Android Vs iOS: Debate lasted for centuries

When it comes to the platform for a smartphone, There are only 2 companies that have managed to acknowledge their name in the smartphone world i.e. The Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. The rest of the competitors are pretty much non-existent. Microsoft and canonical also tried competing in the smartphone industry, but they went from dust to ashes.

Both of the operating systems are excellent, and you won’t regret picking a smartphone with either one of them, but there’s an old quote saying, “Nothing is perfect in this world”. That stands true even in this case. Both of them have their own strengths and weaknesses & that’s why, I am here to clear your doubts on, why you should pick one over the other.

This story was originally published on blog: technologygeeks.in!

Highlights:

The metrics used here are on the basis of:

• Simplicity
• Customization
• Security
• Privacy Protection
• App Support and Optimization
• Side-loading Applications
• Multitasking
• Notification Management
• Connectivity with PC
• Software Updates

In Terms of Simplicity:

Simplicity is basically how simple is the user interface of a platform. As you may already know, there are a lot of Androids, each with their own version of custom skin on their smartphone. Brands even change the name of the interface, how they work, and even settings, which will differ in each Android-based smartphones. So, you will get a different experience as you shift between different Android brands such as Samsung, Motorola, LG, OnePlus, Huawei, etc.

On the other hand, every iOS device has a similar interface and settings, which simplifies the entire interface. They even have similar user-interface throughout their devices platform such as iPad, MacBook, iMac, etc. which simplifies the interface even further. In terms of simplicity, iOS has its interface completely fixed and sorted.

In terms of Customization:

Some people love to tinker and customize their smartphones. Even if you aren’t that kind of person, at least once you had thought about changing the look of your smartphone, as it gets older. Many operating systems in general, provide options to customize the look and feel of your smartphone & Android is no exception in that regard.

You can add and customize icon packs, launcher, lock screen, live wallpapers, font style, and much other stuff as well when it comes to customization in android. You can change pretty much anything that you think on your android, with the help of rooting and third-party apps. Even if you aren’t satisfied with it, you can install a custom ROM of your choice, which provides you with tons of customization features. It even provides you with additional features, which you won’t find on the stock manufacturer’s ROM.

However, the iOS platform comes with minimal features to customize your iPhone. They recently gave you the ability to customize the layout to some extent and now you can add widgets to your home screen. You can also change the wallpaper of the home and lock screen but that’s all. You are pretty limited when it comes to customizing an iPhone.

In terms of Security:

When it comes to security, Apple’s iOS comes at the top. This is because, Apple’s iOS is a closed platform, unlike Google’s Android. On the other hand, Google’s Android platform relies on open-source code which manufacturing companies like Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc. use on their smartphones. They even apply fresh paint(Custom skin) on the user interface over the top of stock android and then manufactures as their version of android. Examples are EMUI, Color OS, MIUI, One UI, etc.

Android has the majority of the market share when it comes to smartphone platform sales, and because of the popularity of the platform and the fact that it is open-source, is what makes it a clear target for the hackers. So, it’s clear to say that the Android platform is less secure compared to an iOS device.

In Terms of Privacy Protection:

In terms of privacy, Apple promises its customers that their personal data is encrypted and isn’t being stored by Apple. They even advertise the iPhone with privacy as a highlight.
On the other hand, Google openly admitted that Android uses your personal data for better advertising purposes. They even use your personal data to enhance the Artificial Intelligence experience and it even shows with Google Assistant. Google Assistant provides the best artificial intelligence as compared to the rest of the competition. But, using private data raises the concern of privacy theft for many users.

Google claims that its data is completely safe and they aren’t abusing the power that they hold. But, claims aren’t enough for a user to feel safe on their platform and that’s exactly why iOS is better in terms of privacy than the Android platform.

In Terms of Application Support and Optimization:

According to Statista, There are around 3 million(Or 30 lakhs) apps available on google play store and 1.9 million apps available on the Apple Store as of the 2nd quarter of 2020. That’s a big difference when it comes to raw numbers but when you look at the quality of apps in the respective stores, iOS apps are more optimized as compared to the play store. One more thing, the play store also has many useless and junk applications. In terms of quality and quantity of apps, I must say that the Apple Store is just better as compared to the play store.

In Terms of Side-loading Applications:

Side-loading apps basically mean that you can download applications from an external source like a website.

You can side-load applications on Android. Any file that contains .APK extension, contains an app that can be manually installed without the need of play store. But there’s no such thing as side-loading in iOS. You can not install an application in iOS without the app store. Apple is strictly against the idea of side-loading apps. That means you must have to open the app store if you want to install an application.

In Terms of Multitasking:

Personally, I have always experienced that, iOS keeps files in memory longer than the Android platform. This is because apps are more optimized for iOS than on Android. There are a few iOS devices as compared to Android. So, optimizing apps for iOS is easy for developers as compared to variations of Androids.

On the other hand, Android has a feature called split-screen. Split-screen allows you to open two applications at the same time. For example, you can view a youtube video and read Twitter at the same time. But, iOS doesn’t allow us to split-screen two apps at the same time.

In Terms of Notification Management:

When it comes to notification management, Android is just better than iOS. The way iOS handles and group the notifications are just not as effective as the android. Although iOS has gotten a lot better as compared to the previous version but still, there’s much room for improvement.

In Terms of PC Connectivity:

When it comes to plugging the device with the PC, Android just behaves like any other USB peripheral. You can add and remove any files that you want by hooking up your smartphone with a USB data transfer cable, with ease.
On the other hand, iOS device i.e. the iPhone has a completely different story. First of all, you need iTunes software for the interaction of your smartphone with the PC and you will only be able to transfer the photos without any problems. When it comes to transferring other files, it’s gonna get real annoying. So, Android is way better in PC Connectivity when it comes to transferring files.

In terms of Software Updates:

Software updates ensure the longevity of the smartphones. If you are buying a smartphone with intention of keeping it for many years, software updates become a key factor for a platform.

Apple focuses heavily on long-term reliability and that’s why iOS devices are the best when it comes to software updates. All the iOS devices are supported for 5 years by Apple and that’s a really big deal. In theory, you can buy an iPhone and you will not have to change it for years.

On the other hand, Android is the opposite when it comes to software updates. You will consider yourself lucky if you get the software updates for at least 2 years after you bought your shiny new Android smartphone.

Conclusion: Both of the platforms are excellent in terms of their specialty, and that’s why, it heavily depends upon an individual’s needs. Some will say iPhone is better, while others will say that Android is better!

This story was originally published on blog: technologygeeks.in!