As of August 2020 the market share for phone operating systems is really only a two horse race - iOS and Android, with android controlling just over 75 percent of the market and iOS with just under 23 percent. It’s become a matter of fact that in this world there are Android fans and iOS fans, and people don’t tend to cross over to the other side. We all know folks who would never give up their iPhone for say, a Samsung, and we all know people who tell you iPhones are overpriced and more of an accessory than a necessity. But which operating system is really the best? That’s what we’ll try and find out for you.
Before we get to the pros and cons of each system let’s first have a look at the history of these two OS’s.
We’ll start
with Android. The company Android Inc. was founded in 2003 by a bunch of guys,
but the one you’ve most likely heard of is Andy Rubin. At first the idea was an
operating system developed for digital cameras, not phones, but soon the
creators changed their minds and announced that their technology would soon
rival Microsoft Windows Mobile. Now for the iPhone and iOS. In 2005 the one and
only Steve Jobs had a huge job to do - shrink the Mac and make the perfect
handheld device. In 2007, Apple announced this new phone along with its
operating system. The first of the systems was called iPhoneOS 1.
So far we have only mentioned phones, but as you know both operating systems ran on various mobile devices.
The first iPhones were praised as a spectacular device; iPhone was sleek, fantastic,
innovative, a superb device for surfing the web, like nothing else before it. It
wasn’t perfect and lacked a few features, but it was expensive coming in at a
base price of $499. Compare that to the first Android phone which launched at $179. But as we’ve seen in the
years since, many high-end Android phones are also now very expensive. That said, the third phone on the list is the
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and it beats any Android phone by a long way. 220
million people bought that phone, which is more than impressive. The best selling Android phone of all time is
the Samsung Galaxy S4, and that sold just 80 million units.
If you look at the historical market
share of operating systems,
You’ll find
in 2009 Android was barely getting out of the blocks and iOS was in front. What
you see in the years ahead is Microsoft Mobile taking a huge nosedive and
Android rocketing to the top. We will say, though, that over the years iOS has
taken some small dips and rises but mostly it’s stayed quite stable. But
since about 2013 Android has enjoyed an 80 percent market share, give or take a
little now and again. No one can deny
that Apple has very devoted fans, but it’s impossible to contest that
Android is king of the market.
However, just because something sells more doesn’t mean it is better.
We looked to
see what people were saying were the best phones you could buy in 2020. Well,
now it seems Samsung phones running Android top the list, although some lists
do include the iPhone XS. It doesn’t matter where you look; Samsung Galaxy
phones top the lists right now, with various types of Galaxy phones filling
most of the top spots give or take the odd Huawei phone. Some of the top ten
lists right now don’t even include the iPhone, which is surprising. From what
we can see, according to the experts, Android phones whether Huawei, Samsung,
Xiaomi or One Plus, are favored over the iPhone. While the iPhone, these
days that sleek design is just too expensive for some people and they think you
can get a better machine for a cheaper price with an Android phone.
This still doesn’t tell
us which the best operating system is.
Again, not
just about which phone is best but what operating system is best. The first
thing most people point to is that Android
gives the consumer more variety. That’s why it sells better; there are just so
many phones out there with all kinds of features and at all prices. But it’s
more than that. The number of apps available for Android is approximately 3.5
million, while for iOS it’s 2.5 million. Wait, though, because while there are
more free Android apps and a greater variety, at least one reviewer says Apple
has the better quality apps, especially if you play games. What concerns a lot of people, too, is the battery life of their
device. It’s a huge thing as no one likes seeing their battery run out on
them when they really need that phone working. Again, it’s all about variety. The iPhone doesn’t have a bad battery at all,
but you can find many Android devices out there with a superior battery.
The experts the public agree on this one. It’s looking like Android wins in most
areas, but where Apple looks to be superior is offering updates. But
what if you want to sell your phone and buy a new one? Which system holds its
value better? There is only one answer to this and no one disagrees. It’s the
iPhone. You can still get a fairly decent amount of money for a phone two years
old. You might also know people using iPhones even older than that which still
work very well.
In the end, it seems like most people said that it’s all about personal preference and there is no definitive better OS.
If you
prioritize volume of choice and range of customization then you have to go for
Android, but if you value design and ease of use then you can’t go wrong with
an iPhone…if you can afford it, this was all about the comparison.
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