There’s currently two primary options that you’ve got to choose from when you are looking for a new phone. These are the iPhone and Android devices. Making the switch to either of these can be a little challenging at first, since you’ve got to learn a whole new interface and work out the apps that take your liking. There’s also differences in the way that they connect you to the phones of your family and friends.
Whether you’re buying your first smartphone or considering swapping to another platform, take these pros and cons for each device in to consideration.
Android
Pros
- Google’s open platform allows for much more freedom in development terms. That means that you can make the most of your smartphone’s capabilities, like by creating a portable WiFi hotspot – that isn’t doable on the iTunes App Store.
- There’s a huge amount of choice with an Android handset. You can select from a plethora of manufacturers, so choosing the best smartphone that’s perfect for you is a lot easier. Whether you need a big screen, a small screen, a QWERTY keyboard or a touch screen, Android phones have every market covered.
- Adding and removing music/video is far easier on Android, since there’s no requirement for the use of music-management programs(yes iTunes, we’re looking at you!). Windows users will also find their Android devices are much more compatible than an iPhone.
Cons
- Not all apps that are developed for Android will work on every Android phone. Also, there’s not as many apps on Google Play as there are on the iTunes store.
- The general operation of a lot of Android phones isn’t as smooth as the iPhone’s. This is a very important factor when you’re looking for the best smartphone. The higher end Android devices, such as the Galaxy S4, are far more capable of running the OS as smooth as an iPhone.
- The OS can be a little buggy sometimes, due to alterations made to the OS by different manufacturers and in different updates.
iPhone
Pros
- There’s a massive selection of apps on the iTunes App Store. By far and away they’ve got the most on any platform. Due to the popularity of the iPhone, developers generally release apps for the iPhone way before their release on other platforms.
- iOS is much easier to use and far more elegant than the majority of other platforms. That’s where they get their biggest edge – everything just works nicely. There’s not really any issues in terms of reliability so the entire experience feels very stable and streamlined.
- The iPhone’s camera is pretty stunning, and is one of the best out there. You don’t need to be the best at taking photographs but you’ll still get some amazing pictures taken with the device.
Cons
- Using the iPhone in conjunction with friends or family members can be a real pain. There’s a whole range of compatibility issues and restrictions placed by Apple to prevent the device from connecting to non-Apple devices.
- Apple’s got a lot to catch up on – the fast development of the Android platform has left iOS in the dust with regards to the newest technological advancements. For example the notification system and camera software features are far more developed on the Android platform.
- The hardware isn’t up to scratch. There’s no choice of screen size or speakers, so you’re stuck with the small 4-inch screen and the tinny speaker sound. The CPU has become obsolete relative to the newest Android handsets too.
The answer to whether to opt for an Android device or an iPhone can be summarized pretty easily. If you’re the kind of person that’s looking for a device that’ll work great out of the box, seamlessly and with little customization, it’s probably best for you to go with an iPhone. But, if you’re the kind of person that wants to personalize their device with far more software capabilities – you should be leaning towards the Android devices. Ultimately, it’s all down to you and what you prefer.