iOS vs Android which is better platform to choose for your next on-demand app

According to a recent article by Statista, by 2020, over 3.5 billion people are already using smartphones around the globe. However, these figures are rapidly changing, and countries like India, China, and America are few of the responsible ones. According to the same report, around 1.5 billion smartphones have been sold each year for the last five years. Android and iOS are two of the platforms leading the market, making it hard to choose for developers between these two. So if you are someone who is struggling with the question of iOS vs Android which is better platform to choose for your on-demand app, then we have the answer as well as share with you the upsides and downsides of both of them.

why android is better than ios

People have been debating about iOS vs Android which is better since Android was first launched. While deciding between Android and iOS, it is more about user preferences than their features since both provide almost the same features. However, these features might work the same as others, but when it comes to the user experience and deceive performances, they are way different. 

• Android

Android was first launched on September 23, 2008, by Google. However, Google didn’t make Android; instead, it acquired it from Andy Rubin and Rich Miner in 2005. The platform was first built for smart cameras, but later Google changed its direction for smartphones. You can also say that Android is an open-source platform developed by Google for smartphones. Since its inception, Android has been a favorite of developers because it’s OS is built on the modified version of Linux Kernel with some other open-source softwares.

• iOS

iOS was developed and launched by Apple on July 29, 2007, for its smartphones and tablets. However, before iOS, it was named iPhone OS 1. iOS isn’t open source like Android, which means Apple can only use it for their devices. It is one of the main reasons that iOS users are far lesser than Android.

The Comparative study

To know the answer of the question iOS vs Android which is better will be apparent to you once you know about the total user numbers of both of these platforms, and these numbers, also show why Android is better than iOS.

• User numbers

Android: The total number of Android users is far greater than iOS users. According to recent reports, Android covers around 85% of the total smartphone market. If you are a developer, going to the Android user base is something that you shouldn’t miss.

iOS: Since Apple and Apple only use iOS as a luxury brand among users, the user base is not that vast. iOS users only cover around 14.90% of the smartphone market. As a developer, you have a budget for developing your app for iOS; it can be ignored for a while.

• Interface & User experience

The answer to iOS vs Android which is better will require you to know about the interface & User experience of both of these Operating Systems.

Android: Initially, Android was launched with keyboard and multi-touch screen support, but later they changed it, and now it comes with a proper touch screen support. Apart from that, you get so many different and interactive features such as split-screen, drop-down menu, ability to customize Google’s core applications, Google’s support, and much more.

iOS: Unlike Android, iOS was launched for touch screen smartphones and still is being used. When it comes to the iOS interface, the experience hasn’t changed much since the start and got better and better with every update. You will get the same Android; however, iOS is not as much as customizable as Android.

• Application availability

Application availability shows the answer to the next big question: Android apps vs. iOS apps that are better and why Android is better than iOS.

Android: If you have ever used an Android-based smartphone, you should know that there is an app available for almost all of the Play Store. According to Statista, Android’s app store, the Play Store currently has over 2.8 million applications available right now, and new ones are being uploaded daily.

iOS: Although 2.8 million on the Play Store, but the iOS App Store isn’t much far behind. By the year 2020, iOS users have access to around 2.2 million applications.

• Stability of the platforms

You must know about the stability of both platforms to see the answer of iOS vs Android which is better.

Android: When it comes to the platform’s stability and performance, Google has pretty much nailed it. However, since Android is an open-source and smartphone companies use it as they want, sometimes stability is not all. Although, that doesn’t mean Android is any less stable than iOS, and now more and more companies are seriously working on the stability factor. 

iOS: Since iOS isn’t open source and can only be used by Apple itself, it is Stable. Those of you who have used iPhones or any other product that supports iOS in the past knows that Apple puts a significant amount of care into their device software experience.

• Speed

The speed & performance of the applications and the platform itself will also affect the answer to your question about iOS vs Android which is better as well as why Android is better than iOS.

Android: In the area of speed, Android wins the bet with its variety of performance-focused smartphones such as One Plus 8 pro and many others; this is why Android is better than iOS.

iOS: iOS is fast. Since iOS users do not have more options like Android, application developers, and operating software developers try to optimize the process as much as they can. If you are using one of the latest models, you can run almost any available application on the app store without any lag or crash.

• Software upgrade

The next main thing to discuss before ending the blog ios vs Android which is better is that you should see the software upgrade’s frequency and stability.

Android: Google frequently updates Android, but some users still do not receive them. It is because their smartphone manufacturer hasn’t released the update yet. Smartphone manufacturers decide when to provide updates for their models and when to do so. Still, every once in a-while, manufacturers release unstable updates, which is solved in the next ones.

iOS: When it comes to a software upgrade, iOS users have the advantage. Whenever Apple releases a new iOS version, it is generally available for everyone on their smartphones. However, this can be an exception for smartphones that are over three years older and may not support a new upgrade very well.

• Voice command and smart assistance

To know iOS vs Android which is better, you need to look at the smart assistance they both provide.

Android: Android comes with google assistant built inside and can be activated by saying “OK GOOGLE” or long-pressing ‘the home screen button.’ Google assistance is one of the most advanced smart assistance that is available for Android users. Since Google has way more data thanks to its free services, Google uses that data to improve the Google assistant more and more.

iOS: iOS comes with its smart assistance, “Siri,” which can be activated by saying its name “SIRI.” Same as Google assistance, Siri is also one of the most advanced smart assistance out there.

• Security

Before finally ending this blog about iOS vs Android which is better will be security since it is one of the main concerns in the 21st century.

Android: Applications in Android are almost isolated from the rest of the system unless given the user. However, sometimes developers get confused and program their apps to ask for unrelated or unnecessary permission. Apart from this, security updates that are rolled by Google is designed explicitly for Nexus devices, and when smartphone manufacturer changes use those in their mobile, they leave bugs. This long-pressing keeps the Android prone to bugs and can lead to stealing sensitive information.

iOS: When its security in iOS, Apple hasn’t compromised even a little bit. They keep a keen eye on the applications available on their App Store, and developers have to follow guidelines to publish t application on the App Store.

Conclusion

By now, hopefully, you have got the answer of iOS vs Android which is better as well as why Android is better than iOS. So if you are planning to develop an application and wonder which platform to choose, I hope this article has given you the insight you needed. Developing an application that supports the Android platform indeed seems like a sensible choice since it has over five times more users than iOS. Well, if you are still confused or have decided on the platform and wondering how to get your application developed, then you can “Contact Us.” Here at “Phontinent Technologies,” we have a great team of developers that have experience with developing both Android-based applications as well as iOS-based applications.

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