Let’s imagine for a second that for whatever reason, you’ve never owned a smartphone before. One day, you decide to change that, and now you’re in the market for one. What should you choose? What are the options? When it comes down to it, there are two major players in the smartphone market – namely Apple’s iPhone and the competing Google eco-system, known as Android. Whilst when it comes to phones, Apple makes the iPhone and only the iPhone, Android phones are made my many different manufacturers and are quite different with regards to quality and price.
The truth is both iPhones running the iOS operating system, and smartphones running Android have their good and bad points. Whilst both offer a lot of great features, they may seem basically the same other than brand and price. Budget will more than likely be the deciding factor for anyone entering the smartphone market for the first time, but let’s delve into some of the more specific differences between the two types of phone, that might help you decide: iPhone or Android.
Hardware: The Choice Is Very Varied…For Android
Hardware is the certainly the first place where the differences between the iPhone and Android become clear. Apple, and only Apple make the iPhone, so it ensures strict controls over its production and how the software and hardware work together. It’s undoubtedly a very polished product that just works. And works well. Android phones on the other hand are a mixed bag. Google offers the Android system to many different manufacturers, including Samsung, Motorola and Huawei. Because of this, the market for Android phones is huge and models vary widely in, features, size and build quality. Top of the range Android devices, the likes of the latest generation Samsung Galaxy series or the Pixel phones, are easily as good and polished as the iPhone, in terms of hardware quality and performance.
At the other end of the scale though, cheaper, budget orientated Android phones are a mixed bag in terms of quality and performance. Don’t get me wrong though, iPhones can have hardware issues too, it’s just that you’re getting a higher quality piece of kit in the first place.
When it comes to choosing a smartphone– with an iPhone it’s a simple decision – pick a model (there are essentially two main models from each new generation), and that’s about it. With the abundance of Android phones, models, brands it can be a little confusing. In the end it can be a case of greater choice (Android) vs. simplicity and quality (iPhone).
Updates and Security
Updates and security should be as important to smartphones as they are to your home computer. Security loopholes and the patches to fix them, are where the iPhone and Android phones differ quite significantly. The principal thing that leads to compromised security smartphones is the installation of a dodgy app. Both iPhones and Android have their own app store where users can choose from millions, but the principal difference here is that Apple is far stricter on what it allows in its app store, then Google is. That’s not to say that iPhones are never in risk of malicious software infecting them, it’s just less likely.
This also goes hand in hand with software updates. Whilst all iPhones immediately have access to any patches and updates (well, those that are still supported), for Android users it’s far more hit and miss, depending on the brand of phone they own. Unless you own a high end Android phone, there is a chance you’ll rarely see a security patch.
Battery Life
Longer battery life is every smartphone owners’ dream (well it’s mine at least!). Unlike phones from, let’s say 10 years which you could often use without having to worry about charging for anywhere up to a few days, that’s not the case with smartphones. Due to ever increasing screen sizes, batty hungry hardware and software, most times you’ll find yourself plugging your phone in at the end of the day, depending on the amount of use its had. The only advantage Android phones really have over iPhones in this realm, is the ability to be able to buy extra, high capacity batteries, which although making the phone thicker will give you more juice.
You Get What You Pay For
As I said earlier, Android phones vary hugely in price and quality, unlike the iPhone which has always been, and will probably remain, a luxury phone, with a price tag to match. There has never really been such a thing as a cheap iPhone (the iPhone SE did reduce the standard price slightly, but still wouldn’t be considered as “budget”). As with the high-end Samsung Galaxy models and the Google Pixel, the iPhone matches its price tag with a build quality, finish and overall polished package that works, and works very well. But you pay for it.
At the end of the day, there isn’t really a straight forward “you should choose X phone” because both the iPhone and Android handsets have their pros and cons. It comes down to your budget, and what matters most to you. Some would argue that iPhones are simpler to use, as their level of customisation is less than that of Android phones, whilst other would say that the “walled garden” approach to Apples eco-system limits what you can do with the device…compared with Android. It’s almost a never ending circle.
Try before you buy is definitely the name of the game. Be sure to put a number of phones through their paces in store, as well as comparing reports from friends and family.
