’t come from the official marketplace. Yes, it’s riskier, but it’s a chance some people are willing to take.

Winner: Apple. Good quality apps, and the headstart is a significant bonus.

Maps

When Apple said it was replacing the Google-powered Maps app on iOS with its own, we all waited to see what would emerge. Vector-based map, virtual flyovers, built-in turn by turn navigation . . . it all looked promising.

However, the end result certainly took people by surprise. particularly those around Airfield in Co Dublin, which was wrongly identified as an airport.

But the biggest surprise was when Apple chief executive Tim Cook apologised for the new mapping service “falling short”.

Google is sticking with its own Google Maps, with Streetview and Navigation built in to give you voice guidance. The vector-based maps download quickly, and you can cache them while you’re on wifi, so if you lose data connection while out and about you dont automatically lose your way.

Some features are limited depending on country – indoor mapping for large airports or shopping centres and biking directions are just two of the features currently being rolled out.

Microsoft, meanwhile, had Bing Maps, which it subsequently replaced with Nokia’s Navteq-powered mapping. You can download the maps to your phone for use offline, although this can get a little unwieldy. The navigation element has turn- by-turn directions, but the voice guidance isn’t a default across the Windows software – you may have to invest in a third party app for that, depending on what handset you opt for.

Winner:Google. Free turn-by-turn navigation and maps that actually get you were you need to go.

Voice

When you think of voice integration on smartphones, Siri is the immediate contender that springs to mind. The voice assistant with an attitude, Siri’s abilities got a shot in the arm with the latest iOS release.

Now you can instruct Siri to tweet or post a Facebook update, search maps for local businesses in addition to asking it if it would consider marriage or where would be the best place to hide a body.

Unfortunately, its accent recognition is still slightly off – there’s no setting for Ireland – which means you can end up with Siri blithely telling you about the weather in Kyrzyghstan instead of Dublin. And there’s still the pesky maps problem.

Android handsets have been doing voice recognition for some time now, especially when it comes to search and voice input for text messages. The problem is that the best of them – S Voice and Google Now – aren’t available on every handset.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has TellMe, which will open applications, create messages and search the internet. It’s reasonably accurate too, despite not specifically catering to the Irish accent.

Winner:Apple. Siri may not be perfect but its consistent across the range of iOS devices that support it. Plus it has a sense of humour.