哪个更好：iPhone 或Android智能手机？争论永无止境，无论如何，大多数人选择成为iOS 或 Android的粉丝。(iOS or Android)在过去十年中，我拥有几部 iPhone 和至少十部Android智能手机，而且我什至没有计算我为工作而定期审查的那些。虽然我不会在本文中选择赢家和输家，但以下是我注意到 iPhone 和Android智能手机之间的主要区别：
硬件
首先，让我们看看硬件差异。尽管许多Android设备制造商都试图复制 iPhone 的设计(copy the design of iPhones)，但反过来也是如此，尽管方式不太明显。那有什么区别呢？让我们来看看…
1. 格式和设计
每年，都会发布数百款Android智能手机。例如，2021 年有 500 多个。iPhone？四。不是四百，只有四。苹果(Apple)每年发布 3-5 款智能手机型号，它们的设计都非常相似。
这意味着每年都有大量的Android手机设计可供选择，从传统设计到可折叠智能手机(foldable smartphones)，从专为硬核摄影和摄像爱好者(phones dedicated to hard-core photography and videography enthusiasts)设计的手机到设计用于承受冲击(designed to withstand shocks)和深水浸没(water submersion)的手机。另一方面，iPhone 用户与苹果(Apple)认为今年流行的东西有关。
每一款 iPhone 机型(iPhone model)，每年都会推出一百多部Android手机。(Android)
此外，由于Apple对在入门级市场竞争不感兴趣，如果您想要一部全新的智能手机，但买不起iPhone SE (2020)的399美元(USD)，您的选择仅限于Android智能手机。不过不用担心，仅 2021 年就有超过 350 款低于 400美元(USD)的型号推出，因此有大量可供选择。
关于实际设备设计(device design)，Android智能手机开始遵循相同的模式：音量(volume rocker)键、电源按钮(power button)，仅此而已。只有一些发烧友的智能手机，比如Sony PRO-I，有额外的，比如相机快门按钮(camera shutter button)。iPhone 更加严格：移除Home按钮后，每部 iPhone 都遵循相同的配方：电源(Power)按钮（或侧边(Side)按钮）、音量摇杆(volume rocker)和相当陈旧的静音(Silent)开关。
但是，虽然 iPhone 的按钮很少会从一代到下一代改变位置，但在Android手机上，按钮的位置和大小(button positioning and size)有更多变化，特别是因为其中一些使用电源(Power )按钮作为指纹读取器。
(Button position)Android手机上的按钮位置变化更大
2. 能源效率和原始电力
令人惊讶的是，在Android 市场(Android market)有如此多的公司竞争，而苹果在(Apple)原始计算能力方面处于领先地位。最新的Apple A15 仿生芯片组(Apple A15 Bionic chipset)几乎可以摧毁任何其他移动芯片组，同时显着提高能效。以下是A14 Bionic（于 2020 年在iPhone 12系列上推出）和Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888（在最快、最昂贵的Android智能手机之一索尼 PRO-I(Sony PRO-I)上，于 2021 年底推出）之间的Geekbench得分比较：(score comparison)
iPhone 12与Sony PRO-I 的(Sony PRO-I)Geekbench 得分
这在一定程度上被 iPhone 的电池容量较低的事实所抵消。在iPhone 13(iPhone 13)系列之前尤其如此。例如，iPhone 12的电池容量为 2815 mAh ，而(mAh battery)三星 Galaxy S21(Samsung Galaxy S21)的电池容量为 4000 mAh 。不过，趋势正在逆转。虽然许多用户抱怨 iPhone 的电池寿命，但(battery life)iPhone 13系列不再如此。
三、特色与创新
在Android 生态系统(Android ecosystem)中，创新一直是主要关注点。许多制造商甚至冒着引入未经证实的新功能的风险，以便在竞争中脱颖而出。相比之下，Apple在采用功能方面一直很慢，只有在他们完全确定该功能会成功时才引入它们。让我们以高刷新率(refresh rate)屏幕为例：虽然第一款配备 120 Hz 显示屏的Android手机于 2017 年问世，但苹果(Apple)仅在四年后才在iPhone 13 Pro 和 Pro Max(Pro and Pro Max)上实现了这一功能(feature four)。
iPhone 仅在 2021 年推出 120Hz 显示屏
