No, seriously. Once upon a time, Android was the young scrappy upstart that stayed invisible for nearly a year. It was trailing Blackberry (ew) and Windows Mobile (double ew)! Hah! But looking back on those early days, it’s easy to see why. Android was fugly. It’s completely different now because every ‘Nexus’ phone and every OS update have brought dramatic changes: Android 1.x was awkwardly well-intentioned, Android 2.0/2.1 was something worth using, Android 2.3 found its polish, Android 3.0 launched tablets and the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the futuristic realisation of it all (no buttons, honeycomb-esque lines etc.). Change, of course, is even apparent outside the Nexus line; there are a million and one different form factors that fill in every nook and cranny of the smartphone space. Android is change.
In comparison, the iPhone is the same app-launching slate of a phone it was back in 2007. For better or worse, Apple has resisted overhauling the system, only choosing to add features at a steady pace. That first iPhone was barely a smartphone but the big-picture growth of the iPhone always sort of seemed to make sense: introduce it with 1.0, App Store with 2.0, fill out features with 3.0, multitasking with 4.0 and notifications with 5.0. Like it was all following a plan. Like Apple knew what was coming tomorrow, four years ago. Each iPhone is different, but the same.
The thing is, I don’t know which method is better. Is it Apple? Steely focused and steadfast about their plan, consistently cool yet coolly boring. Or is it Google? Always willing to try anything new, unafraid to overhaul their very core but and fortunate in its lack of direction. Cutely clueless. I don’t want to oversimplify Android and the iPhone (though I sorta am); I’m just glad both exist. Apple might’ve nailed what everyone wanted in the beginning, but Android is figuring out what everyone else wanted along the way.
BenDTU
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 7:46 AMIn before inevitable explosion of angry comments.
Matt
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 7:55 AM**Like**
Sam
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:11 AM…Well said.
Quick Alex/Danny – close comments on this post before they get out of hand! :P
Sam D
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:16 AMTo me this looks like the branding of Coke vs Pepsi. Coke has had the same logo for a very long time, whereas Pepsi reinvent their logo every 10 years or so to try to stay modern.
I guess there’s arguments for both sides really.
Jackson Bison
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:31 AMSurprisingly, I think you missed the point.
Sam D
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:02 AMNot really. While modern Android tablets do look a lot nicer and more modern than the old ones, I think the iPhone has a nice classic feel to it that doesn’t require much in the way of changes. But ultimately it’s an objective opinion and others feel differently.
Sam D
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:03 AMI meant subjective, not objective obviously… d’oh, brain not working today…
Snoop
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:22 AMThis explains the difference between Android * iOS better than anything i;ve ever seen on the web! Great post!
I know it’s a cliche term, but i’ve seen it on friends… They are brainwashed to follow Apple… i can’t believe how many people are soooo retarded…
poita
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:39 AMWell, really to me the article could read how Android became the iPhone.
Look at the progression in the pictures, the Android goes from fugly to looking very close to the iPhone design, the Apple product goes through subtle changes.
Though some photos from the side would have shown how the form factors of both phones changed more accurately.
I think both systems are great and each has its place.
Nate
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:52 AMBut the iPhone puts form over function. yeah, the glass looks nice, but it breaks too easily and its a big job to replace. sure, you can put it in a big rubber condom, but that kinda defeats the purpose
Scotty
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:24 AMThis is definitely one of the top 10 Giz US I have read – it’s refreshing to get an article that discusses both sides of the story which provokes thought rather than frustration of ‘why did I waste my time reading this???’
Great article writing Giz US!
Nathan Walters
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:27 AMI’m a fan of both handsets for their own respective features but it is true. With every brand making its own version of an android handset, they’ve made some awesome phones!
andrew
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:39 AMwhatever the case, that first iPhone bought more change than obama.
Bigmac
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:40 AMThat’s not hard… even the iPhone 4s brought more change than Obama
NOZ
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:39 PMLol
Joshua
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:41 AMI think both platforms are good for different users. I think for less tech-savvy users, ios is great, because it has stayed more or less the same. Most people don’t like change. And although I think android is going in the right direction, I still think it has major UI consistency issues. Eg, in some stock android apps, the action bar/menu button is on the top of the screen, in others, it’s on the bottom. In some apps, horizontal scrolling switches tabs, in others, such as the launcher, it cycles through app pages, rather than switch to the widget tab. Disclaimer: I own an android.
