Why iPhone is Superior to Android

            Originally, I planned on writing a comparison between Apple’s iPhone and Android, the open source software that tries to compete with Apple. But, that would be a tough task, considering how many different phones use Android, and while many phone manufacturers use Android, none generate profit as steadily as the iPhone, and there are many reasons why. Here’s a few:

First and foremost, Apple’s hardware and software are married like no other phone on the market. Apple focuses all their efforts on one phone and one operating software, which gives users the best experience possible. Android on the other hand is used in a plethora of different devices, much like Windows runs on many types of computers. So, Android is never optimized for the hardware it is running on, it is merely tweaked to fit that platform. This creates problems, however, especially for apps. App developers must develop apps that can run on many different phones, whereas iOS, Apple’s software, has one device. As a result, nearly every app used on iOS is better than its Android counterpart, and is prone to have less problems. In my experience with Android, most apps did not run as smooth or look as nice as it did on iOS. Google has apparently realized this and introduced their own phone, the Pixel, but it is still behind the iPhone in many ways.

In addition to the software being optimized for the phone, Apple has the best ecosystem, and this is a major advantage for the iPhone. If you have an iPad and Mac computer for instance, everything you do on each device will translate to the next. If you take a picture with your iPhone, it’ll automatically show up on any Apple device you’re signed in to. In addition, all your contacts, music, passwords, apps, and emails will work seamlessly between each device. When I purchase a new app on my iPhone, it is immediately downloaded and available on each Apple device. The same simply cannot be said for Android, and really, it’s a pain to get devices like a MacBook Pro or iPad to work well with an Android phone.

Next, when you purchase an iPhone, you get a premium experience, no matter which version you opt for. The hardware is always the best on the market, using a blend of high quality materials that you find in only the most expensive Android phones. Sure, there is a slight difference between the regular phone and the plus, but it is mostly camera and size that are different. The smaller phone is still a premium phone. Not only that, but you get the same premium software experience. Like I noted above, there is one operating software, and it is designed to work the same on every iPhone, regardless of the model. So, should you purchase a new iPhone, you can be sure you’re getting it all, and there will be nothing left to desire. With Android phones, however, most feel cheap, even the more expensive models. Even the new Samsung Galaxy S8 feels like a lightweight plastic phone, not worthy of its $750 price tag.

iOS 3D Touch

Then there is the many gimmicks that make their way into Android phones that seem useful at first, and then are discontinued the next year. A great example of this is the LG G5. LG thought a modular phone with connecting accessories was the future, so they completely changed their flagship phone, and sales were poor. Sure, it seems like changing the battery, or adding a larger camera is a great idea, but it isn’t so great in practice. All of that was dropped this year with the G6, in favor of a phone that is water and dust proof. If Apple decides to change their phone or the software, it is a change that is here to stay, because they know it’ll be useful. Take 3D touch for example, a feature that gives users the ability to complete an action without opening an app. When it was introduced on the iPhone 6S, many people believed it was a gimmick and that it would be phased out. Alas, it is here to stay, and has only become more useful over time.

There is a lot that can be said of iOS’s ease of use, as well. When you pick up an iPhone for the first time, everything works as you expect it to. It’s tough to put into words, but it just works, and there’s a much, much smaller learning curve to using an iPhone. Android on the other hand is an enigma. There are so many things that annoy me about its software. Like, why do apps still send me notifications at 1 AM if my phone is on silent and I’ve disabled notifications for the app in the first place. That is a problem I have never had with an iPhone because there is a dedicated button to silence the phone, and it silences everything, so no worrying about getting late night notifications. And speaking of notifications, there are some that you want to see immediately, like texts. But, in my time using an Android, it would never plainly show those notifications on the lock screen. Instead, it opted for showing notifications from every single app on your phone, again, regardless of whether you turned the notifications off for the app. I could probably write another entire article about the ease of use, but you get the point, Apple is easier.

Lastly, Apple doesn’t compete with Android or other smartphones like it may seem. Android phones really compete with themselves, and in the process, many manufacturers have lost money. Apple, on the other hand, has never lost money selling their phone. In fact, the iPhone has propelled Apple into becoming the most profitable company in the world, yes, in the entire world, mostly off the back on their mobile platform. For a simple comparison, all of Samsung’s mobile communications division earned $80 billion in 2016, while just the sales of iPhones and iPads topped $158 billion, with iPad accounting for about 10% of that (This isn’t including revenue from iTunes and the App store). This is for good reason too, because the iPhone is simply the superior product.