虽然 iPhone 用户可能会感到被剥夺，但这种延迟也确保了更好地实现任何特定功能。例如，三星可折叠显示器的第一次迭代在耐用性和预期寿命(life expectancy)方面都很糟糕(terrible in terms of durability)，只有现在，有了第三代Galaxy Z Fold，我们才能说我们对这项技术感到满意。使用 iPhone，您不必担心实验性功能会破坏您的体验。
4. 认证
如果Apple(Apple)智能手机的功能引入速度较慢，那么它们在删除功能方面处于领先地位。很多安卓手机(Android)都使用人脸识别，但大部分还是使用指纹作为认证方式(authentication method)。另一方面，iPhone早在 2018 年就取消了指纹认证！(fingerprint authentication)这主要是因为他们的人脸识别系统(face recognition system)Face ID是最好的。它可以在黑暗中识别你的脸，即使在极端角度也可以识别你的特征，而且它在眨眼之间就能做到。
Pixel 4a和iPhone 12上的身份验证选项
更令人印象深刻的是，尽管面罩会阻碍面部身份验证(face authentication)，但Apple已经找到了一种解决方案，该解决方案将在 iOS 15.4(implemented in iOS 15.4)中在所有支持 Face ID 的 iPhone 上实施。
来自Android 设备(Android device)，缺少指纹读取器(fingerprint reader)一开始可能看起来很奇怪，但是一旦您体验并习惯了 iPhone 上出色的面部识别(face recognition)实施，您很可能永远不会想要回到指纹认证。
5. 连接性
Android智能手机有多种可用的连接选项。红外线(Infrared)、蓝牙(Bluetooth)、物理耳机插孔(headphone jack)、USB-C，所有这些都被广泛使用并与现代设备兼容。另一方面，Apple非常渴望通过删除功能进行创新，五年多前从iPhone 7开始，它已经从 iPhone 上移除了(iPhone 7.)耳机插孔(headphone jack)。iPhone确实具有最现代的连接选项，如蓝牙(Bluetooth)、NFC、和无线网络(Wi-Fi)。
耳机插孔在Android(Android)手机上很少见，但在 iPhone 上不存在
至于红外线发射器，iPhone 甚至从一开始就懒得拥有它们。如果您阅读Android(Android)智能手机和 iPhone之间的下一个区别，那么这种对连接性态度的原因是合乎逻辑的：
6. 配件
在Android设备上，大多数配件和可穿戴设备都是可以互换的。您可以将三星(Samsung)智能手表与华为(Huawei)智能手机搭配使用，将索尼(Sony)耳机与小米(Xiaomi)设备搭配使用，等等。是的，其中一些功能可能略少。但总的来说，你不会像在 iPhone 上那样被迫进入一个生态系统。是的，例如，您可以在Android智能手机上使用 AirPods，但代价是您失去了许多功能。但是，您有想要在现代 iPhone 上使用的高品质有线耳机吗？那将是 9 美元，谢谢(That will be 9 USD, thank you). 这就是问题所在。iPhone专用的配件通常比Android配件贵得多。
原装苹果(Orginal Apple)配件非常昂贵
在您的猫咀嚼设备随附的充电线后，您想购买第三方充电线吗？(charging cable)对于Android手机，您几乎可以在任何地方找到一条USB-C 数据线(USB-C cable)，只需几美元，其中大部分都与您的设备兼容。在 iPhone 上，专有的Lightning 端口(Lightning port)只接受一小部分第三方电缆。如果您购买未经认证的电缆，您会收到“此电缆或附件(Cable or Accessory)未经认证”错误消息。原装Apple 数据线(Apple cable)的价格？19 美元(19 USD)，非常感谢。
7. 寿命、服务和维修
我对Apple的最大问题之一是它对服务和维修(service and repair)的看法。我不是在谈论荒谬的维修价格，尽管这也是一个问题。直到最近，在经过认证的官方服务中心之外维修现代 iPhone 还是一场噩梦，这主要是因为Apple引入了人为障碍来阻止您维修 iPhone。诸如使用专有螺丝、将屏幕与智能手机的其他部件配对以使您无法简单地更换等，完全是人为的障碍，与任何技术限制无关。由于公众的强烈反对，苹果对自修的态度最近有所改善(Apple’s attitude towards self repair has recently improved)，从iPhone 12(iPhone 12)及更高版本开始向个人消费者提供零件。
坏掉的 iPhone(Broken iPhone)？大多数时候，维修费用不值得
话虽如此，由于更高质量的材料、更好的工程和更好的软件支持(software support)，iPhone 的使用寿命(the lifespan of iPhones)比类似的 Android 智能手机(that of similar Android smartphones)更长。无论您购买哪种智能手机，在大量使用 2-3 年后，电池寿命都会迅速下降。(Battery life)
