The first iPhone was introduced on January 9, 2007, the first Android phone (HTC Dream) was released on September 23, 2008 – and although it’s impossible to know for sure, I assume that the first article about Android and iOS was very popular shortly after that .
It’s a debate that’s been going on for decades, much like Windows vs. macOS or Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, and it usually attracts a lot of attention. Both mobile operating systems are also updated annually, which means there are always fresh topics to discuss.
As a technology journalist writing guides, news and reviews, I’m not a regular phone user: I spend a lot of time using both Android (Google Pixel 8 right now) and iOS (iPhone 15 Pro Max right now). I don’t switch from one to the other – I utilize both regularly and intensively.
This means I know the ins and outs of both platforms when it comes to day-to-day activities, and the phone I utilize most often – for personal messaging, social media, web browsing, music, podcasts, and anything else unrelated to work – is the Pixel 8. So I thought I’d join the Android vs. iOS discussion by trying to explain why.
Keep in mind that I don’t hate iOS or the iPhone – in fact, I’m a fan of the clever combination of hardware and software that Apple has created. iPhone 15 Pro Max is undoubtedly a great smartphone. However, I would prefer to utilize Android on my regular device and here are the reasons.
Android offers more customization options
Rotating home screens is a feature that Android has that iOS doesn’t.
Source: Lifehaker
You’ll see this every time you compare Android to iOS, and it’s still true. You can still do more with your home screen, lock screen, and app icons on Android – you can even change the look of the entire interface with a tool like Nova Launcher. iOS has caught up to some extent, but the customization options on the iPhone are still not as comprehensive and uncomplicated to utilize.
Get this: Android home screens actually rotate and work in landscape mode too. I like having pixel-by-pixel control over the look of my phone, whether it’s having one app on the home screen or stretching widgets in all directions. Rumor has it that we’ll see more home screen customization once iOS 18 rolls out, so Apple clearly agrees with me that it’s lagging behind Google in this regard.
I find the current iOS home screen and app library to be quite clunky. Why can’t I see a uncomplicated list of all my installed apps? To find an app that isn’t pinned to the home screen, I have to swipe to the last of those screens and then find out which category Apple has decided to drop the app into.
Google apps work everywhere
Google TV works properly on iOS. Apple TV on Android? Not even available.
Source: Lifehaker
It’s different for everyone, but I find Google’s suite of apps to be much more attractive than Apple’s, with a few exceptions. When it comes to Gmail vs. Apple Mail, Google Docs vs. Pages, Google Maps vs. Apple Maps, and Google Photos vs. Apple Photos, I choose Google every time (even though I love Apple Music).
There’s not space here to go into all the individual reasons, but Google apps are speedy, reliable, and – most importantly – available everywhere. If I rent a movie from Google, I know it will play on almost any device without much effort – but have you tried running Apple TV on Android? His a bit of a mess.
Admittedly, this is more about the applications and services offered by Google and Apple, rather than Android and iOS. However, if, like me, you divide your time between Apple and third-party devices, your life will certainly become easier if you choose Google – and if you choose Google apps, it means that they work best and are updated faster on Android.
Apps gain more control on Android
You can change more default Android apps.
Source: Lifehaker
Speaking of apps, Android allows developers to delve deeper into the operating system than iOS, which Apple says makes Android less secure. As an application like Taskwhich allows you to create all kinds of automations and procedures, shows that Android is a better choice for tinkerers and hackers (and I include myself in this group).
As a result, you can find entire categories of apps on Android that don’t exist on iOS – apps to check battery health and usage, apps to run Wi-Fi network diagnostics, apps to manage your phone’s files (beyond Apple’s file options). As with the customization options, it’s secure to say that many users may not want these add-ons, but I do.
Beyond the apps themselves, there’s a lot more you can do with them on Android: you can install multiple instances of the same app, you can run two apps side by side on the screen, and you can change more default apps. You can even install another app to manage your text messages – something I wouldn’t expect to see on iOS for a long time (if ever).
Android is more intuitive
Two things you won’t see on iOS: notifications in the status bar and breaks on the home screen.
Source: Lifehaker
This may be partly because I’m more used to Android at this point, but some key ways to navigate the software work better for me on Google phones than on Apple phones. A good example is the universal “back” gesture: one swipe takes you to the previous screen. This works in some iOS apps, but not in every app, and isn’t consistent across the system – on my iPhone, I often find myself reaching for the little back button or app switcher (or just staring at the screen in surprise).
Then there are notifications. This is partly a matter of personal preference, but I definitely prefer Android – including the way unread notifications stay in the status bar and lock screen on Android rather than disappearing into the Notification Center on iOS. Expanding and dismissing notifications is also faster on Android, though there isn’t much choice between platforms here.
Of course, if you’ve used every iPhone since the first one and never tried Android, the change would probably confuse you and make you miss iOS. However, after using both apps, I’d say Android makes more sense in many ways – for example, the ability to see if an alarm has been set on the lock screen to add the iOS widget to.
