For sheer scale and variety, nothing competes with Android. The fact that Android also leads the field in free apps makes it the natural choice for the budget-conscious. In the U. The Play Store still has a higher percentage of free apps than the App Store. Ultimately, quality beats quantity and so this is a narrow win for iOS. The Play Store is easier to search and you can queue and install apps from the web browser on your PC or laptop.

We like the fact that you can buy apps using your fingerprint via Touch ID on iPhones, but you can set up the same thing for the Play Store on Android phones with fingerprint sensors.

Smartphone Market Share

The Play Store wins points for having a no-quibble refund policy within two hours of purchase. There are some questionable apps in both stores, but Apple is generally stricter about blocking certain types of apps. The App Store edges the win for usability and curated content. There are also a lot of alternative Android app stores beyond the Play Store, but sideloading can open you up to the risk of malware.

Apple is opposed to third-party app stores. If you want a wider choice of apps and easy sideloading, then your choice is obvious.

Navigation menu

As the newer navigation system, Apple Maps did not have a great start, but it has improved significantly. Key features are similar, you can download maps for offline use, get accurate estimates based on current traffic conditions, and find turn-by-turn directions for driving or walking. Overall, the scale and quality of Google Maps is unsurpassed. It has more points of interest and it is generally more detailed than Apple Maps, but the accuracy can vary from place to place.

As one of the biggest bugaboos for smartphone owners, battery life is a huge factor. We could say iOS is optimized to squeeze the most out of the battery per mAh rating, but you can buy an Android device with a much bigger battery that will easily outlast the iPhone.

Both Android and iOS allow you to see your battery usage at a glance, broken down by app, but only Android shows an estimate of how much battery life you have left. They both offer power-saving modes that can extend your battery life by limiting performance, connectivity, and other power-sapping features, but precisely how it works is generally more customizable on Android. For a long time, Android had an advantage in the charging department, because many Android phones offered fast-charging capabilities and wireless charging.

This category is far from clear-cut, but comparing similarly priced Android phones with iPhones, they tend to have longer battery life and they always have fast chargers included in the box, so Android gets the win.

iOS Vs Android Vs Windows Mobile | I am a Techie

This is how iOS version shares break down according to the official Apple Developer website :. This is how Android breaks down according to the official Android Developer website :. Android also allows you to set up third-party apps as your default options for many things that are still locked down in iOS. If you enjoy tinkering, or you want a truly unique, personalized look for your home screen, then Android is the platform for you. Both platforms offer a good range of accessibility features. There are lots of good apps aimed at the elderly on Android and iOS.

Ultimately, iOS is simpler and easier to use in some important ways. Basic calling and messaging functionality is good on both platforms, but it can be confusing on Android.

Share your voice

While iMessage is very easy to use , it works best when communicating with other iPhone users. We give iOS the win for its consistency and ease of use. The default email apps on Android and iOS are very easy to use and quick to set up. You can pull in multiple email accounts and view them in a single inbox if you desire. Android and iOS have a huge range of third-party email apps available as well.

Since Gmail is the most popular email address system in the world, it makes sense that the Gmail app would be a winner. You can also add email addresses from different providers in Gmail with ease. The only issue is that Android phones often offer alternative email apps made by the manufacturers, which may or may not be good. This is a difficult category to call.

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The camera apps on both platforms are very good and very fast. For ease of use and best results without tweaking, the iOS camera app takes the cake. If you use the Photos app in Android, then you can automatically back up all your photos and videos. You can back up photos and videos at the original resolution with iCloud or Google Photos, but you only get 5GB of free space with iCloud, compared to 15GB with Google.

You can also back up unlimited photos and videos in full resolution with Google Photos if you own a Google-branded Pixel phone. Apple is still lagging when it comes to cloud storage and automatic backups. Extra battery packs, larger speakers, and a mobile projector are just some of the examples available for this device. OS developers need hardware partners to create devices that will reach consumers. Manufacturers carry a number of channels with suppliers that enable their ability to create profitable margins on devices and distribute them to end users.

