[bad_user]

With iOS:

* there are no phone models available that allow to root your device without jailbreaking, a process that voids your warranty

* you cannot install software from third-party sources, unless you jailbreak it

* as a developer you cannot distribute software from your website, unless you want to limit yourself to nerds that have jailbroken their device

* you cannot build your own device with iOS on it

* certain classes of software, like phone number blacklists, are banned from the iTunes store, but are allowed on the Android Marketplace

* the source code for iOS is not available. This means no forks are possible (e.g. the Kindle Fire)

PS: don't confuse openness with convenience. Unlike Windows, if Google is doing such a poor job, you can always fork it, which is why Google has to play nice. Also, I love my Galaxy S and I only paid $100 for it. And I also own an iPhone 3GS which is gathering dust.

[tobylane]

Android is full of possibilities, but the carriers are often the ones doing something with this, making it worse for the majority of users. If every Android user got the next version as quickly as iOS users get their next version, and it was as clean as Google wanted, their phones would be massively improved.

[nmridul]

Do you really have to depend on your carrier ? Most of the phones are available in the open market, with a higher price tag.