8.物理存储
越来越多的智能手机已经远离这一点，但直到最近，大多数 Android 设备都具有可扩展的物理存储。另一方面，iPhone 配备固定存储空间，如果您像我一样喜欢囤积照片(photo hoarder)或者喜欢录制视频，那么您可能会在未来遇到存储空间问题。
与 iPhone 相比，可以在许多Android手机上扩展存储空间(Android)
当然，您可以定期将媒体文件下载到计算机上，但正如您将在下一节（软件(Software)）中看到的那样，即使在 iPhone 上也不是那么简单。
软件
虽然您可能会争辩说 iPhone 上的屏幕与三星 Galaxy(Samsung Galaxy)的屏幕来自同一家工厂，或者iPhone 和Android设备的(Android)芯片制造厂(chip manufacturing)位于同一个城市，甚至拥有相同的所有者，但该软件是Android智能手机与iPhone完全不同。让我们看一下iOS 和 Android(iOS and Android)之间的几个主要区别：
9.“开源(Open source)”与(” versus)封闭操作系统(operating system)
2003 年，一家名为Android Inc.的公司开始为数码相机开发操作系统(operating system)。该公司随后被谷歌(Google)收购，从此创造了历史。Android基于Linux，因此是一个完全开源的操作系统(operating system)。另一方面，iOS 是由Apple内部开发的，只有部分代码是开源的。有很多关于开源的利弊的文章(benefits and disadvantages of open-source)，但主要的收获是开源软件更透明，更容易访问，并且在安全性方面更强大（漏洞被发现和修复比闭源系统更快）。但它的监管也较少，这对用户体验有很大影响。
10. 更新
从安全更新来看，Android似乎比 iOS 具有明显的优势，因为每个月都会为Android智能手机发布新的安全更新。(Android)但是，当我们考虑到传播延迟（每个制造商决定何时推送更新，通常是在它完成内部测试之后）和某些设备的有限支持期(support period)时，我们可以说大多数Android设备（除了Pixel智能手机，它们总是在发布后立即获得更新）实际上运行的是相对过时的软件。对于操作系统(operating system)更新或新版本也是如此。虽然Android 12已于2021 年 10 月，在(October 2021)2022 年 2 月(February 2022)撰写本文时，大量其他兼容的智能手机尚未收到新版本。
只有Google Pixel智能手机才能像 iPhone 一样快速获得最新更新
对于 iPhone，这个过程更简单，同时也更严格：安全更新要少得多，并且会同时推送到所有支持的 iPhone。至于操作系统(operating system)更新，它们也同时适用于所有受支持的 iPhone。此外(Furthermore)，Apple设备具有出色的软件支持(software support)：2016 年推出的 iPhone SE 可以毫无问题地更新到最新的 iOS 版本 15.3。同年的旗舰安卓(Flagship Android)设备在 2018 年就已经过时了。
11. 接口
Android设备的界面在很大程度上因制造商而异。这意味着，一方面，您肯定会找到自己喜欢使用的操作系统(operating system)皮肤，但另一方面，这使得从Android 智能手机(Android smartphone)切换到其他制造商的智能手机变得更加困难。
然而，在自定义Android 界面(Android interface)的外观方面，天空是极限。您可以使您的手机界面看起来像星际迷航三录仪(make your phone interface look like a Star Trek tricorder)，或者使用情人节主题(Valentine’s theme)个性化您重要的其他人的Android 手机(Android phone)。
The interface is identical for all iPhones sporting the same iOS version. Moving from a 2016 iPhone to a 2022 one is almost seamless, but this also comes with a disadvantage, as customization options are much more limited for iPhones. And we’re not talking just about the looks: even though it’s 2022, Apple devices still don’t have a proper app drawer, so applications are dumped on the home screen(s).