Barriers to entry in the mobile space are extremely high, and the switching costs that Android and iOS deploy toward their users make it even harder for buyers to switch platforms. Manufacturers began to drop support of the platform in order to focus efforts on Android.

Nokia and BlackBerry have hopped onto the Android train in the last couple years, and new devices on Windows Phone are no longer being produced. The ability of an operating system to exploit its hardware with effective and fluid software is extremely important. Android and iOS do a great job of using hardware features to provide users added functionality when using the devices. Operating system updates keep phones relevant for longer periods of time.

For those not looking to upgrade every year, as has become typical with the product cycles of modern phones, you cannot go wrong with Android or iOS. Virtual assistants like Google Assistant or Siri currently have no competitive counterpart on the market, and the amount of artificial intelligence AI and deep learning necessary to compete with them is unprecedented. We see Windows Phone top the charts along with iOS in terms of ease of use, and that was the general reception when the software was set to compete in the beginning of This, however, was not enough to pressure users into supporting the operating system.

Blackberry received praise for the ability to multitask and manage emails on its devices, but with the limited application selection, it was still not enough to keep users invested. Each operating system has its pros and cons, but even with very good basic operational functions, the application gap was too much of a sacrifice for users in the end. Android offers myriad functions that are hard to replicate on other operating systems. It even runs Blackberry and Windows Launchers without having to sacrifice functionality.

The same design features that you see on a Macbook will be on an iPad or iPhone. With design in mind, Android and iOS both apply aggressive switching costs geared toward users that makes increasingly difficult for them to switch from their current operating system when upgrading devices. Switching costs, as referenced earlier, create a dilemma for users looking to purchase devices that transition them out of the ecosystem.

Pulling away from Google Suite and iCloud means having to find a service that will migrate your data as well. We consistently see Microsoft building the correct foundation behind its operating system, and the ecosystem it has constructed is nothing less than exceptional. The lack of applications seems to be the largest factor in its inability to succeed in the smartphone market.

The fact that full-fledged file management services are available across the board on Android devices also gives a level of customization and accessibility that other platforms cannot compete with. While iCloud may not hold the best ratings, the software offering and the multitude of switching costs that Apple employs in its ecosystem make it difficult for users to consider other options. With an array of compelling software features, a fluid and unique operating system, and an ecosystem built to last, it had just about everything necessary to stand up against the big two.

Blackberry lost its grip on the market as it failed to transition into the smartphone market after the initial releases of Android and iOS. With progress and functionality in mind, Android and iOS are the only feasible operating system platforms available. With everything in mind, here are a list of exceedingly impressive devices running Android or iOS, so you don't have to sacrifice for functionality.

The phone still holds the extremely elusive headphone jack, as these are rare nowadays, and offers all of the perks of wireless charging and water resistance as can be expected from a flagship device of this caliber, without the high price tag. It doesn't have such a high resolution screen, and only a single camera lens on the back, but these tradeoffs for a more affordable price seem to be what consumers are looking for these days. Google's Pixel 3 still sits at the top of the Android hardware throne. The recently introduced Night Sight feature now lets users take long exposure camera shots in pitch dark and produce quality results.

The camera is the main reason you might want to consider purchasing a Google Pixel 3. With other quality features like the call screening software and soon to come Duplex scheduling, the phone just has features other manufacturers cannot compete with. With this experience, he continues to build and scale G2's offsite SEO presence through content promotion, development, and outreach. Head to Head: Android vs. Updates and Mobile Support Android and iOS are the two largest mobile operating systems on the market, so it makes sense that they will continue to be supported and developed.

App Availability: Free vs. Software Features and Ease of Use Operating system updates keep phones relevant for longer periods of time. Just like any operating system, it's not perfect. But this one is reliable and user-friendly. Ecosystems and cloud storage With design in mind, Android and iOS both apply aggressive switching costs geared toward users that makes increasingly difficult for them to switch from their current operating system when upgrading devices.

Device recommendations Updated for December With everything in mind, here are a list of exceedingly impressive devices running Android or iOS, so you don't have to sacrifice for functionality. Recommended Articles.