Apple Planning Smaller iPhone Priced - Redux

There were stories a couple of weeks ago about a possible low-cost version of the iPhone which I wasn't very impressed by (see http://myryama.posterous.com/apple-planning-smaller-iphone-priced-at-200-w) because it all seemed just a little unlikely given the colossal amounts of money Apple make from the full-cost version.

Now, I'm not so sure. I can't help thinking that a modestly priced feature-phone with deep and extensive voice integration, high-quality aesthetics, possibly streaming music from the cloud and offering a slick email and contacts experience via a free version of MobileMe might make a compelling package. Something for the "One last thing..." section tomorrow, maybe?

Another Objection to Android

Lots of people I know, primarily developers and technical people, dislike the iPhone because Apple have locked-down the operating system, limited the configurations changes a user can make and allowed installation of only those apps that have been acquired through their curated store. I sympathise, I really do, but for me the important thing about a phone is that, whatever software I install, it should remain a functioning, secure phone.

So is Apple's system perfect? No, there are security flaws (as there are with all operating systems), missing features (again, not unusual) and sub-optimal compromises that I would prefer not to have but, overall, it's hard to argue with the "it just works" philosophy; I've never been able to do anything to my iPhones that causes them to stop working.

Keep that in mind as you read the question below, which I stumbled across on Stack Exchange:

I have a 32g micro sd card, and some of the apps I use state that they have permsisions to modify sd card memory. I have a lot of personal files on my card, and the other day, some app, I don't know which one, had practically wiped out over 15gs of files from my card! How can I block apps from wiping out my sd card? I don't see what possible good can come out of an app that can wipe out all my personal files. I backed up my pics when a guy at work told me an app had re-formatted his SD card. Sure enough, the same thing happened to me. I was able to back up my files BEFORE it happened, but how can I prevent this from happening again?

Stack Exchange is a site predominantly populated by developers and technical hangers-on asking (mostly) questions about programming, computers and related subjects. My problem is not with the advice posted in response to this question, which is pretty reasonable given the circumstances; backup your data before installing new apps, test apps to make sure they do what they say they'll do etc. My problem is that I don't understand why any user would buy a phone where there was a serious risk that his personal data might be deleted by a rogue app - isn't that a pretty fundamental flaw? Does anyone, even a die-hard Android fan, really want to have to test each app they download? What if the bug is in a reputable mainstream app - should they be testing those, as well as apps from random unknown developers?

The whole thing puts me off and there's no way I'd even consider Android, for any purpose, while it has these sorts of problems. In fact, now that I've thought about it some more, I wonder if Android's security problems are so severe that allowing Android phones access to corporate networks might not, in itself, present an unjustifiable risk? Something to ponder.

Apple's revenue tops mobile market, but share sinking

Poor Apple, losing market share like it's going out of fashion. Google would love to have a successful app store...