iOS or Android phone?
copy editor Noel Figueroa
Today’s smartphones have a vast array of options & features to suit every style & taste, need or desire. While the “perfect” phone is only in the eye of the beholder, It’s best to know what each phone has to offer so you are able to make an educated decision when ready to trade in or upgrade. Of course there are other factors that one should consider, but this is the essence of difference between the two.
Simplicity is the name of the game with Apple. The look, navigation, and apps are all simple enough for anyone to use. However, simplicity comes at the expense of limiting your options. Having too many options pretty much negates the simplicity of use. Android, on the other hand is not as simple as Apple. If having a vast array of options to customize your phone experience is important to you, then Android would be your choice. You can change what’s on the screen and how big those items should be, you can navigate different ways, and there are a gazillion apps that all do the same thing. The downside is that you’re not the only one who can customize your phone. Each manufacturer AND each carrier also add on their own customizations. It not only make the phones unique but very hard to support. Don’t ask your friend for help because their Android phone probably looks totally different from yours. So to give you all the options you could want, Androids are not simple.
Android comes in multiple versions available on many types of phones, which can be customized by the carrier. This results in various possibilities to have a phone tailored to your specific needs. Android makers are continually innovating and releasing phones with better features nearly every 6 months. This also makes Android phones continually obsolete. There’s a good chance your nine month old phone will not get the latest system update because only the newer phones are eligible for it. Apple, on the other hand, has many features that are available on the older versions as well as the newer ones. It takes years, rather than months for an iPhone to be obsolete.
If screen size is a factor in your phone purchase, Android phones released in the past two years have much larger screens which are great for reading, watching movies & playing games. While the iPhone 5’s four-inch screen is Apple’s biggest one yet, it’s not as large as the screens on many Android phones. Voice control & navigation also differ with each device. With the “selfie” craze all the rage and the desire of recording video on the go, photo & video capability is another factor to consider. What if you want to talk on the phone and connect to the internet at the same time? You may not be able to do that with every iPhone on every carrier.
iOS is more streamlined and has an easier learning curve than Android. But – Android is very flexible and can be customized much more than iOS. The biggest advantage Android has over iOS are widgets. Widgets are shortcuts to apps or settings that live on your home screen. Some widgets show information like the weather or recent email. Others can perform tasks, such as turning WiFi on and off, or acting as a music player. Rather than having to open an app or go into the settings, widgets allow you to perform a task right from your homescreen. Most apps and systems have widgets you can place on your home screen.
The best way to pick out a phone is to define your most important needs and then try out the phones. Because, in the end, the perfect phone is the one that best fits you.
