iPhone vs. Android — the most intense argument in the phone world. We don't play favorites here at TG though, so we want to instead explain some of the key differences between the two operating systems so you can best figure out which suits you best.
iOS 18 and Android 14 (soon to be Android 15) are the latest versions of the two competing operating systems, both offer smooth and user-friendly experiences, and several similar or identical features. But there are still important differences to be aware of that could sway you to one more over the other.
Pitting iPhone vs. Android, we take a look at the respective strengths of each mobile platform, so you can pick the right one for you the next time you buy a smartphone. If you want to see the current flagships for Android and iOS, be sure to check out our Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max for an overall impression of the latest phones in each camp compare. And if you're convinced you want to leave your iPhone, read more about how to set up an Android phone to make the move over as easy as possible.
iPhone vs Android: Why iPhone is better
You're invested in Apple's ecosystem. This might seem like a shallow reason, but Apple obviously makes a wide breadth of tech products, and if you already own a Mac, iPad or Apple Watch, getting an iPhone makes a lot of sense.
Apple has designed a multitude of continuity features that allow you to carry over work and data from one of its devices to another, and these features can certainly save you time. Take Handoff, for example, where calls on your iPhone and web pages in Safari can move seamlessly between iOS and macOS. Universal Clipboard makes text copied on one platform usable on the other. Another one of our favorites is Continuity Camera, which allows you to take pictures and scan documents using your iPhone's camera, and then view and edit them on your Mac. You can even complete purchases on your Mac by using biometric authentication features on your iPhone via Apple Pay. And finally, there's StandBy mode that transforms the iPhone into a handy deskside companion.
Only a handful of Android phone makers have hardware ecosystems that approach Apple's, and even for some that come close, like Samsung, you won't get the depth of integration possible between the iPhone and other Apple-built devices. Microsoft is helping Google close the gap somewhat with its new Your Phone app for Windows, which allows Android users to respond to texts and notifications on their PCs, though the experience is a little clunky and there is still work to be done.
There are many other great examples of continuity across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and macOS — and the iPhone is a critical component in that puzzle, especially now that iPhone apps can be seamlessly ported to macOS. Power users already immersed in Apple's ecosystem can stand to gain a lot by adding an iPhone to their repertoire. And that's to say nothing of friends and family members who prefer to use iMessage and FaceTime to keep in touch.
The third-party apps are just better. This one is definitely down to personal preference, but as someone who has jumped back and forth between iOS and Android, I've been consistently blown away by the quality of apps built by iOS developers, and mostly disappointed in their Android counterparts.
Don't get me wrong — there's great software and developers on Android, but they're harder to find, in my experience. Many of the best photo editing apps, for example, are better laid out on iPhones than their Android counterparts.
You may even find that apps from established companies, ranging from banks to airlines, are a bit smoother and cleaner on iOS than Android, with better integration with the phone's core services, like Wallet.
There's a bigger selection of accessories. Walk into any Best Buy or Target, and you'll find aisles of cases for every iPhone that Apple makes — something that certainly cannot be said for the Android contingent outside of flagship devices from the biggest companies. Once you get past the semi-healthy selection of products made for the latest Galaxy S device, you're out of luck. Don't bother expecting a choice of accessories for your new Pixel or Motorola handset at any brick-and-mortar retailer. Sure, you could go online and snag a $4 case off of Amazon, but then you're guaranteed to get what you pay for.
The selection and availability of iPhone cases, screen protectors, car mounts and other goodies is simply far greater than you'll find for any other phone, and that's more important than most people realize. iPhone owners will never have the problem of not finding a case to their liking. There's also all the 3-in-1 MagSafe chargers that accessory makers clearly give priority to iPhones, which transforms compatible iPhones into digital picture frames and smart home hubs when they're used in conjunction with StandBy Mode.
There are enhanced privacy controls with app tracking notifications. One of the biggest recent iOS releases introduced app tracking notifications, allowing you to opt out of apps tracking you across your phone. This was a major win for privacy advocates and a huge blow to many third-party companies, like Facebook.
