Android vs iOS: Which is healthier?

It’s straightforward to see that the smartphone trade is dominated by two working techniques: iOS and Android, however how do the 2 examine relating to vital points resembling options, apps and safety? 

Many customers will discover an working system and keep it up, however that doesn’t imply you may’t change groups when your subsequent improve comes round. With so many unbelievable telephones out there proper now, it’s robust to not be tempted to commerce your iPhone in for a Pixel – or vice versa – at any time when a brand new mannequin is introduced. 

We’ve put collectively this information that can assist you navigate all the main variations between Android and iOS so that you might be certain you received’t remorse your choice in the event you do make the bounce. 

First, although, it’s vital to bear in mind that whereas Android is accessible on an enormous vary of telephones from Xiaomi and Oppo fashions to Samsung foldables, it received’t essentially look the identical. It is because producers typically place their very own skins on high of the inventory Android software program. 

With that in thoughts, hold studying to find out how else these two working techniques differ… 

Updates 

Each Apple and Google launch one main OS replace annually, with smaller updates rolling out because the yr progresses. 

For Google, the annual replace is introduced round Could at Google I/O, with the software program formally starting its rollout in August. This yr, that shall be Android 14, following on from final yr’s Android 13 launch. 

Not each telephone will get the newest Android software program instantly. Google’s personal Pixel collection is historically first in line, however different telephones might take anyplace from months to years to see the replace. 

iOS in the meantime is unique to Apple’s iPhone line and each supported telephone receives the replace across the similar time. 

Apple unveils its personal main replace at WWDC in June, with iOS following in September. The present model of iOS is iOS 16, with iOS 17 set to reach this yr. 

Options

The present model of Android is Android 13, which launched on August 15 2022. Apple adopted shortly after with iOS 16, which arrived on September 12 2022. 

One new characteristic launched in iOS 16 was the flexibility to customize your lock display with photographs, font kinds and widgets. Customers may also create a number of lock screens with totally different wallpapers and widgets for various occasions and locations. 

The Focus characteristic acquired an replace, permitting customers to customize notifications. Focus filters helps you to silence sure apps and other people to restrict distractions. 

Customers additionally now have the flexibility to un-send and edit messages as much as quarter-hour after they’ve been despatched, in addition to mark messages as unread in the event that they don’t have time to answer them after they see it. 

Android 13 additionally launched new customisation parts. For instance, Android customers can now customise third-party apps to higher match their telephone’s wallpaper and hues, bringing extra personalisation to the house display. 

Customers even have the choice to assign languages to particular apps, making it potential to navigate apps in a unique to that used for the machine’s system. This makes it potential for multilingual folks to make use of apps in a selected language. 

Apps now require permission to ship notifications in Android 13 and Bluetooth Low Vitality (LE) has arrived to cut back latency when listening to audio. 

Lastly, Android 13 can now mechanically clear your clipboard historical past when you have copied any private info, retaining particulars resembling your deal with or login credentials safer. 

Apps 

On the subject of apps, Apple has the App Retailer and Android has the Google Play Retailer, each of which launched again in 2008. 

In line with Apple, there are nearly two million apps within the App Retailer and all are mechanically screened for identified malware. To offer you an concept of Apple’s screening course of, greater than 215,000 submissions have been rejected final yr for violating privateness pointers. 

The Google Play Retailer options much more apps – 3.4 million in line with Google. Nonetheless, Google has been much less clear than Apple relating to its screening course of, together with how the corporate checks for malware and what number of apps get rejected every year. 

There have additionally been many cases during which folks have reported by chance downloading malware-infected apps from the Google Play Retailer. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply the App Retailer is impenetrable. 

Digicam 

It’s troublesome to say which working system has a greater digicam as there’s a variety of various Android telephones with various picture sensors. 

Arguably, there’s extra consistency within the high quality of the iPhone digicam since Apple has full management of the design and specs of each the {hardware} and the software program. 

With that being stated, there’s extra selection with Android telephones, which means you may select a set of lenses that fit your wants, whether or not that be an ultra-wide angle digicam with an enormous area of view or a telephoto digicam for taking photographs of topics far-off. The identical goes for video high quality with some fashions going so far as supporting 8K video seize. 

On the subject of digicam software program, Apple lately launched its new Photonic Engine, a characteristic that enables its Deep Fusion pixel-by-pixel picture processing system to start working earlier within the picture-taking course of for a brighter and extra vibrant picture. 

Google, in the meantime, has packed a great deal of nice digicam and enhancing options into the Android software program on its Pixel collection, together with Actual Tone, Face Unblur and the Magic Eraser. 

Safety 

On the subject of safety, the sheer quantity of Android telephones available on the market makes them the apparent goal for cybercriminals. It is smart that malware builders would go after Android customers with Android telephones making up 71.47% of lively units worldwide in comparison with 27.88% Apple telephones (by way of Statista). 

The truth that producers will adapt and customise the software program for their very own smartphones additionally opens up area for extra safety flaws that might depart them weak to assaults. 

Whereas iOS customers may be much less prone to turn into the victims of an assault, the truth that all iPhones run the very same software program additionally implies that a single profitable assault would have an effect on the entire system. 

Apple’s stricter screening course of helps to stop malware from being unfold by way of apps as simply as they could on the Google Play Retailer. The identical goes for Apple’s extra homogeneous OS updates, permitting them to guard all customers with a single replace, whereas Google’s replace schedule is far more fragmented. 

For extra info on which working system is safer, you may go to our information to how safe iPhones are compared to Android telephones. 

Verdict 

Each iOS and Android are wildly common working techniques with totally different UIs and choices to customize your smartphone. 

iOS appears to be the chief relating to safety as a result of it gives earlier updates for all supported fashions and has a harder App Retailer screening course of. 

Android in the meantime offers customers extra selection throughout the market, permitting them to select the telephone and specs that attraction essentially the most to them.