We compare the latest iterations of the Symbian platform secular, Anna, with the best Google has to offer, Android 2.3 to see if the former can hold a candle to the new.
Symbian OS has been around for what seems an eternity, without being too cruel, he began to look his age at the end, while Nokia has stepped into the platform given a facelift and older.
The result? Symbian Anna, a newly designed version and apparently invigorated the proven platform. We really wanted to Anna through her rhythm well, and to do so, we can think of a better test than a good old fashioned face-to-head with the mighty Android. Is Symbian Anna take her nerves, or will it show the young upstart? Let’s see.
Visual
At first glance, it is easy to see that Symbian Anna has received more than a quick coat of paint and looks really nice. The OS now has real-time scrolling between home-screen and a revamped set of icons, which provides the platform near the time.
One complaint is that Nokia has chosen to continue using the same font set blocks it was using for what seems ages and updated aesthetics suffer from surveillance.
While the operating system probably looks better in this new incarnation is far from pretty, in fact, if you squint at the right angle, you can still see the S60 was ugly everywhere , 10 years ago.
Android 2.3 is a slick, good platform for mobile search, which in its raw form, multiple-display capabilities at home that can be customized at your leisure, entertainment neat in and out of menus, and an array of icons minimalist software that provide eye-catching facade.
Another major selling point of Android 2.3 is that manufacturers like HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have been able to tweak the software and giving you much more eye-candy you get with the vanilla version (and additional features, widgets, etc.)
Winner – Android 2.3
Functionality
Symbian Anna features more than just visual upgrades. In fact, the OS was re-equipped with features quite impressive that users have been asking for.
First, the browser was re-worked and impregnated with support for HTML5 (which should allow these sites to load heavy CSS in a jiffy), and Flash Lite support multi-touch.
While Flash Lite is a beautiful addition do not expect Flash-centric sites to operate as they do in later versions of Android, as you will be very disappointed.
And improvements browser that you are treated to a new email, calendar and card applications that are much better than what was offered in the previous version, Symbian ^ 3, which makes the software totally a faster and more intuitive animals.
One resounding Pro for this latest version of Symbian is the new portrait QWERTY soft, which works perfectly. This is a feature that the platform was to cry.
Android 2.3 is functionally excellent. Simple gestures and slides get you where you need to be embedded applications and perform close to perfection. The browser feature is fully compatible Flash, 2.3 and even heavy sites like the BBC iPlayer work properly. E-mail is handled transparently via either Gmail or the Exchange client included and the calendar, organizer and mapping applications are straightforward and easy to use.
The QWERTY Android 2.3 software on offer is excellent, but if it is not to your individual taste you can sub in one of the many free and paid alternatives available on the Android Market.
Unfortunately, even with the updates of the Symbian platform Anna can not track the progress of software View in Android 2.3, and takes this round with ease.
Winner – Android 2.3
Applications
Android 2.3 makes use of the all-conquering Android Market to keep users supplied with quality applications and games. There are over 400 000 applications on offer in the market and at last count more than 70% are completely free (although most of them are financed by advertising, some annoyingly so).
The quality of applications and games is largely dependent on the source, with some content courtesy from major professional companies and the large amount of developers from hobbyists and home. This can be both a blessing and a curse.
Symbian benefit Anna’s dependence on the Nokia C + + and Qt, and there are literally hundreds of thousands of outstanding applications that you can kill time and be productive with your device powered “Anna”.
The most effective way to access a wide range of what is proposed is via Nokia OVI brand, which allows users to buy (if any) applications, games and music directly from their mobile. As with Android 2.3, the quality of what is offered varies, but with a little effort, you can have your snoring with some of the best mobile applications on the market, such as Shazam, Angry Birds & Skype.
Winner – Draw
So it’s a victory for Google Android 2.3! While it may be surprising to some, we have truly hope that the new iteration of Symbian could catch the leaders pack, but it falls flat in too many areas and, despite the efforts of a team who work hard and dedicated, in both Nokia and application development, it still seems awkward and Fisher Price when held up to light.
Android 2.3, however, the platform is the fastest growing mobile market for good reason. It delivers consistently good performance, looks great and has a pool of rapidly growing applications. In short, it is the mobile platform have now.
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