When buying a mobile phone the main choice to make is between an Android device or an iPhone. The battle between iPhone and Android has been raging since Android came on the scene in 2008 and both have been competing for the best smartphone ever since. So which one should you be choosing when upgrading your mobile next?
Android
Android Inc. was founded in October 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White. Then in July 2005 Google took over the company for $50 million (although its key employees, including Rubin, Miner and White, joined Google as part of the deal). The first commercially available smartphone running Android was the HTC Dream and launched on 23rd September 2008. Since then Google has released 24 versions of the Android operating system all of which use sweet names, like Kit Kat, Marshmallow, Jelly bean, and continues to make substantial investments to develop, grow, and improve the operating system.
Positives
- The Android operating system is easy to use. There are lots of great features like Google Assistant where you can simply say “OK Google” and ask what you want to search without typing anything on the screen. You can also set reminders, send texts and more using Google Assistant without needing to touch your phone.
- Unlike many other mobile operating systems Android doesn’t charge a license fee for smartphone companies to use it. This makes it a popular smartphone operating system to use for companies like Samsung, HTC and Sony. The OS is also customisable, so brands can put their own touches to it making it more personal to their brands.
- Android mobiles are compatible with lots of apps and services which you can download through the Google Play Store.
- Google Drive and Photo’s are available to download on Android smartphones. They store your files and images online to avoid that annoying out of space message. They also sync to other devices the app is installed on so your pictures will always be where you need them.
- Another benefit of different companies using Android is that there is lots of choice from different specs and price ranges (over 74 Android phone manufacturers). The flagship Android phone, Google pixel 2 includes features like quick charging, waterproof and 12.2MP camera.
- Swapping from an iPhone to Android can be off-putting, but new Android phones now come with a cable to connect both devices which copies all of your files and contacts over automatically.
Negatives
- Some budget devices build quality is not brilliant and they can feel cheap. It’s always advisable to read up on reviews before you buy as basic models can be slow too.
- As there are more devices available running Android the Google Play Store is more likely to contain virus infected apps. Google have implemented a scan feature to warn of harmful apps but it’s still better to be cautious when downloading a new unheard of app.
- A positive of more variation can also be negative. Too much choice of devices can be confusing for anyone who is not tech savvy.
- Android devices can be more susceptible to viruses, but if you are careful when downloading apps there shouldn’t be a problem.
iPhone
On 9th January 2007 Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone. Then on 11th June 2007 Apple announced that the iPhone would support third-party applications. Third parties would be able to create applications, which users could access via the internet. The first of these, called OneTrip, was an app to keep track of users’ shopping lists. This is what we now know as the App store. Shortly after that the first iPhone was released on 29th June 2007. Since then the launch of iPhones have been largely anticipated with fans queuing outside Apple stores overnight to get their hands on the latest version. iPhone model versions go up in chronological order, from 2 up to the latest X (10), with higher spec S and plus versions in between.
Positives
- The iPhone design is very modern and screen quality is also good, even on the basic spec C versions.
- You can easily sync photo’s, music and documents between your iPhone and other Apple products like ipad and Macbook.
- All iPhones come pre installed with Siri voice activation. Simply talk to Siri to search, set reminders and more.
- When buying an iPhone there isn’t a large amount to choose from which avoids confusion for any potential customers. The only choices are the normal or bigger plus version, colour and storage capacity.
- Apple support is very helpful if you do ever have an issue with your iPhone. The tech guru’s in Apple stores are also very helpful if you have any questions.
- iPhones are easy to use once you have gotten used to the menu system and different functions.
Negatives
- The cross compatibility with non mac products is not great forcing you to buy other Mac products like an iPad or Macbook to avoid issues, which can become expensive. Also other devices like cameras and some wireless printers often say “Not Mac or iPhone compatible” on the box.
- iPhones are very expensive when compared to Android phones with a similar spec and performance.
- The new iPhone X has a glass screen and back casing. This looks great but is more likely to smash if you do inevitably drop your phone. But it’s nothing a case can’t solve.
- Unlike Android, iPhones do not come out of the box with the option to transfer existing data over from an Android smartphone. It is possible to copy data over using an app but is not as easy making it less favourable to people currently using Android thinking of making the swap to an iPhone.
So that’s the positives and negatives of each, but which is best? There are solid facts showing that since 2010 Android smartphones have consistently outsold iPhones and their lead continues to build up year on year. Further to this, comparing the specs of the current flagship mobiles from each, the Google pixel smartphone is far more superior than the latest iPhone X with better features like fast charging, free complimentary unlimited Google drive storage and higher quality camera. In the current situation the clear winner is Android! However, that could all be set to change as iPhone and Android both plot to beat each others latest phones in the future.
