The endless comparisons of Android and iOS continue as we’ll give you some of our reasons for choosing Google’s mobile operating system over Apple’s closed ecosystem.
Simple arguments boil down to a choice. With Android, you have more choices than with iOS. In recent years we have seen more and more similarities and in most cases switching between mobile device systems is easier than ever.
That said, we have a few bones to choose from with the iPhone series. So here is a list of ten of our pet peeves and areas where Android still outperforms iOS and the iPhone.
Video – 10 reasons why Android is better than iOS
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Upper permanent display
It took until iOS 16 for Apple to finally implement the popular Always-On Display feature we’ve enjoyed for almost a decade on Android. In typical Apple fashion, it doesn’t work the way you’d expect. Of course, you can make some customization tweaks, and the “Profile” feature is a nice addition. However, Always-On displays are vastly superior here on Android.
Take for example the implementation of Pixel. The At a Glance widget is consistent across your home and lock screens with quick information about date, time, weather and battery level as standard. There’s even the underrated Now Playing feature that identifies current music from a locked state. This is just one example. On OnePlus phones, you can tweak and fine-tune the feature with more themes, integrations, and more.
Kudos to Apple for adding the feature, but we’ll be taking the Android Always-On display to any day of the week.
Built-in Google Assistant
On almost every Android phone you buy today, you’ll have access to the AI-powered Google Assistant. While Siri is okay with the basics, when it comes to advanced commands and queries, the Google Assistant is still the best. Using just your voice, you can do amazing things like control smart home technology, get information, get reminders, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
On Pixel phones, you can even do things like real-time voice input, live translation, and fully control your device without ever picking it up. Because you can link the results to your Google account, things get even more awesome with integration with more devices than just your smartphone.
Opinion
Notifications are one of the most powerful areas of Google. From status bar icons to indicate that an unread notification is pending, to the Smart Reply feature that lets you respond quickly without needing to open an app, or even organizing notifications in the panel Quick Settings, iOS just falls short of Android in this integration space.
On iPhone, notifications persist in the Notification Center rollout until you manually remove them. It makes things chaotic and disorganized if you get a lot of notifications per day.
fingerprint scanners
Face ID is really great, but it’s not always perfect. While Face Unlock software exists on a number of Android devices, the ubiquity of fingerprint scanners is another reason we think Android trumps iOS.
Whether capacitive or in-screen, not having to look at your phone to unlock and lock it securely is a huge plus in our book. Some capacitive or back-panel scanners even let you control user interface elements like the Quick Settings panel. It’s a win-win for accessibility because you don’t have to worry about wearing glasses or even a mask to unlock your phone.
Faster charging
A growing number of Android phones offer charging speeds of 100W or more that can recharge your phone in less than 30 minutes. Longevity issues aside, it’s hard not to deny how nice this feature is when we’re looking at slow-charging phones. If you absolutely must be able to charge super fast, there are plenty of Android devices that even offer super fast wireless charging above 50W.
USB-C
The ubiquity of USB-C means that an Android phone is better suited for current and future technology integration. Apple reluctantly clings to its proprietary lighting standard that offers limited data transfer and charging speeds as well as question marks over durability.
It’s all the more confusing when the Cupertino company sells several devices that use USB-C for charging and data transfers, including the iPad Pro and MacBook series. Connecting an Android phone to a Mac or iPad is actually easier than an iPhone simply because of native USB-C.
Lower average prices
If you’re buying a new smartphone on a budget, you’ve probably seen devices from Motorola, LG, Xiaomi, Oppo, and even Google. Apple’s only “affordable” iPhone is the SE, which, while a good $399 device, isn’t a great option if you want more bang for your buck.
When you buy an Android phone, you simply have more choices across the price range. Towards the top of the range, devices like the Galaxy S22 Ultra go along with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but once you get down the pricing tables things favor a host of other Android OEMs like OnePlus, Xiaomi and Google with the Pixel 7.
Plug-in features
Over the past few years, Google has regularly decoupled functionality from Android updates so that users can experience new features through game system changes. This means that as long as your OS version is supported charge, you can get additional features without having to wait for a full system OTA update.
Recent examples include the long-awaited reading mode. This feature can be added simply by installing the app from the Play Store on your phone and works with existing Android accessibility features.
Unlike Android, iOS still relies on full OTA updates to achieve the same result, which means that unless you update automatically, features can be locked behind those patches. This also applies to third-party options, like audio controllers and more. Android makes it easy to customize your experience with these plugin options.
Various form factors
A quick look at Apple’s smartphone portfolio, and you can see we’ve got more to choose from here. Sure, Apple only produces a limited line each year, but Samsung’s flagship efforts cover many forms. Foldable, flip, and all sorts of contraptions exist on Android, which means you can choose something that suits you and your preferences.
Although some devices offer different features, there are also more screen and size options to suit your needs. Whether it’s a rugged phone or a battery beast, there are hundreds of combinations you can exploit on Android that simply don’t exist on iOS.
personalization
Hitting the drum for Android customization sometimes feels unfair, as iOS regularly offers more options to tweak and tune your device experience. However, if you want to do things like launch a new launcher on your phone or even create a home screen page without app icons, then it’s Android or it’s down.
The truth is that Android as a mobile operating system allows you to meet your own needs more efficiently. Do iPhone users care? Probably not, but here we’re enjoying all the customization benefits that come with Google’s operating system.
Why do you choose Android over iOS?
There are even more reasons why you might choose an Android phone over an iPhone. Let us know why you prefer one over the other in the comments section below.
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