While you could argue that the screen on an iPhone comes from the same factory as the one made for a Samsung Galaxy, or that chip manufacturing plants for iPhones and Android devices are located in the same city or even have the same owner, the software is completely different on Android smartphones versus iPhones. Let’s look at several main differences between iOS and Android:
1. “Open source” versus closed operating system
In 2003, a company named Android Inc. started developing an operating system for digital cameras. The company was subsequently bought by Google, and from then on, it made history. Android is based on Linux and thus is a fully open-source operating system. iOS, on the other hand, is developed in-house by Apple and only has parts of the code that are open-source. There are numerous articles on the benefits and disadvantages of open-source, but the main takeaway is that open-source software is more transparent, more easily accessible, and much more robust in terms of security (vulnerabilities are discovered and fixed faster than in closed-source systems). But it is also less regulated, which has a big impact on user experience.
2. Updates
Looking strictly at security updates, Android seems to have a clear advantage over iOS, as new security updates are released for Android smartphones every month. However, when we factor in the delay in propagation (each manufacturer decides when to push the update, usually after it has finished internal testing) and the limited support period some devices have, we can say that most Android devices (apart from Pixel smartphones, which always get updates as soon as they are released) are actually running relatively outdated software. This is true for operating system updates or new versions, as well. While Android 12 has been released in October 2021, a huge number of otherwise compatible smartphones have yet to receive the new version at the time this article is written, in February 2022.
Only Google Pixel smartphones get the latest updates as quickly as the iPhones
For iPhones, the process is simpler and more strict at the same time: security updates are much rarer and are pushed to all supported iPhones at the same time. As for operating system updates, they are available at the same time for all supported iPhones as well. Furthermore, Apple devices have excellent software support: the iPhone SE, launched in 2016, can be updated to the latest iOS version, 15.3, without any issue. Flagship Android devices from the same year were already outdated in 2018.
3. Interface
The interface of Android devices varies to a great extent from one manufacturer to the next. This means, on the one hand, that you will certainly find an operating system skin that you enjoy using, but on the other hand, it makes switching from an Android smartphone to one from another manufacturer more difficult.
However, sky’s the limit when it comes to customizing the appearance of the Android interface. You can make your phone interface look like a Star Trek tricorder or personalize your significant other’s Android phone with a Valentine’s theme.
The interface is identical for all iPhones sporting the same iOS version. Moving from a 2016 iPhone to a 2022 one is almost seamless, but this also comes with a disadvantage, as customization options are much more limited for iPhones. And we’re not talking just about the looks: even though it’s 2022, Apple devices still don’t have a proper app drawer, so applications are dumped on the home screen(s).
The Home screen on Android smartphones is much more customizable than the one on iPhones
Sure, there is an App Library, but it’s still clunky and hard to access compared to the simple app drawer present on almost all Android smartphones.
4. Stores
Google Play is the official app store for Android smartphones. It has roughly 3.5 million apps, compared to the 2.3 million for Apple’s App Store. However, Apple does a better job at monetizing its apps, with a global consumer spending in the third quarter of 2020 of about 19 billion USD. Google Play spending in the same time period was “just” 10.3 billion USD. Numbers don’t paint the whole picture, though.
The Google Play Store versus the Apple App Store
The variety of apps in the Play Store is incredible and, thanks to the more flexible nature of Android, apps on Google Play can do things that iPhone users don’t have access to. The vast majority of the apps in the Google Play Store are free, but most of these also have ads (some of them very intrusive). While more restricted in terms of app features, malware apps almost never bypass the strict filtering imposed by Apple, so overall you’re safer and have a better experience in the App Store.
Lastly, sideloading apps is almost impossible on iPhones, while on Android all you have to do to install an app that’s not in Google Play is to toggle a switch and confirm your installation.
5. Apps
Thanks in part to more strict regulation and higher development costs, third-party iPhone apps are simply better than their Android counterparts. There is no other way to put it: iOS third-party apps crash less, have greater functionality, and (because of the different approach for monetization) fewer ads. This also encourages developers to launch their apps and updates on iOS devices first.
The number of apps bundled with Android smartphones varies a lot depending on the manufacturer
The number and quality of default apps preinstalled on Android smartphones vary wildly, from the minimum required to a huge amount of bloatware. The apps that come with every iPhone, while arguably less refined than their Google counterparts (Chrome versus Safari, Google Maps versus Apple Maps), are still excellent and perfectly integrated with the operating system.
6. Privacy
Here’s a question for you: Google makes money from providing targeted ads, based on each user’s location, browsing, shopping, and viewing preferences. Apple makes its money from selling iPhones and from offering services to its users. Which of the two companies would you trust more regarding privacy?
The privacy dashboard on the Pixel 4a and the iPhone 12
Although the answer might appear obvious, in most cases, you can get similar levels of privacy on both operating systems. The difference is that you’ll have to dig more in the menus on Android devices. Overall, Apple collects less data from users, and the third-party apps present in the App Store have more strict guidelines regarding privacy.
7. Backup and file transfer
Both iPhones and Android smartphones have solid cloud backup solutions as default. But while Google offers 15 GB of storage for free (extremely useful if you back up your media files), Apple only offers 5 GB on its iCloud. The space gets filled up pretty quick, which in turn disables backup for apps and settings.
Transferring files to your computer is trivial with most Android smartphones: once connected with a USB cable, you can choose to mount the smartphone’s storage as a disk drive, and then you can drag & drop or copy & paste files to any location. You can also mount the drive as a media player, allowing you to easily upload and download media files.
Both Android smartphones and iPhones offer good Cloud support
On iPhones, file transfer is equally easy… if your computer is a Mac. On Windows, you need to install iTunes, and even then, access to the contents of the iPhone’s storage is limited at best. Since iPhones don’t have expandable storage, you can’t just remove the SD card and insert it in your card reader, like you can with many Android phones.
