The growth of Android and iOS has come a long way and there is no doubting that these two are now much better than what they were a few years ago.
Unless you are such a die-hard fan of either platform, choosing between which OS is better than the other, especially between the newest Android 7.0 Nougat and iOS 10, can be really confusing. To help you differentiate the two, here are a number of features that set the two apart.
Improved productivity vs. improved messaging
Apple’s iMessage has been overtaken by the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger in terms of popularity. As a result, the iPhone maker decided to put a little extra effort in the messaging aspects of iOS 10. Users will be able to digitally “write” messages and add extra details via stickers as well as via rich links. In the latter cases, users can even preview content before they decide to click on the full link.
Since Google’s messaging ideas had already been redirected to Allo, the search engine giant’s Android 7.0 Nougat focused more on productivity. Users will come across a multi-window feature that allows for viewing of two apps side by side. Double tapping the Overview button on a device will let users easily switch between the two most recent apps. It gets even better with Quick Reply where users can respond to notifications without launching the main app.
Apple ups Siri as Google goes for Virtual Reality
Apple has had a turbulent year 2015 – a happening that has seen the company slip behind Samsung in terms of U.S. smartphone sales in the past two quarters. With the company looking to attract more customers, it has begun in the modest way possible – allowing third-party developers to take advantage of Siri. This will open up the iOS 10 platform for use with other apps, something that could be convincing for some since the likes of Google Now or Google Assistant only work with Google-based products.
In addition to bettering Google Now with the introduction of Google Assistant, the search engine giant went further to put emphasize on Virtual Reality (VR) following its debut Cardboard. Android 7.0 Nougat comes with a VR mode that can be paired with Daydream VR to give users a full 3D experience. The good side of the story is that this VR mode will not only be supported by Google apps such as YouTube but third-party apps such as Hulu, which is already on board, will also be part of the experience.
Android 7.0 Nougat is better at battery and data saving
Android is getting better and better when it comes to battery saving and data saving as well. With Nougat, users will get two save features – a Doze feature that will put your a device into low-power mode whenever the phone is not in use and a Data Saver feature that will block apps from running in the background when using cellular data.
Enhanced notifications systems
Android 7.0 Nougat and iOS 10 both have enhanced their notifications systems. Those using Android Nougat can now respond to notifications right from the notifications panel, without the need for opening the main app. Users of the new Android OS will also get access to a Bundled Notifications feature where they will be able to see their most recent notifications put together in one spot.
As for those on iOS 10, Cupertino has come in with rich notifications’ support. This means that users will be able to view and respond to messages right from the notification with no need for opening the app as well. Apple has gone further to include a raise-to-wake feature that lets users see their notifications as soon as they pick up their iPhones from where they left them, this eliminating the need for pressing the Home button.
Some Android 7.0 Nougat devices have an almost similar feature in the shape of Always On display. This feature keeps a section of the screen on always so as users can easily check their notifications without having to press any button on the phone.
Security improvements
Apple has rolled out several beta versions of iOS 10 so far and apparently, it seems the iPhone maker has been busy with security improvements, especially when it comes to vulnerabilities that have been discovered by different security firms in recent years. As for Google, the story is the same and you can be assured that Android 7.0 Nougat brings more security than any previous Android OS. One major highlight is the Direct Boot feature where apps are scanned to ensure of their secure nature before a device boots.
What do you think about the two OSes? Let us know in the comments.