There has been an ongoing debate for years about whether you should choose to buy an Android phone such as a Samsung or go with an iPhone. Sure you can get an Android phone for a lot less money than an iPhone, however, is it worth paying extra to get an iPhone?
As Christmas is around the corner and so is the release of the new iPhone we thought we’d take a look at 5 of the main differences between iPhone and Android phones.
iOS Home Screen Not as Customisable as Android Phones
If you’ve used an iPhone and an Android device you will know that the Android home screen is far more customisable than the iPhone home screen.
The iPhone allows you to arrange your apps and put them in folders but that’s about it. With Android phones, you’re able to add in widgets and have multiple app icons show in each of your folders.
For some iPhone users, this isn’t a big deal as you can add widgets to your notification screen but from personal experience, I never use this screen so it would be nice to have this on the home screen itself.
Changes are coming, however. In the recent Apple announcement, the new iOS and new iPhones will give you the ability to add widgets to your home screen. But we’re yet to see how versatile this will be and if it will be on par with Android devices.
Default iPhone Apps Not As Good as Android
For the majority of iPhone users, as soon as you get your brand new iPhone you head straight over to the App Store and download Google Chrome, Google Maps and Gmail. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. The default browser (Safari), default maps app (Maps) and default email app (Mail) are far less superior than the default Google Android apps.
Transferring Media Files From iPhone to Windows
If you own an iPhone and a Macbook or Mac computer then transferring files between the two is a breeze. The same goes for if you own an Android phone and a Windows PC. But what if you have a Windows laptop or PC and an iPhone? Things start to get a lot longer.
You’ll need to download the iTunes app on your computer and use that instead of simply plugging in your device and moving the files across.
This is simply an annoying feature that Apple has in place and certainly isn’t a decision-maker but for those who enjoy the simplicity, it can certainly be annoying.
Most Android Phones Don’t have a Silent Switch
If you’re an iPhone user then you’ll know how nice it is to simply click your phone on and off silent mode, it’s a great hardware feature and it’s been around since the first iPhone. However, most Android phones don’t have this hardware built-in. Yes, there are some exceptions but very few.
When using an Android phone you have to put it in silent mode using a software feature, meaning you’ll have to open up your phone to put it on and off silent mode. It also means you can’t quickly check whether your phone is in silent mode or not.
iPhones are More Privacy Oriented
This is a debated subject as we do know that Apple does track our data, but it will always ask you first via a notification. We’ve also all heard stories about criminals using iPhones and Apple simply not giving the authorities access to them.
On the other hand, Android is far less protective of your data and there is a reason for this - money. Google makes its money from using your data to create tailored advertisements. Whereas Apple’s primary source of income is selling you the actual phone itself.
iPhone or Android?
Of course, there are many other differences between Android and Apple phones such as hardware (Google Pixels camera for example). Whether you choose the newest iPhone or newest Android phone, it will always come down to personal preference. We love the Apple ecosystem but of course this means owning an iPhone, Apple watch and a Macbook to truly get the ecosystem experience, and this costs a lot of money.