When it comes to choosing a smartphone, two operating systems stand out: Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. Both have their ardent supporters, but there are several key reasons why iPhones and iOS are superior to Android phones.
Hardware and Design
Apple has always prioritized premium design and build quality for its iPhones. Each new iPhone model introduces improvements in materials, durability, and style. Android phones vary widely in quality since Google does not manufacture the phones itself. While some Android devices match Apple’s standards, many cheaper models use lower grade materials that feel flimsy and cheap.
The iPhone’s aluminum and glass bodies feel substantial and sturdy in the hand, while still being lightweight and sleek. Apple spends a great deal of time perfecting design details that seem minor, but cumulatively make a major difference in the user experience. Things like the satisfying click of the home button, the smoothness of the volume buttons, and the precise alignment of ports and antennas show Apple’s extreme attention to detail.
Display
The iPhone’s Retina display remains one of the best LCD displays on the market. It has excellent color accuracy, viewing angles, brightness, and sharpness for text and images. Many Android phones suffer from low resolution, poor color reproduction, and touch responsiveness issues.
The newest iPhones also have OLED displays, which have even better color quality and contrast than LCD. Apple calibrates the displays at the factory level for accurate colors right out of the box.
Camera
The iPhone’s camera is consistently ranked as one of the best phone cameras thanks to its ease of use, reliability, and image processing power. Apple pours substantial R&D into optical engineering to optimize optics and sensors that capture great shots in all lighting conditions.
Android cameras can be just as capable, but quality varies greatly because camera components come from many different suppliers. The iPhone’s camera app is straightforward to use but offers powerful features like Portrait mode and Night mode to capture professional looking shots.
Performance
Apple designs its own A-series processors and motion co-processors for the iPhone, allowing it to optimize performance and battery efficiency. The result is iPhones that feel fast, fluid, and snappy compared to many Android phones.
Apps launch instantly, web pages load quickly, and navigating between screens and apps has no lag at all. Android sometimes suffers from performance issues because of fragmentation across many different processors and hardware configurations.
Security
iOS is generally more secure than Android, thanks to Apple’s tight control over app distribution and updates. The Google Play Store has looser standards and malware does occasionally sneak into the official store. Sideloading apps on Android also opens up security risks.
iPhones also tend to get software updates for much longer than Android phones. Even phones that are a few years old can update to the latest iOS version. Android phones often stop getting updates after a year or two, leaving potential vulnerabilities open.
Ecosystem
The Apple ecosystem that links iPhones, iPads, Macs, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple TV together provides a seamless experience that Android can’t match. Features like Continuity, AirDrop, iMessage, FaceTime, and Notes syncing just work without configuration. Android’s ecosystem is fragmented across manufacturers.
Continuity
Apple’s Continuity feature lets you make calls or send texts from your Mac as long as your iPhone is nearby. You can start an email on iPhone and finish it on your iPad or Mac. This tight integration between devices is really useful.
AirDrop
AirDrop makes it a breeze to wirelessly transfer photos, videos, documents, and more between Apple devices. Sharing things across Android devices isn’t nearly as streamlined.
iMessage
iMessage is better than any Android messaging app. Its strong encryption keeps messages secure. Features like invisible ink, Tapbacks, stickers, Memoji, and more make chatting fun. It even allows SMS conversations to seamlessly switch to encrypted iMessage when talking to another iPhone user.
FaceTime
Pre-installed on every iPhone, FaceTime makes video calling easy and reliable. Android has no built-in equivalent. While apps like Skype and Zoom provide video chat, the experience isn’t as straightforward.
Notes Syncing
iCloud syncs Notes across all your devices automatically. Any note edited on one device will appear on the others in seconds. This works seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Longevity
iPhones tend to last longer than Android phones thanks to Apple’s quality hardware and long software update support. And when it comes time to sell or trade in your old phone, iPhones retain much higher resale value compared to Android phones.
Build Quality
As mentioned earlier, Apple uses premium materials like aluminum, steel, and glass to create durable, long-lasting iPhones. Many Android phones are designed to be disposable and start feeling worn within a year.
Software Support
Apple supports iPhones with major iOS updates for 5-6 years after launch. Android phones typically get less than 2 years of updates. This means you can keep using an iPhone for many years without feeling like it’s outdated.
Resale Value
Used iPhones typically retain around 15-25% more value versus comparable Android phones. For example, a two year old iPhone X may resell for $300, while a Galaxy S9 may only get $200. So you’ll get a better return when you eventually sell or trade in your iPhone.
Apps and Games
The iOS App Store has millions of apps, most of which are optimized for iPhone screens. Top apps like Netflix, Instagram, Spotify, Reddit, and more tend to push updates and new features to iOS first.
Games like Fortnite, PUBG, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, and NBA 2K launched on iOS before coming to Android. iOS gaming is also streets ahead when it comes to controllers. Things like wireless PS5 and Xbox controller support work seamlessly on iPhone.
iOS Game Exclusives
iOS has top exclusive games like the Infinity Blade trilogy, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Civilization VI, and Grid: Autosport. Most major console and PC game franchises like Doom, Star Wars KOTOR, and Grand Theft Auto now have iOS versions.
Creative Apps
Great creative and productivity apps launch first for iPhone and may not come to Android at all. A few examples include Halide, Darkroom, Pixelmator, LumaFusion, Affinity Photo, Procreate, Thumper and Canva.
Customer Support
Apple’s customer service experience is second to none. You can get support by scheduling a Genius Bar appointment at any Apple Store, calling Applecare phone support 24/7, text chatting with support advisors, or asking the Apple Support app. User satisfaction scores and response times are superior to any Android manufacturer.
Most Android phone makers provide lackluster support you have to seek out. Customer satisfaction ratings for brands like Samsung, Motorola, and Google itself are consistently lower than Apple’s scores.
Privacy
Apple takes customer privacy very seriously and is much more transparent about data collection policies versus Android. iOS 14 introduced detailed nutrition labels showing how each app uses your data. App Tracking Transparency requires each app to get your permission before tracking you.
Android apps have broader data access by default and Google’s own data collection is invasive. Google’s business model depends on profiling users for targeted advertising. So Android phones come loaded with Google apps that can’t be deleted.
Conclusion
While both platforms have strengths and weaknesses, iPhones consistently come out ahead in important categories like hardware quality, ecosystem integration, apps, games, customer support, security, and privacy protection. These cumulative advantages make iPhones the best choice for most smartphone buyers.
