iPhone vs. Android: What’s Better for You?

When buying a new phone, here’s what you should know to make the right decision.

Ease of Use

While people love to say Apple products and the iOS interface are easy to use, the Android interface is just as good. If you efficiently use one, you shouldn’t have much trouble using the other. When the iPhone first appeared a decade ago, and Windows Mobile and Nokia Symbian phones were the competition, the iPhone blew people away. It was much easier to use back then, but that was 10 years ago. Now, there’s really a lot differentiating the two leading phone OS when it comes to use.

Fit, Finish, and Price

iPhones are unquestionably beautiful and Android phones vary wildly. Some phones like the Samsung S7 and the Google Pixel, are just as attractive as the iPhone 7 Plus. Apple makes sure iPhones have great fit and finish by controlling every step of the manufacturing process. Large Android phone manufacturers do the same but some Android phones are just ugly.

A reason for this is that Apple makes nothing but luxury phones and you will never find a ‘cheap’ iPhone.

Closed vs. Open Systems

While the iPhone remains proprietary, if you want to buy an Amazon ebook from Kindle or watch a Google Play movie, you’re out of luck. Android is open source and is even far more open to alternative applications. Remember that Apple hasn’t made its applications available to Android and never will.

A.I. and Voice Assistants

When pitting Google Assistant against Siri, there’s no question who wins: Google Assistant by a country mile. Google Assistant is an excellent voice interface, making life simple in collaboration with such as Google Calendar and Google Maps.

Timely Updates

This is an area where Apple beats Android, since when Apple releases a new update or a patch, all phones, at least those that are still supported, get it. With Android, it’s usually pray and hope for the best. Unlike Apple where each detail is under Apple’s control, with Android, Google is the one supplying the base operating system and some programs. This is up to the phone manufacturer to deliver upgrades and patches.