iPhone & Android - A Comparison

This is a short comparison of what I consider the key pros and cons between Android and iPhone. I am using what I'd consider to be two similar devices for this comparison, the iPhone 3G(s) running OS 4.2 and the HTC Legend running the latest Android 2.2. Both have similar hardware specifications, both have capacitive screens and the same screen resolution; but this comparison is less about speed and specs and more about day to day usage.

  1. Home Screen: For me, the Android OS is a clear winner here - or should I say the HTC Widget implementation of the screen is a clear winner. HTC's slick home screen widget interface puts the few apps I use all the time in quick view, and the full launch list of apps is just a tap away. I don't even mind the FriendStream widget for pushing out quick tweets and having a calculator handy on the home screen is just brilliant.

  2. Keyboard/s: My Android phone doesn't have a physical keyboard, so this is just a comparison between the virtual keyboards that both phones do have. Android's is good, but unfortunately doesn't feel quite as good as it does on the iPhone. Something the iPhone does which the Droid doesn't seem to is have differing virtual keyboards - for example on the web browser on the iPhone tapping the browser url entry field brings up the "www" keyboard, complete with handy www, @, / and .com buttons at a single tap. The Android doesn't seem to do this which is a bit annoying and slows down text entry. I'm also not a big fan of Android's "hold down and change" method for choosing numbers and punctuation - it just seems to take far too long compared to the extra button tap that it takes to bring up the punctuation keyboard on the iPhone. [edit: I have since discovered there is a button for the numeric keyboard, and I'm just a bit blind. I still prefer the iPhone keyboard though.] Chalk one up for the iPhone here then.

  3. Notifications: Android wins by a mile. That touch and drag notifications bar at the top of the screen is magic. Apple's irritating background push notifications are a distant second.

  4. Mail: I am a big Gmail user, and the Gmail and Mail apps on the Android are not too bad but unfortunately just not as good as Apple's. It's really the notification service that makes mail on the Android good, but in terms of checking, composing and reading mail this is a win for Apple.

  5. App stores: In general there's some really good apps on both stores, and a lot of crap on both as well. Currently it feels like providers have paid much more attention to their iOS apps than their Android ones which means that versions of apps I use are often better on the iPhone but I am sure this is bound to change. What the Android Market does better is allow you to browse the store and install apps without constantly quitting or asking for a password, which iOS still does today and is extremely irritating. Why not just let us attach a 4-digit PIN to our iTunes accounts and the iOS device instead of putting in a massive password everytime? And why does it need to quit the entire iTunes store app just so it can start an installation and download procedure... Apple? So chalk it up as a tie, Apple for massive choice and often better apps and the Android for not being an irritation when you actually want to buy one.

  6. Multi-tasking and Battery Life: To be honest, I prefer the limited but less hidden multi-tasking on the iPhone. Android may be more of a 'true' multi-tasking platform but hiding away those running apps in the settings->applications->running apps tab is annoying. Battery life on the HTC Legend is also pitiful in comparison to the iPhone and I've had that phone for 2 years compared to owning this legend for about 2 days.

  7. Things Apple Does Better:
    • The ability to tap and hold a peice of text and move your cursor to any position within that text is useful and one of the things I'm missing most. Why Android doesn't do this I don't know, unless I am a bit daft and just can't work it out (in which case it's too complicated!)
    • Battery life and consumption seems much better, though this might just be the HTC Legend.
    • The iOS upgrade path seems much simpler and less confusing. If iTunes says it has an update, you install it. No messing about with what manufacturer decides to release what OS version and when and how they feel like it.
    • Web browsing seems far better on the iPhone, it feels snappier and quicker to render pages. While both OS's have the ability to pinch-zoom on the screen, the iPhone also generally tries to render the page in a full view first (zoomed out) instead of zoomed in as Android does. I've often sat waiting for the Android browser to finish not realising I could have been reading the web page/article already.. it was just off screen!

  8. Things Android Does Better:
    • Being able to use my phone as a Wifi Hotspot. Thank you Google, seriously, why does the iPhone not do this?
    • Shit as the battery consumption can be, at least you can actually change the battery in this phone.
    • I'm really being specific about the HTC Sense UI here, but the HTC home screen is fantastic. Adding widgets and shortcuts is easy and useful. Live wallpaper is good. It's all good.
    • Ability to sync all my Gmail contacts.
    • Ability to sync my Google Calendar. 
    • EDIT: I only just discovered that my phone (and other Android phones too I assume) have this: turn-by-turn car navigation GPS from Google. Yay!

 

So the final verdict? Hard to say really, I have used Android phones in the past but this is the first decent one I've had an I've only had it awhile. Already I like some things more and others less.. which is to be expected. In short I think if you're a big Google services user you will love an Android phone. If you've ever been stuck and just wished you could use your phones internet connection for even 5 minutes to send some emails, documents or whatever, get the Android. If you're a big iTunes user, casual gamer or don't want to think about anything technical when it comes to your phone, then buy an iPhone.



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