The battle for mobile's soul is raging and there are only two heavyweight platform contenders. Google's Android and Apple's iOS are getting better (and more similar) with every passing year.
Let's take a look at how they compare and work out whether Apple and Google are treading their own paths or starting to converge.
Design: IOS 8 isn't as dramatic as IOS 7: it’s a refinement rather than a revolution, and it introduces some features you might find familiar: auto-suggested words when you reply to texts, the ability to use third party keyboards, Google Drive-style file sharing and the ability for apps to send data to one another.
Android went flat too, but the flat design of KitKat is being supplanted with Google’s new Material Design Language.Like IOS it’s very bright and colorful, but it’s a little warmer than Apple’s UI, which can occasionally be eye-poppingly white.
Performance: IOS 8 is a 64-bit operating system running on 64-bit hardware.While apple devices are tend to be considered less powerful than android , apple now controls the both Os and hardware means it often outperforms the more powerful android devices.
With Android L, which fully supports 64-bit processors and uses a whole new runtime: the Dalvik compiler has been dropped in favour of ART, which uses “ahead of time” rather than “just in time” compilation to improve app performance.
Customization: Android remains far ahead in this field.Apple still provides unremovable stock apps such as Stocks, and it still limits customization to ringtones and wallpaper.
Battery Life: Android L uses Project Volta's battery saving technology,which delivers around 1/3 longer battery life than kitkat.
We’re told iOS 8 is more efficient than before, but the presence of fairly hefty batteries in the iPhone 6 suggests that iOS is still fairly power hungry. It’s too early to tell what effect the iOS 8 upgrade will have on existing devices.
Gaming: Apple has Metal, a new API for games developers; Android L has OpenGL ES 3.1 and the Android Extension Pack for games developers. Both promise console-quality gaming on mobile devices.
Updates: Apple’s updates are made available to all iOS users instantly, something Android users may have felt envious about as they waited for manufacturers to roll out Android updates for their devices. That’s changed now, with Google Play Services handling the updates every six weeks to prevent devices from waiting too long for essential updates.
App store: The Google Play Store is all too often a hive of villainy, and while Apple may be a bit heavy-handed on the censorship front there’s no need for a big “Here Be Dragons” sign above the iTunes app store. The ongoing battle between Google and the baddies is the price you pay for a more open app store.
Health: Both OSes are designed to work with health hardware, both in smartphones and in external devices such as smart-watches - although unless we've missed an announcement only Apple has prohibited app developers from sharing health data with third parties.
Apple’s approach is its Health App, which it’s been working on with big names in healthcare such as the Mayo Clinic and which it’s punting to healthcare providers as a safe and secure way to store patient data as well as a useful way for customers to track their fitness. There’s an API for third party developers called Health Kit.
Android L’s equivalent is Google Fit, and it sounds rather similar. Partners include Adidas, Asus, Withings, Runkeeper and Polar, and Nike Fuelbands will be part of the Google Fit club too. There isn’t a direct equivalent of Apple’s Health app: Google’s leaving that to the manufacturers.
Apple pay vs Google Wallet: Apple started their new payment system called Apple Pay, which takes advantage of the arrival of NFC on the iPhone. This way payments can be done right from the smartphone. A lot of partners are already getting on board here, though it is only available in the USA for now. The system uses finger prints of course, seeing as both the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have a sensor on board. Google Wallet, a Google service, also lets you pay for things via NFC in certain stores.
Ecosystems: Mobile OSes have evolved. Both iOS (formerly iPhone OS) and Android started off as mobile phone operating systems, expanded to take in tablets - belatedly, in Android’s case - and now have their sights set on the wider world. Both platforms are interested in three major kinds of accessories: home automation, health monitoring and in-car systems. As ever the approach is different, with Apple providing a one-stop shop and Google concentrating more on providing the platform for others to work with.
What do you think? Is there anything in iOS 8 you’d like to see in Android L ? or Viceversa.?
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