I have always had an Android phone, so could someone tell me the difference between the two? Or is it really just a matter of personal preference that drives someone to buy one and not the other?

Apple initially blew things out of the water with their iPhone and it took other manufacturers some time to catch up. By then I was brand loyal because I loathe change. I bet a lot of people fell into that habit. I don't think the operating system itself makes that much of a difference except that iOS is supposed to be safer because it's a closed system. It's hard to compare that though. It's the hardware that matters most in my opinion like having a speedy processing chip and plenty of storage space. You can find equally great hardware options on both branded phones.

I think it's just a personal preference. My daughter prefers Apple, I prefer Android. I don't feel the need to switch over just to see what I'm missing.

Android allows you more customization if that's your thing. You can really dive into the deep parts of your phone to fiddle with things in a way you can't do on your iPhone. That said, you still can do a lot on your iPhone and honestly that customization stuff mostly lends itself to folks doing stuff that most general phone users aren't ever gonna need.

 

So from a practical standpoint, the main difference is the operating system, how settings are laid out, that sort of thing. An advantage for Apple products is that it's gonna be a uniform experience no matter if you've got an iPhone 6, 7, 8, 9, X, an iPad of some kind, whatever. They will all mostly work the same (except for maybe additional features that later models have like face-unlocking).

 

Android is a big open platform, which means things can be laid out and function differently from phone model to phone model. They'll probably all be fairly similar, but not identical.

An advantage for Apple products is that it's gonna be a uniform experience no matter if you've got an iPhone 6, 7, 8, 9, X, an iPad of some kind, whatever. They will all mostly work the same (except for maybe additional features that later models have like face-unlocking).

 

Which begs the question......what is the upgrade aside from a higher number? I personally don't trust the facial recognition tech. yet because it's still so new so that upgrade isn't appealing to me.

 

Good thing I'm an Android kind of guy.

I have previously owned Android phones but ever since I made the switch to an iPhone, I have never looked back. Of course the main difference is in the fact that the iOS is a closed system and like someone mentioned, you get to have some sort of uniformity across almost all devices. @TynBox I am still stuck with an older model because the facial recognition feature doesn't appeal to me at all. I still prefer to own devices with the home button.

The difference is typically in the screen quality, processor, and new features (like facial recognition). Oh, and also battery life.

I personally prefer Android since it gives you the freedom to customize pretty much everything. Additionally, you can add music, videos, subtitle files, e-books, comics, literally anything you want and Android will play it for you. With Apple, you have limitations. Plus everything goes through i-tunes and you have to convert files to i-phone compatible formats which is a pain.

While you do have to use iTunes when you're moving video or audio files from your computer to the phone, you don't have to convert stuff into iPhone formats. I've always just used regular mp3's and dragged them onto the iPhone through iTunes. VLC also has an app so you can just drop most any type of video on your phone and play it through that.

 

It would be a little more convenient if we didn't have to mess with iTunes for everything. Plus I've noticed iTunes just flat out works better when you're on a proper Mac machine and not a Windows machine.

There's no competition at all. If you're able to think for yourself and have an IQ above 100 you pick Android. If you like flashing lights and shiny objects and can't add up your grocery bill as you shop, then pick Apple.

I think it all boils down to your preference and your wallet size. This is similar to a lot of things like choosing which car you want to buy, which school you want to attend, or what type of dress you can afford. Our financial capability is the only limit to what we can afford to get.

There's no competition at all. If you're able to think for yourself and have an IQ above 100 you pick Android. If you like flashing lights and shiny objects and can't add up your grocery bill as you shop, then pick Apple.

 

Brutal. Just.........Brutal.

 

I actually have never owned an I-phone, so I can't comment on the comparisons because I don't know what they are. I'm just used to Androids.

Well, it really has to be a matter of preference but again I wish that high-end brands like Samsung and Huawei would adopt closed operating systems. Most iPhones seem to have a shorter battery life, right?

I don't think so, but they don't have the benefit of being able to swap out batteries like an android phone might be able to. Then again, is it really convenient to carry around a cell phone + a spare battery?

Who can even afford iPhones? The lowest model is still $1000+ as far as I know. Last I heard, iPhone sales are plummeting. an iPhones used to be a wondrous gadget, now it's just an overpriced and commonplace device.

I think some people make it part of their identity, but for me, I just prefer Android's user interface. I don't like the i icons, for example. If you've ever seen the youtube video of the guy who hates Tennessee football, down to such minutia as their team color, that's me (about Tennessee football and also iPhones). And like @Mecha Jaraxxus said, the price is ridiculous. I'm far too cheap to spend more than 'round about $200.