This is 19 reasons why Android is better than iPhone/iOS

Like any widely-used technological product, both iOS and Android have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Both OSes have their ardent fans and equally vociferous opponents. Fanbois, iSheep, iSheeple, these are just some of the words one camp calls the other than can be reprinted in a safe-for-work website. In any online forum discussion regarding the merits and demerits between the two, the conversation usually descends into name calling and general all-round chaos.

We here at Gizmoids love Android and iOS equally. We are lucky to get the opportunity to play with both operationg systems in the course of our work.
That disclaimer out of the way, we list some of the shortcomings of Apple’s platform that you should keep in mind if you were planning to shift from Android and test the iOS waters.

1. No drag-and-drop

This is by far the biggest complaint iOS users have about their phones. Everything from synching contacts to photos to mobile apps is handled via iTunes on the iPhone, and it can be a big nuisance for those who prefer the good ole’ drag-and-drop Android simplicity. Of course, you can still jailbreak your phone but that’s another story.

2. No sharing files with phones on other OSes via Bluetooth

Usage of Bluetooth to share files with other phone is declining with the rise of cloud services and other alternatives, but Bluetooth is still an important feature for mobile phones. While iPhones have offered Bluetooth from the start – and even Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) before most – you can’t use it to send or receive files from anything not running iOS.

3. Multitasking

Power users love multitasking on Android, working on two separate apps at once. iOS, in its bid to conserve battery life, doesn’t offer multitasking, although there has been rumors of Apple offering this feature soon. That said, iOS does manage to seamlessly transition between open apps for the most part thanks to its smooth optimization.

4. Google’s services

Even discounting the mighty Google Search, Mountain View offers a plethora of important services, and most of them are free. If you are using Gmail like the majority of the world, Android offers the best platform to make it all come together in sync.

5. Siri

Smart and snarky may be good for laughs and have a sparkling personality, but it is no match for Google Now when it comes to providing clear information. Microsoft’s Cortana and the new Facebook Messenger are also great personal assistants that endeavor to provide you the same services, so they’re worth taking a look too.

6. Affordability

The cheapest, no, least-expensive iPhone officially on sale right now is the iPhone 4S that retails for $450 without a carrier contract. Apple currently has four variants of the iPhone on sale right now. In contrast, there is a sea of Android handsets to choose from, ranging from sub-$100 barebones machines to $800-plus top-end flagships with all the bells and whistles. If you don’t have an iPhone, you don’t have an iPhone but there’s an Android for every pocket.

7. Customizability

Everybody loves customizing their favourite devices, be it something as simple as wallpapers or as advanced as custom themes and launches, and even more. With iOS, you get a polished system that works great out of the box but can also get old and boring pretty fast. iOS offers no way to fully customize your phone according to your personality unless you jailbreak it. Android, however, is built for such shenanigans.

8. Cloud services

Google’s cloud services are far more generous than Apple’s iCloud. While Google Drive offers 15GB of cloud storage, iCloud offers a mere 5 GB which is grossly inadequate to store your documents and images online. And if you need additional storage and are ready to pay for it, Google is again cheaper, at $2 per month for 100GB ($24 for the year), whereas Apple charges $100 per year for 50GB.

9. Maps

After the public relations disaster that was Apple Maps upon its launch, it has made massive strides but it is still a far cry from the gold standard that is still Google Maps.

10. Expandable storage

When you buy an iPhone, you have to decide beforehand how much storage you will be needing later. And if you run out of storage space later, you have no recourse other than to upgrade to another iPhone. Most Android phones, on the other hand, comes with expandable memory card slots, which means that you can keep upgrading them as and when necessary.

11. File system

This is closely tied to the iTunes and drag-and-drop problem that we mentioned earlier. Apple offers no way to view your files and folders in a hierarchical way like you are used to on a desktop. On an Android, it is as simple as connecting your phone and pointing and double-clicking.

12. Notifications

With iOS 8, Apple made a lot of changes to its Notifications settings, but it is still not as customizable as their Android counterparts.

13. Multi-user support

An iPhone is meant for one user and one user only. On an Android phone, you can set up multiple user profiles so that the entire family can use one single devices if needed and still have the phone set up for their specific needs.

14. Open source

Much has been written about Apple’s walled garden vis-à-vis Google’s open-door policy in regards to their operating systems. While there are certain benefits to living in a walled garden – like the high-quality curated apps and timely updates – the world needs more open doors, both metaphorically and literally, wouldn’t you agree?

15. Flash support Steve Jobs famously vowed to drive Adobe Flash to the ground, and he, along with other companies, have now finally succeeded. The much-reviled internet relic is almost dead, but there can be times when you need it still, and for that you still have to turn to Android.
    
    
16. Stylus support

Love them or hate them, phablets are here to stay. And despite their benefits, it is still a pain typing with two thumbs on any surface larger than 5 inches, and that’s where we need styluses. Styluses are also important input devices for creative professionals. iOS, atleast for now – that might change with the introduction of the rumored iPad Pro any day now – has no support for styluses unlike Android.

17. Universal sharing

Sharing a web page from your browser, a map in your navigation app or a photo in your gallery to an app or a social network is much easier on Android than iOS, although it has become easier than before on the latter too, of late.

18. Back button

Android’s back button provides a really simple and helpful way to return to a previous screen no matter where you are. The button even works across apps. On the iPhone, you can use only app-specific navigation or hit the home button to end up back on the home screen. That’s a lot more swipes and taps that waste your time.

19. Better NFC

Apple finally incorporated NFC into the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but you can only use it for Apple Pay. But for several years now, all Android phones have come with NFC (near field communication) chips built in, and they work in all the ways NFC was meant to.
Where do you stand on the Android vs iOS debate? Which platform do you generally prefer? Let us know in the comments. We’re listening.