Funny how a pair of smartphones from the same handset maker come across so differently. The Hero from Sprint is generally a pleasure to use and a credible new rival against BlackBerrys and iPhones. AT&T’s Pure, on the other hand, reminds me of cranky child. The two phones are sired by HTC of Taiwan. The disparity has less to do with hardware genes — or the wireless carriers peddling the new devices — and more to do with the mobile operating systems at their core. Hero, which arrives Oct. 11 for $180 after rebates, represents a fresh approach to Google’s still relatively youthful Android operating system. The Pure, available now for $150 after rebate, runs the latest Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system, version 6.5. Android is primed to make some noise. Besides Hero, a bevy of devices are set to arrive shortly, including the Cliq from Motorola. This week Google and Verizon Wireless announced a partnership that will result

in more co-branded Android smartphones. And, though neither company is commenting, a report in The Wall Street Journal says a Dell-AT&T Android phone is coming next year. And then there’s Microsoft. A lot of Windows Mobile phones have been sold through the years, many to corporate customers. But the cumbersome software lacks mass appeal. Version 6.5 is prettier than previous iterations: You can slap on a “Start” page designed by Isaac Mizrahi, for example. But in too many respects, the phone is a clunker. Not only is there a stylus, I actually had to use it to tap the tiny X to close out of some screens. The keyboard drove me nuts. A Closer Look at the Siblings: *Hero. The stately Hero is packed with features you expect from a smartphone: Wi-Fi, GPS navigation, music downloads (via Amazon’s MP3 Store), stereo Bluetooth, and push e-mail — which works…

Originally posted here: 
Different Operating Systems Color Smartphones