Android vs. iOS
Google's Android and Apple's iOS are operating systems used primarily in mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets. Android, which is Linux-based and partly open source, is more PC-like than iOS, in that its interface and basic features are generally more customizable from top to bottom. However, iOS' uniform design elements are sometimes seen as being more user-friendly.
Android is now the world’s most commonly used smartphone platform and is used by many different phone manufacturers. iOS is only used on Apple devices, such as the iPhone.
Building and Publishing Apps for iOS vs. Android
The Bottomline: Choosing between iOS and Android
Android vs iPhone: takeaway
Here are some of the key reasons to buy into each platform.
Buy an Android if you
want cheap 5G
Android makers adopted 5G much more quickly than Apple, largely because
companies like Qualcomm and MediaTek were fast to provide chipsets that support
the standard, at a low cost. Forget the behind-the-scenes stuff and it means 5G
Androids are available for $300/£300 or less if you know how to shop.
Buy an iPhone if you want
to keep a phone for years (and years)
No
Android manufacturer supports its phones like Apple. You can expect five years
of software updates, and important security updates after it’s locked out of new
iOS versions. Even from the top Android makers, two years of software updates
and three years of security patches is the best you can typically ask for.
Buy an Android for the
best hardware value per dollar
Apple’s mid-range phones are great. But at $300/£300 or below Android is still
the place to be. Buy a phone from a Chinese company like Xiaomi, Realme or Oppo
and you can expect near-flagship day-to-day performance, possibly even with 5G
and - in some cases - high end touches like glass back panels.
Buy an iPhone for a
slightly better games and apps library
No
smartphones are short of apps. But the App Store has more ‘deep’ creativity and
productivity apps, and console-grade games tend to come to iOS first. And may
not make it to Android at all in some cases. However, if you want to use retro
game emulators, Android is the only option.
Buy an Android for the
slickest high-end designs and periscope zoom
Want curved glass, zero screen borders and long-throw periscope camera zooms?
You can’t get those with any iPhone yet. Through some eyes even the iPhone 12
Pro Max looks a little dated next to the top-end phones from Samsung, Oppo and
OnePlus.
Buy an iPhone if you’re
into privacy
Google loves your data. An iPhone is a much better bedrock for a privacy-aware
life. However, you don’t get to pat yourself on the back just for using an
iPhone. Don’t forget your use of smart home tech, social networks, and any
services you sign into are just as important.
Andrew Williams Android-vs-iPhone
Comparison chart
Android versus iOS comparison chart |
||
Android |
iOS |
|
Developer |
Various, mostly Google and Open Handset Alliance |
Apple Inc. |
Initial release |
September 23, 2008 |
July 29, 2007 |
Latest stable release and Updates |
Android 12 |
iOS 15.3.1 and iPadOS 15.3.1 |
Customizability |
A lot. Can change almost anything. |
Limited unless jailbroken |
Source model |
Open source |
Closed, with open source components. |
File transfer |
Easier than iOS. Using USB port and Android File Transfer desktop app. Photos can be transferred via USB without apps. |
More difficult. Media files can be transferred using iTunes (Windows and macOS pre-Catalina) desktop app (via Finder in newer version of macOS). Photos can be transferred out via USB without apps. |
Widgets |
Yes, except on lockscreen |
Yes |
Internet browsing |
Google Chrome (other browsers are available). Any browser app can be set as default. Ad blocking is supported with Firefox. |
Safari. Any browser app can be set as default but they all use the same rendering engine (Safari/Webkit) behind the scenes. Ad blocking is supported via content blockers like Firefox Focus, or by jailbreaking. |
Web mapping service |
Google Maps |
Apple Maps (default). Google Maps also available via a separate app download, but not as default. |
Available language(s) |
100+ languages |
40 languages |
Video chat |
Google Meet and other 3rd party apps |
FaceTime (Apple devices only) and other 3rd party apps |
Virtual assistant |
Google Assistant |
Siri |
Available on |
