iOS vs. Android: It Doesn’t Matter, We All Win

As we get ready to close the book on 2013 and run headlong into a new year, I’ve decided to take a look at mobile phone tech, and frankly, the outlook is rather nice.

As you probably know (if you’ve read my last few posts), I recently jumped off the iOS bandwagon and boarded the Android train, and while I’m happy that I did, I have to say, I don’t really hate Apple, I just decided to go a different direction.

While eating my breakfast this morning, I came across this video on YouTube, “The psychology of Android vs iOS” (video below), and it got me to thinking…Even though I may have jumped ship, I didn’t really change tribes…I feel like a spy playing both sides of the cell phone wars! Anyway, check out the 3 minute 58 second video from CNET and I’ll catch you after:

OK, so now that you know what inspired me, what has my mind hopping, let me explain where I’m coming from. Whether you prefer iOS or Android, doesn’t really matter, 2014 is sure to be an awesome year for phone tech (and tech in general really), and frankly, I feel both OSes have their place in the wild.

What I’ve found in making the switch from one to the other is they are pretty similar with one very, very strong difference (that is really two, but they go together, you’ll understand): customization.

What I mean by this is that iOS is perfect for anyone who just wants to pick up their phone, not have to learn a whole lot, just have something that is intuitive, easy to use, and does what they want. Android, on the other hand, is for those what want to be able to tinker, to make their phone unique and individual to them, something that may not be as intuitive, but in the end is an expression of who they are. Neither is better than the other, they just each fit a different niche.

Now I don’t want this to come off as some backhanded slap at Apple fans, that’s not my point, my point is, there are those of us who want our tech to be ours and ours alone, and there are those of us who just want our tech to work without us having to put too much into it. I get both sides, I see both sides, I understand both sides, and frankly, I’ll fight for both sides. They’re both right. Regardless which camp you reside in, I understand and I don’t disagree.

Think about this, any 2 iOS devices you pick up, assuming they are both running the latest and greatest version of iOS, are going to be about the same, sure you may have different folders, different apps arranged differently, but the fact of the matter is, any two year old can pick up an iOS device and within minutes do what they want: find dinosaur videos on YouTube.

I love the scene on the left. Priceless!

On Android things get a little more complicated. My wife and I have the exact same phone, run generally the same apps, but when I pick up her phone, I have trouble navigating, I get a little lost, and even as a 31 year old tech geek, things are not so simple as when I used to pick up her iPhone. We both have the same phone and they are so vastly different that there is no denying whose phone is whose: she has next to nothing on her home screens, preferring a clean, simple design, where as I prefer mine to be a cluttered mess with everything right at my fingertips.

My point, while I do believe what phone you carry says a lot about you, I don’t believe that either OS is better than the other. What really matters is that going into this new year, we all have a lot to look forward to. From the iPhone 6 (or will Apple surprise us all and change the name!?), iOS8, to the next round of Android phones and Lollipop, we all have a lot to look forward to in 2014.

Until next time: may the Force be with you. Live long and prosper. So say we all. Now let’s go steal us a new year.