If you are trying to choose between Android and iOS, then you've already won 80% of the battle in choosing the right smartphone. Thank God you're not going the BB or WP7 route, or worse still, Nokia.
There will be annoyances on both platforms, but the good news is that both platforms are backed up by big software giants (Apple, Google) and the OS's on both platforms are updated fairly regularly. Most of the annoyances will get sorted out eventually with firmware updates, or through 3rd party applications that can be downloaded from the respective App stores.
Another advantage is that both platforms are backed up by a huge array of 3rd party applications, both free and paid for.
If you're really into customising your phone by hacking/rooting/jailbreaking it, then both platforms allow for it, though Apple is more anal about trying to prevent this from happening.
I've got an HTC Desire, and I'm very happy with it, though I must admit that the hardware is not up to scratch. The Loudspeaker sucks, and is almost unusable for hands-free telephony. The camera could have been much better, perhaps with a Dual-LED flash. The built-in phone speaker is also not as loud as I'd like, and it can be difficult to have a conversation when there is lots of noise in your vicinity.
The only thing I'd give Nokia a gold star for is building excellent hardware. Their cameras, loudspeakers and built-in phone speakers are excellent, on almost every smartphone they've built. It's a pity though, coz the software/OS/apps are horrendous.
To sum up, you're already down the right track by choosing between Android and iOS. iOS is a simple choice - as Apple almost always have excellent hardware, backed up with a great OS and app ecosystem. If you choose Android, it's a bit more complicated, as you then have to decide which manufacturer to go with (HTC, Samsung, Motorolla, etc).
I personally feel that HTC don't build the best hardware (based on past experience - HTC Touch, Tytn, Desire, etc), and would have a look at Samsung instead. They already have good experience building cameras, LCD TVs, hifi-systems, speakers, etc, within their consumer electronics division. HTC on the other hand, don't have this added experience, R&D, etc.
Best is to play around with each phone you are interested in. Goto GSMArena.com and read the reviews of those phones you are interested in, and compare the specs between the different phones. Then goto Vodaworld, or apparently any Cell C shop, and you can play around with the REAL phones. That's the only real way to make a good informed decision