Hamish
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:04 AMI don’t want to incite phonerage or anything here, but I am a fairly tech-savvy person and a dyed-in-the-wool iOS user. The main reason I like iOS is because I could understand and mainpulate the UI out of the box. I didn’t have to try and arrange apps and fiddle with widgets to get my phone performing the way I wanted it to. I like the fact that iOS is so streamlined and simple- I don’t feel like I need a phone that is infinitely customisable, though I don’t dispute that other people might want to.
I think the majority of iPhone users would say the same thing. We all want our phones to do different stuff, and we live in an age where technology can provide us with devices that can suit our every need. Both platforms are great. Peace. Love. Cats and dogs living together.
Peter Collinson
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:11 AM+1
Sam
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:34 AMI think Joshua is right about iOS being better suited for those who are less tech savvy; but I don’t think that means that’s the only user type it’s suitable for.
I think one of iOS’ biggest selling points is its unified user experience. Apps follow the platform’s UI styling, and there is a consistent approach across the board. Regardless of whether or not you’re a numpty or a sys-admin – if you want something that works well all the time, iOS definitely wins hands down.
Android’s answer to the same question is choice. You don’t like the browser? Change it. It’s open, and you can largely do what you want. I dislike Swype’s stock theme, but love its functionality, so I skinned it this morning. The unfortunate side of that customisability though, is that it’s no longer easy – and I had to fidget around with pulling apk’s, decompiling, recompiling and signing it.
Justin
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 1:42 PMAgreed. I have to admit that I do feel little patronised when it’s said that if you’re not as tech savvy then the iPhone is for you. Although I am not a programmer, sys admin or CSS magician, I do have a firm grasp of the ins and outs of computers/technology.
Some of us just have a personal preference for a relatively simplistic, unified experience. As it’s been said, eschewing a certain amount of customisability can work to the advantage of the iPhone, whereas the Android can potentially make one fall into the web of ‘option paralysis’.
Richard
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:26 PMYeah I’m not sure “tech savvy” is the best way to describe it. I think its more a “tinkers” OS which I don’t think is exclusive or incluse of tech savy or non technical people across the board. I do software development and personally prefer iOS as do most of the people I’ve spoken to on the matter that are of a technical nature. Not saying that is a huge sample size or indicative of a trend to the contrary, however of the people I’ve spoken to I think those that like iOS like it because its consistent, not only in the OS but in the ecosystem around it.
The thing I’ve taken away is that being technical doesn’t mean you want to tinker with everything, and personally after so many years using desktops and phones I find nowdays I’d rather buy an OS that has everything set up 90% how I’d like it rather than making me invest a lot of time to bring it to that level…gives me time to play with other bits of software on the device.
Hamish
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:23 AMI don’t want to incite phonerage or anything here, but I am a fairly tech-savvy person and a dyed-in-the-wool iOS user. The main reason I like iOS is because I could understand and mainpulate the UI out of the box. I didn’t have to try and arrange apps and fiddle with widgets to get my phone performing the way I wanted it to. I like the fact that iOS is so streamlined and simple- I don’t feel like I need a phone that is infinitely customisable, though I don’t dispute that other people might want to.
I think the majority of iPhone users would say the same thing. We all want our phones to do different stuff, and we live in an age where technology can provide us with devices that can suit our every need. Both platforms are great. Peace. Love. Cats and dogs living together.
Sam
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:26 AMI think by their own nature both approaches (Apple’s planned methodical approach, vs Android’s open risk taking approach) both have their own advantages at different points during the platforms lifecycle.
iOS has continued to improve since its first version undoubtedly, and I think it’d be a hard argument to say that each of the new features they’ve introduced felt unfinished or were unstable, but because of this slower approach, they’re missing out on a lot of innovation. iOS has always had a very refined look, and performed well on the hardware it was released on.
