Android vs. iOS

Today I feel like discussing something that has been talked about lately with someone. I am going to try to be completely objective with this, but that might not be possible, due to the fact that I own an android phone. But I will still try to do this.

1: Physical Handsets.

Let's look at the handsets available for each platform. For iOS, you have 4 available handsets to you: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone4. Most people will be buying the iPhone4 because it is the best iPhone available out there. It has set the standard for every other handset since 2007. This is not to say that Android based phones are slouches. By far. Android has an immense variety to the available features that can be great, but can also be overwhelming for consumers. It seems that every month we have a "best new Android phone" that once you buy the "It" phone, it falls from grace a few weeks later. For Android phones, the Droid has been the model to follow. It was and still is a favorite in the fact that it is still getting updates, and a lot of the rooting begins there. Android phones have features that you can not find in the iPhones. Physical keyboards are a big selling point for some people, and with the iPhone you are limited to the software keyboard. It is a great keyboard, but some people just like the physical buttons a lot more. The physical dimensions of the phones can vary widely. The iPhone's 3.5 inch screen is beginning to look tiny compared the trend on monstrous 4 inch+ screens arriving daily. Android phones tend to be a bit thicker than the iPhone, but this just goes along the different engineering philosophies. Apple engineers the phone for everything to fit together like a tiny 3D puzzle and it works out great. Makers of Android based sets do the same, but they allow for some components to be accessed. This just goes to show the differences in how they view their phones during the design and engineering processes.

Winner: Android

2: Battery

The iPhone battery is excellent. There is no denying that. They built the battery into the phone and it takes up a good chunk of the internal space. It is a lower capacity of many Android phones, but the way that Apple has integrated battery management into iOS which makes it last a lot longer than most batteries. But one thing about Android handsets: You can remove the battery. Now this may not seem like a big deal; but for those of us who use our phones constantly and we use it for a lot of things, the ability to have a second battery or even an extended battery. It may seem like a hassle to have a second battery to keep track of, but the ability to have that secondary battery is a great feature for some people. But there are also battery extenders for the iPhone4. So you still can extend the battery while have a case for the phone.

Winner: Tie

3: Network

The iPhone recently came to Verizon, after almost 4 years of waiting and rumors. This gives customers the choice of AT&T or Verizon for their iPhone needs. Android phones populate Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Boost, and the pre-paid/month-to-month options for each of the main networks. So you have most flexibilty with Android phones. Some of them that are being released on the CDMA networks are even including spaces for a SIM card so it can be used globally. AT&T is the faster 3G network, while Verizon has the largest 3G network. Sprint lies in the middle of the two. But Sprint was the first to release a 4G phone and have a 4G network. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are all working on their 4G networks. Verizon's 4G LTE is by far the fastest, and is being released in more and more cities. It is also a personal preference based on loyalty and the coverage where they live and work.

Winner: Android

4: Apps.

There are almost 500,000 apps for the iPhone. All the apps available all comply to strict guidelines put forth by Apple. This ensures that there is a standard to follow with all the app developers. This also makes sure that they are all compatible with the latest updates to iOS. With Android, there is less control over what standards that developers need to follow to have their apps released in the Market. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because the developers have the freedom to make what they want. Bad because out of the 200,000+ "Official" apps, there are roughly 20,000 useful apps. This makes sifting through the apps a little more difficult to find a reliable app you want. Luckily, there are site like Lifehacker and MaximumPC that do this for you and give you reviews and their top apps. While both have valueable apps, they both have a crap load of useless lighter apps.

Winner: iOS

5: Display.

The iPhone4's display is just awesome. It packs a lot of pixels into a small space that makes everything pop. It is bright, and glorious to look at. Android phone display are not slouches either. They are getting better and better. But they all vary from phone to phone due to the different manufacturers. But as display technology improves, Android phones will continue to have increasingly better displays. The next iPhone display will be better than the previous gen phones, and will most likely set the bar high again. Don't expect Apple to keep the same display.

Winner: iOS

6: Interface.

The iOS interface is simple and easy to use. There is no customization that you can really do without the possibility of damaging the iPhone. Here is the beauty of Android: There is a base Android code and system. Each phone maker then applies its own interface over the basic GUI. This makes it easy to identify the phone maker, and makes it consitent within each line of phones from a single manufacturer. To the left is a screenshot of my phone's home screen. This is not the default GUI for my phone. I rooted it and added ADWLauncher for my phone version. I do not have an iPhone4 screenshot to share with you, but we all know the usual interface. Nice, rounded corner icons laid out in a nice grid pattern. It is simplistic and easy to use and recognize. There is no real "Home" screen, as all the apps are laid out for you. Android usually ships with 5 or more Home screens. On these screens you can add Widgets and App shortcuts. On my 5 Home screens, I have 1 Widget. It is a Power Widget that lets me control my Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, Background Data, and screen Brightness. In addition to adding widget and shortcuts to the home screens, you have your App Drawer. This is where you access all your apps in Android. Most are a scroll type, where all you Apps are in large grid that you scroll through. I have mine set up to mimic the iOS grid. Except my icons are not as pretty as iOS icons are. They're nice to look at, but I like the uniformity of the iOS icons. In the end, it all boils down to what you prefer. If you want everything ready at a moment's notice, then the iOS interface is for you. If you like the use Widgets for some information at a glance, then Android is your platform of choice. Play around. Figure out what you like.

