iPhone 4S Versus Windows Phone 7: Round One, Fight!

Apple announced the iPhone 4S today, which millions of hipsters and fruit fanatics will exist lining upwards to purchase on October xiv. Does the new iPhone threaten to stall Windows Telephone's rising to the smartphone big leagues? In some ways, yes. Whenever the competition rolls out a new product line, that'south always cause for concern. In the following editorial I'll spell out the different areas that Apple has me worried. Just don't forget that I admittedly dearest Windows Telephone and I'd sooner requite upward one of Rich Edmond's kidneys than live without it.

Head past the break to find out in which areas the iPhone 4S may have electric current Windows Phones beaten.

Strong like ox

The iPhone 4S's A5 dual-core CPU/GPU combo stands out every bit Apple tree's most pregnant hardware advantage over Windows Phone. We still oasis't heard of ane upcoming Windows Phone that utilizes a dual-core processor. This gives the iPhone a major leg up in both multitasking and processing power, though the clock speed of its CPU is unknown so it'southward hard to make real estimates but yet.

Windows Phone can't do multitasking in the strictest sense only (without a software hack), only it has similar functionality. Fast App Switching, just introduced in the Mango update, allows users to leap back and forth betwixt up to five dissimilar apps by pressing and holding the hardware Dorsum push. Apps and games produced prior to the Mango update must exist updated to support Fast App Switching. Said updates continue to roll out every day; we await pretty much all the ones people would actually want to run will become fully Mango-compliant past the end of the year.

Background services are another Mango add-on. They permit apps to download data and update themselves in the background. Apps can check for information every 30 minutes while not plugged in or connected to Wi-Fi and every 10 minutes when a USB cablevision and Wi-Fi are present. Background services could potentially be improved by the motility to dual core processors. But because anything running in the background still uses power, don't expect a dramatic increase in groundwork functionality whenever dual cadre Windows Phones finally materialize.

Sparkly games

Now, the area where a more than powerful CPU and GPU really make themselves felt is graphical performance. Windows Phone has always been behind iPhone in 3D graphics. The all-time looking 3D Windows Telephone games like Hydro Thunder Go actually can't compete with the big-budget iPhone titles such as Infinity Bract, which debuted in 2022. Admittedly, Windows Phone is a newer platform, whereas developers accept had years to wrap their heads around making iPhone games. But the beefier hardware of the iPhone 4S is going to widen the graphics gulf even more.

Speaking of Infinity Blade, Epic Games chose today to announce a sequel exclusively for iPhone. Brand no mistake; it'due south a killer app. We've seen some terrific games on Windows Phone, but nothing approaches even the first Infinity Blade as far every bit looking and feeling like a large-budget console title. The new game will run on all iOS devices from the iPhone 3GS and up.

At present, existing Windows Phone hardware is more than a match for the 3GS, which ways an Infinity Blade i port wouldn't be out of the question. We know Microsoft has a good relationship with Epic Games, whose Gears of State of war series is exclusive to the Xbox 360. The big MS should capitalize on their existing relationship and either get Epic to port Infinity Bract straight away or showtime a new killer franchise, exclusively for Windows Phone. Why not notice a way to adapt Gears of War while they're at it? The aforementioned applies to other iPhone heavy hitters like Gameloft; gamers are impatient for their high-spec games.

Xbox Alive versus Game Center

Despite the dearth of killer games (and the multitude of iPhone casual game ports), Windows Telephone has an ace up its sleeve with Xbox Live. The platform'south Xbox Alive integration attracts console gamers like me, plus it can potentially catechumen average smartphone users into fans of Microsoft's gaming platforms. Mango even revamped the Windows Phone Games hub, fully integrating Xbox Live to create a more than seamless experience.

Apple has long been playing take hold of-upward to Xbox Live with their iOS Game Heart. iOS games may have Game Center Achievements, but those don't hold the aforementioned appeal to console gamers as their Xbox Live counterparts. Today Apple tree announced some major Game Center improvements, most notably cloud salve support. Users volition be able to play a game on their iPhone and then resume it on the iPad, with the save file transferred wirelessly. That'due south a big ane-upwards over Windows Phone.

While Microsoft's mobile platform does support some cloud services, the issue of transferring or backing upward game relieve data has never been addressed in any form at all. Saves tin can't exist transferred via USB cable or cloud, a major oversight. Only in that location is hope. One of the major features of the upcoming Fall 2022 Xbox 360 dashboard update is cloud back up. Sure, that applies to panel games, not mobile ones. Still, the feature will probable trickle down to Windows Telephone within a yr or and then.

