Is Apple's iPhone more 'open' than Android?

I recently switched to a HTC Hero on the Three(UK) network. I was excited to use Google's new tools/toys on the phone like Goggles, Turn-by-turn directions, and Buzz.

When those applications didn't show up in the android app market, I found out it was because I had Android 1.5 running on my phone and all the cool stuff is for 2.0. 'No problem, I'll update,' says me.

About that. You can download the latest Three branded software from HTC. I borrowed a friends Windows PC to do the update, since that's the only platform supported (ironic, since Android unix based). I allowed HTC Sync to erase my data (the only option) and update, only to find I'd updated to the version I already had. Version numbers are tricky; the phone's software have three different numbers and I had no idea which one referred to the Android firmware.

'OK maybe I'll try a less conventional route.' Lots of looking around helped me find out that although people used to be able to update these phones by rooting them, my phone's software had closed that door with a patch. I'm not one to give up easily when it comes to winning with technology, but I only have so many days to live on this Earth...

I have found a recent blog post suggesting that HTC will provide an update for my phone (for a different carrier, but who knows?) in March. Oh well, I'm still enjoying the phone. I guess the Lord is teaching me patience.

As for the tricksy title of this post, I know that Android is more open from a developer perspective, but on the iPhone, everyone has access to OS and application updates at once, which can be installed from two different platforms.