Sometimes it's the pressing question for the tech nerds among us (I'm counting myself, here): iPhone, Android or Blackberry? Lately the word has been "iPhone," on the verge of the unveiling of its latest (and snazziest) version yet.
And word also has it that October will be when we see this baby enter the smartphone market. Yes, Steve Jobs may have disappeared from Apple's helm, but all other signs seem promising for this multi-faceted and somewhat beloved company.
Meanwhile, standing on the other side, we have the upcoming release of the deliciously-named Android Ice Cream Sandwich Nexus Prime & Thunderbolt from Android. That sounds great, doesn't it? Enough to make you pull out your credit card and preorder it right now?
Well, wait. The iPhone seems to have the upper hand against all possible competitors, new or already available en masse on the market.
How is this possible? The iPhone has a layer of secrecy around it that makes Fort Knox look like Wal-Mart.
One reason is the fact that the iPhone 5 was a much-delayed release. Don't you remember? The date's been up in the air for as much as it's been talked about. There's even the possibility that it might come out as late as this November or December. Which would make sense, as the holiday hype would only add to the iPhone's momentum.
And Apple, reportedly to the website TruthDive, is expected to sell some 25 million iPhones by the end of 2011. About 35 per cent of the consumers on the prowl for a new smartphone will be taking an iPhone home with them, they go on to say.
Also, take this into account: the iPhone 5 surpassed its June/July launch date (yes, early this summer and now fall is here). A lot of current iPhone owners have had their contracts up for renewal for a considerable amount of time. These people are just salivating at the idea of the iPhone hitting their nearest Best Buy.
Combine that with the incredible fact that iPhone 5 is going to launch (at the same time) on both Verizon as well as AT&T, along with the possibility of Sprint. That gives the iPhone (slimmer and more convenient to carry this time) a definite fighting edge.
Sure, the Android might brandish near field communication (NFC) capability, 4G LTE, an open-source system, 3D display, etc, but don't rule out the iPhone. Odds are the end of this year will prove to be good to dear old Apple, if they happen to play their cards right.
"I can't wait to get my hands on a new iphone," one of my friends said, when pressed about the topic. "Yeah sure, Androids are nice, but an iphone is an iphone!" And thus Apple fever is about at epidemic rates.