Small-scale advantages

In nearly other ways, the iPhone 4S's hardware advantages don't corporeality to much. The 4S sports a overnice eight megapixel camera, and so will the HTC Titan. Yes, Apple's new phone can shoot 1080P video whereas Windows Phones tin't shoot videos above 720P resolution. But take it from someone who owns a 1080P video camera: 720P is far more than practical from a memory standpoint. Unless y'all're planning to produce Blu-Rays or something (which I'd even so use a defended camera for over a telephone), 1080P is more than you actually need.

While nosotros're on the discipline of resolutions, both the iPhone 4 and 4S boast 960 x 640 screen resolutions, while Windows Phone currently maxes out at 800 x 480. Information technology's another reason that 3D games can look more detailed – resolution really does matter. Simply the 4S's screen size, like other iPhones before it, volition be a scant 3.v inches. The Samsung Focus's four inch screen is noticeably larger to even casual users, and the HTC Titan'southward behemoth 4.seven inch screen volition positively dwarf Apple tree's offerings. Given the choice betwixt a tiny screen with extra pixels per inch or a large one with slightly less, I'll pick the bigger one.

Finally, Apple demonstrated some impressive iPhone 4S voice recognition via video. Actors casually asked their phones to text loved ones or what the weather is like, simply to exist politely answered past a nightmarish machine vocalism. Windows Telephone has included some vox frecognition features from the outset. Time will tell whether Apple tree'southward version works much amend; we can expect Microsoft to fire dorsum with farther improvements down the line if and then.

Metrosexual

At terminal we come to Microsoft's greatest strengths: The Windows Phone Os and Metro UI. Simply put, Metro is more than attractive and intuitive to utilize than iOS. Well-designed Windows Phone apps lucifer the expect of the platform, differentiating themselves from software for other smartphones. Metro is so revolutionary, Microsoft is fifty-fifty rolling information technology out to Xbox 360 this fall and Windows 8 next year. The solar day volition come that people see using Windows Phone as a natural extension of what they already do on PC and other devices.

And how about staying in impact with others? That's what phones are all about, later all. Windows Telephone sports social network integration that surpasses anything iPhone has washed. Aye, nosotros can download an official Facebook or Twitter app for either platform. But with Windows Phone, you don't fifty-fifty need to exercise that. Just plug in your credentials and suddenly yous tin can post pictures to your wall or send out a tweet with practically no effort at all. In that location are so many more great Windows Phone software features, nosotros'd be here all day if we named them all.

Fight the good fight

Clearly, the iPhone 4S possesses several advantages over Windows Phone. Information technology's got more muscle nether the hood, better games, and a sharper screen resolution. Apple also has incredible brand recognition, to the bespeak that people actually do wait in line for their newest products.

Microsoft may be ane of the largest companies in the world, but they're still the scrappy lilliputian up-and-comer in the world of smartphones. Still, Windows Telephone is actually special. With the right management and endeavour, information technology can catch up to the iPhone anytime.

One way to beat your competitors is by delivering a better production. Microsoft is largely doing but that with the Windows Phone OS, Metro UI, and to an extent, mobile Xbox Alive. But the Windows Phone hardware specs should catch up and surpass iPhone specs sooner rather than subsequently. Currently nosotros're about one year behind Apple in processors and screen resolutions, to say nothing of battery life. I'm sure 2022 volition run across Windows Phones will dual core processors, but unless they also pack a picayune extra dial, they'll just finish up backside the next iPhone come the post-obit autumn. And when those powerful processors do come along, they'll need a college resolution screen to show off what they can do. Let's hope Microsoft doesn't allow the 800 10 480 limitation to live beyond next year.

Whether or not the 4S had been announced, the number one area Microsoft needs to work on is brand awareness and ad. When new Windows Phones like the HTC Radar and Titan quietly sideslip out to retailers instead of receiving a media blitz, somebody isn't putting their dorsum into information technology.

While I'm mentioning retailers, better in-shop displays and employee grooming are very much in order. People shouldn't be able to walk into a phone store and non exist tempted by Windows Phones.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/iphone-4s-versus-windows-phone-7-round-one-fight

Posted by: longcomem1980.blogspot.com

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