Whenever I review a new smartphone platform, as I did recently with BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone 8, it seems like I always conclude that new applications will be crucial for its success. But when I think about it, though, it doesn't really matter how many applications a platform has; it matters whether it has the applications you really run.

So with that in mind, I created a list of the applications that really matter to me, along with some of the other central applications for businesses, to see how the platforms stack up. (I left out games, because I'm not particular about games, but I know there are others that would care that Words With Friends isn't out yet for BlackBerry.) In most cases, I just listed the official apps, either from the vendor or the platform maker. I can't say I've extensively tried all the apps on all the platforms, just that they are there and basically work. (I erred in my BlackBerry review by relying on reports that Skype was available; it isn't yet.)

Here's the list:

This kind of a list, by definition, hurts the newer platforms as they haven't had as much time to collect applications. In particular, many applications promised for BlackBerry aren't out yet, even though the Z10 is for sale in some markets, though not the United States yet. I'll need to revisit this chart in a few weeks, but I think it is instructive.

Here are some details on the specific categories:

Basic features and stores: All of the platforms provide the basics: phone, email, calendaring, contacts, and Web browsing. Without those features, it isn't a smartphone. And all of the vendors have their own stores for buying music, video, and apps. How these stores work varies by platform; Apple and BlackBerry each have unified stores for all three; Google splits out Android Play into three separate stores; and Microsoft has both Store and a Music+Videos app. Also note that some Android phones—such as the Samsung Galaxy series—offer separate music stores in addition to the Android Play solution.

News and Information: The New York Times and ESPN SportsCenter are available on all the platforms. On Windows Phone 8, there is the Wall Street Journal Live app with videos and other info from the site, but no regular Journal app. The Journal was shown at the BlackBerry announcement, but isn't out yet.

Social Media: Every platform has Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn apps, although some are better than others. (Facebook seems to innovate faster on the iPhone than on the other platforms.) Google+ is only available through a third-party app on Windows Phone, and not on BlackBerry 10 yet.

Driving Directions: The iPhone now comes with Apple's Maps app, though most people would rather download Google Maps. Android has Google Maps. BlackBerry has a decent Maps app (maybe not quite as advanced, but usable). The standard Windows Phone Maps app does not have spoken turn-by-turn directions, but Nokia offers a good option with Nokia Drive. There are also third-party versions available.

Transportation: As a New York City commuter, I rely on a variety of apps to tell me when the next train is coming. My two favorites are CooCoo and HopStop (for subways); both are out for iPhone and Android. The other platforms both have some apps with basic information, but that aren't real replacements. (Correction: HopStop is also out for Windows Phone.)

Video: There isn't an official YouTube app for either Windows Phone or BlackBerry 10 yet, but you can go to the mobile site. Hulu isn't yet out for either platform, and Netflix is missing for BlackBerry 10 as of this writing.

Audio: Almost all the major audio apps are out for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone, although Windows Phone 8 is still missing Pandora (promised for "early 2013" with one year of ad-free play). None of these is currently available for BlackBerry 10.

Corporate Apps: RSA's well-known token app isn't out yet for BlackBerry 10, though BlackBerry says it should come soon. Citrix Receiver and the OnPage notification system aren't out yet for Windows Phone or BlackBerry 10 (though note that all of these are available for the older BlackBerry 6 platform).

Mobile Device Management Solutions: There are way too many solutions to look for them all, but Airwatch, Good for Enterprise, and MobileIron (plus many others) all show up in the Apple and Android stores. Airwatch is the only one to appear in the Microsoft Store, though both Good and MobileIron say they support the Windows Phone platform. BlackBerry offers its own MDM solution through its BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES) server software.

Movie and Restaurant Info and Reservations: Fandango, IMDB, OpenTable, and Yelp are missing from BlackBerry now, though you can use the mobile sites.

Miscellaneous: Kindle and Skype are also missing from the BlackBerry 10 platform now; as I mentioned above, Skype should be coming, but isn't here yet.

Overall, it is interesting to me how quickly Windows Phone has closed the gap with iOS and Android, though it's notable how some significant Google apps are missing. I was surprised by the absence of a number of corporate tools. Pandora and Hulu would be good to see as well, and the platform certainly could use a built-in mapping program with turn-by-turn directions (though Nokia does offer this on its phones). BlackBerry 10 is still very young, and has a ways to go. For BlackBerry, the corporate tools are probably even more important, as there's a big market of existing business BlackBerry users who would seem to be a natural target.