android vs iphone

[BlueZORRO]

What are some pros and cons of the android and iphone (if possible compare the newest phone from both companies)

 

[libra89]

What are some pros and cons of the android and iphone (if possible compare the newest phone from both companies)

This is a loaded question!

Seriously though, I'll share my thoughts about this as a person who commonly switches OSes on a semi-regular basis.

Android Pros:
-Customization. You can change default apps, and even how your home screen looks, all based on a skin (launchers). If you want all of your icons to be black, you can do that, just buy icon packs. You can even root your phone and change your phone's ROM.
-Aesthetic differences. Two people can have Android phones, but they look totally different, or they can have the same phone and yet their home screens and lock screens look so different from one another.
-Widgets. All of the info you want at a glance, i.e. news, weather, whatever you want.
-Choices. You have many choices of Android phones, whether you want one in red, blue, or even Nextbit mint. You also have many size choices as well.
-You can use your computer to manage and move files to your Android phone, no programs required.

Android Cons:
-Battery life. Unfortunately, battery life is so mixed between phones, and it's almost a gamble to see which phone will have battery life that will work for you.
-Updates vary. Low end phones don't get updates most of the time, and there are just a few phones (in general) that get consistent updates for at least a year.
-At first, there might be many more things to set up. At a point, you might have to factory reset or clear your cache to continue to have your phone running smoothly.

iPhone Pros:
-Battery life. iOS manages battery life better generally, especially when it comes to the SE and 6s+.
-Super easy setup.
-Quality of apps. A good amount of apps are way better on iOS over Android.
-Unless you have a Sprint iPhone, you can take it to any carrier and no additional setup should be required.
-Updates. Most models (the super old ones are eventually bumped off) get the software updates, and at the same time!
-Anytime you have issues, the Apple Store is there for easy, in-person help (side note, but relevant)

iPhone Cons:
-No customization, unless you jailbreak. The only thing you can change is your wallpapers.
-Only 3 size models, with only 4 color choices. Your case is literally the only thing that can make yours stand out.
-You generally have to use iTunes to transfer things between your iPhone and the computer.

I'm aware I probably forgot things but that's what comes to mind for me as a frequent switcher. Hope it helps some.

 

[kramer5150]

The post above mine is generally pretty much spot on. Some further bullet points I have found using the following:
HP Laptop running windows 10
2015 Macbook Pro
iPhone 5C and 6S+
LG-V10

If you are on a MAC (or macbook) you need to use android file transfer, 3rd party app to get the computer to recognize the Android phone storage. Even then OSx will lock up many times if it senses an Android device trying to merge into the ecosystem. My 2015 macbook pro locks up about 30% of the time when I plug in my Android phone. Conversely if you are on windows 10 it doesn't care what phone you plug into it, it reads the phone like any USB storage device.

Androids use of micro USB is completely open source. Just about anything USB (and USB-OTG) can be plugged into an android device and it just works. Apple conversely is much more restrictive about lightning port accessories, and they at least try to completely control the accessory market. What that means to the consumer is you pay more for lightning compatible accessories that are "apple certified". The ones that aren't, are cheaper but you run the risk of iOS locking the accessory out. This will only get worse since Apple is slowly omitting the 35mm headphone jack from iPhones. No doubt the apple fans will rave about this being the latest + greatest "Feature". Its a one way street with Apple, once the borg collective falls in love with it, it stays. Motorola is the first Android manufacturer to ditch the headphone jack, I predict others will follow.

Regarding Android and micro-USB cables... not all micro USB cables are created equal. Some are power-only, some are compatible for power and data transfer, some are better suited for quick-charging and some are not. So when buying cables you have to read the fine print carefully. Youtube and amazon product reviews are a big help here... IMHO.

With USB-C out there now and more and more Android phones switching over to that standard... it too has its quirks, which I am unqualified to comment further on.

Accessory market is HUGE for iPhones... it just is, always has been. You can pretty dramatically transform an iPhone into something much more than stock with all the accessory options that are out there. Some are apple certified, some may not be... the choice is yours though. Many Android phones, you're lucky if you can find a *good* case for them.

If you are into watches (like I am). Hands down, Android wins here. With all the options available... some android-wear based some may not be.

As far as apps and software goes... In my mind its pretty cut and dry. Open source (Google) versus closed ecosystem (Apple). IMHO there is no clear-cut winner here. Stark pros and cons to both. I generally prefer Google / Android apps. I like open source apps better than how Apple controls all theirs. I also like paying for advertisement -free Android open source apps directly from the developer, that's something you simply can't do on an iPhone. I also find it easier in Android to deactivate app permissions with the Application Manager. In iOS, conversely I always feel like I have to scroll through all kinds of menus and screens to dial back app permissions. Android also lets you deactivate a lot more unused manufacturer bloat-apps.