The Home screen on Android smartphones is much more customizable than the one on iPhones
Sure, there is an App Library, but it’s still clunky and hard to access compared to the simple app drawer present on almost all Android smartphones.
12. Stores
Google Play是Android智能手机的官方应用商店。(app store)它有大约 350 万个应用程序(roughly 3.5 million apps)，而苹果的App Store有 230 万个。然而，苹果(Apple)在将其应用程序货币化方面做得更好，2020 年第三季度全球消费者支出(consumer spending)约为 190 亿美元(USD)。同一时期的(time period)Google Play支出“仅”为 103 亿美元(USD)。不过，数字(Numbers)并不能描绘出整个画面。
Google Play Store与Apple App Store(Apple App Store)
Play Store中的应用程序种类繁多，而且由于Android更灵活的特性， (Android)Google Play上的应用程序可以做 iPhone 用户无法访问的事情。Google Play 商店(Store)中的绝大多数应用程序都是免费的，但其中大多数也有广告（其中一些非常具有侵入性）。虽然在应用程序功能方面受到更多限制，但恶意软件应用程序几乎从未绕过(malware apps)Apple强加的严格过滤，因此总体而言，您在App Store中更安全并拥有更好的体验。
最后，在 iPhone 上侧载应用程序(sideloading apps)几乎是不可能的，而在Android上，要安装不在Google Play中的应用程序，您只需切换开关并确认安装即可。
13. 应用程序
部分由于更严格的监管和更高的开发成本，第三方iPhone 应用程序比安卓应用程序(iPhone apps)更好。没有其他的说法：iOS 第三方应用程序崩溃(apps crash)更少，功能更强大，并且（由于货币化方法不同）更少的广告。这也鼓励开发人员首先在 iOS 设备上启动他们的应用程序和更新。(apps and updates)
与Android(Android)智能手机捆绑的应用程序数量因制造商而异
预装在Android智能手机上的默认应用程序(default apps)的数量和质量(number and quality)差异很大，从最低要求到大量的过时软件。每部 iPhone 附带的应用程序虽然可以说不如Google同类产品（Chrome 与(Chrome versus)Safari、Google 地图与(Google Maps versus)Apple 地图(Apple Maps)）那么精致，但仍然非常出色，并且与操作系统(operating system)完美集成。
14. 隐私
有一个问题要问您：Google 根据每个用户的位置、浏览、购物和观看偏好提供有针对性的广告来赚钱。苹果(Apple)通过销售 iPhone 和向用户提供服务来赚钱。在隐私方面，您更信任这两家公司中的哪一家？(Which)
Pixel 4a和iPhone 12上的隐私仪表板(privacy dashboard)
尽管答案可能看起来很明显，但在大多数情况下，您可以在两个操作系统上获得相似级别的隐私。不同之处在于您必须在Android设备上的菜单中挖掘更多内容。总体而言，Apple从用户那里收集的数据较少， (Apple)App Store中的第三方应用程序(apps present)对隐私有更严格的指导。
15.备份和文件传输
iPhone 和Android智能手机默认都有可靠的云备份解决方案。(cloud backup)但是，虽然Google免费提供 15 GB 的存储空间（如果您备份媒体文件非常有用），Apple仅在其 iCloud 上提供 5 GB。空间很快就被填满了，这反过来又禁用了应用程序和设置(apps and settings)的备份。
对于大多数 Android 智能手机，将文件传输到您的计算机是微不足道的：使用USB 数据线连接(USB cable)后，您可以选择将智能手机的存储挂载为磁盘驱动器(disk drive)，然后您可以拖放或复制(drop or copy)和粘贴文件到任何位置。您还可以将驱动器安装为媒体播放器，让您轻松上传和下载媒体文件。
Android智能手机和 iPhone 都提供良好的云支持(Cloud support)
在 iPhone 上，文件传输(file transfer)同样容易……如果您的计算机是Mac的话。在Windows上，您需要安装 iTunes，即便如此，对 iPhone 存储内容的访问也最多是有限的。由于 iPhone 没有可扩展的存储空间，因此您不能像使用许多Android手机一样将SD 卡(SD card)取出并将其插入读卡器。(card reader)
市场地位
这不仅仅是硬件或软件。我注意到还有另外两个差异，我将其归类为更普遍的差异，这是上述所有其他方面的结果。
16. 转售价值
由于无处不在，Android 智能手机(Android smartphone)的贬值速度往往比 iPhone 同类产品快。这也与设备和软件支持(software support)的坚固性有关。例如，虽然 2016 年的二手 iPhone SE 的价格为 100 至 200美元(USD)，但同年的旗舰Android 智能手机(Android smartphone)三星 Galaxy S7(Samsung Galaxy S7)现在将花费你一半的价格。如果您考虑到 iPhone 的价值会随着时间的推移而贬值，这将使 iPhone 成为更好的投资。(value depreciation)
iPhone 具有更好的转售价值
17. 目标群体
iPhone 的目标用户是技术含量较低的用户。当您查看 iPhone 的定制级别和界面时，这一点变得显而易见。Apple智能手机旨在以最少的配置以开箱即用的最高效率工作。该软件可以正常工作，相机可以拍摄出令人惊叹的照片，而无需摆弄设置，这些应用程序只是完全按照它们的意图去做。iOS界面非常适合那些不想改变太多但希望在手机上拥有可靠高效功能的人。
如果您不想搞乱各种设置，iPhone 是完美的选择
