Android Vs iOS

A comparison of open and closed source

Android (Google) is an Open Source Operating System and iOS (Apple) is a Closed Source Operating System. 

Many users believe Apple Devices more user-friendly due to the easy style of the OS layout which Android devices are hard to use, however, this merely is not true.

Both devices have their benefits, but it all comes down to personal preference.

Android’s Official Website: https://www.android.com/

Android runs on more devices than just phones, including Android Wear (Smart Watches), Tablets, Televisions, and Systems in Auto and Vehicles, Computers, etc. Android devices are known to be not that expensive, compared to Apple Devices and they also have better specifications at times. Android app development London company are experts in Developing app for all devices.

Many Android devices allow the user to add an SD card for additional storage space.

The official definition of Open Source is: denoting software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Android is a great example of an Open Source operating system (others examples are ubuntu, linux, etc.) Android allows it’s users to develop their own apps freely and publish them to the Google Play  The application file for an android file is an .apk file. .apk files can be installed separate from the Google Play Market. Allowing developers to test apps or for common users to install applications that are not in the Google Play Market. To be safe only install .apk files from sources you trust, some applications can hide viruses or steal information. So it’s always good to have some type of anti-virus protection software. 

Apple’s Official Website: http://www.apple.com/ios/

The ios operating system is used in iphones, tv devices (such as apple tv), Tablets (ipads), Mp3 Players (ipods), Smart Watches, Computers etc. Apple devices commonly come in storage sizes of 8GB, 16GB, 32Gb, 64GB… etc. This can be a downside if you would like to add storage to an iphone which is not currently possible. There are many popular accessories for Apple products such as the lightning usb cable (which is reversible), the Apple Earpods, and the standard 30pin connector.

Apple devices are known to be very user friendly, but if you are a software or application developer an Apple product may not be the choice for you. Apple’s operating system is closed source, meaning users can’t freely access the source code. To develop apps for Apple devices you have to pay a developer fee to create applications and publish them to the Apple App Store