android or windows

android or windows phone 7

If you're in the market for a new smartphone you face a number of tough decisions surrounding price, style and feature set to name but a few. But perhaps the most pressing in the current smartphone market is the selection of operating systems, and it isn't an easy decision to reach, so to help you on your way to making the right choice for your needs, we've decided to shine a spotlight on two of the most user friendly and popular choices: Google's Android and Microsoft's newly released Windows Phone 7.

Google's Android has established itself as the world's leading mobile OS in recent times and with good reason too – it's based on open source ideals and offers a fantastic, user friendly experience, not to mention the extensive range of devices, catering for all budgets, that run it.

When you purchase an Android device you get a lot of technology for your investment. You're treated to full integration with all of your Google services, including the superb Google Maps, which offers free turn-by-turn navigation that blows nearly every other contender out of the water thanks to its innate usability and speed. You're also able to make use of the thousands of apps available in the Android Market, which strive to make your smartphone even smarter.

Other fine features include Wi-Fi hotspot tethering, full Flash browsing and openness, allowing more advanced users to tailor the operating system to suit their own needs, and make changes to the core components of the software.

Conversely, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 presents an altogether more closed environment, but this needn't be seen as a bad thing. With WP7 you're treated to a visually rewarding, powerful mobile operating system, which aims to keep you in touch without taking up too much of your valuable time in the process.

Windows Phone 7 offers a similar approach to Android in terms of UI, but there are key differences, the most gratifying of which is the extremely finger friendly, tile-based homescreen, which is fully customisable. WP7 also boasts great native support for social networks and support for Microsoft Office integration, allowing you to handle documents and work more easily while you're on the move.

While the selection of apps is still fairly small compared to Android's Market (and, of course, Apples App Store) there are a number of top quality apps on offer, and the selection is growing daily. You're also treated to Xbox Live integration, which brings you game news, trailers and allows you stay in touch with your online persona.

Choosing between these two great operating systems isn't an easy task, as we've discussed they're both great performers, with a myriad of virtues to keep you up to date, entertained and in control of your daily life. Where the divides do occur they're minor, leading us to happily endorse either of these great pieces of software.

The best way of deciding which platform is right for you, is to weigh up your personality and demands. If you're a techy person, who wants to milk more out of their smartphone, customise it and generally push it beyond its out of the box state, then Android is the one for you.

But if you're keen to pick up your new device and utilise it to its full potential with minimal fuss, you'd be best advised to look at Windows Phone 7. One thing's for sure though, whichever one you choose you're in for a fun time.