Affordability
Apple doesn’t make budget devices, and the latest iPhone is always among the most expensive handsets on the market, costing $200 with a two-year contract and $650 without. The iPhone 5C — which is a lot better than you’d guess — is about $100 cheaper, but still pricey.Microsoft’s main hardware partner Nokia (which it now owns) has always been good at producing quality hardware at relatively low prices. There are a wide range of Windows Phones at varying price points, and finally a few that push the limit and rival Android and iOS on specs. It’s also worth remembering that hardware manufacturers like Samsung, ZTE, LG, Lenovo, and Huawei are signed up as Windows Phone 8.1 partners and could well produce some cheap handsets in the near future.
Still, for sheer scale and variety nothing competes with Android. There’s a huge choice of low cost handsets from a wide variety of different manufacturers and the platform has been deliberately optimized to run on low end hardware. The fact that Android also leads the field in free apps makes it the natural choice for the budget-conscious. Chances are, if it’s a smartphone by HTC, Samsung, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, or LG, it’s running Android.
Winner: Android
Interface
Led by Windows Phone, all three platforms have gravitated toward a minimalist, flat, fast, colorful user interface. The big difference is that many Android manufacturers have added their own user interfaces on top of stock Android and so your mileage will vary. The basic structure with customizable home screens, an app drawer, and pull down notifications is standard, but there’s much more variation on Android than you’ll find on the other two platforms.The Android L update will usher in a new direction for Google’s platform with “Material Design” which is a minimalist look with simple animations that’s intended to create a new continuity across the platform and in Google’s apps. It’s unclear right now how big an impact this will have and how long it will take for the new version of Android to come out.
After a major redesign in iOS 7, Apple’s platform is bright and modern-feeling. The slick animations as you navigate around give a sense of depth, and it’s easy to understand. Under the new paint job, this is still the same iOS that came out in 2007. Still, many have complained that the new version of iOS is hard on the eyes. There are settings to turn off its offending animations.
Windows Phone is based on a grid of “Live Tiles” which can be arranged and resized to suit the owner. It looks and acts much like Windows 8 PCs and tablets, but there’s no Desktop here. Windows Phone can sometimes feel overly stylish and sluggish compared to iOS and Android.
Winner: Tie