Android vs iOS. Which one is better?

Its Android vs iOS every single time we discuss emerging technologies. And consumers always have this itching in their heads on which one to choose.

We all know the two Tech Giants are in a competition from the last 15 years or so. Which feels like two siblings fighting for “who gets to have the last laugh”.

Falling out over, beating the Gods out of each other and complaining to parents when the other took something that wasn’t theirs. Even though these siblings had hated each other since the day they’re born, they still managed to help each-other succeed to the greatest heights the world has ever seen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, those Siblings are Apple iOS and Google Android. Always till eternity, Android vs iOS. Which one is better?

Both of these companies kept on rolling back and forth until they got ahead of the curve. Remember their cousin Blackberry, Or their strong muscular uncle Nokia?  Where are they now?

Even the world’s most dominant tech giant Microsoft couldn’t compete these bad boys. We have done a thorough research on what Apple iOS and Android have to offer.

Dig in for comparison across various aspects, including hardware capabilities, software features, user interface, app ecosystems, and overall user experience.

Interface

There are quite a few similarities in both iOS and Android interfaces such as swiping, tapping and pinch-and-zoom. Both systems have a home-screen quite parallel to a computer desktop.

iOS home-screen contains rows of apps icons whereas Android allows the use of widgets to make consumer feel like they are the boss of how their interface should look like, displaying auto-updating information such as weather, email and reminders.

The iOS has got the little dock where users can pin their most frequently used apps.

At the top of the screen there is a status bar which indicates battery, Wi-Fi or cellular network signal. But here’s where android get the credit of showing multiple notifications status bar at the top as well. Either be it emails, messages, reminders, missed calls, Instagram pending DMs and others.

 User experience

While the look and feel may differ, there are many apps, such as TikTok, YouTube and WhatsApp will look familiar when you switch from Android to iOS or vice versa.

Where Android typically has a persistent back button for navigation, iOS has a Go-Back-To-Home swipe button at the bottom, which irritates certain users because Back-Page button is usually at the top left corner of the many apps which a few lazy users find it hard to reach with their fingers.

  Exclusive features Android vs iOS

3.1: Features exclusive to iOS include:

• iMessage: iOS own messenger and undoubtedly the most popular iOS app. iMessage supports both SMS messages (when the other party is on a non-iOS) as well as Apple-supported chat (when all participants use iMessage). Its integration with Apple Pay makes sending and receiving money via iMessage extremely easy.
• AirDrop: AirDrop uses Bluetooth to share files, pictures, videos and links from the iPhone to any Apple device. It is very easy to use, just simple few clicks.
• Share WiFi passwords: Sharing WiFi passwords between two iOS devices is a goldfish. Simply hold them close together and a pop-up will appear asking if you’d like to share your password.
• App offloading: iOS automatically identifies apps that you do not use and removes them from the device. Data from the apps is retained and they get reinstalled when you want to use them. Quite interesting feature in my personal opinion.
• Easy-Peasy setup of new devices: Apple makes it very easy to switch from an old iPhone to a new iPhone. When setting up a new iPhone, importing apps, data, passwords and settings is a breeze. Connecting Apple watch or Airbuds is as easy as pealing an orange.

3.2 Features exclusive to Android include:

• Home screen Customization: Android offers a lot of flexibility for adding widgets and customizing the layout of the home screen. It also supports other apps taking over the management of the home screen. (Other apps are not personally recommended unless you’re sure about the credibility of the source)
• File management: Android allows users to select their preferred file manager, and it also grants access to the device’s file system. When connecting an Android device to a computer, the phone’s file system becomes accessible as a standard drive, facilitating easy drag-and-drop file transfers between the phone and the PC.
• Expandable Storage: Most Android phones come with expandable storage. While the phone may only have 32 or 64GB of storage in most devices, you can add a microSD card to expand it by up to 1TB more.
• Multiple Users and Guest accounts: While iOS is a single-user operating system, Android has added support for multiple users, and even a guest account. This is especially useful for sharing your phone with kids or with a friend who may need it temporarily.
• Split screen: iOS only supports split screen for iPads. Android supports this feature for phones as well.

   Software upgrades

Apple users certainly have a bigger advantage when it comes to software updates. iOS upgrades are generally available to all iOS devices.

