iOS has been running on Apple phones for more than a decade, with updates every year that bring security improvements, promise to improve the phones' battery life, or add features like animojis, for example, to many other exclusive options like using FaceTime for video calls.
Contents [show]
- The history of Apple and your iPhone iPhone, App Store, iPhone OS...
- IOS 1.0 system
- Areas of use
Which system is better iOS or Android?
Now, when buying a new smartphone, every user has a question: which is better Android or iOS, this became the topic for our article. Each operating system is good in its own way and has certain features and functionality. That is why Android and iOS are the most common shells on the mobile device market, occupying more than half of the market. iOS is the development of the world-famous Apple brand; the no less famous search giant Google is responsible for Android. Each system has a whole army of fans, certain advantages and disadvantages. In this article we will look at what is better android or ios for a phone by comparing these systems.
Price
This is the first point of our comparison, which will be decisive for many users. Smartphones running Android OS are widely represented on the modern market in the budget, mid-range and flagship segments, so when purchasing, everyone can choose the best option. But with iOS there is no such choice; all devices are produced in a high price category. The cost is so high that many will not allow themselves to allocate that amount of money for a purchase, while Android phones can be found for even less than a hundred dollars.
Appearance
This is a controversial and very subjective issue, since everyone has their own opinion on this matter. But instead of the appearance of the devices themselves, we can compare the interfaces. In Android, it is distinguished primarily by the ability to flexibly configure each element, which iOS users were deprived of. Users have access to a huge selection of widgets and themes. In Apple technology, the number of widgets is very limited. They are located in a separate menu, which is not entirely convenient. Another feature is the lack of a file system in iOS, due to which files can only be transferred from a computer, which creates additional inconvenience.
Possibility of personalization
We continue to figure out whether Android or iOS is better for a smartphone. At this point, Android takes the lead, because the customization possibilities here are literally endless. Users have a huge collection of live wallpapers, screens and launchers to choose from. In addition, in the settings you can set the functionality of the keys, control gestures, add new elements to the notification shade and much more. System applications can be replaced with third-party ones if you find them more convenient.
The answer to why Android is better than iOS is the fact that Apple technology has greatly reduced personalization capabilities. The changes boil down to the fact that you can only change the sorting order of icons on the desktop and set new wallpaper. These are all customization possibilities, but there is also a positive side - the shell works more stably and there are no viruses on it.
iOS version in iPhone or iPad settings
The easiest way to find out the iOS version is to look in the settings of your iPhone or iPad. To do this, open the Settings application and go to the General section.
Then you need to open the “About this device” subsection. Here in the line “Version” or “Software Version” the version of iOS installed on your iPhone or iPad will be indicated.
This section also contains other technical information about your device. For example, here you can find out the amount of free and used memory, the full name of the iPhone model, the MAC address for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules.
Why iPhone is better
You are investing in the Apple ecosystem. This may seem like a superficial reason, but Apple obviously makes a wide range of tech products and you may already have a Mac, iPad or Apple Watch. Apple has developed time-saving continuity features that let you move work and data from one device to another.
Take Handoff, for example, where iPhone calls and Safari web pages can seamlessly move between iOS and macOS. The Universal Clipboard makes text copied on one platform usable on another.
Another favorite of ours is Continuity Camera, which lets you take pictures and scan documents with your iPhone's camera, then view and edit them on your Mac. You can even shop on your Mac using the biometric authentication features on your iPhone through Apple Pay.
You may also find this article useful: The best tripods for iPhone.
Only a few Android phone makers have hardware ecosystems that come close to Apple's, and even with some of them, like Samsung, you won't get the depth of integration possible between the iPhone and other Apple devices.
There are many other examples of continuity between iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and macOS: the iPhone is a critical piece in this puzzle, especially now that iPhone apps can be easily ported to macOS.
Third party apps are better .
It certainly depends on your taste, but as someone who has moved back and forth between iOS and Android for as long as both platforms have existed, I've been amazed at the quality of apps created by iOS developers and mostly disappointed by their Android counterparts. Don't get me wrong, Android has great software and developers, but they are harder to find. For example, my favorite Twitter app, Tweetbot 5, is an iOS exclusive. In contrast, the best third-party Twitter app I've encountered on Android, Fenix 2, falls short in comparison.
Here you'll find that apps from big name companies, from banks to airlines, are sleeker and cleaner on iOS than on Android, with better integration with core phone services like Wallet.
You'll find a large selection of cases and accessories for every iPhone Apple makes, something that can't be said for Android components outside of flagship devices from the biggest companies. Don't have to wait until you can find accessories for your new Pixel or LG phone at any major retail store.
