Last week, in a crisis of faith, I found myself harbouring thoughts of owning an Android “fondleslab”.

I have since been to confession at the Birmingham Apple store to be absolved of my guilt.

A “fondleslab”, for those not down with the kids, describes any portable touch screen device so beloved by its owner that it is incessantly fondled in public.

I swapped the faithful fag packet and lighter combination (which served a similar social purpose) for an iPhone a few years ago, but now, to keep down with the kids, I need an iPad 2.

But it occurred to me that my unquestioned loyalty to Apple needed questioning.

Why did I want to pay over the odds for a hard-to-get-hold-of tablet when there were a plethora of cheaper Android alternatives on the market?

Android is an open source mobile software platform donated by Google to the smartphone world, now adopted by most major phone manufacturers.

The more cynical looked for an ulterior motive than altruism and found one when it was discovered that Android allowed phones to be track via the WiFi connections they made and helped Google to deliver location-based advertising services.

It is reported that if you have an Android phone, Google knows where you are to within 89 feet of where you are sat.

Then it turns out that my iPhone was recording the same location data (for Apple’s own permission-based location services) and due to a bug, anyone clever enough could access a year’s worth of my movements.

Of course the platform with the better social media applications will be triumphant - you knew the S&M word would have to popup sooner or later, didn’t you?

Some surveys report that more than 50 per cent of social networking is now done on the move and the take-up of mobile-specific features such as FourSquare and Facebook “check-ins” suggest few have a problem divulging their location.

I understand this is an exciting development for brands wanting to engage in context of location, but personally don’t want anyone to know where  I am when I’m fondling a slab.

* Chris Tomlinson is managing director of social media and online PR agency Friend Digital