Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) vs Microsoft Windows Phone 7
Google’s Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 are the two latest operating systems for mobile phones. Microsoft has developed Windows Phone 7 from scratch, without upgrading from Windows Mobile 6.x. Android operating systems are ruling the smartphone market now with its Android 2.1 (Eclair), Android 2.2 (Froyo) and the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), it’s the most popular smartphone platform. Android also has released another operating system Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) exclusively for tablets.
Microsoft Windows Phone 7
Microsoft Windows Phone 7 or known as WP 7 is Microsoft’s propriety operating system for mobile phones that was released during 4Q 2010. The previous mobile phone operating system from Microsoft was Windows Mobile 6, with upgrades to Windows Mobile 6.1, 6.5 and 6.5.3. Only Windows Mobile 6.5.3 supports touchscreen. WP 7 was developed from scratch with taking care of both end user and developers. However backward integration is an issue with WP 7, most phones currently running Windows Mobile 6.x are not upgradeable to Windows Phone 7.
WP 7 was designed to support capacitive multi touchscreen and offers a newly designed attractive UI named as “Metro,” dynamic tiles instead of widgets in the home screen (start screen), supports five languages, namely English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
The dynamic tiles will give latest status on your applications. For example the tile for outlook would display the number of unread messages.
Xbox Live Mobile and Zune are two attractive applications that come with WP 7. You can log on to Xbox Live in your Windows mobile with your existing account and get your custom avatar and account information displayed on your phone. You also can sign in simultaneously on the console and phone and send and receive messages between Console and Phone.
LG, HTC, Samsung and Dell have released phones running WP 7. Some of them are HTC HD7, HTC Mozart, HTC Surround, Dell Venue Pro Dell lightning, Samsung Nexus S, LG Quantum and LG Optimus.
Windows Phone 7 Demo
Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) also introduces many new functions and applications for users and developers. Android 2.3 new features include refined UI interface, improved keyboard, improved copy and paste, support for WebM video playback and NFC (Near Field Communication). These features come in addition to the most popular Android features like multi-tasking and Wi-Fi hotspots, Adobe Flash 10.1 support and support for extra high DPI screens .
The Latest Google Mobile apps include Google Search, Google Maps 5.0 with Navigation, Mobile Instant, Voice Actions, Google Earth and Android 2.3 has integrated redesigned YouTube.
YouTube was redesigned for Android to include personalized home screen feed, in-page playback, and rotate-for-fullscreen gesture.
Android 2.3 Official Video
Difference between Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and Microsoft Windows Phone 7
1. The basic difference between these two are, Windows mobile is a Microsoft proprietary software comes with license so phone manufactures need to pay for it whereas Google Android is open source which uses Linux in the core.
2. Windows 7 Mobile operating system comes with attractive user interface with multi-touch technology, customizable home screen, advanced web browser IE Mobile, excellent multimedia, search and automatic software updates and integrates with many popular Microsoft consumer services such as Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Bing and Zune.
3. Android 2.3 also offers refined UI interface, improved keyboard, improved copy and paste, support for WebM video playback and NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi hotspots, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, Latest Google Mobile Apps and has integrated redesigned YouTube.
4. Microsoft offers Visual Studio 2010 Express and Expression Blend for Windows Phone (phone development versions of larger applications) for free.
5. The Android allows other application developers to release applications for Android without revealing their source codes.
6. Android 2.3 gives added features for developers like JIT Compiler, Automatic Application updates, FM Radio, New version of Linux Kernel, OpenGL improvements, support to Flash 10.1 and Color Trackball.
7. Though both allow third party apps, WP 7 does not support full multitasking for third party applications.
8. WP 7 also does not support tethering, Wi-Fi hotspot, VoIP calling, Universal Search, Universal email box and some more. The next upgrade is expected to include copy/paste feature and multitasking for third party applications.
9. The other issue with WP 7 is, it does not support backward integration, and most phones currently running Windows Mobile 6.x are not upgradeable to Windows Phone 7.
10. WP 7 needs a minimum of 1 GHz ARM v7 “Cortex/Scorpion” or better processor with DirectX9 rendering-capable GPU, but Android does not specify any such minimum requirement.
11. However, Microsoft has included many attractive features in its WP7 series operating system and integrated popular applications such as MS Office Mobile, Xbox Live and Zune.
Microsoft expected a market boost with the release of WP 7, however Android remains a challenge with continuous upgrades, it released Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) within a couple of months of releasing Android 2.2.