Android on the other hand is open to trying new things, and learning from their mistakes. Its app drawer for example, is still being improved on with ICS, finally allowing us to sort apps, rather than a single unsorted folder that we’ve always had previously. The notification drawer finally isn’t just one big persistent list, and can be cleared individually. While both are features Android users have enjoyed for some time, previous iterations to those found in ICS look basic and unfinished in comparison. Android has finally started to get its looks right. Android including FroYo and earlier WAS ugly – not doubt about that; which is largely why SenseUI was so popular. Gingerbread finally started to get the aesthetics right, and 3rd party skins are becoming irrelevant and annoying.
I don’t think it’s fair to say either approach is better – it’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds for both sides over the next year or two!
light487
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:26 AMI like to think of Android as the “Unix/Linux” of smartphones… I’ll leave the comment as just that.
Blake
Monday, October 24, 2011 at 11:04 AMPerhaps because it is Linux on a smart phone?
Jackson Bison
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:33 AMGizmodo – please take note, by writing a balanced article, you encourage balanced comments.
It’s a beautiful thing.
Sciby
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:13 AMI was just thinking this.
Me, I’m a techhead in every sense of the word but I don’t want to be fiddling with every element of my phone, so it’s an iPhone for me. I want it to be polished and I want it to just work. A tablet would be a different deal (although so much for getting a Samsung tab anytime soon).
Trav
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:45 PMSpot on, i am the same, total techhead, know all about android, windows, linux and think they are all great, but at the end of the day i use a mac and just got an iphone 4s, they are quick to setup, easy to use, the builds quality is great, parts and accessories are easy to get years after initial release. great for me, doesn’t make me a sheep or fanboy
Jacob
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:38 AMI think for the tech-heads, the Android model works.
For the average consumer, incremental improvments are probably easier to digest.
Lillee
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:41 AM*Yawn* don’t care. Tired of talking about phones, it’s so last week…
Sultan
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:10 AMI agree that this was a good read. Better than some of the other articles the US have posted on this debate.
MDolley
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:02 AMI think what the image doesn’t take into consideration is that Android progression isn’t linear like that. At points all along the Android line you have off-shoots. Skins like Touchwiz/Motoblur/Sense all have their own progression that doesn’t follow the Android progression like that.
I personally think that gives Apple the slight advantage. Any iPhone user can pick up any version of the iPhone and know how to use it.
Blake
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:24 PMI like my iPhone, like, a lot. And the article is right, the homescreen (and also the lockscreen) have barely changed. And while I can accept this to an extent it’s why I won’t buy an iPad. Blown up onto the bigger screen it looks incredibly dated as the homscreen on the iPad is totally capable of displaying additional information, but it doesn’t.
Unless apple starts Including some widgets soon if I buy a tablet I will probably end up with a w8 slate or android. (currently w8 seems to be in the lead)
James
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:25 PM*This is one man’s opinion, mixed with what I’ve read on forums over the years*
I originally joined the Android party, like a lot of people, with the HTC Desire.
Unfortunately, like a lot of people, the Desire was plagued by various issues – Telstra overzealously raped the phone with a plethora of useless apps, made worse by the fact that the phone had a pathetic ~300mb on onboard space. Sure, you could use apps2sd, but it was a pain in the arse and didn’t always work.
This was coupled by a awful battery life on the stock rom. So you inevitably rooted and modded it until it was usable again, which basically made it into an iPhone with widgets. MIUI is insanely popular for that exact reason.
But when it was rooted, updates were even more difficult to install, and constantly flashing the rom was dangerous and likely to cause permanent damage to the phone. It’s alright anyway, since updates were pretty rare. Crashes, however, were common.
Then you had the craptastic Android Market, until recently almost completely unusuable, but still lacking proper catagories relating to tablet specific apps, apps for specific regions, and a plethora of other filters. Developers are still ignoring Android, regardless of market share, so all the good games and apps get full support on iOS and leftover updates on Android. Sorry, I don’t like using clones of popular apps with terrible UIs, or badly coded ports.
