Lifehacker’s Adam Dachis takes a look at the top 10 ways Apple’s iOS beats Google’s Android.
Following that, Whitson Gordon attempts to come up with the top 10 ways Google’s Android beats Apple’s iOS.
We offer both lists, so you can easily compare exactly what’s being claimed to be “better” about each platform.
Which list has more things of actual importance to the typical end-user?
Top 10 ways Apple’s iOS beats Google’s Android:
10. The iTunes Media Store
9. AirPlay
8. Find My iPhone
7. A Better Support System
6. Better Battery Life and Management
5. iTunes and Tethered Syncing
4. No Crapware
3. A Bigger and Better Variety of Apps
2. A Well-Designed, Intuitive User Interface
1. Consistency
Top 10 ways Google’s Android beats Apple’s iOS:
10. Alternate Keyboards
9. Automation
8. Custom Home Screens (spawning this sort of abject fugliness – MDN Ed.)
7. Widgets
6. Removable Storage and Battery (hardware features available on some devices)
5. Wireless App Installation
4. Custom ROMs
3. Controlling Your Phone From Your Computer
2. Flash
1. True App Integration (Set phone’s dialer to use Google Voice all the time; in iOS you have to tap Google Voice to use it.)
MacDailyNews Take: Obviously, most of Android’s so-called advantages consist of absurd geek tweaks and minor niche hacks which very few, if any, regular users will utilize at all, much less to any real advantage. Some of the things on Android’s list, like Adobe Flash support and Custom ROMs, are downright disadvantageous – leading to meaningful end-user advantages for iOS in better battery life (helping push the Web forward instead of anchoring it in the past by killing Flash is also a nice feeling iOS users should have) and consistency (iOS’ lack of fragmentation is, as Dachis states, of important value: “Knowing what you’re getting and that you’ll be receiving updates for at least the next two generations of devices increases the value of an iDevice long past the date of purchase.”
For some reason, security goes unmentioned. It shouldn’t; it’s a very real, very big advantage.
In the end, simply comparing these two lists, not to mention reading the full articles (links in the first sentence above), makes it plainly obvious that Apple’s iOS is the superior choice over Google’s flawed clone for anyone except the most delusional “Apple Haterz,” ignorant consumers, or those unfortunate souls who find themselves with carriers who are not yet authorized to carry Apple products.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Joe Architect” for the heads up.]
