The war between Android aficionados and loyal Apple users has been on since what seems the beginning of time. The first question you must answer before you buy a new phone is which will it be? Apple or Android? While iPhones need you to select a model, android phones require you to select a brand and model. Upon first glance, they seem to essentially offer all the same features, but upon a closer look you are likely to find a plethora of differences. Our question, however, is that despite the similarities, which device offers groundbreaking industry firsts and truly offers the best to their users?
Commonly Used Features:
One of the most commonly used functions across mobile phone users is the copy paste function. While android users first used this feature in September, 2008, iOS users were able to access this feature only in March, 2009. Similarly, predictive typing came to android in September 2008 while iOS users waited till September 2014.
Charging:
Fast charging was introduced to android phones February 2013 whereas iOS users waited till September 2017. Moreover, only the iPhone 8, 8 plus and iPhone X support fast charging and wireless charging. Unlike android phones which come equipped with a fast charger when you purchase the phone, fast chargers for iPhones have to be bought separately.
Display:
HD Screens came to android phones in October 2011 while iPhone users waited for the same feature till September 2014. OLED screens were just introduced in 2017 with the iPhone X but have been used with android phones since 2015. 4K display was first offered by Sony Xperia XZ Premium in February 2017.
Bezel less screens and the no home button feature were first made available with android phones, only to be recently added iPhones. The inlay fingerprint sensor was designed by android phones before iPhone adopted the feature.
Live wallpapers were available on android phones in January 2010; iOS offered live wallpapers from September 2015.
Water Resistance:
The first water resistant touch screen was first witnessed in Sony Xperia Z4 of April 2015. While many android can successfully claim to be water proof up to a few meters under water, iPhones remain “water resistant”, meaning they can survive accidental spillage or a light dunk in the toilet, nothing more.
Camera:
Android phones offered video recording in September 2008, whereas iOS users had to wait till June 2009, to jump on that bandwagon. Burst mode photography appeared in android phones in November 2012 as compared to iPhone’s in September 2013.
Among the biggest delays in advancement is the dual camera feature that android phone users first experienced in February 2011 as compared to iPhones who only adopted the feature in September 2016. Live images and short GIFs captured before and after each picture to capture the moment was also first introduced by android phones. The dual camera feature was introduced to the market with the HTC ONE M8 in March 2014.
Features offered by android phones iPhones still don’t have:
- Dual sim
- Expandable storage
- Split screen
- Spam call detection
- Radio
- Heart rate monitor
- Blood pressure monitor
- VR Headset
- Smart lock/unlock
- Banner notifications for phone calls
Overall, iPhones have control over the hardware and the software, making it a more controlled phone and less susceptible to malware. In terms of customizability and flexibility, androids run the game. Android seems to be a constant game changer, releasing new features consistently while Apple takes its time releasing the same. This could be because they claim they want the best experience for their users but they do so at the cost of android phones sharing a whole new experience with their users, months, sometimes years in advance.
Are there any functions that you’d like Apple to adopt soon? Let us know in the comments below! We’ll talk to Tim and see what we can be done about it.
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