WP7 v iP4…OMG WM6.5.3 Wins!

So iPhone OS 4.0 was released today…yup still generations behind WP which is up to 7 (yes, I joke). With it comes things like multitasking, ability to set your own background and some other gap fillers that make up for what it’s been missing for years. Engadget put together a great tale of the tape comparing WP7 and iP4 and they did an incredible job…one that no one should undertake unless they’re writing a blog:) And I don’t want to detract from their work but I want to highlight a few points that are applicable to WP7 that I think are worth noting since they aren’t as pronounced in the chart as I think they are in reality. But also one important note – WM6.5.3 was included and look at which column has the most ‘green’. It’s WM 6.5.3 which is clearly the best OS ever!:)

OK so first Engadget’s chart:

Now me:

Form Factor: WP7 will be available in multiple sized devices and with multiple keyboard configurations whereas the iPhone is a slab. So WP7 will come in a flavor you like.

Apps: The use of Silverlight is more than the ability to easily make apps. It also means that cross-platform apps exist out of the box. Any WP7 app is also a webapp and multiplatform app (PC and Mac) so there’s an incentive to write using Silverlight and if you do go the Silverlight route you know that you can expand the app beyond just portable devices.

Games: The fact that xBox games and WP7 games share 90% of their code is huge. Again, this gives you a larger audience and more incentives. it also means that you can take all of the xBox games that exist and you can convert them to WP7 games so you can expect a lot of titles available at launch

UI: The iPhone is an app launcher, and not a modern user interface. WP7’s UI is alive, in the clouds and updates itself. And whereas the iPhone requires 100,000 apps, each of which you must open and close, WP7 is all about integration and the UI shows it off with all of your contacts (Exchange, Facebook, etc) coming together in one place

The Cloud: WP7 is all about bringing all of the parts of your life together so your contacts don’t distinguish Facebook and Exchange (unless you choose to) and your photos include those stores locally and those your have out in the clouds today, again with no distinction. Bridging the digital world and the real world is important. You shouldn’t need to close one app, open the next, etc. Combining this into one system just makes sense.

Integration: Not to be redundant but the way WP7 deals with apps is through integration. If you want an app that turns a photo black and white and then only adds color to certain sections of the photo you will not open a third party program to do this. Instead, you’ll view photos through the standard photo interface in WP7 (Zune’s) and run the Colorizer addon so you’re still in the same app. In the iPhone you would close the photo app and run a new app so it’s a different experience with opening and closing apps constantly.

Owning Your Media: Everything about the iPhone is locked. Once you go that route, your music, videos and ebooks are a part of the iLine. You can’t leave it without leaving your media behind. In WP7 you can use your own media and they will be selling non-DRM music so you bought it, you own it. You don’t need to buy WP8. Insert rant about proprietary wires here:).

Buttons: WP7 has five…take that iPhone:) Yes, that means without being too overbearing it is quicker to get to what’s important

No Smug: Need I say more?