Today I went to download Mozilla Firefox browser, and upon arriving at their website, I was very prominently reminded of their upcoming mobile OS, which inspired these thoughts.

As it has been constantly repeated, the PC era is apparently coming to an end, and we are entering an age of mobile. In this shift, I have noticed an overwhelming push for ‘the perfect mobile OS’. With major players, iOS, Android, Windows phone, through to lesser known systems such as Jolla, Firefox OS, and Ubuntu on Phones. Many software developers are desperately trying to grasp what makes a mobile OS great, and the many variations of Android which is arguably the most accessible open-source OS has in fact created quite a confusing world for the consumer to get their head around. And then you get the rather obsolete question; Which OS is ‘the best’? While each company have their own benefits and challenges, I believe their is one crucial part of the software race that many companies are missing out on.

Hardware.

I’d like to give this a bit of context, as this in itself is a vast statement. I am an android user, and always have been (running a GS3). I like the customisable interface, and the options to experiment and play with the software. I genuinely think that the potential for android is much greater than its biggest competitor, iOS. However, there is a key difference between these two. Apple controls both hardware and software aspects of the iPhone, the only company in its class to do that. While I believe android to have much more potential than iOS, I also recognise that the iPhone is still the best phone in the market, and I believe the marriage of great software AND great hardware is the key reason that sets it aside from any competitor.

I would love to see a company besides Apple that truly puts the focus on getting the best out of both hardware and software, rather than solely focusing on a well designed OS that is compromised due to poor partnership with hardware. In this case I am excited companies like Jolla, who are starting to pick up on this trend.

If you know of any other companies that are doing this, please comment here, and let me know. I do not claim in any way to be an expert in this, just another interested user who is trying to make sense of this new trend.