Windows Phone 8 vs ios 6 vs Android 4.1-Part 1

Let me take you few years back into time- maybe 2004. If you wanted to buy a phone that time around, you would have to just choose a model based on your preferences from the only major smartphone manufacturer- any guesses- yes Nokia! Wasn't that easy? Now lets time travel again and come back to July 2012. Imagine trying to buy a smartphone in 2012. You would have a whole lot of options of choose from- Not just in terms of manufacturers but also in terms of OS( yes, Operating System). You have 3 major choices- Android, ios and the new Windows Phone. Confused already? Let's make it a little more complicated- You now have to choose a Brand of manufacturers which creates smartphones running on the OS you want. That's exactly how consumers feel today when they want to buy a smartphone- confused. Don't want yourself ripping your brain apart while buying a smartphone, then read on as I compare different aspect and features of the three major OS' in these 2 part series of posts and make it easier for you to choose a Smartphone according to your needs.

Interface- The first thing you notice about your phone about switching it on is its interface. Each OS has its different interface. The tile user-interface of Windows Phone is beautiful and easier to navigate through. Designed for first time smartphone users or those who love simplicity, Windows Phone interface is best for those who prefer ease of use.

       Android on the other hand is for those who love absolute control even if they have to forget about simplicity. For newbies and non-geeks (Maybe for even those who don't really really use a Smartphone regularly), understanding Android is not a piece of cake, trust me. But once mastered, they would be utterly satisfied with their choice.
   
iOS undoubtedly has the most well laid-out, well designed and easy to use interface among all. No hassles- that's the message it gives. Just switch the phone on. Look at the screen and do whatever you want. You don't have to mess around trying to understand your phone. But, the catch is that there not much customization options available.

Apps- This is probably the most important aspect to consider. The only way your phone can do what you want is to have a lot of apps to choose from. iOS 6 leads the charge with more than 600,000 apps available in the store. Android ranks 2nd best with more than 450,000 apps while Windows Phone 8 struggles with just 100,000 apps at this point of time.

Manufacturers: Trust a particular brand? Want to stick to it? Then , take a look as to which ones actually manufacturer devices based on OS of your choice. Samsung, the current world leader is a die-hard Android addict and manufactures more than 80% of  devices  running on Android. the remaining portion includes its own OS BADA( strange name) and Windows Phone.

Nokia recently has chose Windows Phone as its OS of choice and dumped Symbian. Now it manufactures high-end devices such as Lumia 900 which run only on Windows Phone.

Apple has sworn never to consider any other OS than iOS so you are out of luck if you love Android or Windows Phone.
 
HTC, too makes Android as well Windows Phone based devices but still has Android as its major preference.
  
Small time players like Huawei, Asus, etc go for Android.

Social networking integration- ios 6 is the winner here hands down. With twitter and Facebook integrated in every tiny bit of ios 6, your social networking addiction needs nothing more than Apple smartphone. Android on the other hand, doesn't really have as strong a integration as iOS but still does the job pretty much.
 Windows Phone is very well integrated with Facebook and twitter. You can dedicate a tile on your home screen to these SNS sites. Uploading, sharing, tweeting, commenting can all be done at people Hub. Still, you might require a few apps to satisfy yourself.

Camera and Imaging- Though imaging pretty much depends on the hardware, software and OS also have a role to play. Android 4.1's camera system brings in more changes. It's faster than ever, and has a fast review system making editing and removing images simpler.
   
Windows Phone is known for simplicity which is also visible in its camera app. If you just want to take a snap, you can do so without worrying much about settings. For pros, Windows phone also includes various camera settings and modes which can be fully controlled by the user. Also, Nokia branded Windows Phone 8 handsets would also feature the PureView technology and once that's implemented, Windows Phone 8 would be hard to beat.

Now since, we have come to the end of the first part, its time to make the choice. To be honest, I think that every OS has its own advantages and disadvantages as evident from above and hence, making a choice purely depends on one's preferences.

You should choose Android 4.1 if- You love control and ability to customize things in your way. Also, it should be your choice if you want a lot of handsets to choose from along with an array of manufacturers. Android  4.1 jelly bean based handsets would soon flood the market. So you would also get all the latest goodies.

You should choose Windows Phone 8 if- You want a smartphone which is simple to use yet which can be customized. Also, if you are tired of Android and ios and want something new, you know where to go.

You should iOS 6 if- You love Apple and are loyal to it. You should also be ready to splurge a bit since you know I-phones cost a bit. Beautiful interface and millions of Apps also make ios 6 worth considering.