When Apple released iOS 14 in the fall of 2020, it was made available for iPhone models as old as the iPhone 6S, which was released in Sep 2015. Similarly, the latest iOS 17 is compatible with iPhone X and all models released after it.

Apple cites hardware capability as the reason some older devices may not receive all new features in an upgrade.

Although Google does update Android frequently, some users may find that they do not receive the updates on their phone, or even purchase phones with out-of-date software.

Phone manufacturers decide whether and when to offer software upgrades. They may not offer an upgrade to the latest version of Android for all the phones and tablets in their product line. Even when an upgrade is offered, it is usually several months after the new version of Android has been released.

Speed

With the A-series chips that Apple designs in-house, the company has a roughly two-year lead over the best Android phones, which typically run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series chips.

The iPhone 13 easily beats both Samsung Galaxy 21 and Google’s Pixel 7 in Geekbench 5 and 3D Mark’s Wild-Life stress tests.

Read more: APPLE VISION PRO: THE FIRST EVER APPLE VR HEADSET

 Apps Available on iOS vs Android

Android gets apps from Google Play, which currently has over 3 million apps available, most of which will run on tablets.

The Apple app store currently offers nearly 2 million apps, about 30% of which are available for the iPad. Most developers prefer to develop games for iOS before they develop for Android. A list of iOS-only games is maintained here on Wikipedia.

In a comparison between Google and Apple’s app stores, it’s evident that the majority of popular apps are accessible on both platforms.

However, when it comes to tablets, there’s a notable difference—iPad has a greater number of apps tailored specifically for its platform, while Android tablet apps often appear as enlarged versions of their smartphone counterparts.

Start-up developers frequently concentrate on a single platform, typically iOS, during the initial launch of their smartphone app due to resource constraints. A case in point is Instagram, which initially debuted on iOS, with the Android version following at a later stage.

Read more: VR and AR technology. Explore Apps

Calls and Messaging

 Call Features

Android permits users to choose from a variety of pre-written texts for automatic replies when declining a call.

On the other hand, iOS’s phone app offers several features, such as the option to respond to a call with a pre-defined text message instead of answering, or to schedule a callback reminder.

 Messaging

Android allowed users to log onto GTalk for instant messages till 2017 when it was discontinued and Google Hangout was introduced as an instant message service.

Though different phone companies use their own messenger services as well which are supported by Android.

iOS does not offer a native way to chat to non-Apple users. SMS messaging is as convenient as any other app if the other party does not use iMessage in the Messages app.

 Video Chat

Google meet on Android can also be used for video chat, allowing users to chat over either 3G or Wi-Fi. iOS uses Facetime, which can place video calls over both 3G and WiFi.

However, it only allows users to communicate with other Apple devices.

 Voice Commands on Android vs iOS

iOS uses Siri, a voice-based virtual assistant, to understand and respond to both dictation as well as spoken commands. Siri includes many features, such as reading sports scores and standings, making reservations at restaurants and finding movie times at the local theater.

You can also dictate texts and emails, schedule calendar events, and interface with car audio and navigation.

Android offers a similar assistant, Google Now, which features the above abilities, plus can keep track of your calendar and give verbal reminders when it is time to leave. It allows for voice search and dictation.

 Web Browsing

Android uses Google Chrome as its web-browser, while iOS uses Safari. Both Internet browsers are similar in quality and abilities and Google Chrome is also available for iOS. Safari is not available for Android.

 Maps

Applications like Google Maps, Waze, and Bing are accessible on both iOS and Android platforms. When Google introduced its maps app for iOS in December 2012, the iOS version outpaced its Android counterpart in terms of features, design, and user-friendliness.

It was anticipated that the Android version will not lag behind. Apple’s native mapping app, bundled with every iOS device, received widespread criticism upon its launch with iOS 6.

 Mobile payments

Android uses Google Wallet, an app that allows for mobile payments. Some Android phones are equipped with an NFC chip (near-field communication) that is used for making wireless payments simply by tapping the phone at the checkout counter.

This service integrates with Google Wallet but is not available on all Android phones or wireless carriers. Mobile payments are supported on devices that have an NFC chip as long as they are running a version of Android newer that 4.4 KitKat.