I didn’t hestitate to move back to iOS when the 4S released. I’m happy that I have a fast, stable OS with strong developer support, a decent app store, great battery life and a consistant UI across multiple apps and menus.
Peter
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 1:07 PMI have the same phone and aside from HTC’s paltry memory offering, have had a completely different experience. I won’t go iOS because I need a file manager, but if a WinPho7 looks tasty enough when my contract is up…
James
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:28 PMThat said, I don’t think the OS translates well to a tablet, and I like Honeycomb stock – so I have an Android Tab.
Peter
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 1:11 PMI don’t see why Android is for tech heads. I’ve seen borderline retarded people buy cheapie Androids and they love them, even without accessing the market. Its so easy to say Apple “just works” but that doesn’t mean any given competitor is needlessly complicated. Its just silly to believe marketing hype like that.
i2
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 1:34 PMI think one thing that people are failing to acknowledge here is that iOS remaining the same may have been a smart play by apple. In the whole range of iOS devices, anyone can pick up any iOS device and immediately know how to use it. So when they go out to buy another tech prodcut where the choices are an iOS device, or another type of device, they will (the average non geek this is) go for the one they are used to using! Not the one they have to learn.
While I dont have much experience with Android, my understanding is that the UI is more inconsistent across devises, so you have to learn new tips and tricks when changing devices.
All in all, I think Apple’s slow and steady tactic (and ripping ideas from Android) will serve them well. As SJ once said, “We are not always the first to the party, but we do it the best” which I think is true for the average user.
Sam
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 3:20 PMWhile I dont have much experience with Android, my understanding is that the UI is more inconsistent across devises, so you have to learn new tips and tricks when changing devices.
Yes with an if, no with a but.
There are changes to the UI made by (most) manufacturers – HTC’s SenseUI is arguably the strongest example, however most changes are only superficial and cosmetic.
All-in-all, all manufacturer provided Android versions can be counted on to include homescreens, widgets, a dock, and an app drawer. The way each of these may actually look between devices may differ, but these key features always tend to remain in the same place. System menus (mostly) remain untouched, and the layout of individual apps don’t change between devices.
A close parallel is to compare with is Windows’ Aero theme vs Classic.
I think undoubtedly iOS is more familiar between devices, but I wouldn’t say there’s a whole lot in it.
RD
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 3:12 PMWhy is this article comparing a phone (iPhone) to an operating system (Android)??
The iPhone is ONE phone which has evolved over the last 4 years, Android is an operating system, that has also evolved over the last 4 years.
There are NUMEROUS Android handsets, but still only ONE iPhone.
A better story would be to compare a phone that existed in 2007 and today, to the iPhone.
Blake
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:42 PMI am not sure if you know this RD but there are actually multiple iterations of the iPhone. And despite what detractors will say they released a new one recently.
Also you totally can compare the two as you see the two items actually run different operating systems. I am sure though, if the author read your post he would apologize for not writing the article with pedantic people in mind.
Steve
Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 12:30 AMHis point is that you cannot compare hardware-to-hardware Android vs iPhone because there are countless Android phones and not one fits the bill as the ‘generic’ template, a more appropriate headline would be “iPhone vs Nexus”
Richard
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:40 PMThey discussed the OS in the article…in fact it was the main talking point.
Brendan
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:27 PMReferring to Android as the “Bell of the Ball” is something of an insult, perhaps yeah if that Bell were frumpy I would agree, but the iPhone if anything looks refined bit like the up town girl that you know you want but just can’t have, except you can with the iPhone! I don’t know which Ball you attend, but Android certainly wouldn’t be the Bell of it. Like all good Balls it would be sitting at the loners table (i.e.) in the minority group. There is nothing wrong with refinement and this is what the iPhone has in spades.
Blake
Monday, October 24, 2011 at 11:09 AMYeah I’m going to disagree with you here, 5 years ago iOS looked nice, now it’s just a bit plain and generic. Certainly no wow factor left in it.
Steve
Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 12:28 AMWell, considering early Android phones started off looking like dogshit while iPhones have always been at least… ‘pleasing’, then obviously Android phones have aged much better. It’s the ugly duckling and I think it’s great all phones are much prettier today.