Switched On: Battling for the Bronze

_Each week [Ross Rubin](http://twitter.com/rossrubin) contributes [Switched On](http://www.engadget.com/tag/switchedon), a column about consumer technology._

[](http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/10/battling-for-the-bronze/)

### More Info

* [Windows Phone 7.8 hands-on](http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/03/windows-phone-7-8-hands-on-cosmetically-yours/)
* [Nokia is hooked on Windows Phone, now has to pay for it](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/24/nokia-microsoft-payments/)
* [Editorial: Betting on BlackBerry (or hoping)](http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/15/betting-on-blackberry-or-hoping/)

Apple and Google, the latter riding on a Samsung partnership, continue to play an escalating game of units versus revenues to determine which is the top dog in mobile operating systems. However, two companies that were early players in smartphones, but late to revamp their operating systems, look on, seeking to establish themselves as solid third-place entrants, at least as a beachhead.

A couple of years into the re-emergence of [Windows Phone](https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/29/windows-phone-8-review/&sa=U&ei=SGYVUevzC9Ou2gWE5YGYDg&ved=0CAsQFjAC&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNEvvxiJ8YrPPeLQwYW3MHtM76uSdQ) and its slow crawl up the market share mountain, the company formerly known as RIM has released [BlackBerry 10](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/30/blackberry-10-event-roundup/). Both operating systems lie somewhere between the cathedral of iOS and the bazaar of Android in terms of their tradeoffs between integration and flexibility, with Windows Phone offering a broader range of hardware since it is licensed and has been in the market longer.

Filed under: [Cellphones](http://www.engadget.com/category/cellphones/), [Handhelds](http://www.engadget.com/category/handhelds/), [Apple](http://www.engadget.com/category/apple/), [Samsung](http://www.engadget.com/category/samsung/), [Google](http://www.engadget.com/category/google/), [Blackberry](http://www.engadget.com/category/blackberry/)

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URL: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/10/battling-for-the-bronze/