Android智能手机感觉不像是小工具，而更像是技术——更多的配置选项、更多的用户控制、更多的选择。如果您想设置您的设备，如果您想提高效率、质量和速度，并且确切地知道要查找的内容和位置，那就太棒了。但是，如果您想要一款性能出色的旗舰级智能手机，那么 iPhone 就不会出错。
您是否从Android 智能手机(Android smartphone)迁移到iPhone，反之亦然(iPhone or vice-versa)？你(How)的经历如何？
如果您从Android迁移到 iOS 或其他方式，您喜欢哪些东西，哪些让您感到沮丧？您对切换感到满意，还是很乐意回去？不要犹豫，在下面的评论部分分享您的意见，并告诉我们您的经历。
17 differences between iPhones and Android smartphones -
Which are better: iPhones or Android smartphones? The debate never endѕ, and most people choose to be fanѕ of either iOS or Android, no matter what. I’ve owned several iPhоnes and at least ten Android smartphones in the last decade, and I’m not even counting the ones I review regularly for my job. While I will try not to pick a winner and a loser in this artiсle, here are the main dіfferenceѕ I noticed between iPhones and Android smаrtphones:
Hardware
First, let’s look at the hardware differences. Although many manufacturers of Android devices have tried to copy the design of iPhones, the reverse is also true, albeit in a less obvious way. What are the differences, then? Let’s see…
1. Formats and design
Every year, there are literally hundreds of Android smartphones being released. In 2021 there were over 500, for instance. iPhones? Four. Not four hundred, just four. Apple releases 3-5 smartphone models each year, and they all have a very similar design.
This translates into an absolutely huge number of designs available each year for Android phones, from traditional designs to foldable smartphones and from phones dedicated to hard-core photography and videography enthusiasts to phones designed to withstand shocks and deep water submersion. On the other hand, iPhone users have to do with what Apple decides is trendy this year.
For each iPhone model, there are more than a hundred Android phones launched each year
Furthermore, since Apple is not interested in competing in the entry-level market, if you want a brand-new smartphone but can’t afford the 399 USD for an iPhone SE (2020), your options are limited to Android smartphones only. Don’t worry, though, there are over 350 models below 400 USD launched in 2021 alone, so there’s a large pool to choose from.
Regarding actual device design, Android smartphones are starting to follow the same pattern: a volume rocker, a power button, and that’s it. Only some enthusiast smartphones, like the Sony PRO-I, have additional ones, like a camera shutter button. iPhones are even more strict: after removing the Home button, every iPhone has followed the same recipe: a Power button (or Side button), a volume rocker, and a rather vestigial Silent switch.
But while the iPhone buttons rarely change position from one generation to the next, on Android phones, there is more variety in terms of button positioning and size, especially since some of them use the Power button as a fingerprint reader.
