The choice of OS between the Apple iPhone and the Google Android is as much as selection about which mobile phone to purchase as it is about which operating systems fits your needs best. This is mostly because Apple fully controls the use of the iPhone operating system whereas the Android is used in a wide variety of smart phones from different developers. This is why choosing between the two is not quite the same as choosing between the Android and the Symbian OS.
First off, the Apple iPhone promises users a consistent degree of performance. While the Android is known to suffer from varying compatibility issues (mostly due to the hardware differences of the various handsets that use the OS), the Apple iPhone is consistent and reliable. While the hardware of the iPhone is lower than the average modern day Android device, this level uniformity in performance means that Apple’s OS is still able to deliver speed and system stability that is comparable with newer and faster devices.
In terms of Apps, Apple has the larger library. The Android Market is still relatively new and is still growing. In terms of actual content however, the Android brings more to the table. While the iTunes App store is full of redundant applications, the Android market delivers more in terms of actual diversity of functions. This is expected to increase as more and more developers create apps for the Android OS.
Also, the Android supports Flash (well, as of version 2.2 that is), and pretty soon, most smart phones will be updated to the new OS. Google has also confirmed that version 3.0 Gingerbread will also have support for HTML5 –leaving the Apple iPhone behind in terms of web format compatibility.
Overall, the Apple iPhone is a good choice for anyone who is not too picky about additional functions and simply needs a basic reliable smart phone. But for those who want full functionality and support for web formats, as well as tolerate the occasional app instability problems, then the Android makes for the perfect OS.
