Android Apps vs iPhone Apps – Which Apps are Better?

The debate over which selection of apps is better – the iPhone Apps or the Android Apps – is wrought with subjective pitfalls and unlikely ever to be settled to any significant degree. This type of discussion is inherently going to suck in emotional opinions that, for many users, are unyielding.

So, separating out the opinions of the Apple zealots and Google fans, and the die-in-the wool haters of each brand as well, and leaving the discussion to everyday users who are looking for convenience, variety and efficiency – both platforms have clear advantages and disadvantages. In other words, there is no clear winner. At least not now.

But there are clear differences that can be analyzed as an overall comparison that demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of both varieties of apps.

When vetting the merits of iPhone apps and their Android counterparts, it is helpful to first consider the marketplace for each. The Android market is open source – meaning any developer can add its apps – so there have been problems with quality and security when it comes to available downloads. The iStore is strictly controlled by Apple so its apps – overall – are of a better quality and there have been no instances of malware or viruses being distributed. Android can’t say that. Android; however, may be more appealing for penny pinchers because roughly half of its 70,000 or so apps are free. Apple, on the other hand, has nearly 140,000 apps available at the iStore, but only about one-third are free.

For some time now, game apps have been one of the most popular smart phone downloads. Here, the iPhone has considerable advantages that are drawn, in large part, to the more rigid constrictions of the iStore marketplace. In regards to selection, iPhone beats Android hands down. There are twice as many games available for iPhone as for Android, and most of the major game makers are represented in the iStore. Conversely, most of the best game companies have yet to embrace Android for various reasons, including the chaotic nature of its marketplace.

Android regains some ground lost in games, when it comes to social networking apps. Androids use of home screen widgets for convenient access to social network apps like Facebook and Foursquare, without opening the app itself, is a distinct advantage. In general, Android apps for social networking tend to be less clunky and more usable.

Mapping apps for iPhone and Android are pretty similar and neither has distinct advantages over the other, except that Android has a built in turn-by-turn navigation system that beats the page turning directions of iPhone.

Photos, videos and music are typically better on iPhone applications; however, Pandora and similar streaming programs sometimes have advantages on Android due, again, to the widget platform that makes access quicker and easier.

The bottom line when comparing Android Apps vs iPhone Apps is personal preference. Both platforms reach enough customers that their respective markets are full of the same apps. Nuances may exist in performance and ease, but in general both iPhone and Android have solid market offerings.

Gunawan H

A father who likes to write about Smartphones, gadgets and technology

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