Winner: Tie.

7. Notifications.

Note: I am talking about CURRENT features. Future features will be mentioned, but not the basis of discussion. On that note, iOS and Android handle them differently. iOS handles them with a little pop up that shows up in the middle of the screen, no matter which app you are using. This is good and bad. Good: You are made well aware of any text message or score update you subscribe to. Bad: It pops up over any application. This is bad because you can be playing a game and then BAM! Notification! You die (in your game). Android has a much more elegant way of handling the notifications that you receive. All of the notifications appear in the Notifications Bar, which is at the top of the screen. This bar also displays the time, Battery meter, Signal, and vibrate. Text messages pop up with a little mail envelope in the bar. Also when you initially receive the text message, it displays the sender's name and the message. To view the message and to open the message, you pull down the bar and it displays the notification. Any other notification is also displayed here, including downloads, updates, installations, and emails. It is an elegant way to show the user what you receive and it keeps it handy for when you get to it. Coming this Fall is iOS5, which handles the notifications like Android. It also adds widget support in its new notifications bar. But for now, the non-intrusive method wins out.

Winner: Android.

8. Productivity.

Each platform has the chops and capabilities to be a productivity work horse. Android works best when tightly integrated into Google Gmail. This is the basis of the platform. All your contacts and imported through Gmail. iOS is more integrated through your Apple ID. This allows access to the iTunes store, Mail, iCal, and allows them all to be synced together. Since iOS is not only on the iPhone, but also on the iPad and iPod, it makes it a better choice when collaborating with others. Yes, Google has GoogleDocs, but iOS has iWork for iOS and for the OS X. So it is integrated with each other very well. And with the recent introduction of iCloud, it makes it even easier to be productive while on the road and while at home. Google needs to implement a way of creating and syncing documents that is as easy to use as iWork and iCloud. Until then, iOS is the better business phone choice.

Winner: iOS.

9. Updates.

Updates. We all love to have the latest updates. Not only do they give us new features, but they also plug any recently discovered security holes. Android has come a long way in its short history. This is a great thing, but it also causes some issues with the OS as a whole. Fragmentation is the biggest issue with Android. Proof with the screenshot on the left, my phone is stuck with Android 1.6, code name Donut. This is one of the earlier versions of Android. It works well, but it lacks the features and security of 2.2 and 2.3. The cause of this is the variety of handsets available to the public. Each OEM needs to test Android with the phone and makes sure all the features are working correctly before they can be delivered to the consumer. This is the advantage that Apple has. There is only one model of iPhone4 (just different amount of flash storage), so Apple knows that each update will work with every iPhone that it is delivered to. This also helps the developers know that their application will not be limited to certain versions and handsets. Google has slowed down the update schedule to help decrease the amount of fragmentation of Android, which will help make it a stronger platform in the long run.

Winner: iOS.

10. Computer Software.

iOS uses iTunes as its interactions with the computer. iTunes is a slow, bloated piece of shit. I have never met a person who like iTunes. People use it because it is necessary with iOS. While it is a piece of shit software, it does give iOS a strong piece of software that connects the phone and computer. Android really doesn't have that. Android can use Windows Media Player, but it is not a complete portal. iTunes lets you access the iTunes Store which lets your buy music, movies, apps, podcasts, iBooks, and many other things. iTunes can be used with Android through Double Twist. This gives you a place to sync your music, photos and videos, which is a plus. It also adds Wireless syncing, with a paid app on your Android phone. This is a good alternative, but it requires multiple pieces of software. And it still requires iTunes. Google needs to consider a strong desktop client that allows us a portal to sync everything with our phones.

Winner: iOS.

So for the conclusion of this comparison, iOS wins. It walks away with 5 wins vs. Android's 3 wins. There are two ties, which are thrown out the window. Android just needs to be a little more polished to become the better mobile operating system. It offers great variety of handsets, but this leads to its fragmentation which helps make iOS look even better. While you are more controlled and locked in with iOS, it provides a pretty damn good user experience and updates coming this Fall will make it even stronger. But don't count Android out yet. With its slowed update schedule, and more powerful phones coming down the pipe, Android is poised to become the dominant OS of choice. It is an exciting time to be a consumer in the mobile market today.