Android vs. iOS

    iOS vs. Android

Google's Android and Apple's iOS are operating systems used primarily in mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets. Android, which is Linux-based and partly open source, is more PC-like than iOS, in that its interface and basic features are generally more customizable from top to bottom. However, iOS' uniform design elements are sometimes seen as being more user-friendly.
You should choose your smartphone and tablet systems carefully, as switching from iOS to Android or vice versa will require you to buy apps again in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Android is now the world’s most commonly used smartphone platform and is used by many different phone manufacturers. iOS is only used on Apple devices, such as the iPhone.

Interface

iOS and Android both use touch interfaces that have a lot in common - swiping, tapping and pinch-and-zoom. Both operating system boot to a homescreen, which is similar to a computer desktop. While an iOS home screen only contains rows of app icons, Android allows the use of widgets, which display auto-updating information such as weather and email. The iOS user interface features a dock where users can pin their most frequently used applications.

A status bar runs across the top on both iOS and Android, offering information such the time, WiFi or cell signal, and battery life; on Android the status bar also shows the number of newly received emails, messages and reminders.

Comparison chart

 

	Android User Rating (1070): 4.14/5 1 2 3 4 5	iOS User Rating (979): 3.83/5 1 2 3 4 5
Company/Developer	Google	Apple Inc.
OS family	Linux	OS X, UNIX
Customizability	A lot. Can change almost anything.	Limited unless jailbroken
Initial release	September 23, 2008	July 29, 2007
Programmed in	C, C++, java	C, C++, Objective-C
Dependent on a PC or a Mac	No	No
Easy media transfer	depends on model	with desktop application
Source model	Open source	Closed, with open source components.
Open source	Kernel, UI, and some standard apps	The iOS kernel is not open source but is based on the open-source Darwin OS.
Widgets	Yes	No, except in NotificationCenter
Call features supported	Auto-respond	Auto-respond, call-back reminder, do not disturb mode
Internet browsing	Google Chrome (or Android Browser on older versions; other browsers are available)	Mobile Safari (Other browsers are available)
Available on	Many phones and tablets, including Kindle Fire(modified android), LG, HTC, Samsung, Sony, Motorola, Nexus, and others.	iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation)
Interface	Touch screen, Smartwatch	Touch screen
Messaging	Google Hangouts	iMessage
Voice commands	Google Now (on newer versions)	Siri
Maps	Google Maps	Apple Maps
Video chat	Google Hangouts	Facetime
App store	Google Play – 1,000,000+ Apps. Other app stores like Amazon and Getjar also distribute Android apps. (unconfirmed ".APK's")	Apple app store – 1,000,000+ Apps
Market share	81% of smartphones, 3.7% of tablets in North America (as of Jan'13) and 44.4% of tablets in Japan (as of Jan'13). In the United States in Q1 2013 - 52.3% phones, 47.7% tablets.	12.9% of smartphones, 87% of tablets in North America (as of Jan'13) and 40.1% of tablets in Japan (as of Jan'13)
Available language(s)	32 Languages	34 Languages
Latest stable release	Android 4.4 Kitkat (October, 2013)	7.1 (March 10, 2014)
Device manufacturer	Google, LG, Samsung, HTC, Sony, ASUS, Motorola, and many more	Apple Inc
Upcoming releases/Release dates	Unknown	Unknown
Working state	Current	Current
website	android.com	apple.com