The iOS mobile payment system is called Apple Pay. While Apple Pay was launched over a year after tap-to-pay features on some Android phones, its integration with fingerprint identification arguably makes Apple Pay easier to use. Usage of Apple Pay has certainly been significantly higher.

In fact, Apple Pay has kindled interest in mobile payments and prompted Android users to discover the feature on their phones, leading to an increase in use of Google Wallet over NFC. iOS offers Passbook, an app that collects in one place tickets, reward cards, and credit/debit cards.

 Security

Android applications operate in isolation from the system’s resources, requiring explicit user permission for access to additional features.

While this approach enhances system security by minimizing vulnerability to bugs, it also leads to a common issue—developer confusion results in many apps requesting unnecessary permissions.

The predominant form of malware on Android involves unauthorized sending of text messages to premium-rate numbers and the transmission of personal information to third parties without the user’s awareness.

Due to its widespread use as a smartphone operating system. Android is more susceptible to being targeted in cyber attacks.

Malware in each?

Malware writers are less likely to write apps for iOS. Due to Apple’s review of all the apps and verification of the identity of app publishers.

However, if an iOS device is jailbroken and apps installed from outside Apple’s store, it can be vulnerable to attacks and malware.

Both iOS and Android are also vulnerable to bugs e.g. phones crashing when playing a specific video. A type of software bug that has affected both iOS and Android devices.

In the real world, the security of an Android or iOS device is only as good as the software updates that have been applied to it. This is where iOS shines because of the fragmented nature of the Android ecosystem.

Apple releases software updates and makes them available to all iOS devices at the same time. On Android, Google releases software updates and security patches to Nexus devices.

Devices from other manufacturers lag behind because the manufacturer must take these security updates from Google and apply them to their own devices “in the wild”.

Virtually all manufacturers do a poor job at this. Most don’t release patches to devices older than 12-18 months. Even when they do, these security updates are rolled out months after Nexus devices receive them.

 Privacy

Both iOS and Android are “vulnerable” to a certain kind of privacy leak: an app installed on either platform can get a list of all other apps installed on the same device.

This means your calculator app can find out that you use Tinder and relay that information back to its publisher, who is then free to use this info in whatever way they choose.

In November 2014, Twitter announced that it is now tracking the list of apps its users have installed on their phones.

Twitter is far from being the only company doing this.

 Which One? Android vs iOS

 Device Selection

A wide variety of Android devices are available at many different price points, sizes and hardware capabilities.

Among all other things Apple has immensely created a High-Quality Status Brand across all continents.

iOS is only available on Apple devices: the iPhone as a phone, the iPad as a tablet, and the iPod Touch as an MP3 player (discontinued in 2022 after iPod touch 7^th generation). These tend to be more expensive than equivalent hardware using Android.

To summarize the key pros and cons of Android and iOS:

 iOS pros and cons. Android vs iOS

• Massive app ecosystem: distinct advantage for tablet apps while on smartphones popular apps are usually available for both platforms
• Deeper integration with Facebook and Twitter: it is easier to post updates and share on social networks using iOS than Android because of how deeply integrated these platforms are with iOS.
• Interface is locked down: Limited customization options for the home screens; only rows of app icons are allowed. No third-party apps are pre-installed by the wireless carrier. Users can only install apps from the App Store
• Software upgrades: Apple offers software upgrades to all devices that have the hardware capable of handling the new software. This means devices stay current with software features for at least two to three years.
• Better privacy controls: iOS offers better control over the access apps have to users’ private information such as contacts and location.

Pros and cons. Android vs iOS

• Massive hardware selection: A large number of Android devices are available at various price points, with varying hardware capabilities, screen sizes and features.
• Highly customizable user experience: The home screen can be customized with not just app icons but widgets that allow the user to stay connected or informed. Other examples include SwiftKey, which modifies your Android smartphone’s keyboard, and apps that emulate older gaming consoles. Google has fewer restrictions than Apple on what kinds of apps it allows in its Play store. Moreover, you can choose to install Android apps from places other than the Google Play store.

Several prominent people have shifted from iPhone to Android. Android’s connection to the Google ecosystem of services is strong and arguably more useful compared with Apple’s cloud services suite.

Comparison Chart Android vs iOS

In the battle of Android vs iOS which one do you think has the upper hand? Let us know.