Which Operating System Suits You?

When buying a smartphone, there are many things to be considered, like the brand you want, size and colours. However, it is also important to consider what operating system will be easy for you to use so as to operate your phone.
A mobile operating system is a software platform on which programmes called applications work. The four major smartphone operating systems are android, iOS (iPhone/iPad), Windows Phone and BlackBerry

Android operating system
For the new-comers
This is the most common version in Uganda and many of the smart phones use this system. Brands such as the techno, Samsung, HTC, Sony and Huawei all use this operating system.
Noah Mugisha, the head corporate sales at Tel Care Limited says it is the most recommended operating system for a new smartphone user.
“It has the simplest interface and is easy to use. A user can easily interact with their phone and also android applications are free and easy to download,” he adds.

Updates for the Android mobile operating system have been developed under dessert-inspired codenames such as Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream, Sandwich with the latest being the android 5.0 Lolipop.
If you want to upgrade the operating system, it is possible but with a newer version of the phone.

With the android OS, there is Integration with Google Services: you can have your Gmail, Google calendar Google reader and every other Google service will come with an android phone. More so, with an android phone, you can easily integrate with other apps on your phone such as Facebook, twitter and Google plus.
Unlike the iPhone, which features a single button that always takes you home, Android smart phones come with a home button and a back button, which takes you to your previous screen and an App Switcher button, which shows you apps you’ve used recently, which makes it much easier than navigation on the iPhone especially for first-time users.

Nicodemus Muhanguzi, a businessman, who sells phones, says android enabled phones are many but they use different versions. He says one of the disadvantages the android user faces is the version of android may differ with different phones for example the newer Samsung phones use the latest version of the android but other brands will have the low quality version of the operating system.
Windows Operating System
For the tech savvy
Ashraf Ssemanda, an IT technician at Mr Gadget, says this works best for people that are into technology, most especially the younger people.
This operating system is found on the Lumia phones and the HTC. On the windows phone, all applications are found on one interface. It comes with two screens total: One is your live tiles, or your customisable home screen, and the other is an alphabetical list of all of your apps.

Ssemanda adds that this OS works best for people that like to do work on the go because the phone is installed with the Microsoft package, which includes excel, word and a spreadsheet.
Windows Phones come with a physical camera button somewhere on the device. That button also allows you to focus without touching the screen.
On the downside, the little icons, with no text beneath to explain what they are, are needlessly confusing for a first-time user.
iPhone Operating System
For the elite
It solely works with the iPhone and no other, and is the most secure OS of them all. For the applications to be downloaded, one requires the owner to pay for the applications.
Ssemanda says the iPhone is ideal for someone that has a lot of money because most of the applications need to be paid for with someone that has a credit account. Uploading photos to Facebook and Instagram, Google+, Dropbox and more, is harder than it should be on the iPhone.

When you take a photo using either an android or Windows Phone, there is an option to upload it to Facebook and even tag your friends straight from the camera. On the iPhone, you have to go into the Facebook app and manually upload it.