Many phones and tablets. Major manufacturers such as Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Honor and Xiaomi. Android One devices are pure Android. Pixel line of devices is made by Google, using a almost pure version of Android |
iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation) |
Calls and messaging |
Google Messages. 3rd party apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Duo, Discord and Skype all work on Android and iOS both. |
iMessage, FaceTime (with other Apple devices only). 3rd party apps like Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Duo, Discord and Skype all work on Android and iOS both. |
App store , Affordability and interface |
Google Play Store – 2,500,000+ apps. Other app stores like Amazon and Aptoide also distribute Android apps. (".APKs"). Apps containing virus occasionally to rare, but existing. |
Apple App Store – 1,800,000+ apps. Apps containing virus very rare or nonexistent. |
Alternative app stores and side loading |
Several alternative app stores other than the official Google Play Store. (e.g. Aptoide, Galaxy Apps) |
Apple blocks 3rd party app stores. The phone needs to be jailbroken if you want to download apps from other stores. |
Battery life and management |
Many but not all Android phone manufacturers equip their devices with large batteries with a longer life. |
Apple batteries are generally not as big as the largest Android batteries. However, Apple is able to squeeze decent battery life via hardware/software optimizations. |
Open source |
Kernel (Based on Linux), UI, and some standard apps |
The iOS kernel is not open source but is based on the open-source Darwin OS. |
File manager |
Yes. (Stock Android File Manager included on devices running Android 7.1.1) |
Files app, limited and less useful (iOS 12). |
Photos & Videos backup |
Apps available for automatic backup of photos and videos. Google Photos allows unlimited backup of photos at a compressed quality. OneDrive, Amazon Photos and Dropboxare other alternatives. |
Up to 5 GB of photos and videos can be automatically back up with iCloud, more paid iCloud storage available via subscription. All other vendors like Google, Amazon, Dropbox, Flickr and Microsoft have auto-backup apps for both iOS and Android. |
Security |
Monthly security updates. Android software patches are available soonest to Pixel device users. Manufacturers tend to lag behind in pushing out these updates. So at any given time a vast majority of Android devices are running outdated OS software. |
Occasional security updates. Security threats rare, because iOS is locked and downloading apps out of the App Store is complicated. |
Rooting, bootloaders, and jailbreaking |
Access and complete control over your device is available and you can unlock the bootloader. |
Complete control over your device is not available. |
Cloud services |
Native integration with Google Drive storage. 15GB free, $2/mo for 100GB, 1TB for $10. Apps available for Amazon Photos, OneDrive and Dropbox. |
Native integration with iCloud. 5GB free, 50GB for $1/mo, 200GB for $3/mo, 1TB for $10/mo. Apps available for Google Drive and Google Photos, Amazon Photos, OneDrive and Dropbox. |
Interface |
Touch Screen |
Touch Screen |
Biometric Authentication |
Fingerprint and/or Face Authentication. Availability depends on manufacturer's hardware. |
Fingerprint or Face Authentication. Touch ID available on iPhone (5s and later) and iPad (Air 2 and later) but not on iPhone X or later. Face ID available on iPhone X and later, replacing Touch ID |
OS family |
Linux |
OS X, UNIX |
Headphone Jack |
Some current Android smartphones and many don't. |
None on iPhone 7 and later, lighting to 3.5mm no longer comes with phone after iPhone XS |
Interface
iOS and Android both use touch interfaces that have a lot in common - swiping, tapping and pinch-and-zoom. Both operating systems boot to a homescreen, which is similar to a computer desktop. While an iOS home screen only contains rows of app icons, Android allows the use of widgets, which display auto-updating information such as weather and email. The iOS user interface features a dock where users can pin their most frequently used applications.
A status bar runs across the top on both iOS and Android, offering information such as the time, WiFi or cell signal, and battery life; on Android the status bar also shows the number of newly received emails, messages and reminders.