The selection and availability of iPhone cases , screen protectors, car mounts and other goodies is far greater than you'll find for any other phone. I recently used the Pixel 3 and then the Pixel 4 as a daily driver. As someone who likes to change up their phone case regularly, I was extremely disappointed by the lack of options for Google phones.
No matter how you buy an iPhone, where you buy it, or what kind of iPhone you buy, you won't see any pre-installed bloatware when you boot it up for the first time. This means it's clean from the start, without any power or data siphoning apps you didn't ask for.
You get
faster software updates .
Android phones receive fewer updates than iPhones, they happen less frequently and are often delayed. The number of updates an Android phone sees over its lifespan depends on how expensive it is, which carrier you buy it from, and what the phone manufacturer's software support policy is.
This is a far cry from iPhones, which are supported by major software updates for years, no matter what. Take for example the iPhone 6S, which is set to receive iOS 14 this fall after originally launching with iOS 9 back in 2015. For comparison, consider the Samsung Galaxy S6, which was launched the same year and started with Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Why Android is better
The vast majority of smartphones in the world run on Android, and since many companies build Android phones, they are available at every price. There are super cheap triple-digit phones, as well as some of the best small or large phones, as well as phablets and foldables well over RUB 75,000.
No matter how much you can spend, chances are you'll find an Android that fits your budget or offers exclusive features. The same can't be said for iPhones, which have historically been expensive at launch but then dropped in price over successive generations.
One of Apple's most affordable phones is the iPhone 11, and it still costs 53,000 rubles. In contrast, the OnePlus 7T (which runs Android) costs RUB 7,500 less and has an OLED display, twice the RAM and internal storage, and a 2x telephoto lens.
The cheapest iPhone Apple offers is the new iPhone SE, which is a fantastic smartphone with phenomenal performance for just £30,000, although its design is dated and the screen will be too small for some.
Although iOS and Android have evolved over the years, Android has always had a reputation as a platform for users who love to explore and personalize their devices. This starts with launching the Home screen, which offers dynamic widgets and the ability to place apps anywhere on the page, in a drawer, or out of sight—something the iPhone only catches up with with iOS 14.
You can even replace your Android phone launcher with an alternative downloaded from the Google Play Store. Android also allows you to download third-party replacements for core services such as web browsers, keyboards, and media players, and set them as the default versions if you prefer a third-party app over the one that came pre-installed on your phone. iOS has improved in this regard over the years, although the implementation is still somewhat clunky.
Finally, we have to talk about custom UI manufacturer skins and Android system software, which are customized by certain phone manufacturers, offering additional features and, often, the ability to create themes.
Some Android users prefer Google's “stock” interpretation of Android. However, many people love phone maker custom programs like Samsung One UI or OnePlus OxygenOS because of their extra features, like the ability to take scrolling screenshots and hide photos and videos in password-protected folders.
You can (sometimes) expand the storage . Although expandable memory is unpopular these days, Android phones still offer it. This allows you to use a microSD card to store photos, apps, and other media that won't fit in your phone's internal memory.
This is a surprising benefit considering the exorbitant prices Apple and other phone makers charge for double or quadruple storage. Why attach another 7,500-11,000 rubles to the price of a new phone just for an additional 128 GB or 256 GB of memory (which is not even a fact that you will need), when you can simply drop 5,000 rubles on a 512 GB card later?
It's also becoming increasingly rare on high-end phones. Many Android smartphones still come with headphone jacks (a heavily requested feature that Apple removed from phones in 2016). This is a big deal for people who like to use their trusty old wired headphones.
USB-C is universal. Nowadays, Android phones rely on USB-C ports for charging and data transfer, which is very convenient. USB-C is also available on many computers, as well as the Nintendo Switch. Personally, when I travel, I take a sixty-watt chrome charger with me that powers my Pixel 4, MacBook Pro, and Nintendo gaming console.
While Apple's Lightning cable is a relic from the days when every tech company felt forced to design its own proprietary connector, USB-C is the ultimate single-port solution the industry is working toward.
It also opens the door to faster charging technologies like the OnePlus 30T's Warp Charge, which can bring one of the company's smartphones from dead to 70% capacity in just half an hour.
Compare that to the RUB 53,000 iPhone 11, which comes with a five-watt charger that takes forever to fully charge that phone's battery. Apple does pack a fast eighteen-watt adapter into the box with the iPhone 11 Pro, but the speeds still fall short compared to what you get in the fastest charging Android phones from Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and Huawei.
There is a file system (with drag and drop support on PC). Most people don't need to get their hands dirty with their smartphone's file system. However, it's nice to know that Android gives you this option if you want it.
Even better, when you connect your Android phone to your Windows PC, you can easily drag and drop files into folders as if the device were another drive. This means media libraries and documents are easy to move and store locally, and you don't need to subscribe to a monthly cloud service if you have a large library.
