I’ve said it time and time again: technology is now a major part of our world. Our society as a whole has seen some major improvements and upgrades thanks to the overwhelming number of technological advances in recent years. One of the largest and most important technological upgrades to come along has been the introduction of the smartphone. While smartphones were not new when the iPhone came around in 2007, the very first of Apple’s high-tech smartphones helped push the product into the mainstream market. Soon after Apple had released the iPhone, another mobile operating system was making its way onto non-Apple smartphones: Android. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Android and iOS are the two most popular mobile operating systems on the planet, and they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. One favors simplicity and optimization of hardware and power, while the other excels in customization. But in today’s digital world, security is just as important as any other new age feature. But which operating system does it better?
Android
One of the most attractive aspects of the Android operating system is the fact that it is incredibly customizable. Not only can end users completely redesign their Android-operated phones with launchers, skins and wallpapers, but manufacturers, like Samsung and LG, can make their own versions of Android for their specific phones. Android phones also have a tendency to be popular with those who are incredibly familiar with technology, as they can take that customization even further by digging into the code of the operating system and create video game emulators and access free, and illegal, movies and music. The reason Android is so customizable is because it is an open source operating system. This means that anybody can have access to the code for the operating system. While this allows for a lot of creative freedom, it also creates some drawbacks, mainly in performance and security. Android has been host to several different viruses over the years, most recently the infamous StageFright virus. The StageFright virus allowed hackers to perform arbitrary actions remotely on any Android devices running on Android 2.2 or higher.
iOS
When it comes to safety and security, few names are as prevalent as Apple. Apple not only ensures maximum security on its iPhones, but also on its other products, like their Macs, iPads, Apple Watches and iPods. The reason iOS is able to offer a higher level of safety is because it is not an open source code. Apple keeps the source code kept hidden incredibly well and does not allow such easy access to third-party manufacturers. This coupled with the fact that Apple has an incredibly tight grip on its ecosystem and App Store, makes for an incredibly secure device. Features like Touch ID and Apple Pay allow you to store credit card and fingerprint information directly on the device, and although Android operating systems offer similar features, the devices are just not as secure. Now, that isn’t to say that iOS has never been victim to a virus or malware. iOS has seen its fair share of issues, but Apple tends to resolve these issues incredibly quickly, and they can push out updates to their devices incredibly quickly, whereas with Android, if a security issue is resolved, an update may not be able to go out to end users as quickly as with iOS.
In the end, both operating systems offer different user experiences, each with their own pros and cons. However, in terms of security, iOS seems to be the better choice. So if you are basing your next smartphone purchase solely on security, go for an iPhone.