Android vs. iOS

[das_peikko]

Which one is more virus resistant? Is Android like Windows that gets viruses all the time?

I'm a Mac person and I'm leery of getting an Android phone; although they are cheaper.

 

[rubberchicken]

Disclaimer- I worked for a few different telecom R&D and carriers for many years. That said, our customer problem rates were lower for Apple products. Depending on the brand and iOS version, at best it was about even between Samsung and Apple. Most of the other brands were worse than Apple. But overall defect rates were generally low, so I think the real answer lies in your statement that " I am a Mac person". Since you have brand loyalty to Apple, you will probably have better satisfaction if you bought an Apple. We never had much of a problem with viri and Apple phones, it was usually Android or buggy Android apps. At this stage in smart phone development, I do not see any killer app that convinces me to lean either way, so I advise people to go with whatever they are comfortable using.

One thing I do advise- avoid anything Huawei. Phones, toasters, washers and dryers: its either spying on you, or using stolen IP.

 

[Brybo86]

Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Disclaimer- I worked for a few different telecom R&D and carriers for many years. That said, our customer problem rates were lower for Apple products.

Hard to have REAL problems when the phone is only used to check facebook and snapchat.

 

[Skippy722]

Android: more open, way more apps since Google doesn't have too approve every single one, is used on far far more devices than iOS which means Android is the bigger target, operating system is pretty fractured

iOS: Apple maintains a very tight reign on EVERYTHING, far fewer apps but they're individually scrutinized by Apple, Apple enables drive encryption standard, far far less OS fracturing thanks to apples tight reign on everything

Both use sandboxing, which will limit any impact a particular app could do.

If you're a Mac person, you'll be happier with an iPhone. Coming from someone who's used MacOS, Windows, and Linux, as well as iOS and Android. My androids were always just okay, but my iPhones have always been great. I can see why people love Android, I also see why people love iOS.

 

[Revving2Redline]

I bought a Sony Experia XA2 Ultra so it would coordinate with my Android Sony 4K TV. I keep the Android because its all I know AND it has a 3.5mm jack. I guess its all preference. My buddy is a techy and was able to add 128GB to my phone in a few minutes.

 

[csandste]

Things occasionally get in Playstore for a short time but it's a rarity. Android is pretty secure unless you're side loading from outside sources. I'd think, however, that Apple is a much more controlled environment. I'll never use Apple because I'm a bit of a libertarian and don't like utter centralized control for anything. That's why I use Linux on my desk top. But if absolute safety is paramount and you enjoy Apple in everything else I'm sure you'd like that too.

 

[NO2]

Apple updates IOS fairly frequently, and for many years. 4-5 year old phones still can run the current OS version. Google only gives updates for 1-2 years if you are lucky (dependent on OEM). From a security perspective IOS is superior over the long term. Android phones are generally cheaper and have more features at the same price point. We have both and they are pretty similar, as long as you have stock android. I find the OEM add-ons slow down the phone and don't add much value.

If your budget is constrained you can pick up a used Apple phone (swappa.com is a good source) fairly reasonably. The Pixel 3a seems to be the current new favorite at around $400, and Google will up date it frequently as a Google branded phone.

 

[csandste]

Good point. I like Moto cause it's relatively stock. Some OEMs load in so much bloat that things get unusable quick. I paid for Metal (never before or since) cause it was much lighter than Facebook+Messenger but both mysteriously appeared after an update. Stuff like that ticks me off.

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted by das_peikko
Which one is more virus resistant? Is Android like Windows that gets viruses all the time?

I'm a Mac person and I'm leery of getting an Android phone; although they are cheaper.


1. Apple products are far more "virus resistant" its the nature of the compartmentalized operating system that is built with security as a top priority, Android similar maybe but a lot less control over apps that run on the system. Android is most popular and by default also the target of more attacks. Rarely do you hear of Iphone hacks vs Android.

2. I dont know if I would use the words "gets viruses all the time" for Android like Windows but it is more the wild west in the Android Playstore vs Apple App Store.

