Given the headline, you must be wondering what this is all about. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is, eh. Perhaps it has to do with the good and bad in society, perhaps it has to do with some conspiracy idea that no one ever dreamed would come to pass.
I’m sorry to tell you, but it’s neither. It’s the same as the typical flu that we get in the techverse or THE GEEK ZONE, as some may refer to it!
Yes my dearly tech-mongers its about Android vs. iOS, Google/ Samsung vs. Apple, Apple fanboys vs. Android fanboys . The average reader of this post would be like, “Sheeeesh, what the heck is this guy talking about?“. Citing the tech community “A COMMON MAN DOES’NT CARE” (commonly used by Apple apologists to justify apple selling 60hz display in 2024 for a whooping price of $ 800 (70k INR). Indeed, it’s a daily struggle that occasionally even reaches the streets (figuratively) within the geek community.
“Light versus Dark: Understanding the Contrasts”
As you move through the above inscription, you might wonder which one have I designated as light and where the other one stands.
It’s a really tough one to decipher. As a techno bot myself, I use both Android and iOS. Does that make me a cat on the wall? Absolutely not! I have been using iPhones since 2015 & Android’s since the days it was running Eclair.
I’ve watched iOS expand, but not to the point where I could call it growth, and I’ve seen Android grow to what it is today. If you are an avid iOS user, you would concur that, aside from small feature additions and improvements/ refinements, iOS has not seen any significant or dramatic changes since iOS 12. Hey!! That’s going to piss some of the Apple fanboys. It might, but you would have to accept it.
The biggest change in the iOS came with the launch of iPhone X where apple introduced the world with sweet gesture controls for navigation. But I would say Android took it and made it better. I mean Apple still does not have a universal back gesture, i.e one would have to reach to the top left of the phone to go back from a screen. But 10 points to apple for the innovation. But we are not here to discuss the positives & the negatives of the both just like common fanboys.. are we ??
As a millennial who has been on both sides of the spectrum and witnessed the evolution of both these platforms, one simply cannot consider either one as dark or the light side.
Each one has its own advantage & disadvantages. Here are some of the quick one’s from the top of my head.
CUSTOMISATION
Android is the king of customisation and is miles apart from iOS. Android users enjoy the sweet haven of changing almost everything to anything right from the home screen layout, widgets, themes, icons, fonts and system features, wherein iOS is more of a restrictive environment. You can change the icons on your iPhone, but that involves a cumbersome process and involves the shortcuts app, also pops up a blank screen for a microsecond. Well, of course you can jailbreak your iPhone, but you can also root your android as well. Let’s not go into that territory for now.
COMPATABILITY
When we talk about compatibility iPhone/ apple’s the most isolated ecosystem you can find on this planet as their cross compatibility with their competitors wherein android is compatible with a wide range of devices from different manufacturers, such as Samsung, Huawei, LG, Motorola, and many others. This means that Android users have more choices and options, but also more fragmentation and inconsistency in terms of software updates, performance, and features.
ASSISTANTS
iOS has Siri as its voice assistant, which can perform various tasks and answer questions using natural language. Android has Google Assistant (soon to be Gemini- with the integration of AI), which can do similar things, but also has more integration with Google services and products, such as Gmail, Maps, Photos, and much more options. Considering its wider database Google assistant clearly takes over Siri and its functionalities. I’m not even going to talk about Bixby (Samsung’s voice assistant).
App Store vs. Playstore
iOS has a more curated and secure app store than Android, as Apple has stricter guidelines and review processes for app developers. Android has a more open and diverse app store, as Google allows more freedom and flexibility for app developers, but this also means that there are more chances of malware and low-quality apps. However with iOS 17.4 apple is being forced by the EU to open up their closed circuit to third party apps, that will enable users in the EU to download apps from any 3rd party app stores. This might impact the secure cage we have had in the apple ecosystem. However we are yet to see how apple will tackle this situation. Maybe they will provide an in-built malware scanner to warn users about it.
I’m not going to cover the integration AI into the devices with the rise of SD 8 Gen 3 chipsets, as Apple will be showcasing their developments in the upcoming WWDC (Hopefully).
When will this reach a conclusion?
If you have gone through the above, it is clearly evident that one betters another in some or the other fields, thereby there is no superior device and one can never be framed as the light or dark. Instead, it is th users choice to decide on what ecosystem they prefer.
But.. alas!! This is not going to end here. The battle will still wage on. Until then let us see what the future beholds.
