Ok, admit it, you were thinking it in the back of your head right?  How does a WP7 phone compare to an iPhone?  Lets take a look.

With Microsoft's mobile strategy doing a reboot, it's only normal to be compared to the incumbent, or the perceived market leader.  I know some people might expect me to be comparing a WP7 phone to a Blackberry, but to be honest, I think the closed smartphone in functionality is the iPhone (sorry BB friends).  So here goes!

The "look" of the two OSs are different.  Ok, not nearly as different as OS/2 was to Windows NT (ya, I stretched THAT far back for that reference LOL) but if you look at technolog's Windows Phone apps look good, different than iPhone's article, you'll see a stark contrast between the two user experiences (now known as UX).  There are four side by side comparisons there and I'll let you decide which one you prefer.  Ok, I'm biased here, but I'm also NOT so naive to think the iPhone's UX will remain static.  I'm am as sure as I'll have a coffee tomorrow morning Apple will update their UI and developer's tools to take advantage of it in the next release.  That, I have NO doubt of, so if you're looking solely for the UX as your deciding factor.....hhhmm better plan to bounce between Microsoft and Apple and maybe even Palm (ya, stretching on that one, but you get the idea of my point, each player will push the other!).

Ok, since the UX is very much a personal thing, hey, some people LOVE MACs and some LOVE Windows, let's compare apple to apples (DOH! excuse the pun LOL) and compare hardware specs.

Without further adieu, here's my spin on the HW duke-it-out-match!  I'm going to pick the Samsung Focus for my WP7 cause, well, it's my blog and that's the one I'm looking at buying when the phones are released.  If you have another favourite you want to highlight, PLEASE leave a comment with your summary for others to read!  If you REALLY want more comparisons, check out PCWorld's article Apple iPhone 4 vs The Rest of the Smartphone Pack.

Category	iPhone 4	Samsung Focus	Winner	Comments
Height	4.5"	4.8"	iPhone 4	Assuming smaller/more compact is better.
Width	2.31"	2.56"	iPhone 4	Assuming smaller/more compact is better.
Depth	.37"	.39"	iPhone 4	Assuming smaller/more compact is better.
Weight	4.8 oz	4.07 oz	Focus	Assuming lighter is better.
Display Size	3.5"	4"	Focus	Assuming bigger is better.
Display Pixels	640 X 960	480 X 800	iPhone 4	Assuming the more the better.
Display Technology	Retina	AMOLED	Tie	They are both supposed to be stellar dislay performers.
Cellular	All the big boys	All the big boys	Tie	If it's available they will come? LOL
Bluetooth	Y	Y	Tie	Come on, what smartphones NOT going to have Bluetooth?
Camera	5MP	5MP	Tie	More than acceptable in a pinch.
Video	HD, 720p	HD, 720p	Tie	Great for impromptu improvisations
Flash	LED	LED	Tie	But do you REALLY want to depend on it?
Memory	16GB (or 32GB)	8GB (Expandable up to 40GB)	Tie	This depends on which phone and how much memory you buy.  It also depends on the apps you plan on buying/using.  And I don't know what are the app size memory requirements for iPhone apps vs WP7/XAP apps?
Battery - Talk Time	7h	7h	Tie	Come on, who REALLY trusts battery life stats from the marketing people?
Battery - Standby Time	12.5d	15d	Tie	Uh, why are you buying a smartphone to not use it?  What I REALLY want to see is a "Sandardized Use" time!  Average out talking, texting, surfing and standby, THAT is useful, but only if standardized.
Battery - Swappable	N	Y	Focus	Ya, ya technically Focus wins this one, but really you should have USB cords at home/work and a car charger, really.
Computer Requirements	iTunes	Zune	Focus	I MUCH prefer using Zune to iTunes.  The UX just works better for me, but then again, I'm a Windows guy.  Can any Mac users comment on their experiences with iTunes?
Buttons	1	3	Tie	Does it really matter? If Apple can make it work with the one button, great!  I prefer the WP7 3 buttons, but when I had my iTouch, the one worked just fine.
First Screen	Home	Start	Focus	I've heard from others, they just like the way the WP7 Start screen works.

Ok, so.....what's the results?  hhhmm you'd think I was a politician after a debate, cause my answer is, depends on who you talk to!  DOH!  Ya, talk about being on the fence eh?  The phone hardware is VERY evenly matched.  I mean, come on, battery life the same, they both have super-duper-hitech and bright screens (Apples has more pixels but is smaller than the Focus), the iPhone is dimensionally smaller but heavier than the focus.

Ya, know what is the final outcome?  In my opinion, you have to decide which interface you like better.  And by that, I don't JUST mean the phone's UX, no, no, no, you have to look at iTunes vs Zune as well!  Cause when you're searching, rating, researching your phone app, you will have a more pleasurable experience on your computer than your phone.  Sure the phone is great when you're away from your computer.  But come on, being able to see and compare six flashlight apps at once is better than going one by one!

Ok, so now that you have a bit of a better idea about what I'm going to buy, I hope you're a bit more informed about your next smartphone purchase too!  Now it's time to grab a coffee and get coding! 

 

Resources

Apple.com: iPhone 4 Technical Specifications

GSMArena: Apple iPhone 4

Samsung.com: Coming Soon - Samsung Focus i917

phoneArena.com: Samsung Focus

ComputerWorld: Windows Phone 7 could rival Apple's iOS4

Technolog: Windows Phone apps look good, different than iPhone's

PCWorld: Apple iPhone 4 vs The Rest of the Smartphone Pack.