For a long time, I actively used Apple smartphones, and then, unexpectedly for myself, switched to Samsung.
At first, I was delighted with the chips and the absence of the usual restrictions, but then I again thought about returning to the world of iPhones.
Now I can clearly highlight the pros and cons of the iPhone through the eyes of a user of competitive products.
Benefits of an Android smartphone
Let's start with the benefits that keep smartphone owners of different brands from switching to Apple technology.
1. Huge selection of models
Although modern lines of smartphones are scolded for facelessness and total copying, interesting and individual solutions are found in almost every gadget manufacturer.
There are foldable models of the Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X that won't make it to users. There are excellent Galaxy models with frameless "leaky" screens, there are smartphones with a bunch of cameras, for example, Nokia 9 PureView .
Even manufacturers get rid of the famous iPhone bangs in different ways: teardrop-shaped protrusions, cutouts in the corner of the screen, pop-up cameras or sliders.
You can choose devices from one manufacturer or try different ones with your own chips and features.
In the world of smartphones, Apple has to put up with one design and a similar appearance for 3-4 years until Jony Ive produces another masterpiece.
2. You can choose the filling and performance
Many models in the Android world come with different hardware. Sometimes different processors are used for different markets, more often there are models with different volumes of permanent and random access memory.
You can even get different body materials, cameras and display modules.
So the user can flexibly choose the device to suit his needs, paying only for the necessary hardware.
Those who are ready to put up with lags can choose a cheaper model. Those who need memory can choose between built-in capacity or memory cards.
You can even choose between one or two SIM carats in the devices. iPhone for two SIM cards is still not sold in the public domain.
3. Total customization is available on Android
Speech is not even in changeable icons or themes, you can customize much more useful elements of the operating system.
In Android, you can change the number and location of switches in the control panel, you can change all kinds of buttons and sliders.
You can even try any shells: pure Android, a branded launcher from the manufacturer, or all kinds of programs from the Play Market.
Configurable power saving mode, lock screen, control gestures. The dark theme of the design and that is flexibly customizable, and not just included in the settings.
In this regard, iOS is long behind. No free arrangement of icons on the desktop, no convenient widgets on the home screen instead of the useless side, no custom switches in the control center.
There is no need to talk about third-party shells.
4. Any Android application can be replaced
Apple's mobile operating system is still too closed and does not allow replacing a number of standard programs.
If notes or reminders can be kept in any convenient application, then, for example, changing the browser will not work without problems.
With regular use of Google Chrome, you will have to put up with copying and pasting links and private redrawing in Safari.
Although third-party cameras have flooded the App Store, in most cases (from the lock screen, from the control panel or other programs), the standard is launched.
It is very difficult to use other aggregators of user data besides the Health application.
And only the lazy is not talking about the disadvantages of the standard dialer on the iPhone.
All this is not in the Android world, I do not like the application - delete and install another from the store.
iPhone Benefits
Now let's talk about the advantages of devices from Cupertino. Some of them will turn out to be an amateur, while others will sow a seed of doubt even in the soul of the most ardent fan of the corporation of good.
1. iPhones have a long life cycle
The main advantage of the iPhone is its rather long support period for smartphones by today's standards.
This applies to both the release of iOS updates and global updates in the line of devices.
The user buys a conditional iPhone 5s and for a couple of years does not notice any lags and brakes, getting all the software chips. For a couple of years he has been using the operating system tolerably, having access to major innovations and changes.
For the last year or two, the device has not had enough stars from the sky, but it performs most of the basic functions.
As a result, the user missed two global updates for the iPhone line: the transition to a larger screen in the iPhone 6 and the bezel-less era in the iPhone X.
It's impossible to spend so much time on Android with one smartphone. In a year or two, it will start to slow down wildly and will stop receiving system updates.
In another year, the manufacturer will completely forget about the existence of the model, and application developers will less and less optimize software for it.
If the user stays up with one device for 4-5 years, he will miss a whole era in the development of Android smartphones.
It will be quite difficult to understand trends, new trends, chips and features.
2. On iOS, uniform application development standards are observed
Cupertinos strictly moderate apps in the App Store and set clear requirements for developers.
So applications have a similar menu structure, the same settings blocks, familiar gestures and control methods.
Even the mega-handy SwipeBack gesture, which returns to the previous page or menu, works in almost all programs.
If your app has a built-in page viewer, it looks the same everywhere. You don't have to get used to different keyboards, dialog boxes and other system elements.
At the same time, on Android, each developer is sophisticated in their own way. Comes up with his own menu structure, gestures, buttons and panels.
This greatly reduces the speed of working with the system.
3. The system tightly controls applications
The closed nature of iOS also has positive aspects. One of them is to control access to system functions for applications.
When you first launch the program on the iPhone, the user clearly gives (or not) access to the display of notifications, geolocation, contacts, photos, microphone, camera and other elements.
You can change the issued permissions at any time.
On Android, the application is initially allowed everything, and to disable certain features, you have to surf the system settings.
Some options are disabled by third-party applications or not disabled at all.
4. In iOS, everything is updated at once
The update is downloaded in the background and will take 10-15 minutes to update. After that, the user receives all the new chips, patches and options.
This applies to both the operating system and all standard applications.
On Android, something is being updated all the time. Either an update for Android arrives, then the proprietary shell requires an update, then programs and modules receive new chips.
All system options work as separate programs and are updated accordingly.
You need to update the photo gallery, file manager, system settings, calendar, keyboard, reminders, calculator and even Always On Display (all such chips are separate applications).
You allow the background update automatically - the battery is discharged before your eyes, you forbid the update - you manually update the system modules a day later.
5. Most iPhone features work out of the box
The chips presented at the presentation of a smartphone or iOS, almost all work out of the box on a new smartphone.
They are included and intuitive. Options that require additional configuration are activated upon initial startup or system update.
When working with Android, you will have to learn the intricacies of the system for another week and activate the branded features of the device.
This applies to all kinds of menus, widgets, side screens, hiding behind a curved screen of panels.
You will have to customize and learn to work with all the unique shell chips that manufacturers add.
Who will win in the end
There hasn't been a clear favorite in the smartphone market over the past few years. To a large extent, this is due to the almost parallel development operating systems iOS and Android.
Cupertinians have long lost the stability and simplicity of the system, having stuffed it with tons of emoticons options, and the rest of the manufacturers cannot overcome the segmentation of Android in any way.
As a result, the inquisitive user must himself be on one side of the barricades and on the other and determine the advantages and disadvantages that are weighty for him.
Choosing the best smartphone or operating system at the moment is simply impossible.
