iPhone VS Android: Which is better?
For a long time now, the greatest smartphone debate has been that between iPhone and Android. iOS and Android are the two most popular and most prominent mobile operating systems there are. After existing for over a decade, these two have accumulated great features that offer quality to their users. There are various similarities and differences between these two operating systems which gives one some edge over the other.
This is one of the biggest rivalry cases in technology, and one of the biggest questions; “Which is better? iPhone or Android”. There is no direct answer to that question. However, we will break down the argument into common features between the two of them and rank both for each feature. The question is difficult to answer as a whole, but breaking it down will help each individual determine which is a better option according to featured they feel are most important to them.
For this purpose, we will break this down into the following features and compare between iPhone and Android.
Price
The first feature to be compared among the two mobile phone giants; iPhone and Android, is the price. It is common knowledge that the Apple brand is a very luxurious brand when compared to most members of its Android counterparts. Apple products have always been considered as high-end products in the market, especially the iPhone.
When the iPhone X arrived, it took things to a different level with a whopping starting price of $1,000. The iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,100. Other models of the iPhone include the iPhone 11 which starts from $700 and the iPhone SE which starts from $400. This makes the iPhone seem pretty expensive right? Hold that thought.
Although, the Apple mobile phone products seem like they are luxurious, wait till you see this. Surprisingly, this does not compete with a particular Android brand when it comes to pricing. Samsung is one of the members of the Android family that can go toe to toe with the Apple brand.
Samsung’s newest Z lineup costs close to $1,400. That is a huge sum compared to Apple’s $1,100 iPhone 11 Pro Max. However, Android devices are very diverse. There are low-cost Android phones from a wide variety of brands. This simply means that with Android, you have a wider range of price options. Hence, there is something for everyone.
Specs
Another thing everyone wants to compare between iPhone and Android are the specifications between them. Specifications are most of what a user looks out for in any gadget in general. The top players in the mobile phone game are known to have sophisticated specifications in their products. We will pick out different specification features and compare the two mobile phone types.
Battery
Battery quality is known to be one very important feature in a smartphone and that users look out for. Having a cool smartphone with very poor battery life can be a nightmare. In fact, poor battery is one of the biggest complaints from smartphone owners. When it comes to battery life, both phone types offer a wide range of battery life. Recently, iPhones are coming with way better battery life than they used to.
There are also Android phones with amazing battery life, and some with less than average. This makes it difficult to find an edge in any of iPhone and Android for this particular feature. iPhone and Android both show you your battery usage, broken down by apps usage. However, only Android shows you how much battery life you have left.
Also, many Android phones come with fast charging features and wireless charging. It was only recently that Apple adopted this. iPhone 11, iPhone X, and iPhone SE have fast charged and wireless charging capabilities, although the adapter has to be acquired separately. Even though, these features are common between iPhone and Android, it is more prominent in Android phones when comparing similarly priced models.
Camera
Why pay so much for a phone if you can’t take amazing photos, right? Everyone wants the ability to boast about the cool and enviable features their phone camera has. Apple has always been known to have the best camera in its iPhones. This was enforced with the launch of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max which had a triple rear camera lens, with each capturing 12MP.
However, the latest Android smartphones like Google’s Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are making users rethink that. Samsung is another Android brand that offers one of the best camera features in the game.
iPhone and Android both offer amazing camera qualities and features in their mobile phones, however, there is a fair difference between the camera quality of many average Android phones when compared to iPhone.
Design
Apple’s iPhones have always been known to come in sleeker designs every time. New models are usually compared to previous ones in design ad they never fail to beat them. The Apple company decided to get rid of the home button in the iPhone X model to provide an edge-to-edge display which added even more aesthetics to the phone.
Android phones have also performed excellently in this department. We have the Samsung Galaxy Edge, which was the first to feature a dual-edge display. The Galaxy S10s has a bezel-free screen, giving a more seamless display and design.
Storage
Storage used to be an issue for iPhone before now and this is because iPhones don’t come with a space for micro SD cards, unlike Android phones. However, the iPhone 11 Pro came with 512GB internal storage, which is considered to be enough for any mobile phone. Regardless, Samsung S10, which is an Android phone has 512GB of internal memory and allows external storage of up to 512GB. Altogether, that is a whopping 1TB of storage.
Screen Display
The two most prominent technologies used for manufacturing mobile phone displays are IPS LCD and OLED. iPhone 8, iPhone X and iPhone Xs Max are some of the Apple phones that use the OLED display. Most Android devices make use of IPS.
OLED is considered to be superior in comparison to the IPS LCD. One of the reasons for this is its power efficiency. This means it helps to save energy because it doesn’t require an active backlight to light up the screen when it is turned on. It also has better viewing angles than the IPS. Another advantage is that OLED reflects less light, improving users’ viewing experience.
All these features make OLED displays more expensive than IPS. This could contribute to the high price of iPhones. One thing is sure, due to this, iPhone is known to generally have a better display than Android phones.
Market Share
When it comes to the market share turf, it may or may not be surprising that Android smartphones hold about 85% share of the cellphone market. The figures are expected to increase by 2022, to a whopping volume of 1.36 billion. It is also expected to continue increasing. International Data Corporation Corporation (IDC) forecasted iOS to reach a volume of 217.3 million in the market by 2022.
Customizability
One reason why a ton of users prefer Android to iPhone is that Android phones are customizable, while iOS cannot. iPhones all have the same design, although great, cannot be customized to the user’s taste.
Android, on the other hand, allows a measure of customization. Users can download launchers like Nova Launcher on their Android phones. Android users can also root their phones to add to customizing freedom. However, rooting comes with the risk of disrupting the system.
iPhone: Pros & Cons
The pros of the iPhone include the fact that its camera is generally accepted to be better than that of Android phones. iPhone is also known to come in the best designs with each model coming out with a sleeker and more aesthetic design than the previous. iPhone also has top-notch security as it has better Touch ID and Face ID. It also has iMessage data encrypted along with that of other apps. It also has a better display than Android.
There are also downsides to iPhone. These include the fact that on average, the iPhone has a lower quality of battery life than Android. Another con of getting an iPhone is the low storage due to the absence of a micro SD card. iPhones are also pretty expensive and not customizable.
Android: Pros & Cons
Android phones also have a couple of pros which include access to large storage with the presence of a micro SD card slot. Google also offers more cloud storage with cheaper plans from Google One. Android phones are also generally more affordable due to the very wide range of options. Another pro of Android is its battery life, which is generally better than that of the iPhone.
However, Android phones also come with their cons. Android phones are less secure than iPhones. They are also less sleek in design than iPhones and have a lower quality display.
Whether it is worth switching from Android to iPhone is a function of personal interest. The various features have been compared between the two of them. It boils down to what features you hold most important to you. Assessing these comparisons will help you make your decision.
iPhone is more preferred over Android for some features, and for others, the reverse is the case. There is a wide range of purposes that your mobile phone will or is expected to serve you and your specific purpose is what you will consider in making this choice.
