Table of Contents
The android and the iOS operating systems for the smartphones have been at war since the very beginning of the launch of the smartphone.
The very first smartphone that was launched which was integrated with internet browsing and application capabilities was the IBM Simon, although at that time it was not known as a ‘smartphone.’
The first notifiable and well-known smartphone that was able to gain traction in the consumer market was the first iPhone launched by Steve Jobs as an apple product.
Since then there has been a significant boom in the smartphone industry where people are trying to make a multi-feature compact smartphone which is both affordable as well as highly compact and powerful.
Although there have been several operating systems that have rose to power and fallen significantly later like the android, Symbian, iOS and the blackberry.
But , the most significant of those have been the Android and the iOS.
The android and the iOS users have been war ever since the launch of the first android phone (iPhones were launched before the dawn of the android operating system) as to which operating system is better in performance and can easily tackle the other one.
Although both of them are updated quite often and are in a continuous struggle for the world dominance in the world of smartphones, there is some basic similarities and difference between them which make these operating systems rivals. Let us have a look at what are the differences between android and iOS.
Key differences between the Android and the iOS
The number one difference between these platforms is that iOS is an end-to-end integrated platform while the android software can be modified by the users by adding custom ROMs.
Apple, since its very beginning, has believed in providing an end-to-end user experience with their hardware and software closely integrated with each other. The iOS platform of operation is available only for Apple devices and not for any other manufacturer in the world.
There are only limited changes that a person can make to the iOS platforms. You can change the wallpaper, the ringtone, the notification sound, but that is about it. The iOS platform is not nearly as customizable as the android platform.
On the other hand, the Google’s android operating system is more open to changes and hence is often known as an open-source platform. A person can pay a small fee and download android software for his company and can modify it according to his/her needs.
Also, in pre-existing software, people can make several changes to the appearance and performance of the smartphone by making some tweaks by installing custom ROMs which are often available for free of cost on the internet.
This means that a person can easily install a ROM which allows the user interface of his android smartphone to appear and perform almost similar to an iPhone. The vice versa, however, is not possible.
The second major difference between the iOS and android platforms is that the application development on both these platforms is quite different.
If you are an application developer or have the slightest knowledge of the computer programming languages, you might be aware of the fact that there are several languages out there that can perform different functions.
For iOS, a coding software known as the Swift is used to create applications while most of the android applications are created on the Java software.
The third major difference between these operating systems is the application store (also known as the app store) and its affordability.
The iOS offers a more premium experience to the users often charging them a quite hefty amount for the same. The iOS application store is often known as the Apple app store.
Other primary inbuilt application that has close integration with Apple include the iTunes, ibooks and Apple maps. These applications are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the Apple products, iPhones and iPads and hence are not available on any other platforms.
The android, on the other hand, has its application store known as the Google Play Store. Some of the custom applications on an android device which come pre-installed with the device include Play Movies, Play Games, Play Music and the Google Drive. Unlike the iOS applications, these applications are also available on the cross-platform.
This means that if you have an Apple device, you can download the custom google applications via your Apple Store but in case you have an android device, you cannot download the custom apple applications via any way.
The key difference between an android phone and iPhone
Although we might not be able to come to a conclusion as to which phone is better ?
we can certainly point out several pros and cons on both these devices to better understand which device is better suited to you.
The main reason why there can be no resolution of the conflict on which device is better is due to the reason that it is the ‘feel’ of the operating system and its customizability which at the end of the day differs from person to person.
Android Phones – Pros
- Easy customizability
- Frequent major updates
- Comparatively very cheap
- Better performance and camera specifications for a lower price
- Easy transfer of files between devices
- Easily available free applications
Android Phones – Cons
- Prone to be affected by virus programs
- Battery inefficiency
- Shorter life period
- Lesser number of applications compared to Apple app store
iPhones – Pros
- Unit System, hence no chance of virus infiltration
- Smoother and fluid operation
- Battery efficiency
- Premium features such as access to iTunes store and Apple Maps, etc.
iPhones – Cons
- Hefty price tag
- Non-customizability
- Costly applications
- Limited operations
- Hard to transfer files between the phone and other systems
As it is evident, the iPhone and android phones both have their own set of crests and troughs and as mentioned earlier, the final choice of which phone is better comes down to the personality of the person.
If a person enjoys a controlled environment function iPhone is what he/she should choose but if he/she prefers customizability android is the right choice for him/her.
