We have really come a long way as far as buying phones is concerned. Do you still remember the time when you only had the option of Nokia versus Motorolla? If that’s too early for you, how about trying to buy a Blackberry so that you will feel like someone from the White House or at the very least, an accomplished career person? Nowadays, owning a phone simply means one thing: having a smartphone. Gone are the days when everybody prefers to feel the tactile keypads and the sounds they produce as you use them. These days, everything’s just on a screen, from typing text messages, tapping on an app to start using it, and even to use the phone’s functionalities like opening the camera or opening the numeric keypad to make a call.
And so the choices today have come down to two: an iPhone or an Android phone. Both have been offering countless features and innovations on a regular basis and for the casual observer, they may even look and feel the same when used. Of course, upon closer inspection, we will realize that there are some differences. If you are not sure whether you want to jump ship and try an Android phone or vice versa, or if you are still a smartphone newbie (wow, nice to meet you if you are one, since smartphone amateurs are really a rare breed these days), you would need to learn more about their difference so you can decide which is best for you.
Function and style in your choice for hardware
When it comes to the quality of the phone units, there may be a discrepancy. Since there is only one iPhone manufacturer, Apple tends to have a firm grip on the quality of its smartphones. This is a stark contrast to Android, which is used by varied phone manufacturers, from Samsung to Motorolla. Thus, there is more variety with Android phones when it comes to their weight, size, features, and thus, quality. Of course, iPhones are also varied when it comes to these qualities, but not by a lot since they are all manufactured by Apple. So, you’ll know that Apple phones through their almost yearly roll-outs, have more or less the same high quality and are not that different in terms of design. On the other hand, you will also know what to expect from Android phones depending on their manufacturer, but the fact that there is more than one manufacturer of Android phones presents us with variety in our choices.
Only a handful of Android phone makers have hardware ecosystems that approach Apple’s, and even for some that come close, like Samsung, you won’t get the depth of integration possible between the iPhone and other Apple-built devices.
(Via: https://www.tomsguide.com/face-off/iphone-vs-android)
OS Upgrades is Apple’s to Lose
When it comes to the compatibility of the operating system to devices, it is obvious that iPhones are on a clear lead. This is not to say that Android is slow when it comes to upgrades. In fact, Android is as regular as iOS when it comes to releasing their sweet (pun intended, you know why if you are an Android diehard) upgrades. The problem with Android is that it is the manufacturers who usually take time to update their products to the latest versions of the OS. In some cases, they just discontinue upgrade support for a device and prioritizes only their latest model(s) to adapt to the upgrades instead. So, if you are keen to always use the latest version of an OS on your mobile device, then the iPhone is your best bet.
If you buy an iPhone, you can be assured that it will receive the latest iOS updates for at least several years. Android is getting better in terms of updates becoming more widespread, particularly with its Android One initiative, but it’s still far behind iOS on this count.
(Via: https://www.pcmag.com/comparisons/android-vs-ios-which-mobile-os-is-best)
iPhone Security is King
Malware, worms, and “viruses” developed and released for smartphones have usually attacked Android users. Even as of 2021, there have been almost zero malicious attacks designed for iPhones. As pointed out earlier, updates of iOS are regular and are almost automatically available to all iPhone models, so makers of malicious programs simply cannot keep up. Also, as to be tackled later, most iPhone apps are for sale and are strictly checked for quality by Apple, so there is no avenue for this malware to enter Apple devices. %The same cannot be said about Android phones, especially since updates take so long to be implemented on all Android phones, giving malware makers to come up with ways to compromise Android phones. That said, iPhones are not immune to attacks; rather, the likelihood of them targeted by security attacks is way lower.
In some circles, Apple’s iOS operating system has long been considered the more secure of the two operating systems. Why? Apple’s operating system is a closed system. Apple doesn’t release its source code to app developers, and the owners of iPhones and iPads can’t modify the code on their phones themselves. This makes it more difficult for hackers to find vulnerabilities on iOS-powered devices.
(Via: https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-mobile-android-vs-ios-which-is-more-secure.html)
Control quality versus Spoiled for choices in Apps
When it comes to apps, what you value will also come to play when it’s decision time on what smartphone to have. Apple’s App Store doesn’t have as many apps like those in Google Play, where Android apps are available. In fact, Apple trails Android by more or less a million. But then, Apple’s strict quality control of the apps that it makes available on its App Store is a major factor for this difference. When you can already download the app from Apple’s App store, you are almost 100% sure that it will work. With Andoird, it’s not really the case. As pointed out earlier, the roll-out of updates on all devices running on the OS sometimes even takes years, rendering some of the apps unusable depending on the OS version of the phone. So, if you’re particular about quality, go for the iPhone and if you want more choices, go for an Android phone, although it is not 100% guaranteed that an app you want from Google Play will work beautifully on your phone.
The selection of apps in Apple’s App Store is also slightly better than the selection in Android’s Google Play Store, though the gap between the two is narrower than it used to be. Apps and games often come to iOS first, because app developers tend to make more money there; and iOS has a larger selection of “pro” apps for creating and editing images, video, and audio. These apps are also usually optimized for both the iPhone and the iPad’s larger screen; many Android tablet apps look like blown-up versions of phone apps.
(Via: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/ios-vs-android/)
It’s iPhones for Gamers
When it comes to mobile gaming, iPhones are better by a mile. iPhones are usually great and in some cases better than even laptops for some games. Android’s hardware and computing power also provide a good gaming experience, but the apps themselves are not that developed as impeccably as iOS versions. This is because a huge majority of games for iPhones need to be purchased, and developers who want to earn for the games they develop obviously will make the quality of their games superior. On the other hand, most Android games are expected to have free versions, so developers usually come up with the Android versions as more of an afterthought after they have already earned a lot of $$$ from releasing iOS versions of their games.
With Apple products, on the other hand, each new one has to work on improving the operating system, as well as the hardware. It should be noted that opting for an iOS phone means that you will have access to a greater number of updates, as the system is developed and upgraded more regularly.
(Via: https://csgopedia.com/is-android-or-ios-the-best-for-gaming-phones/#mce-head-2)
If you have decided on a smartphone already, then it’s also time to take care of other issues, like when your laptop’s hard drive crashes. See this if you need help on that.