BlackBerry vs Windows Phone 7 head-to-head

We put RIM's platform up against Microsoft's revamped mobile OS to see which is better for business users

The BlackBerry platform has traditionally been a favourite with business users but, along with iOS and Android devices, Microsoft is looking to establish its Windows Phone platform as a genuine contender.

Millions of businesses use Microsoft software, so the ability to deploy smartphones that integrate into this legacy environment could be very attractive.

V3 has run through the features of the two operating systems to find out which offers the best functionality for enterprise users.

Interface
Windows Phone comes with a very simple user interface, which makes it easy to navigate, much like Android and iOS. The home screen is populated with very distinctive 'live tiles' that allow quick access to applications such as messaging, internet, calendar and settings.

Users can access a more comprehensive list of apps by clicking a small arrow in the top corner, and 'pin' shortcuts of frequently used apps to the home screen.

Within an application there is generally the option to slide across panels to bring up menus, and the platform supports a maximum of four panels. There are also a number of 'hubs' available, which are a cross between widgets and applications as they are designed to provide additional information.

The People Hub is intriguing, allowing the ability to scan contacts and integrate Facebook and Windows Live feeds as well as photos. Twitter and LinkedIn integration is expected in the future, which will make this more useful.

There are an additional five hubs - Pictures, Music & Video, Office, Games and Marketplace - but the Office Hub is going to be one of the most appealing to business users.

In contrast, the most up-to-date version of RIM's operating system is BlackBerry 6, and for the purposes of this head-to-head we tested it on the flagship BlackBerry Torch smartphone.

The interface is a considerable improvement over previous versions, making much better use of graphical icons and touch screen navigation.

Most of the principal functions are accessible from the main homescreen and, like Android and iOS devices, users can swipe between different panels.

Apps are bundled together in five sensible categories of All, Favourite, Media, Downloads and Frequent.

The Favourites and Frequent categories are particularly useful. The former can be used to store frequently used contacts, apps and web pages, and the latter keeps track of the 12 most commonly used features.

Popular social networking apps such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube are all located on the home screen. The Social Feeds app also saves the need to search through individuals apps as it groups messages from AIM, BBM, Facebook, Google Talk, MySpace, Twitter, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.

Winner: BlackBerry
Although both interfaces are easy to use, the BlackBerry 6 OS has a little bit more funtionality. However, Microsoft is due to add a significant number of feature via the Mango update in the autumn, so it could overtake RIM's platform by the end of the year.

BlackBerry vs Windows Phone 7 head-to-head

We put RIM's platform up against Microsoft's revamped mobile OS to see which is better for business users

Email and calendar
Windows Phone 7 devices will be very familiar to business people who have been using the Windows platform for years.

All devices come pre-loaded with a mobile version of Outlook 2010 providing immediate access to enterprise email. Multiple accounts are supported, allowing the synchronising of personal accounts from ISPs or web-based clients such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail.

Messages can be filtered, and the email search function makes it simple to find messages with specific keywords.

Meanwhile, the calendar syncs with the inbox to make it easier to keep track of appointments and avoid any conflicts, and a colour coding system highlights personal and work appointments.

Those who travel a lot will find the integration between the calendar apps and Bing maps very useful. Clicking on a meeting address provides directions, for example.

BlackBerry devices are not as deeply integrated into Outlook as their Windows Phone counterparts, but are still very capable when it comes to browsing email.

It's possible to sync personal and work email accounts as well as instant messaging services such as Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. RIM also includes a valuable universal search feature, and its popular BBM instant messaging service which allows users to send and receive messages, photos, videos and music for free to multiple contacts.

The calendar app is easy to navigate, but lacks the deep integration that Microsoft has the advantage of building in.

Winner: Windows Phone
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft has integrated Outlook funtionality into its mobile platform better than any other competitor, including RIM

Security
This is a critical feature when it comes to attracting business users, and one that IT admins no doubt lose sleep over, and RIM and Microsoft have invested a lot in making their mobile platforms as secure as possible.

Microsoft claims that most firms will be able to deploy Windows Phone handsets and manage them without spending additional money on licensing, software and support.

The smartphones can be connected directly with Microsoft Exchange Server, and IT administrators can implement password policies to ensure that staff are protecting data on the device. SSL encryption is used when information on the Microsoft Exchange Server is accessed.

Windows Phone also includes a Find My Phone service that can remotely lock, wipe and locate a device in case it is lost or stolen. Valuable information in the form of contacts, calendar, appointments and notes can also be restored.

Additionally, Microsoft offers 25GB of free online storage with Windows Live SkyDrive for saving, accessing and sharing notes and photos from the phone or PC. This is most likely to be accessed for personal use, but the cloud service could create an unnecessary security concern if not monitored properly.

Microsoft has done a good job to promote security, but RIM has built its reputation on this area and its devices have been justifiably popular in the enterprise.

In fact, RIM's encryption has been so strong it has caused a number of high-profile problems. Governments have threatened to ban BlackBerry devices as they are not able to monitor communications, and the situation appears far from being resolved.

Just in case there were any doubts, the graphic below demonstrates how seriously RIM takes its security. Data sent to a BlackBerry smartphone is basically encrypted the entire time it's in transit and can only be decrypted using a private key that is retrieved from a user's mailbox.

RIM allows IT admins to manage BlackBerry devices via the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express, and IT policies and settings can be applied to multiple BlackBerry smartphones in real time.

