Android has been accused of its high level of insecurity by Apple fans, something that can be termed as arguable, especially when looking at the latest versions of the OS.
Despite all this hype, it appears that there is nothing that separates the new Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones from the latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus when it comes to security matters. This is a bold statement to put across, but it comes from a top director of Android security at Google, Adrian Ludwig.
The new Pixel and Pixel XL phones are running on the latest Android 7.1 Nougat, which makes sense considering the nifty security and privacy-enhancing features that the OS comes with. This revelation will be met with lots of controversies, especially from Apple fans who have always seen Android as an inferior and less secure OS when compared to iOS. However, there is no doubt that Google has made some huge strides in the recent past.
The latest Android Nougat OS comes with a feature known as Safety Net. This feature will scan all Android devices as well as apps to ensure that there is no malicious development around them. This is just one of the features that keep adding security aspects to Android.
Google’s latest additions to the smartphone world – Pixel and Pixel XL – boast one of the most secure operating systems. According to Ludwig, these phones make part of the 99% of all Android devices out there that have no malware or rather Potentially Harmful Applications, whatsoever. With this in mind, the Android security director says that these two phones are “for sure” just as secure as Apple’s latest additions – iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
One problem with Google is that the new Android 7.1 Nougat is only available for the Pixel and Pixel XL whereas iOS 10 is powering a huge list of iPhones and not just iPhone 7. With this in mind, it is easy to say that not so many Android devices out there can be compared to the iPhone when it comes to security. Given that it takes ages for OEMs to bring their devices up to speed with respect to Android updates, it still makes it easy to also argue that this platform is still miles away from closing down the security gap between the OS and Apple’s iOS.
Nonetheless, if security was hindering you from making the switch to Android, well, you can at least start with the Google Pixel or Pixel XL phone.