Form vs. function -- it's a classic challenge in the design world. When it comes to developing mobile devices, many designers would agree that consistency and an efficient user experience matter most. Smart phones like Apple iPhone reign supreme because the devices are easy to use, have tons of applications, and are developer friendly. Now that Motorola's Droid is on the market, developers and technologists (myself included) are saying that the Apple iPhone has formidable competition. But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. After all, team Droid (Motorola/Google/Verizon) will have to endure some growing pains before it wins the smart phone smackdown.
Over the next two years, I suspect consumers will show less loyalty to the iPhone (sorry, Apple). In fact, I would even predict that in two years, the number of Android based smartphones sold monthly will be nearly equal to the number of iPhones sold monthly. I would like to give Android the stronger position, but two missteps on the part of team Android will plague its popularity -- weak developer's tools (when compared to iPhone) and a few marketing missteps.
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