Not to be outdone by Microsoft's Find My Phone app, RIM offers BlackBerry Protect, a feature that allows users to regularly backup their device and lock, locate and remotely wipe it.
Winner: BlackBerry
It's hard to outdo a platform that has Federal Information Processing Standard certification and is deemed secure enough to be used by US government agencies

BlackBerry vs Windows Phone 7 head-to-head

We put RIM's platform up against Microsoft's revamped mobile OS to see which is better for business users

Document creation/management
Most people are not going to be spending hours creating documents from scratch on a mobile device, but it is always useful to share and edit important documents on the move.

The 4in Windows Phone 7 devices are in a league of their own when it comes to access to documents, and surpass iOS and Android in terms of functionality.

Microsoft Office Mobile 2010 is unique to Windows-based devices and incorporates mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and SharePoint.

The most used application is likely to be Mobile Word for creating, editing, saving and sharing documents. The documents are automatically reformatted to fit the screen, and there is easy access to important features such as the autocorrect, spell check and formatting options.

Unfortunately, this is an area where BlackBerry devices fall down, as the majority have a screen size under 3ins. Although the screen on the Torch is a bit bigger at 3.2in, it's still not ideal for document editing especially as it lacks the mobile version of Office.

It is possible to download applications from App World to address this issue, and productivity app E-Office is a viable alternative. This supports Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF formats, and allows files to be sent via email attachments. An unlimited amount of online space is also on offer to store documents.

Winner: Windows Phone
The mobile version of Office is well executed and makes this a very useful tool

Internet
In another attempt to gain an advantage over its competitors, Microsoft has used a cut-down version of Internet Explorer as the native browser. Although speed isn't a problem when it comes to loading web pages, usability isn't the best.

Navigation between sites is only possible in portrait mode, while the address bar, favourite pages and switch windows are available only when the device is held vertically, an astounding oversight. However, we are promised that this will be addressed in the forthcoming Mango update.

Another major gripe is the inability to play the majority of video content, as the device lacks Flash support. Many were initially surprised by Microsoft's decision to omit support, and it is unclear whether it will be seen anytime soon.

Despite being noticeably slower at times on 3G, the browser on BlackBerry devices is the better of the two when it comes to functionality.

It's the little features that turn something average into something great. For instance, when typing a URL into the address bar, the keyboard automatically adjusts so that the space bar is now a full stop.

Both browsers share some similar traits which we like. These include the ability to add favourite web pages to your home screen and to carry out tabbed browsing.

However, it's RIM's decision to back Flash integration for video content that puts BlackBerry on top.

Winner: BlackBerry
Video is becoming increasingly important in the enterprise, and many people will need to access content on the move

BlackBerry vs Windows Phone 7 head-to-head

We put RIM's platform up against Microsoft's revamped mobile OS to see which is better for business users

Hardware
The Torch runs on BlackBerry 6, but it's close to a year old and the specifications are outdated when compared to other high-end smartphones on the market.

The device is powered by a middling 624MHz processor and 512MB of RAM, so it's not quite going to have the grunt of Windows Phone devices, and this also goes some way to explaining why the internet experience can be pedestrian at times.

The 3.2in touch screen is a considerable improvement on RIM's previous efforts, but again the 480x360 resolution isn't exactly the most pleasing to the eye. The Torch also retains RIM's patented Qwerty keyboard which makes it better for typing out long emails.

Other features include support for up to 32GB Micro SD cards, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and a weight of 161g.

In contrast, Microsoft does not manufacture Windows-based devices, but licenses the operating system to a number of manufacturers, the most prominent being HTC and Samsung.

Interestingly, Microsoft has given manufacturers a list of minimum specifications that must be incorporated into any Windows Phone device:

Camera: At least 5-megapixel with flash and dedicated camera button
Capacitive Touch: Four or more contact points
Sensors: A-GPS, Accelerometer, Compass, Light, Proximity
GPU: must support DirectX 9 acceleration
Hardware Buttons: Must be fixed on the face
Keyboard: Optional
Memory: 256MB RAM, 8GB Flash or more
Multimedia: Common detailed specs, codec acceleration
Processor: ARMv7 Cortex/Scorpion or better
Screen sizes: 480×800 WVGA or 480×320 HVGA

This is done to provide end users with a consistent experience, no matter which device they choose.

Bearing the above in mind, you can expect to get a Windows Phone with better specifications than the Torch. The HTC 7 Mozart comes with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 576MB RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 3.7in touch screen with 480x800 pixels as well as an 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash.

Winner: Windows Phone
The devices have a higher specification than BlackBerry handsets at present

Applications
Considering that Windows Phone launched in October 2010, it is impressive that its application store has already managed to amass over 26,000 titles.

In comparison, BlackBerry's App World has been live since April 2009 and has just over 35,000 apps, according to official figures from RIM.

These figures suggest that the Windows platform is about to overtake the BlackBerry, and considering that RIM is going to make the transition to the QNX-platform, which has only 3,000 apps at the moment, it could at a bigger disadvantage in the future.

Winner - Tie
Even though RIM is ahead, it doesn't look like this will last much longer as Microsoft's ecosystem shows no signs of slowing down

Overall
There is nothing really to separate the two platforms in terms of user interface. Windows Phone does lack some functionality, but this is set to be addressed by the Mango update.

Based on hardware alone, business users would be advised to go with Windows Phone at this time as the handsets generally have a higher specification and there is a choice of manufacturers.

Those who want the best possible Microsoft Office and Outlook experience on the move should also give serious thought to Microsoft's handsets.

However, those who work with highly confidential information are advised to look at a BlackBerry device as security is unmatched at this time.

Business users needing the best possible internet experience on the move should also think about getting a BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry Bold Touch and Torch 2 are both expected to make an appearance shortly, and it may be worth holding out for these devices.