[November 08, 2009]

Smart competition: Verizon, Cellular South give Apple's iPhone run for its money

Nov 08, 2009 (The Commercial Appeal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- And they're off.

To the smartphone races, that is, with the launch of several Android-powered devices in an effort to overtake the heretofore front-runner, the Apple iPhone.

On Thursday, Cellular South rolled out its HTC Hero, available for pickup locally to customers who'd preordered the smartphone in stores or online. The device goes on sale to the general public in all Cellular South outlets on Monday.

"The Hero appeals to a broad range of users, from college students to techies to business executives," said Dave Miller, public relations manager for the Mississippi-based Cellular South. "We think it's the most versatile and best alternative to other smartphones." But nipping at the Hero's heels, on Friday, Verizon introduced basic and premier versions of its Droid by Motorola. Anticipating heavy customer demand, Memphis area Verizon stores opened at 7 a.m. on Friday, two hours earlier than normal.

Douglas Earthman arrived at Verizon's store at 5323 Poplar in East Memphis at 6:30 a.m., securing the first spot in line and buying the first Droid from that location.

"I've never had any kind of smartphone, but from what I've read about the Droid, it's going to be the one to beat," Earthman said. "I think it's going to be much more versatile than the iPhone." And that's exactly what producers of Android-powered devices are banking on.

Unlike iPhone, which is based on Apple's proprietary platform, Android is open source and being touted as a less restrictive market for software developers.

"The Android platform is revolutionary and evolutionary and I believe the trend will lead in that direction because of the enormous information sharing capability in the developers' community," said Jeff Cook, products manager for emerging devices for Cellular South. "Android will completely change the landscape and it will look dramatically different by this time next year. This is still the early awareness stage for most consumers." Trey Golmon, data sales consultant with Verizon, agreed.

"Android is more innovative and quicker than Apple and customers are definitely going to respond to that," Golmon said.

Although the iPhone got a head start in the race, PC World columnist David Coursey said Android is off to a great beginning, largely due to its Google apps. But he cautioned against overconfidence by Android marketers.

"Long-term Android sales are likely to surpass Apple, but in the interim there are going to be some pretty awful Android devices out there," said Coursey, who writes Tech Inciter. "It's going to come down to the high-end Android competitors and what they're selling." Coursey praised Verizon's Droid, saying that it offers solid appeal for more business-oriented users, compared to iPhone's strong gaming and entertainment-oriented customers. However, he still called the iPhone the safe choice for someone who's never owned a smartphone.

"The iPhone has a better interface and it's easier to learn," Coursey said. "That may change, but for now it's the better purchase for new users and anyone who owns an iPod." Wade Smith, director of products development for Cellular South, respectfully disagreed.

"The iPhone is plain vanilla and that's fine if you like plain vanilla every day," Smith said. "But if you like some sprinkles on top or maybe even Rocky Road, then Android is for you." -- James Dowd: 529-2737 Cellular South HTC Hero Launched: Nov. 5 Price: $99 after mail-in rebate Details: cellularsouth.com Verizon Droid by Motorola Launched: Nov. 6 Price: $199.99 after mail-in rebate Details: verizon.com To see more of The Commercial Appeal or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.commercialappeal.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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