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Note: Our mobile expert pits the Apple iPhone 4 against the Motorola Droid X to name the better enterprise smartphone.
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Motorola Droid X Application Situation
What else is there to consider? Application availability is one. Both Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms have a healthy selection of available applications -- more than 300,000 between the two of them. Business and productivity apps are plentiful.
The iPhone 4 won't support applications built in-house by businesses. All iPhone apps must be approved by Apple and are only distributed through the iPhone App Store. Enterprise app writers can develop for Android handsets, which support non-market applications to be installed. This gives the Droid X a slight advantage when it comes to apps.
Android 2.2 has a device policy manager. Google says the new device policy management application programming interfaces allow developers to write "device administrator" applications that can control security features of the device, such as the minimum password strength, data wipe, and so on. Users can select the administrators that are enabled on their devices.
Usability
Many other features shared by both devices cancel one another out. Both have good browsers, good messaging applications, good displays, and good cameras. They each can record video at 720p. The iPhone is better at syncing and playing back media content, but the Droid X has HDMI out and DLNA software on board to more easily share HD video.
The Droid X runs software from Motorola that was culled from its Motoblur service. When integrated with Android 2.1, the end result is a little chaotic. Screen transitions can sometimes be herky-jerky, applications sometimes pause before opening, and I've had more than my fair share of app crashes. But, it offers a lot of flexibility, a lot of customization features, and the 4.3-inch display means users have tons of real estate to enjoy.
iOS4 from Apple is the best platform software available on the iPhone so far. The new multitasking support -- while still limited -- is a big help when it comes to running some apps concurrently (the new version of Skype, for example). The added unified e-mail inbox is a nice touch, as is support for folders. It is also very stable.
In terms...