3. My personal phone is an Android which I prefer over my work provided Iphone.
But maybe with that said I do know/feel, if price didnt matter Apple is more secure for sure, at the same time, its Apple's right in our free world to make all the money it wants, it profit margins show that, but their products to me are way over priced for what you get.
However once again, if you willing to pay APPLE their HUGE markups on their products, they do offer more security.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Viruses on smartphones are very rare. The real issue is the information collected by individual APPS especially "free" ones. Android has a larger ecosystem so there are going to be more apps which could collect user data that they don't need.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by NO2
Apple updates IOS fairly frequently, and for many years. 4-5 year old phones still can run the current OS version. Google only gives updates for 1-2 years if you are lucky (dependent on OEM). From a security perspective IOS is superior over the long term. Android phones are generally cheaper and have more features at the same price point. We have both and they are pretty similar, as long as you have stock android. I find the OEM add-ons slow down the phone and don't add much value.

If your budget is constrained you can pick up a used Apple phone (swappa.com is a good source) fairly reasonably. The Pixel 3a seems to be the current new favorite at around $400, and Google will up date it frequently as a Google branded phone.


Updates are largely a hardware issue due to deteriorated batteries and/or slow hardware.

 

[redhat]

Android for Work or Android Enterprise in it's latest incarnation has made Android a serious contender in the enterprise smartphone world. Combine that with a solid MDM (Airwatch/VMware Workspace One), and devices are easy to manage and work well.

 

[Donald]

I do not think either is like Windows. I would worry more about phone being stolen and info pulled from it than virus.

 

[Donald]

Many including myself have a work iPhone. But it only has a few work related applications. Nothing I put on it. So I am not sure comparing a "work" vs "personal" phone is valid, be it iPhone or Android.

 

[UG_Passat]

With Android, in most cases, the updates needs to be filtered by each phone manufacturer before it gets to your own phone, with some exceptions:

Google Pixel phones, since the brand is Google, they make the android software... it's more direct. Then there is Android One which gets updates directly from Google.

I just got a Motorola Moto X4 Android One 64 GB for $200 at Amazon, I had to do a lot of updates to go from Android 8.# to Android 9.0 Pie. I really wanted a Samsung Galaxy S10, but I didn't want to pay around $1000 for a phone, even though its internal memory is starting around 128 GB.

 

[LeakySeals]

I'm the only one in the house with an Android. Enjoy playing with it. Enjoy the freedom to decide whats on it.. Never had a virus. But IMO you should stay apple. The sound is superior. And that battery life.. Its way better than an android. Maybe 3X as long.

 

[csandste]

Originally Posted by LeakySeals
I'm the only one in the house with an Android. Enjoy playing with it. Enjoy the freedom to decide whats on it.. Never had a virus. But IMO you should stay apple. The sound is superior. And that battery life.. Its way better than an android. Maybe 3X as long.

My Moto E4 has a battery that last for days.

 

[Alfred_B]

The apps gathering information in the background and sharing are a much bigger deal than traditional viruses. Both phone types are designed to remove any expectations for privacy, and some apps may take advantage of that moreso than others.

 

[alarmguy]

Battery life is determined by the manufacturer of the phone, not the operating system.
Havent owned an Android phone with less then 2 day battery life in years now and one just needs to choose a phone with a large battery if that is your wish.

As far as privacy only a small percentage of people actually go into Androids settings to remove permissions for the Apps. Im one who does but most have no clue, the options are there though and SIMPLE to do, out of the box I think Apple is a little better then this, letting you know when your being tracked ect. (less hoops to jump through)

Another big battery savings and some added privacy is to simply turn on your "Data" saver on your Android device, it will pretty much shut down apps until you open them, instead of allowing them to constantly run in the background. You also have endless options for some apps you may want to keep running. Again, the manufacturers know 80% or more people will never bother to learn and do even though they make it simple.

 

[rubberchicken]

Originally Posted by Brybo86
Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Disclaimer- I worked for a few different telecom R&D and carriers for many years. That said, our customer problem rates were lower for Apple products.

Hard to have REAL problems when the phone is only used to check facebook and snapchat.


I am not sure I follow what your trying to say. A problem could be hardware, software, usability issue etc. If a customer calls in for help, or creates a service request via the web, then it costs money to solve the problem. If you seriously neglect solving problems then the customer will take their money elsewhere. Plenty of people use smart phones for all sorts of serious apps, and poke fun at Facebook all you want, but its a seriously impressive piece of technology on the phone side. I sort of expect great things on the backend with all the money at stake, but the frontend is still impressive.