Which one is better: A closed eco-system (iPhone, APPLE) or an open eco-system (Android, GOOGLE). This is an issue which does not have an appropriate answer. There are a number of parameters to consider before answering this.
First of all, the choice of a mobile phone does not depend on the open or closed system of that phone instead it is all about the perception and requirement of the end user. In case of mobile/smart phones these end users mainly include customers and developers. The real question here is why these customers are using their phones and for what purpose?
Mainly mobiles phones are used by customers for following requirements, that is: calling, messaging, emailing, social networking, internet searching, photos and gaming. All these functions work quiet efficiently on both open and closed system phones. But the parameters on which the future of open and closed platforms will depend include performance, battery life, security and user interface issues. As we know that the closed eco-system of iPhone allows Apple to seamlessly integrate its hardware with software for a better user experience. Let’s see some of the major pros and cons of iPhone’s closed eco-system:
Pros:
- According to me, a closed ecosystem approach is best for small devices like mobile phones as these devices greatly benefit from software that is highly customized for a specific hardware on which it runs. This results in a system with superior battery life, performance and user experience.
- Another advantage is for the application developers of iPhone. Open systems have a wide variety of devices because random vendors can use this open platform on their devices. These devices come with physical keyboard or without keyboard, with touch or without and different display sizes &aspect ratios which makes it impossible to develop an application that has seamless performance on all these different devices. This finally affects end user experience in a negative way. On the other hand, Apple has only four screen sizes and all applications in its app store are specifically optimized for these different devices like iPhone, iPad and iPad mini. This perfect integration of software and hardware allows iPhone to offer much better and seamless user experience.
- For corporate/business users, security of their information is the most important factor behind choosing a mobile phone. The closed end system makes this task easier as it keeps the track of all applications to prevent them from causing a discrepancy and allows a secure atmosphere. The reason that a closed and controlled system offers reliable and secure functionality was The reason behind the success of Blackberry and iPhone among corporate customers is their closed and controlled eco-system which offers reliable and secure functionality.. In all these arenas, Apple is dominating with iPhone’s closed ecosystem.
Cons:
- The disadvantages of a closed ecosystem are totally depends on individual preferences and requirements of the user. Some users need their mobile phones for fun stuff like games, other for social networking like Facebook, twitter and some for business communications such as emails. These needs are the basic driving forces behind the decision of choosing a particular mobile phone whether its iPhone or android. This system targets the mass market as it offers customers with an opportunity of using any software or application on their phones without any restrictions. Whereas in case of iPhone, its target market consists of customers who want their mobile devices to be more performance oriented and safe, for better experience.
What are your thoughts on war against Apple vs Google or Closed vs Open, please feel free to leave your views below in the comments section.
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