Button position varies more on Android phones
2. Energy efficiency and raw power
Surprisingly, with so many companies competing in the Android market, it’s Apple who has the lead in terms of raw computing power. The latest Apple A15 Bionic chipset destroys virtually any other mobile chipset while being significantly more power-efficient. Here is a Geekbench score comparison between the A14 Bionic (launched in 2020 on the iPhone 12 series) and a Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (on one of the fastest and most expensive Android smartphones, the Sony PRO-I, launched in late 2021):
Geekbench scores for iPhone 12 versus Sony PRO-I
This is somewhat offset by the fact that iPhones have lower-capacity batteries. This was especially true before the iPhone 13 series. For example, the iPhone 12 has a 2815 mAh battery, compared to the 4000 mAh of the Samsung Galaxy S21. The trend is reversing, though. While many users were complaining of the iPhone’s battery life, this is no longer true with the iPhone 13 range.
3. Features and innovation
In the Android ecosystem, innovation has always been the main focus. Many manufacturers even risk introducing new, unproven features in order to stand out from the competition. In contrast, Apple has been slow in adopting features, only introducing them when they were completely sure that the feature would be a success. Let’s take high refresh rate screens: while the first Android phones with 120 Hz displays came out in 2017, Apple only implemented this feature four years later, on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.
The iPhone only introduced 120Hz displays in 2021
While iPhone users might feel deprived, this kind of delay also ensures a much better implementation of any particular feature. For example, the first iteration of Samsung’s foldable display was terrible in terms of durability and life expectancy, and only now, with the third generation of Galaxy Z Fold, can we say we’re comfortable with the technology. With iPhones, you don’t have to fear that experimental features will ruin your experience.
4. Authentication
If the introduction of features is slow on Apple smartphones, they are leading in terms of the removal of features. Many Android phones use facial recognition, but most of them still use fingerprints as an authentication method. iPhones, on the other hand, removed fingerprint authentication back in 2018! This is mostly because their face recognition system, the Face ID, is hands down the best there is. It can recognize your face in the dark, it can pick up your features even at extreme angles, and it does so in the blink of an eye.
Authentication options on the Pixel 4a and the iPhone 12
Even more impressive is that even though face masks impede face authentication, Apple has found a solution that is to be implemented in iOS 15.4 on all Face ID-capable iPhones.
Coming from an Android device, the lack of a fingerprint reader might seem odd at first, but once you experience and get used to the brilliant implementation of face recognition on iPhones, you’ll most likely never feel like going back to fingerprint authentication.
5. Connectivity
Android smartphones have a wide range of connectivity options available. Infrared, Bluetooth, physical headphone jacks, USB-C, all of these are widely used and compatible with modern devices. Apple, on the other hand, being so eager to innovate by removing features, has removed the headphone jack from the iPhones more than five years ago, starting with the iPhone 7. iPhones do have the most modern connectivity options, like Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi.
Headphone jacks are rare on Android phones, but non-existent on iPhones
As for infrared blasters, iPhones never even bothered to have them in the first place. And the reason for this attitude towards connectivity is kind of logical if you read the next difference between Android smartphones and iPhones:
6. Accessories
On Android devices, most accessories and wearables are interchangeable. You can use Samsung smartwatches with Huawei smartphones, Sony headphones with Xiaomi devices, and so on. Yes, some of them might have slightly less functionality. But overall, you’re not forced into an ecosystem like you are on iPhones. Yes, you can use the AirPods, for example, on Android smartphones, but the tradeoff is that you lose many features. But do you have a pair of high-quality wired headphones that you want to use on a modern iPhone? That will be 9 USD, thank you. And that’s the catch. The accessories dedicated to iPhones are usually much more expensive than their Android counterparts.
Orginal Apple accessories are very expensive
Do you want to buy a third-party charging cable after your cat chewed through the one that came with the device? For Android phones, you can find a USB-C cable literally everywhere for a few bucks, and most of them will be compatible with your device. On iPhones, the proprietary Lightning port only accepts a small selection of third-party cables. If you buy an uncertified cable, you get a “This Cable or Accessory Is Not Certified” error message. The cost of an original Apple cable? 19 USD, thank you very much.
7. Longevity, service, and repair
One of the biggest issues I have with Apple is its view on service and repair. And I’m not talking about the absurd repair prices, although that is also an issue. Until recently, repairing a modern iPhone outside of certified, official service centers was a nightmare, due mostly to artificial hurdles Apple introduced to prevent you from repairing your iPhone. Things like using proprietary screws, pairing the screen with other parts of the smartphone so that you couldn’t simply replace it, etc., are completely artificial obstacles that are not linked to any technical limitation. Due to public backlash, Apple’s attitude towards self repair has recently improved, with parts being made available for individual consumers starting with the iPhone 12 and onwards.
