Apple is working quite successfully to ban the import of HTC products in the United States. This is just another saga in the ongoing patent wars between Apple, Microsoft, and the Android crowd. Aside from the fact that the delayed import of Android devices is annoying, its disappointing to me in other aspects.
I’m actually becoming fond of the iPhone. There’s definitely things I would change about it. A larger screen would be great (and rumor is, the next iPhone will have it). Perhaps making it more durable would help as well. What I really like is jailbreaking.
It is very difficult to root most Android phones. I’ve been considering rooting my HTC Droid Incredible 2 or more likely my old Motorola Droid 2 Global. Unfortunately… That involves rolling back the device firmware, gaining root access, and then loading whatever you want.
On the iPhone, its as simple as visiting jailbreakme.com and clicking the button on the iPhone. It’ll unlock the iPhone and gain access.
Now, if it wasn’t for philosophical reasons, I would probably switch to an iPhone eventually. The key is Apple’s behavior. If Apple would quit fighting its sales battles in court, I would buy one. Until then, I will stick with the free, open source based alternative.