It seems like every week a new Android based phone or tablet is being released to the market. Apple on the other hand tends to only release a new iOS based phone or tablet about two times a year. Apple has long held its first mover advantage thanks to the introduction of the iPhone and iPad but over the years their market share has eroded to less expensive Android alternatives. Now it looks like next month. So, if you are considering getting a new smartphone or tablet, which of the two platforms should you choose? Is Android or iOS the better option?
Frankly in terms of the features and performance, both of the platforms can work just as well for pretty much any individual. There are slight differences that give each of the two an edge in one area or another but it really is a personal choice on which one should get. So the question is, how does one pick which of the two platforms to go for in either a phone or a tablet? Below I will take a look at some of the reasons one might want to pick one or the other.
Cost
Let’s get the big one out of the way right away. Most people are concerned with spending as little as possible for the features that they want. The Android market clearly has Apple beat in this area. All one has to do is look at the cost of a phone or tablet to see that this is the case.
Let’s look at tablets first since this is fairly simple without the carrier subsidies. Google just launched its new for just $229 for the 16GB version. Apple on the other hand sells its iPad Mini for $329. Looking at larger tablets, the Nexus 10 is $499 for the 32GB version while the iPad with Retina is $599 for the same 32GB capacity. That is a significant price difference when the features between the two are very similar, sometimes with Apple having a slight edge and Google in others.
The phone market is a bit more tricky due to the carrier subsidies but once again, Apple is generally more expensive. An unlocked iPhone 5 current costs $649 for a 16GB versions. Samsung Galaxy S4 that is unlocked comes in around $600 for the same 16GB of capacity. The differences here are smaller but there are many less expensive Android phones on the market that cost below $500 unlocked. They may not be as feature rich but they work just as well for many people. Subsidies by the carriers make it much more difficult as the prices for the iPhone5 and its competitors can be nearly the same to several hundred different depending on the phone. Of course with the possibility of a new low cost iPhone coming to market, the cost option for phones may change.
Interface
The interface is actually one that is kinda difficult to talk about. In terms of Apple’s products using iOS, it is very standardized such that using pretty much any of the devices is nearly identical to the other. Even between past versions and the current is not that different which makes picking up and using any of the devices very easy. For the most part, picking up and using any iOS based device is very easy especially for those that don’t have much technology experience.
Android has a problem with this because of is openness. There is the standard or vanilla Android interface that Google has designed that works quite well. The problem is that many of the device manufacturers have placed skins over this interface to try and make their devices unique and supposedly easier to use. The result is that unless you are using the Google Play Editions of the devices, the experience between two different Android devices can be drastically different.
Applications
If you want to get applications for your tablet or smartphone, then Apple and iOS has the edge here. Because the devices were so popular, their developer base grew fast and includes many big time companies. Often an application will make it to both iOS and Android but it generally will be released on iOS first and if it becomes popular, then gets released on Android. Of course there is a little fact that also attracts more developers to iOS. It has been found that . I’ll just say this comes down to the cost equation again.
Now there is a slight advantage that Android has over iOS when it comes to applications. When you purchase and Apple phone or tablet, you are buying into the iOS platform. You can only get your programs through the iTunes App store. Sure, it is possible to bypass this somewhat by jailbreaking your device but this has other implications plus most users don’t want to go through the constant cat and mouse with Apple’s developers. With the Android operating system, there are multiple storefronts that one can get apps from. The two big players are Google with their and . This provides a level of competition that once again helps with the pricing of applications on Android.
Security
Now there is a bit of a downside to the openness of the Android platform. It is also more prone to security problems. Many of the security hacks for smartphones are installed through malicious applications that people download. This is especially true if you load applications from some of the less reputable application stores or bypass them altogether and directly install them from websites. The fragmentation of versions on phones that are updated through the carriers also means that it can take longer for security patches to get pushed out to all makes and models of phones meaning they can be vulnerable even though Google has patched the flaw.
Since Apple is the primary guardian of all applications and the updates for their iOS software for all devices regardless of carrier, they are able to provide a much higher level of security. This is one of the main reasons that many IT departments are much more trusting of the iOS devices than Android. So, if security is a top concern for you, then an Apple device is certainly much more attractive.
Support
Finally there is the issue of support which I briefly touched upon above. With Apple, there is a very specific and recognizable support for all their products. Need a software update, go through the device software update via Apple’s iOS software and App Store. No need to wait for your carrier to approve any OS updates. Have a problem with the hardware, check with your carrier if you have a hardware protection plan or directly with Apple, one of the top rated service groups, and deal with the Geniuses in a local store.
Android devices are much more difficult especially when it comes to the software updates. It isn’t so bad for tablets that are not tied to a mobile wireless data plan. Just check with the manufacturer to see if there has been an OS update and also contact them if you have hardware issues. With smartphones the issue is much trickier. All operating system updates have to be pushed out by the carrier and not the hardware manufacturer or Google with the exception of the Google Play Edition devices. This means that the certification can take a long time from say when Android 4.2 is released to it being available for your device. Even if you don’t have to deal with a mobile carrier, your still have to deal with the hardware manufacturers which can take just as long. Hardware issues can be even more challenging. For instance, Google sells its Nexus products but they are actually manufactured by several companies including ASUS and LG. If you have a hardware issue with them, you have to talk with the maker and not Google.
Conclusions
Hopefully my discussion has helped those that are looking to get a tablet or smartphone get a better understanding of choosing which of the two platforms they may want to go for. As I stated in the beginning, the technology behind the two are very similar and the differences tend to be more gimmicky than extremely useful.
I personally am heavily invested into Apple’s iOS platform from being an early adopter of the iPod Touch and the iPad such that it made perfect sense to go with an iPhone for mobile. It would be very difficult for me to switch but it is possible and let me say that the new Nexus 7 is a very tempting reason to switch. I’ll just have to wait and see how Apple responds and when for their second generation iPad Mini.