Apple vs Android – Which Is Better?

A comparison between Apple and Android phones is often a highly polarizing process, as this purchase decision is often based on brand loyalty. Setting marketing and tribal allegiance aside, choosing the best phone can be challenging. While operating system is the most obvious difference between the two brands, you should also consider factors like ease of use, security and updates.

Overview

The hardware and operating system of iPhones are closely connected since they’re both proprietary technologies belonging to Apple, so the difference between models is relatively small. This isn’t the case with Android, whose smartphone models vary greatly in features and performance. As a result, you must ensure that you compare the right models between the brands. Assume, for example, that you’re trying to choose between an iPhone 13 and an Android model. You should look at the high-end Google Pixel 6 series or Samsung Galaxy S22 rather than the basic 2020 Moto G Power.

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Apple’s proprietary technology means that you’ll be locked in to its ecosystem as long as you want to use an iPhone. You may not mind restricting yourself to Apple products, but this vendor lock-in can show itself in other ways. For example, Fortnite, Epic’s popular online video game, isn’t available on the iOS App Store because the two companies are currently in a legal dispute over how users should pay for the game. Android is open-source software, so it’s more accepting of applications from different developers.

Ease of Use

iPhones have a reputation for being easier to use than Android models. This was certainly true when the first smartphones came out in the late 2000s, but it’s no longer the case today. All phone interfaces are now generally easy to use, but the control they provide is another matter. Android offers much greater control over its phones and their applications than iPhones do. Users who want to set up their phones in a particular way will definitely prefer Android.

Security

iPhones are inherently more secure than Android devices, provided you trust Apple to maintain your privacy. For example, Apple admitted in February 2022 that a bug in iOS 15 inadvertently recorded some iPhone users’ conversations with Siri, the iPhone voice assistant. Android’s phones aren’t fundamentally less secure than iPhones, but Google is more lax about the applications it allows in its app store than Apple.

Updates

iPhones win decisively over Android phones when it comes to software updates. When Apple releases an iOS update, all iPhones supported by the update receive it. Updates are less predictable with Android, since Google doesn’t control every aspect of its phones. While Google supplies the base operating system and some bundled apps, the phone manufacturers are responsible for delivering updates. This isn’t typically a problem with high-end models from Google and Samsung, but inexpensive Android phones from other manufacturers may never receive any updates.