Android vs. iOS. An Eternal Confrontation

The Android vs iPhone race is as intense as ever, especially as both are looking forward to the forthcoming yearly release of 2021. The two sides have always had strong arguments that make the battle an interesting one to follow.  

Being the two most popular platforms in the market, Android and iOS have their strengths and weaknesses. There are a lot of companies providing Mobile App Development Services for both platforms. As a result, the Informational Technology industry and all the users have divided opinions on Android & iOS. 

Pitting iOS vs Android, we considered the strengths of each operating system in several categories, and more importantly, weaknesses. Let’s dive into both mobile platforms to help understand them better.

For individuals familiar with the Apple world, the idea of choice and control within a phone environment is a strange concept to catch. With iOS-based devices, but you receive the Apple way of balancing functionality with user privacy and providing software upgrades, their way of the home screen layout and design, their way of making Apple applications as your default map, browser, etc. There are some gains and losses of this method, and whether you like it or not, it’s always the Apple way. 

Thus these people usually consider Android follows the same approach. Yet, there is no such notion as the Android way. 

Instead, it allows for a large portion of choice, customization, and control. Android is open-source, which makes it easily adaptable and can be implemented for all hardware platforms. Sometimes the freedom to choose and control goes into the user’s hands. Other times, these are companies producing smartphones that have the flexibility to introduce their unique features and flavors.

This level of flexibility enabled the Android system to seize the opportunity on the initial stage and then develop into the world’s most extensively employed OS. Phone-making firms such as Nokia, Xiaomi, Samsung, and others embrace Android adaptability as it allows pushing their benefit turning services and manipulating software in a manner they consider fit as much as they need. Even in case, the carrier is the one with complete control over the Android system usage to vend their devices, users still have a choice. 

So how exactly these two different approaches have impacted the UI & UX design and security. 

Android and iOS environments follow their unique system guidelines, design patterns, and user interaction architecture. There is a good deal of similarities in the look and behavior of diverse UI elements, including:

• Structure of the information
• List-based navigation
• Core UI components like text boxes, sliders, tabs, and so on
• Gesture touch controls – tapping, swiping, pinch-and-zoom

However, differences are worth paying attention to foremost. Android platform is all about customization of the overall look and feel. Apple compensates for the limited options to customize its default applications by the elegance and great attention to detail with the smartphone’s overall aesthetics. 

Material Design is a standard for Android app design. It focuses on shadows and motions for elements to make easy-to-use navigation. Apple sticks to Human Interface Guidelines and uses fewer shadowing elements but with vibrant colors to improve navigation. While iOS centers the navigational bar titles, Android aligns them to the left.

Both mobile OSs have put decent records and safeguards in a system resulting in a noticeable improvement in data security. Yet, the open-source nature of Android means it has multiple vectors that cybercriminals can leverage to gain access to your gadgets. iOS devices aren’t immune to cyber-attacks either, as they have come under attack from hackers in recent years. 

Let’s see what measures Android and iOS have taken to protect their users on different levels.

The fact Android is an open-source system and anyone can take the code and modify it increases the number of vulnerabilities. It isn’t because the code is open but because the tiniest change in the code can open enormous possibilities to new vulnerabilities.  

Nevertheless, recent Android versions have done a lot to protect phones from attacks through third-party applications. Features as one-time access to location, expansion of Google Project Mainline password manager, auto reset of all app permissions are some security measures that keep Android users and their data safe.

We bet you are aware of how much data Google is collecting. The mega-corporation claims they are committed to fully protect user privacy while still providing personalized market products and ads using AI technology. But some security experts and Apple argue that Google presents a false choice between privacy and AI-enabled services.

To say that Apple doesn’t track its users will be wrong. Well, it’s more about aggregating data rather than tracking. The company collects all the device-related information from all the users in a single pile, thus making it impossible to connect a piece of info to a particular individual.  

Well, how secure your smartphone mostly depends on your level of tech fluency along with personal and professional needs.

Android and iOS have grown increasingly similar over the years, but the underlying difference of control, customization, and choice continue to be a distinguishing factor that separates the two. Neither platform’s approach is better, they are just strikingly different. 

It’s a personal choice to either go for Android or iOS. To make the most of the potential that mobile apps can offer a business, consider creating solutions for both operating systems. At ApexTech, we provide custom mobile development services for iOS, Android, or hybrid platforms. We are open to cooperation and ready to share our knowledge with our business partners. Get in touch with us today to bring your innovative ideas to life.