The introduction of the first android phone in late 2008 sent shivers down the spines of every major Smartphone maker, especially Apple. The company that has heretofore dominated the industry finally has some legitimate competition in the Android. While the Apple iPhone is still the market leader, industry insiders believe that Android sales, which are growing at a much faster pace, should surpass the iPhone by 2012.
What accounts for this astonishing popularity? Of course, there are several important advantages Android phones hold over the competition, but the most obvious one is that Android is actually the operating system the phone runs on, not the phone maker. Not to mention that fact that this operating system is arguably the most advanced OS in the industry.
And since Android is not a proprietary technology, i.e., no one owns it, phone makers are free to develop their own versions of the Android. To date, more than eighteen companies have produced an Android and many others are developing one.
As you might imagine, this gives the Android a major advantage over the competition, since customers who are loyal to a particular phone maker can probably purchase an Android from that company. And with all of these companies accepting and developing new applications for the Android, it is conceivable that the Android catalogue will soon surpass that of the iPhone.
What to look for? Most Android users want a phone that is easy to use with specific features like a full touch screen and a physical Qwerty board. It is also important to find a phone that has sufficient internal storage. This will allow you to download as many applications as you want without affecting the performance of your phone.