Broken iPhone? Most of the time, the repair costs are not worth it
That being said, the lifespan of iPhones is longer than that of similar Android smartphones, thanks to the higher quality of materials, better engineering, and better software support. Battery life declines rapidly after 2-3 years of heavy usage, no matter what smartphone you buy.
8. Physical storage
More and more smartphones have moved away from this, but until recently, most Android devices had expandable physical storage. iPhones, on the other hand, come with fixed storage, and if you’re a photo hoarder like me or you enjoy recording videos, you might run into storage space issues down the road.
Storage can be expanded on many Android phones, as opposed to iPhones
Of course, you can download your media files to a computer periodically, but as you’ll see in the next section (Software), even that isn’t as straightforward on iPhones.
Software
While you could argue that the screen on an iPhone comes from the same factory as the one made for a Samsung Galaxy, or that chip manufacturing plants for iPhones and Android devices are located in the same city or even have the same owner, the software is completely different on Android smartphones versus iPhones. Let’s look at several main differences between iOS and Android:
9. “Open source” versus closed operating system
In 2003, a company named Android Inc. started developing an operating system for digital cameras. The company was subsequently bought by Google, and from then on, it made history. Android is based on Linux and thus is a fully open-source operating system. iOS, on the other hand, is developed in-house by Apple and only has parts of the code that are open-source. There are numerous articles on the benefits and disadvantages of open-source, but the main takeaway is that open-source software is more transparent, more easily accessible, and much more robust in terms of security (vulnerabilities are discovered and fixed faster than in closed-source systems). But it is also less regulated, which has a big impact on user experience.
10. Updates
Looking strictly at security updates, Android seems to have a clear advantage over iOS, as new security updates are released for Android smartphones every month. However, when we factor in the delay in propagation (each manufacturer decides when to push the update, usually after it has finished internal testing) and the limited support period some devices have, we can say that most Android devices (apart from Pixel smartphones, which always get updates as soon as they are released) are actually running relatively outdated software. This is true for operating system updates or new versions, as well. While Android 12 has been released in October 2021, a huge number of otherwise compatible smartphones have yet to receive the new version at the time this article is written, in February 2022.
Only Google Pixel smartphones get the latest updates as quickly as the iPhones
For iPhones, the process is simpler and more strict at the same time: security updates are much rarer and are pushed to all supported iPhones at the same time. As for operating system updates, they are available at the same time for all supported iPhones as well. Furthermore, Apple devices have excellent software support: the iPhone SE, launched in 2016, can be updated to the latest iOS version, 15.3, without any issue. Flagship Android devices from the same year were already outdated in 2018.
11. Interface
The interface of Android devices varies to a great extent from one manufacturer to the next. This means, on the one hand, that you will certainly find an operating system skin that you enjoy using, but on the other hand, it makes switching from an Android smartphone to one from another manufacturer more difficult.
However, sky’s the limit when it comes to customizing the appearance of the Android interface. You can make your phone interface look like a Star Trek tricorder or personalize your significant other’s Android phone with a Valentine’s theme.
The interface is identical for all iPhones sporting the same iOS version. Moving from a 2016 iPhone to a 2022 one is almost seamless, but this also comes with a disadvantage, as customization options are much more limited for iPhones. And we’re not talking just about the looks: even though it’s 2022, Apple devices still don’t have a proper app drawer, so applications are dumped on the home screen(s).
The Home screen on Android smartphones is much more customizable than the one on iPhones
Sure, there is an App Library, but it’s still clunky and hard to access compared to the simple app drawer present on almost all Android smartphones.
12. Stores
Google Play is the official app store for Android smartphones. It has roughly 3.5 million apps, compared to the 2.3 million for Apple’s App Store. However, Apple does a better job at monetizing its apps, with a global consumer spending in the third quarter of 2020 of about 19 billion USD. Google Play spending in the same time period was “just” 10.3 billion USD. Numbers don’t paint the whole picture, though.