One final note on batteries and power management. Now that the customer replace-able battery is nearing extinction from Android phones, in my mind this in someways tips the scale in favor of Apple... overall. With an iPhone, apple controlled apps and their tight control over iOS... you just KNOW exactly what you are going to get from a battery-life standpoint. Compared to Android which is completely hit or miss, and more critical now than ever since you can not replace an Android battery anymore.

Living in the bay area I get to rub elbows with both google and Apple employees. One of my family members is an ex-Apple engineer and he worked in Apples power-management division. They have VERY strict engineering standards in terms of how their products manage power internally. Roughly its broken down to wattage (amp-hours) power consumption by process and further break down by chip on the circuit board. So if the CPU, graphics acceleration, or bluetooth radio process uses more power than its allocation... that design fails. It could be a COMPLETELY successful prototype design in ALL other aspects... if its guzzling too much battery its a design failure and that team needs to fix it or their deliverable stops the product development. They work their people HARD too... 15, 16 hour work days... whatever it takes.

Having said that though... with Android you get the option to quick charge through USB, or (depending on the phone) wireless charging with a Qi charger. Can't do that on an iPhone. But is it enough to tip the overall scale in favor of Android? Personally I think it is. My LGV10 can quick charge from 30% to 100% in an hour. I can "trickle" charge it too using a wireless Qi charger and not even plug in the USB cable. So overall I prefer Android and my LGV10 power management... but its really not that black and white, pros and cons to each.

Wow... I didn't think I would type this much!

Good luck though!!

 

[Morty2264]

Android is, in my opinion, known for unlimited possibilities. You can customize everything - from how your phone looks to what kind of icons you have on the screen, to your keyboard, and fonts and colours. Android is loaded with options too in other respects - you've got a long line of different manufacturers to choose from. For example, if you want a phablet or a big phone, go to Samsung or the Nexus 6P. If you're looking for a smaller phone, Sony's Compact series has you covered. With a plethora of options, I think Android is an awesome platform to choose.

Apple seems, at least to me, to really push media. Quality of photos, music, syncing your phone with other Apple devices... That is pretty cool. And the new iPhone has the moving picture thing going, which is sick, I must say. And now they have phablet sized phones - or, at least bigger ones - which helps if you're in the market for something like that.

If I was just talking about personal preference, I'd say Android is far and above the best choice. However, I can't ignore the fact that Apple has merit. Both platforms would be good choices.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(9419666)]

I think both os have there advantage. I used to own iOS and is currently using Android and found that Android is great for customization and iOS is more stable.

 

[kramer5150]

Another stark (and often overlooked) difference I have found is cloud computing / storage differences. Maybe its just me, but on a Mac with an iPhone the apple iCloud ecosystem always seems SO big, bloated, clunky and bogging... seemingly choking on more than what its supposed to be doing. So if I want to achieve one simple task, I have to run some apple software package that's hugely more complex than what I need it to be for the one task I want to be doing. I never liked this aspect of how Apple software works. Conversely (at least with my personal usage) Google remote accessing software just seems to run more lean and efficient.

 

[pbike908]

Having owned both, I think the IOS out of the box experience is a lot smoother. If one wants to tinker, tinker, tinker, then hands down Android is the better bet. But more "weirdness" pops up with Android.

Oh, and Apple definitely charges a premium.

I am also a big fan of wired headphones, which appear to be on the way out at Apple. But the 6s and 6s Plus will have you covered there for a few years....

 

[barlev]

I've always used apple and am having my first exposure to android - it's a nightmare. The differences are that if you use an iphone you don't get spied upon by google and with android you have absolutely no privacy or security.

Never forget:

"With Apple, you are the customer
With Google, you are the product"

 

[metllicamilitia]

I don't understand how people are using these iPhones with this much hassle. The cost of Apple's cases is spot on with the competition, the lightning cable cost is spot on with the quality of the cable (I work with wires and took one apart), it just doesn't protect the ends enough. The iPhone costs just as much per month on a plan as every other flagship. Not to mention Apple is moving to USB-C, I wouldn't be surprised to see it on iPhone this year. So it really comes down to ecosystem. Android has customization, and iPhone has stability. I've used both, I love both, I'm currently using an iPhone because it works for me and my workflow. Another user posted about mac's having an issue with android phones, I never had an issue with my HTC One M8 and my MacBook.

 

[pbike908]

I've always used apple and am having my first exposure to android - it's a nightmare. The differences are that if you use an iphone you don't get spied upon by google and with android you have absolutely no privacy or security.

