Android: the smartphone system with multiple faces

Android is not always the same. About 170 different smartphones run the
mobile operating system, but there is no one single standard.

Everything can change from one Android-operated smartphone to the next:
interface, functions, options available. The one thing that stays the same:
with an Android-enabled smartphone, you're only a click away from the
internet.

Thus, when you're out shopping for an Android phone, keep an eye on the
software you're buying as well as the hardware.

A whole host of manufacturers have decided to make use of the open source
software, designed under the leadership of Google. HTC, SonyEricsson,
Samsung and Motorola have all brought out Android phones. Nonetheless,
compared to the iPhone, Android is a latecomer to the game.

Google announced in November 2007 that it would develop an operating system
based on the Linux operating system in conjunction with an alliance of 30
technology and mobile phone giants. By that point, Apple had already sold
millions of its iPhones.

But, thanks to widespread support, Android phones quickly took off and have,
in the meantime, become a true alternative to the iPhone.

The main difference between Apple's iOS and Android lies in the openness of
the Google software. Phone manufacturers can use it and alter it as they
wish.

"They have the option to come out as individuals," says Dirk Waasen, chief
editor of the German technology magazine Connect. Thus, HTC has laid its
Sense interface on top of Android, while Garmin and Asus have made a
combination of satellite-navigation device and smartphone with their
Nuvifone.

For the pure Android system, shoppers have to seek out the Nexus S, produced
by Samsung under contract with Google.

Despite the varied interfaces, the functions of all Android phones are
similar. The software stands out because of its free navigation tool,
integrated as the Maps service starting with version 1.6.

Meanwhile, anyone with a smartphone running Android 2.2 can turn the phone
into a wi—fi router for other devices.

As an added bonus, websites on Android run with the Flash multimedia
technology, which isn't available on Apple devices.

One unique feature available starting with version 2.3, according to Google
spokesman Stefan Keuchel, is its near-field communication technology, which
allows cash-free payments via a mobile.

However, not a lot of manufacturers support the smartphone as a digital
wallet yet.

"We have the chicken and the egg problem," says Keuchel.

Even though Google's name isn't stamped on a lot of Android devices, users
quickly realized that the internet giant was behind the system's
development.

"Access to Google services is much better than with iPhone," says
smartphone expert Waasen. Maps offers an additional direct search for cafes,
petrol stations and cash machines. And the company's trademark search
window is integrated into the startscreen of most devices.

The developers put a lot of work into the engines of the system too.
Upgraded versions don't just run faster, but with greater energy
efficiency. The most recent version, 2.3.3, support dual-core processors,
like those operating most newer super mobiles.

The smartphone is also becoming a bit of a jack-of-all-trades thanks to the
huge selection of apps. According to Google, the Android Market now features
about 150,000 applications. True, there are more than 300,000 for Apple's
iOS, but Android users can hardly complain about a lack of choices: from
silly ringtones to games to office assistants, it's all there.

"The selection grew significantly in the last year, but a lot of apps don't
run cleanly yet," says Arno Becker, who develops applications with his
company Firma Visionera. Even though Android gives programmers more freedom,
that can make things more complicated than with the more regimented iOS
system.

Plus, Google doesn't sort through its apps as closely as Apple does.

"Apple puts more of a premium on the apps functioning well," says Waasen.

A typical weakness of an app is the wasteful approach they have to the
battery, especially when in satnav mode. Another problem is that resolution
and pixel density vary greatly between models, meaning some Android apps don't display well on some smartphones or don't open at all.

"Anyone who wants the biggest selection of apps should buy himself a device
with the classic smartphone resolutions of 320X480 or 850X480," advises
Becker.

Thanks to the system's openness, a whole legion of Android phones are
available, whether they use huge touchscreens or small keyboards, whether
for gamers or businessmen, whether for 150 or 600 euros (219 to 875
dollars).

But regardless of what category you want, check what version of the software
is installed. Newer versions are most likely to have the newest update
installed by the manufacturer, says Waasen, who recommends Android 2.1 and
upwards.