Which to choose - Lumia or Android? Layman's perspective

1. http://www.unwiredview.com/2011/12/28/samsung-galaxy-nexus-vs-nokia-lumia-800-vs-iphone-4s-comparisonreview-part-1-%E2%80%93-hardware-performance/

2. http://www.unwiredview.com/2011/12/29/samsung-galaxy-nexus-vs-nokia-lumia-800-vs-iphone-4s-comparisonreview-part-2%E2%80%93sofware-uxconclusions/

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FozJSyxSnKw


4. http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/nokia-lumia-710-review/

5. http://symbianvsandroid.com/2011/12/19/music-and-entertainment-nokia-lumia-800-2/

(For people interested in getting a look - a demo of Lumia and a comparison, there are links 3, 4 and 5)

The problem with new product reviews on the internet is that they tend to be far too technical in nature, and are thus beyond the comprehension of a good many viewers. We read reviews in order to decide what to purchase, and there I have always faced a problem: I have had to surf and surf, picking one point from one review and one from another... So this is an effort to simplify things primarily for myself, as well as others. Which to go for? Android or Mango? 

It boils down to what YOU want in a smartphone. Why do you desire a smartphone? Once you have a handle on that, the rest is simple. Let me take myself - I like:

• Applications - esp games (Most important : be all and end all of the phone)
• Large Display with vivid colours
• Fast performance
• SD Card Support

Those are my choices in terms of critical features desired. If you look at it that way, since my most important parameter is Applications, I should go for an Android given its free applications market. If you desire other features - camera / picture quality, facebook / other apps support, ease of operation etc, the choice might change. For me, the only question is if I get only 1 of the 4 parameters, which would I not negotiate on? Answer: Applications. So, my path is clear. 

Once you have a handle on what feature - or the most important 2 or 3 features - then all you have to do is look for those features in that phone. It is a great pity that most experts write incomprehensible stuff - even to a telecom guy like me. And that is saying something! My one request to all gadget bloggers: Keep It Simple! To a layman, phone size, design, weight, Battery size in mAH is not pertinent except as a peripheral point. I understand what mAh is since I am from the same field, but do the majority of customers understand it? I didnt know its importance till I got into telecom! Which is why I like the review no 3 - youtube video - as the best I have seen in a long time. 

Coming to the Market of Smartphone, it is hotting up- Nokia Lumia with its Mango OS seems to have interested the market. But I still think it is early days, since the app market for Mango is still limited. Add to that the pace of growth of Google Android App Market, and you have the blueprint of victory already drawn up in favour of Android. In my opinion, Applications are going to be the key make or break factor - as users scale up the value chain, as they get used to smartphones, the demand for apps will increase, it has to. The main differentiator that a smartphone has over other devices is the range of solutions it can provide. So, over the long term, unless Nokia - Windows can generate app support to rival Android, they will find it tough to compete. They might get acceptance over the short term based on OS interface (which seems quite interesting) and product design, but once the novelty wears off, and consumers feel the pinch of limited software, they will move on - at least in my opinion.

I am quite sure that top Nokia execs are aware of this... now it remains to be seen how they deal with this challenge. The Lumia will decidedly change the perception of Nokia, but how much they can encash is open to question. Time will tell how Nokia moves forward...  they should realise they already have one support - Office software, which is the most accepted word processing software in the world. If they can add a comparable app library to it, no reason why they cannot get the momentum going.