Never forget:

"With Apple, you are the customer
With Google, you are the product"

I switched from IOS to Android last December. I must admit that IOS was much smoother, and more integrated. But now that I have grown accustomed to Android I doubt I would ever go back to IOS as the Apple hardware -- arguably superior -- just isn't worth the premium. That said I am a Windows 10 users as far as computer goes. Perhaps if I was a Mac that may change.

There are a few things I miss on IOS, but not much.

I used to buy in to the "Google is spyware" until I started using it more. The fact is if one uses tech, then we are spied on continuously as we have our GPS always turned on in our devices, most of us voluntarily use one social media platform (i.e. facebook), we all use email ad our friends/family/coworkers are always sharing their contact list with other web sites, just about every web site has a zillion trackers and they don't work right if we turn them off, we use internet mapping, Our cars have security and safety systems that are always "phoning home", our mobile phones are always "phoning home" to the carriers, our banks/insurance companies/payroll systems/credit card companies are all computerized and have most have been hacked, the IRS is on line, our state and county governments are computerized, our medical records are (and have been hacked) so are our pharmacies, same goes for utility companies (electric, water, gas, trash), and it goes on and on.

One can't live in the 21st century and not be electronically spied upon. Unless one has enormous resources in that they live their life through "proxies" and assistants like some billionaires do.

Not to mention we have no idea what are friends and loved ones have "shared about us".

Hey, I'm not wild about some of these things. But there has never been a BETTER TIME For 95% of the world to live collectively than 2016. No matter what The Donald, Bernie, and Hillary say. Our modern lifestyles and tech are integrated at all levels. And just about every product or service we consume is better and less expensive because of tech.

So get off your high horse about Google Spying versus Android. Unless you are willing to forego smartphones all together. And all tech for that matter.

 

[Jackie Chen2]

To me..iphone is too expensive and a little bit over power for my daily use

 

[kramer5150]

I don't understand how people are using these iPhones with this much hassle. The cost of Apple's cases is spot on with the competition, the lightning cable cost is spot on with the quality of the cable (I work with wires and took one apart), it just doesn't protect the ends enough. The iPhone costs just as much per month on a plan as every other flagship. Not to mention Apple is moving to USB-C, I wouldn't be surprised to see it on iPhone this year. So it really comes down to ecosystem. Android has customization, and iPhone has stability. I've used both, I love both, I'm currently using an iPhone because it works for me and my workflow. Another user posted about mac's having an issue with android phones, I never had an issue with my HTC One M8 and my MacBook.

That was me who posted that comment.
How do you plug your Android phone into the MAC and get it to access the internal drives and SD storage? Mine doesn't do anything but charge the battery with any consistency. Reading and accessing the storage drives is inconsistent.

 

[metllicamilitia]

That was me who posted that comment.
How do you plug your Android phone into the MAC and get it to access the internal drives and SD storage? Mine doesn't do anything but charge the battery.

With HTC I've always had HTC sync manager, and I've also always had a microSD to SD adapter to access just the SD card, and there's a setting on your phone to change the connection type so you can access it. Had to do the it with windows too, the pop up for that should be in your notification list when you connect.

 

[kramer5150]

With HTC I've always had HTC sync manager, and I've also always had a microSD to SD adapter to access just the SD card, and there's a setting on your phone to change the connection type so you can access it. Had to do the it with windows too, the pop up for that should be in your notification list when you connect.

OK got it thanks... Yeah LG doesn't have a "sync manager" function on my V10. I think that's the difference right there. It makes no difference how I set the USB connection on my phone... data sync or just power charge. Either way it only thing it does with any consistency is charge through the USB.

I use android file transfer, and to its credit it does manage to connect about 70% of the time. But OSx does not like it, the OS will lock / freezes my macbook and I have to hard boot it. Really annoying for something so simple.

 

[kramer5150]

Are you aware of this :

Inside Marshmallow: USB connection options Inside Marshmallow: USB connection options | Android Central

Yes... I have it set properly to auto-read and detect on my MAC and transfer files. The problem is one of consistency. Where it only works about 70% of the time (if I am lucky). Compared to my Windows 10 PC where it connects fully 100% of the time.

I have researched extensively. The only thing I can come up with is its the MAC OSx, blocking the non-Apple device from merging into the closed eco-system. So there are times (many times actually) when AFT successfully makes it past the watchful eyes of OSx. There are some times when it does not, and there are times when my macbook freezes and I have to hard boot it.

Oh btw... I edited my commentary above to more correctly state what I am observing.

 

[adoriasoft]

For me Android is better and it has really ulimited possibilities.. You can have any Android phone and any computer to make your work easy.