One of today’s most intriguing technology battles centers on your computer — not the one in the office, but the one in your pocket.
The latest smartphones have as much processing muscle as many desktop and laptop computers. And the company powering a device that’s always with you will ultimately control how you consume news, pay for purchases and, through its app stores, how other businesses reach you.
Apple and Google are the clear leaders at this point, though Microsoft is making a push to at least be relevant.
“All the big guys are in the game,” said Jeff Kagan, a technology analyst in Atlanta. “But remember, we are just in the first inning. . . . Others will likely enter the game as well over the next several years.”
Google’s Android operating system powers about 46 percent of smartphones in the U.S., while Apple’s iOS holds 28 percent of the market share, according to research firm comScore.
Research in Motion, the company behind the BlackBerry, holds 17 percent, but it’s fading fast. RIM’s share dropped 4.5 percentage points during the latest comScore report.
Microsoft has just more than 5 percent market share. The software giant’s latest mobile operating system holds its own against the top two.
Android has a sizable lead because it is featured on a wide-range of phones from various carriers and handset manufacturers. In comparison, Apple’s iOS is only on its iPhone, though the operating system is also featured on other Apple devices.
Denver-based app developer Ben Reu benstein said the battle is more about the entire platform, which includes the hardware component, rather than just the operating system. It is about integrating the two to create a better user experience.
“But the most important thing to dominate above all is trust,” said Reubenstein, founder of Xcellent Creations, which develops programs for Android and iOS. “Apple customers trust Apple. They share intimate details of their lives with the tools Apple provides.”
On the other hand, Google appears to be confusing consumers, allowing some handsets to be released that are locked into old versions of Android without the possibility for updates.
“At the end of the day, Android is a carrier friendly product, not a consumer friendly product — tons of models, little cohesion in user experience, unpredictable software upgrades, if at all,” he said.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209, avuong@denverpost.com or twitter.com/andyvuong
