The Ultimate Debate: Which Is Better, iPhone or Android?

It’s the ultimate smartphone debate: which is better, iPhone or Android? As smartphones and their ecosystems mature, nearly all smartphone users have either an iPhone running iOS or another brand of phone running Google’s Android OS. (RIP Windows Phone!)

The two dominant operating systems have a great many differences, and it’s tough for newcomers to know which way to go. We’ve outlined the advantages of both to help you make the best decision.

One of the biggest selling points of Android is its personalization. This manifests itself in all sorts of ways. First, Android can run on different devices from many different manufacturers, and Google has fewer restrictions on what those manufacturers can do to the OS.

Power users enjoy the ability to tinker at a deeper level with their system settings, though to be fair Google has tightened this down in recent years due to the tradeoffs. (The more ability a user has to tweak stuff, the more likely a user is to break stuff.)

Android devices run the gamut of price, too. You can spend well over a thousand bucks on a flagship Android phone, but you can also get a new budget phone for $99 or cheaper. Apple’s devices tend to be more expensive overall.

Often, flagship Android devices (from the top manufacturers like Samsung) get new features years before the iPhone gets them. Sometimes the implementation leaves a little to be desired, but when the features arrive fully functioning, this is a true advantage. Take wireless charging: Android phones had it in 2015. Apple didn’t roll it out for another two years.

The term “smartphone” refers to any cell phone with data functionality (meaning, generally, that you can check your email and surf the web using the device). It’s a broad category that includes Android smartphones, Apple iPhones, Windows Phones and Blackberries, among other smaller players. Today, Apple and Android have emerged as the two winners of the smartphone wars, accounting for almost 100% of the market share.

The term “Android” simply refers to any smartphone that runs Google’s Android operating system.

There are many reasons iPhone fans can point to as to why iPhones are better. One is hardware quality. Because Apple makes much of its own hardware, it retains control over quality, and it rarely disappoints.

Another advantage is raw processing power. Apple makes its own processors, and they’re really powerful. Android doesn’t compete on raw power like they used to.

Apple’s controlling nature extends to software, too, and it can be a good thing. In earlier years, Apple leadership frequently said “it just works” about their products and software, and that influence remains today. They don’t give users the option to do things that degrade the experience. While that can feel limiting to power users, most everyday folks appreciate having a phone that just seems to work all the time.

Lastly, Apple boasts its commitment to privacy. Google doesn’t put as much emphasis on it. If this matters to you, iPhone is the better choice.

Apple’s latest lineup of iPhones has four models. There are the three iPhones in the iPhone 11 series, which were announced in September 2019 and hit the market the following month. Then there’s the newest budget-minded release, the new iPhone SE, which debuted in April 2020.

iPhone 11: This is the most common of the new iPhones, sitting at the conventional price of $699 in the US. It’s very similar to its predecessor, the iPhone XR. The 11 gains an impressive Night Mode camera as well as dual cameras for ultra wide angle photos. It features Apple’s custom A13 Bionic processor, a chip that’s impressively powerful. All the phones in the 11 series feature Face ID and do not have a home button.

iPhone 11 Pro: The Pro model steps up to an OLED screen and more premium finishes, plus it gains a third camera with a telephoto lens for additional photography capability. It features a much smaller bezel than the 11 and appears in everyday use nearly bezel free. The price jumps considerably to $999.

iPhone 11 Pro Max: The Max is simply a larger version of the Pro, with a 6.46 inch screen compared to the Pro’s 5.85 inches. The only other difference is the price, which starts at $1099 US.

iPhone SE: The new iPhone SE has the internals of the iPhone 11 crammed into the body of an iPhone 8. It’s a powerful phone at an impressive budget price, starting at $399 US. For that significant discount, users lose certain hardware features. The SE has just a single lens camera and still features the older Touch ID system and home button.

We don’t know yet for certain, but it seems likely Apple will announce and then release the iPhone 12 series in the fall of 2020.

In a word, yes. Check out those prices on the current crop of iPhones! Anything that expensive deserves to be protected.

Upsie offers smartphone subscription warranties for iPhones, Samsung Galaxy Android phones, Google Pixels, and any other major smartphone on the market. Upsie plans have a much lower cost compared to those from the big box stores, with similar coverage, and you can rest assured knowing that your device is insured against accidental damage.