iOS vs Android & The Future

Many might not know the time when wired telephone connections were prevalent, but everyone knows an Android or an Apple today. Mobile devices have become an important and integral part of human communication experience. Social media and ocean of different apps, make life easy, fun and efficient. You can talk to a person you have never met or seen on the screen face to face with service like skype. You can look up information about almost anything and you won’t be disappointed by google search. Going out to another city and want the street experience, contact a local lodger on Airbnb. Digital age has opened up doors for experiences which were previously explored only in sci-fi books and shows. Mobile phones are our modern friends and constant companions.
Majority of these devices run on either Android or iOS, both of which are operating systems belonging to Google and Apple respectively. Both operating systems have a huge respective user base who are regular consumers of their updates and other products. The question that most have about both OS’s is, which one’s better?

There can be no specific answer for this, and there are obviously multiple factors that make both worth having, and occasional source of irritation as well. Here are some points of difference that you can keep in mind if and when making a choice between the two-

Availability-
iOS is only available on apple devices and in a closed-end OS. Android is open-source and is available on a variety of devices.
iOS is usually a choice of people who prefer privacy and style statement over cost, as iOS is quite costly. Whereas Android OS is available in devices of different types and cost-range. That may be the reason behind android having more users. iOS inspires a unique feeling of class while Android’s ubiquitousness, huge app-world, and cost-effectiveness make it choice of the majority.

Customisation-
Can be explored heavily by Android, it being an open-end OS, while apple has only a few open-source components and is on the whole, a close-end OS.
Google comes out with one heavy update each year and then it is customised by a variety of distributors, to suit their devices. Android has so many contributors that it is imbued in a variety of vision. Google is mostly responsible for the software part, but distributors go all out when it comes to innovating hardware. This has created a huge variety of Android packages, available for people to choose from.
However, Apple itself is mostly responsible for the updates in software as well as hardware aspect, which gives Apple an edge at keeping hold on the entire growth of their platform. The unique and private experience that Apple provides has made it a style-statement and a trend all over the world.

Applications-
Both platforms have a huge app ecosystem, Android having more apps in number.
Android apps are published and found on Google app store, and for apple apps there’s Apple app store.
iOS can only run apps specifically made for iOS platform and has a stricter publishing regulation than Android. iOS apps are more concerned with quality and keeping it all Apple. This makes iOS a less malware-prone platform for apps.
Android however is less strict on the developers, and as a result has the biggest app hosting platform i.e. Google play.
Many major apps are now available for both platforms, regardless of the source of origin.
iOS provides better quality of app-experience, whereas Android provide a huge variety of apps to choose from; which makes google more popular, while apple earns more money because of it.

User Experience-
Android User Interface, being an open-end OS, is extremely customizable. Users can design their experience based on their own preferences.
Apple interface is aesthetically simple and simplistic, but its performance is better in case of cognitive load and UXF (User experience friction).
More than 60% of current Apple users are satisfied with their device and its performance, while 50% of Android users show that level of satisfaction with their devices.
The major reason behind this difference can be Android being an open source OS and it’s having a variety of developers with a variety of devices. Some devices set the standards and some are just out there.
Apple however is consistent with its device upgrades so its most current version is consistently an improvement on its previous version. That is the secret behind Apple’s loyal customer base. Having the control over software and hardware gives apple a huge branding advantage over Android.

Both platforms have huge potential for growth, and the competition is fierce. The ability to improve functionality and innovate will decide who stays ahead in the race, among other factors. Recent technological advancements have opened up so many facets to explore, and it will be interesting to see how Android and iOS will fit in the bigger picture, years from now.