A comparison of some of the features of the Android 11 and iOS 14 is here. Android 11 highlights include:
- Priority conversations
- Unified Device controls and payments
- One-time permissions
- Native screen recording
- Improved media controls
- Enhanced support for foldable devices
iOS 14 highlights include:
- Custom Widget Stacks
- Picture in Picture
- Compact Phone Calls
- Third-Party default apps
- Search in apps
- Emoji Search
- Exposure Lock
- QuickTake Video
- Pinned chats in Messages
User experience
This article explains how app design patterns differ in Android and iOS. Android typically has a persistent back button for navigation. While the look and feel are different, many apps -- like TikTok, YouTube and WhatsApp -- will look familiar when you switch from Android to iOS or vice versa.
Exclusive features
Features exclusive to iOS include:
- iMessage: Perhaps the most popular iOS app, iMessage handles both SMS messages (when the other party is on a non-Apple platform) 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.
- Share WiFi passwords: Sharing WiFi passwords between two iOS devices is a breeze. 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.
- Breezy 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.
Features exclusive to Android include:
- Customizing the Home screen: 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.
- File management: Android allows users to choose a file manager, and also provides access to the file system. Plugging an Android device into a PC exposes the phone's file system as just another drive, allowing drag and drop access for moving files 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, 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.
Building and Publishing Apps for iOS vs. Android
Android apps are programmed using C, C++ and Java. It is an "open" platform; anyone can download the Android source code and Android SDK for free. Anyone can create and distribute Android apps for free; users are free to download apps from outside the official Google Play store. There is, however, a one-time $25 registration fee for developers who want to publish their apps (whether free or paid apps) on the official Google Play store. Apps published on Google Play undergo a review by Google. The Android SDK is available for all platforms - Mac, PC and Linux.
iOS apps are programmed using Objective-C. Developers must pay $99 every year for access to the iOS SDK and the right to publish in Apple's app store. The iOS SDK is only available for the Mac platform.
Some app development platforms - such as Titanium Appcelerator and PhoneGap - offer a way to code once (say in Javascript and/or HTML) and have the platform convert it into "native" code for both Android and iOS platforms.
UI Design for Android vs. iOS 7
In Beyond Flat, SeatGeek founder Jack Groetzinger outlines a lot of the differences in how Android and iOS approach their design aesthetic and what it means for app developers. For example,
- Buttons:Android buttons are usually monochromatic, with a tendency towards using iconography when possible. The standard iOS 7 button is plain monochromatic text with no background or border. When iOS 7 does use button borders, they tend to be quite simple.
- The Action Bar of Navigation Bar: The nav bar in iOS is usually just a Back button linking to the previous screen. In Android, the navigation bar usually has several action buttons.
- Intents: Intents on Android allows applications to flexibly interoperate with each other. For example, apps can "register" themselves as capable of sharing which allows the user to share using this app from any other app.
Googles Android
Pros |
Cons |
|
||||
· Better app icon organization ·· Widgets make interface more convenient ·· Notifications are less obtrusive ·· More helpful Maps app and redesigned Podcasts app ·· App Clips, or no-install mini apps
· Improved security and app privacy options ·· Messaging improvements ·· Screen recording ·· Convenient media and smart home control ·· Many hardware choices
|
· Few third-party apps support App Clips ·· Few languages in Translate app ··CarKey has limited vehicle compatibility
· Most current Android phones won't get it ·· Some complexity and inconsistency remain, compared with iOS · Less synergy with desktop and wearable ecosystem than iOS
|
The Bottomline: Choosing between iOS and Android
To summarize the key pros and cons of Android and iOS:
iOS pros and cons
- 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.
- iOS-only apps like Passbook, FaceTime, and mobile payments app Square (available on iOS 3GS,4,4S,5 and up, nut only for a limited Android phones)
- 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.
Android pros and cons
- 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.
Diffen › Technology › Computers › Software › Operating Systems Android_vs_iOS
Conclusion |
iOS 14 was the first major interface update to Apple’s mobile OS in years, and 14.5 adds new product and service tie-ins, including for Fitness+ and AirTags. |
Android 11 isn't a sea change for the leading mobile OS, but the update does bring several welcome conveniences—as long as your device can run it. |
Android-vs-IOS-which-mobile-os-is-best
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