iOS vs Android is a war that dates back to 2010, only two years after the launch of the two operating systems. Both operating systems are useful, efficient, and likable. Both have kept user experience at the top of their priority list. You will see that both boost a reasonably loyal user base.
For most of the users, the question is not which is a better option out of the two. Instead, people are concerned about individual preferences. In a nutshell, users looking for flexibility go for Android, and predictability and uniformity are loved by iOS users.
Here are eight key differences boosted by the two competitors.
Cost
For many users, this is the decision point. Apple has ensured that it doesn’t saturate the market. In other words, it built and kept its position on the notion of appearing elite. Only elite-class consumers can buy Apple’s devices because of its price point. Apple justifies this price with supply-demand disparity. Apple is the only brand that makes devices that use iOS.
Android is different. You will find Android devices of all kinds and all budgets. Every mobile phone manufacturer, other than Apple, uses the Android operating system to power its devices. It means that the Android system is available on all devices, from the costliest to the most affordable ones. In other words, you can find Android devices for all budgets from below $100 to above tens of thousands.
Device Options
Again, iOS is available only on devices from Apple Inc. You have little choice here. If prestige is your only concern from a handheld device, you should get accustomed to iOS. But if you are a little picky and want to divorce predictability, you will go with Android phones.
Against a single brand of Apple, Android OS is supported by thousands of devices worldwide. These devices are more inclusive because of variety, and they allow your personality to appear in your device choice.
Hardware Variety
Android users come from all walks of life, and they pursue different interests and hobbies. Because Android is an open-source OS, it is available for all brands to develop to their own liking and to the liking of their customers.
Many brands have offered specialized devices for gamers, readers, and vloggers. These devices are designed with longer battery lives, cooling features to give longer device usage time, and sizes adjusted for the purpose they will serve.
Design-wise, these devices satisfy the aesthetic sense of the users. Unlike Apple’s minimalistic approach, you will see Android phones appealing to all types of users with varying aesthetic senses so users can get foldable and flipable phones.
On the other hand, iOS follows a standardized touch and feel. You get all-purpose phones and tablets that may not specialize for any activity you are about to start.
Interface Personalization
No, we know that the Android OS can be blended with almost every phone. The laptop-like feel is even more interesting because of the customization options it offers users. The users can change the location of icons on their screens, choose from a much wider variety of widgets and themes, and personalize the look of their devices. iOS likes to keep things minimalistic and simple.
Many android apps development service providers find that although this limitation on customization makes their processes easier, it may not satisfy their customers who want a custom touch to their apps.
Variety of Versions
Android is an open-source OS, and every manufacturer is allowed to tweak it to suit its hardware and mobile needs. Because of this availability and liberty, we find different brands developing and boosting their customized versions of Android. For example, Google has developed Pixel UI for its Pixel phones. We can see that Samsung is using One UI for its Galaxy phones.
These varying versions of Android are called Android skins, and they tell the story of using flexibility and adaptability to make device use easy for businesses.
iOS only offers two versions of its operating system: iOS and iPadOS. The first of these two is used for iPhones, while the other is suitable for iPads.
Note that although this lack of variety in versions appears to be an unpleasant feature for iOS users, it becomes a huge ease for an flutter app development company that sees a significant decrease in its costs because of this standardization.
Ease of Use
While iOS seems committed to its brand image and uniformity, Android is busy working to enhance the user experience for its users. Or maybe user experience is a subjective term, and its meaning varies from one person to another.
Android phones are notorious for allowing multitasking. You can easily switch between multiple tabs thanks to the back button available on the device. At the same time, Android phones are better at presenting notifications. You will see that in these devices, the notifications are grouped according to the app they are from. On the other hand, iOS devices simply present notifications with no categorization or prioritization.
Selecting text or images and using the navigation system are also easier on Android than on iOS.
File Transfer Options
The first reason for the popularity of the Apple brand used to be its commitment to building its community. It established a sense of pride among its users, who kept their excitement within themselves and found it amazing that their data could not be infiltrated from the outside. Time has changed and is changing rapidly for Apple lovers. Now, they feel left out because of the difficulty they feel in sending data to relevant contacts.
To some extent, this issue is countered by both OS’s ability to integrate across devices. Now, users can email the files to other accounts, making them accessible to other apps. Still, the process is long and troublesome.
At the same time, Android users use similar apps, and it’s easy for them to transfer files, including images, videos, and documents, across devices without much ado.
Security
iOS is Apple’s exclusive OS, and it isn’t open to changes by third-party developers and mobile manufacturers. Because it isn’t accessible widely, its code is protected against security threats getting built-in.
Android here is losing the game against iOS. As it has hundreds of versions that are being used by tens of companies, it’s open to tweaking. This tweaking can leave loopholes for cyberattacks and malware threats on the devices using the resulting code.
Moreover, Android skins are available on thousands of device types. Integration of a standard OS on customized hardware may leave room for glitches, making security breaches easy to seep in.
The Rundown
iOS and Android are sworn enemies with one agenda: to create a better image in the eyes of users. Before we talk about who is better, we need to understand what the definition of better is when it comes to comparing OSes.
This post talks about eight factors by which the two operating systems can be compared. Although both have differing, almost opposing, philosophies on what is liked by the users and what isn’t, we see that both platforms have their own competencies in their own rights. Still, in some features, one OS performs better than the other, and in others, the game reverses.