Advantages of an Anndroid smartphone
Let's start with the advantages that keep owners of smartphones of different brands from switching to Apple technology.
Huge selection of models
Although modern lines of smartphones are criticized for their impersonality and total copying, interesting and individual solutions are found in almost every gadget manufacturer.
There are folding models of the Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X, which will never reach users. There are excellent Galaxy models with frameless “punch-hole” screens, and there are smartphones with a bunch of cameras, for example, Nokia 9 PureView.
Manufacturers even get rid of the famous iPhone bangs in different ways: teardrop-shaped protrusions, cutouts in the corner of the screen, retractable cameras or sliders.
You can choose devices from one manufacturer or try different ones with their own features and features.
In the world of smartphones, Apple has to put up with the same design and similar appearance for 3-4 years until Jony Ive produces another masterpiece
You can choose the filling and performance
Many models in the Android world come with different hardware. Sometimes different processors are used for different markets; more often there are models with different amounts of permanent and RAM.
You can even get different body materials, cameras and display modules.
This way, the user can flexibly choose a device to suit his needs, paying only for the necessary hardware.
Anyone who is willing to put up with lags can choose a cheaper model. Those who need memory can choose between built-in capacity or memory cards.
You can even choose between one or two SIM cards in the devices. An iPhone with two SIM cards is still not publicly available.
Total customization available on Android
We're not even talking about changeable icons or themes; you can customize much more useful elements of the operating system.
In Android, you can change the number and location of switches in the control panel; you can change all kinds of buttons and sliders.
You can even try any shell: pure Android, a proprietary launcher from the manufacturer, or all kinds of programs from the Play Market.
The energy saving mode, lock screen, control gestures are configured. The dark theme is also flexibly customizable, and not just turned on in the settings.
In this regard, iOS is long behind. No free arrangement of icons on the desktop, no convenient widgets on the main screen instead of a useless side screen, no custom switches in the control center.
There is no need to talk about third-party shells.
Any Android application can be replaced
Apple's mobile operating system is still too closed and does not allow replacing a number of standard programs.
If you can keep notes or reminders in any convenient application, then, for example, changing the browser without problems will not work.
If you use Google Chrome regularly, you'll have to put up with copying and pasting links and random forwarding to Safari.
Although third-party cameras have flooded the App Store, in most cases (from the lock screen, from the control panel or other programs) the standard one is launched.
It is very difficult to use other user data aggregators other than the Health application.
And only the lazy don’t talk about the disadvantages of the standard dialer on the iPhone.
All this does not exist in the Android world; if you don’t like the application, delete it and install another one from the store.
iOS version in iTunes
Another way to find out the iOS version on an iPhone or iPad is iTunes. To use this method, you need to connect your iPhone to your computer via cable and launch iTunes. After launch, you need to click on the device icon in the upper left corner of the window.
This will take you to the Review tab. On this page, basic information about your iPhone or iPad will be available, including the installed version of iOS.
Here you can also find out the storage capacity, serial number, updateability, and also make a backup copy of the device or change synchronization settings.
Advantages of iPhone
Now let's talk about the advantages of devices from Cupertino. Some of them will be an acquired taste, while others will sow a seed of doubt even in the soul of the most ardent fan of the good corporation.
iPhones have a long life cycle
The main advantage of the iPhone is that smartphone support is quite long by today's standards.
This applies to both the release of iOS updates and global updates to the device line.
The user buys a conditional iPhone 5s and for a couple of years does not notice any lags or slowdowns, receiving all the software features. For a couple more years, he uses the operating system tolerably, having access to major innovations and changes.
For the last year or two, the device has been lacking stars in the sky, but it performs most basic functions.
As a result, the user missed two global updates to the iPhone line: the transition to a larger screen in the iPhone 6 and the frameless era in the iPhone X.
On Android, it is impossible to spend so much time with one smartphone. Within a year or two it will start to slow down wildly and stop receiving system updates.
In another year, the manufacturer will completely forget about the existence of the model, and application developers will optimize software for it less and less.
If a user stays with one device for 4-5 years, he will miss an entire era in the development of Android smartphones.
It will be quite difficult to understand trends, new trends, features and features.
On iOS, uniform application development standards are followed
Cupertino strictly moderates applications in the App Store and puts forward clear requirements for developers.
Thus, applications have a similar menu structure, identical settings blocks, familiar gestures and control methods.
Even the mega-convenient SwipeBack gesture, which returns to the previous page or menu, works in almost all programs.
If your app has a built-in page viewer, it looks the same everywhere. You don't have to get used to different keyboards, dialog boxes and other system elements.
At the same time, on Android, each developer is sophisticated in his own way. Invents his own menu structure, gestures, buttons and panels.
This greatly reduces the speed of working with the system.