The Google Play Store versus the Apple App Store
The variety of apps in the Play Store is incredible and, thanks to the more flexible nature of Android, apps on Google Play can do things that iPhone users don’t have access to. The vast majority of the apps in the Google Play Store are free, but most of these also have ads (some of them very intrusive). While more restricted in terms of app features, malware apps almost never bypass the strict filtering imposed by Apple, so overall you’re safer and have a better experience in the App Store.
Lastly, sideloading apps is almost impossible on iPhones, while on Android all you have to do to install an app that’s not in Google Play is to toggle a switch and confirm your installation.
13. Apps
Thanks in part to more strict regulation and higher development costs, third-party iPhone apps are simply better than their Android counterparts. There is no other way to put it: iOS third-party apps crash less, have greater functionality, and (because of the different approach for monetization) fewer ads. This also encourages developers to launch their apps and updates on iOS devices first.
The number of apps bundled with Android smartphones varies a lot depending on the manufacturer
The number and quality of default apps preinstalled on Android smartphones vary wildly, from the minimum required to a huge amount of bloatware. The apps that come with every iPhone, while arguably less refined than their Google counterparts (Chrome versus Safari, Google Maps versus Apple Maps), are still excellent and perfectly integrated with the operating system.
14. Privacy
Here’s a question for you: Google makes money from providing targeted ads, based on each user’s location, browsing, shopping, and viewing preferences. Apple makes its money from selling iPhones and from offering services to its users. Which of the two companies would you trust more regarding privacy?
The privacy dashboard on the Pixel 4a and the iPhone 12
Although the answer might appear obvious, in most cases, you can get similar levels of privacy on both operating systems. The difference is that you’ll have to dig more in the menus on Android devices. Overall, Apple collects less data from users, and the third-party apps present in the App Store have more strict guidelines regarding privacy.
15. Backup and file transfer
Both iPhones and Android smartphones have solid cloud backup solutions as default. But while Google offers 15 GB of storage for free (extremely useful if you back up your media files), Apple only offers 5 GB on its iCloud. The space gets filled up pretty quick, which in turn disables backup for apps and settings.
Transferring files to your computer is trivial with most Android smartphones: once connected with a USB cable, you can choose to mount the smartphone’s storage as a disk drive, and then you can drag & drop or copy & paste files to any location. You can also mount the drive as a media player, allowing you to easily upload and download media files.
Both Android smartphones and iPhones offer good Cloud support
On iPhones, file transfer is equally easy… if your computer is a Mac. On Windows, you need to install iTunes, and even then, access to the contents of the iPhone’s storage is limited at best. Since iPhones don’t have expandable storage, you can’t just remove the SD card and insert it in your card reader, like you can with many Android phones.
Market position
It’s not just the hardware or the software. There are two other differences that I noticed, that I would categorize as being more general, a consequence of all the other aspects presented above.
16. Resale value
Because of their ubiquity, Android smartphones tend to drop in value faster than their iPhone counterparts. This also has to do with the sturdiness of the devices and software support. For example, while a used iPhone SE from 2016 can be had at 100 - 200 USD, a flagship Android smartphone from the same year, the Samsung Galaxy S7, will cost you half of that right now. This makes iPhones a better investment if you consider their value depreciation over time.
iPhones have better resale value
17. Target group
iPhones are aimed towards less technical users. This becomes apparent when you look at the level of customization and the interface of iPhones. The Apple smartphones are meant to work with maximum efficiency out of the box, with minimal configuration. The software just works, the camera takes amazing pictures without having to fiddle with the settings, the apps simply do exactly what they are meant to do. The iOS interface is perfect for people who don’t want to change much but want to have reliable and efficient functions on their phones.
iPhones are perfect if you don't want to mess around with various settings
Android smartphones feel less like gadgets and more like tech - more configuration options, more user control, greater choice. It’s awesome if you want to set up your device, if you want to increase efficiency, quality, and speed, and know exactly what to look for and where. However, if you want a flagship-level smartphone that just does it all very well, you can’t go wrong with an iPhone.
Have you migrated from an Android smartphone to an iPhone or vice-versa? How was your experience?
If you migrated from Android to iOS or the other way around, what were the things that you liked, and which were the ones that frustrated you? Are you happy with the switch, or would you gladly go back? Do not hesitate to share your opinion in the comments section below and tell us about your experience.