The system tightly controls applications
The closed nature of iOS also has its positive aspects. One of them is controlling access to system functions for applications.
Always new. Always permanent
These are just a few applications from the large number of services offered by iOS platform developers. iOS that this can be answered unequivocally, constancy. Any user who owns a smartphone can easily understand the intricacies of programs and applications. And let them continue to criticize iOS for the inaccessibility of the system, the lack of individual settings and dependence on iTunes. The developers remain unconvinced and do not plan to change anything. For them, the confidentiality and safety of their clients, as before, comes first!
Benefits of iOS
Another popular smartphone platform is the iOS operating system, which is used to create Apple products. As in the previous case, a number of advantages should be mentioned here that will help you decide what to choose - iPhone or Android.
Operation stability
Over the years of operating Apple products, developers have received a huge amount of user feedback and opportunities to test system stability. As a result, the operating system is stable and optimized. This made it possible to create fairly powerful devices using not very powerful hardware.
Ease of management
Thanks to a well-thought-out and intuitive interface, smartphones running iOS are easy to use and learn. However, unlike Android, this operating system provides the user with much less opportunity to personalize the interface or add applications.
Safety
Thanks to restrictions on the use of software from third-party developers and the addition of user files, the Apple system can be considered one of the most protected shells from malware. Most applications directly interact with the user account, which virtually eliminates the penetration of viruses.
Uniqueness
The point is that many unique applications and games are created for iOS that are not available to users of other operating systems. At the same time, they differ in the degree of elaboration, which, combined with the high performance of the system itself, allows you to get genuine pleasure from using the device.
Quality
Smartphones running iOS are famous not only for the excellent optimization of the software shell used, but also for the use of high-quality components. So, for example, if the built-in camera characteristics are the same, smartphones with iOS will produce higher-quality images than their Android counterparts.
You can also mention the presence of high-quality accessories and original design, which distinguishes Apple smartphones and tablets from many similar devices.
What is iOS?
iOS is an operating system released and used by Apple. Its name comes from iPhone OS. This is, iPhone Operating System or iPhone Operating System , Using iOS Abbreviations. It was originally released for the brand's phone, although for many years it was also used in other devices from the company, such as some iPod music players or iPad tablets (before the advent of iPadOS).
This is a closed system that you cannot use except on Apple branded devices. The big difference with Android is this: Google's operating system can be installed on countless phones of all brands, but iOS is a closed and exclusive system for Cupertino brand devices. Not for others. Like other mobile operating systems, iOS allows us to install applications to add features to those that come by default on the smartphone. That is, in addition to phone or messages, you can visit the App Store in search of applications that perform some function you need, learn English or make a purchase.
How are they not different?
These leading platforms have more similarities than differences.
Signal quality
Some early Android devices and iPhones had problems with network signal loss. Since then, manufacturers have learned to avoid such troubles. Modern iPhones are no worse or better than Android phones in this regard.
Navigation capabilities
A special chip is responsible for stable communication with navigation satellites. The main manufacturers of GPS chips for portable devices are SiRF Technology Inc. and u-Blox AG (and lesser-known STMicroelectronics (STM), Texas Instruments, Mediatek Inc. (MTK), eRide, Nemerix and u-Nav Microelectronics). More than 90% of all equipment with GPS navigation operates on these chips.
Therefore, even the cheapest cell phones now have no problems with geolocation. It makes no sense to compare Android and iOS in this regard; everything works clearly both here and there.
Assembly
iPhones are not assembled in America, as everyone thinks, but in the Middle Kingdom and, more recently, in small volumes, in India. Manufacturers of Android devices are located in Asia, the bulk of them are also located in China, a smaller part in South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Warranty service
Apple devices are known for their durability; performance remains almost unchanged throughout the life of Apple devices (with the exception of a few scandalous cases of artificially lowering performance).
Top Android devices also last quite a long time without any technical problems. But the above applies only to original phone models, and there is a risk of running into low-quality gray assemblies and outright fakes both here and there.
Apple's standard warranty is two years; on Android devices, especially in the cheaper price segment, the warranty period is often limited to one year.
Equipment
The standard equipment of devices with a green robot under the hood and Apple devices are also approximately the same. For example, the iPhone 11 kit includes:
- Lightning to USB Type C cable;
- USB power adapter 5 W (1 amp);
- wired EarPods with Lightning connector;
- SIM card ejector;
- documentation.
For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy A70 package includes:
- charger (fast charging 25 W);
- USB cable;
- wired stereo headset with USB connector;
- SIM tray clip;
- instructions.
Wireless charging support
Most of today's top-end smartphones support wireless charging. The pioneers in this regard were:
- iPhone 8;
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S;
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro;
- Samsung Galaxy S7.