Android simply doesn't have this feature and we doubt it ever will. Don't get stuck in the belief that iOS is inherently more private than Android, since Apple still collects a ton of data about you, but iOS still has a bit more resilience when it comes to third-parties. It's so satisfying to deny an app the ability to track you.
There's no bloatware. No matter how you buy your iPhone, where you buy it from or what iPhone you buy, you won't see any bloatware preinstalled when you boot it up for the first time. That means it's clean from the very start, with no power- or data-siphoning apps you didn't ask for sabotaging things behind the scenes.
That's a relief if you've ever seen the way a new Android phone arrives out of the box — particularly one that you've bought through a carrier. Even spending $1,800 on a Galaxy Z Fold 6 doesn't spare AT&T customers from the affront of seeing software like CNN and DirecTV Now cluttering their app drawers. And it can be even worse if you buy a budget handset that has been heavily subsidized by a discount carrier.
Android buyers who purchase one of the best unlocked phones without a service agreement will have better luck avoiding bloatware. It also depends on the company. For example, unlocked Pixel phones aren't mired down by any third-party apps; on the other hand, it's not totally unheard of for some unlocked handsets to come with the odd unwelcome sponsored software (or ads). OnePlus is a recent example of this, and Samsung's ads on its smartphones have become notoriously annoying.
You get quicker software updates. Android phones get fewer updates than iPhones, and when they do, they happen less frequently and are often delayed with the exception of Google's Pixels.
The number of updates an Android phone sees over the course of its lifetime depends largely on how expensive it is, what carrier you buy it from (or if it's even purchased from a carrier at all) and what the phone maker's software support policy is. Update policies from Android phone makers have been improving in recent years but Apple is still offering more. Take the iPhone XR, for example, which received iOS 18, even though it originally launched almost six years ago.
What's more, when a new iOS version is released, it is available to everyone on the same day, at the same time, and can be installed on all models that support it instantaneously. By contrast, Android releases are rolled out in waves to individual phones, not just by model.
It has better retail support. Let's say something goes horribly wrong with your iPhone, and you need to get it serviced. Or perhaps you want a screen protector installed on it, and you'd rather have it handled by a professional, who will slap that film on with nary a bubble or speck of dust. Whatever your issue is, it's nice to have a place to go — and what better place for iPhone users than the Apple Store.
Owners of Android phones don't necessarily enjoy that luxury. If you need a new battery or a screen replacement and you didn't purchase a protection plan from the retailer you bought it from, you'll probably have to ship it back to the manufacturer. That's quite a time-consuming hassle, given how much we all depend on our phones day in and day out. Some reputable repair shops like uBreakiFix help bridge the gap a bit, like for Pixel phones.
iPhone vs Android: Why Android is better
There are phones at every price. The vast majority of the world's smartphones run Android, and because so many companies build Android handsets, they're available at every price range. There are cheap phones under the $500 mark like the Pixel 8a, as well as some of the best small phones and best big phones, and phablets and foldables far exceeding $1,000. No matter how much you can spend, chances are you can find an Android device that fits your budget or offers exclusive features.
The same cannot be said for iPhones, which historically have been expensive at launch, only to come down in price after successive generations. The least-expensive iPhone that Apple offers is the iPhone SE (2022), which is a fantastic device with phenomenal performance for just $429, though its design is dated, and its screen will be too small for some.
It's more customizable. Though both iOS and Android have evolved over the years, Android has always had a reputation for being the platform for users who like to tinker and personalize their devices. That starts with the home screen launcher, which offers dynamic widgets and the ability to place apps anywhere on a page or in a drawer, out of sight — something the iPhone has caught up to with iOS 14. You can even swap out your Android phone's launcher with an alternative downloaded from the Google Play store.
Android also lets you download third-party replacements for core services — like web browsers, keyboards and media players — and set them as the default versions if you prefer a third-party app to one that was preinstalled on your phone. iOS has improved in this regard over the years, though the implementation is still somewhat clunky.
Finally, we have to talk about manufacturer skins — bespoke user interfaces and Android system software that are customized by certain phone makers, offering extra features and, often, the ability to create themes for your experience from top to bottom. Some Android fans prefer Google's "stock" interpretation of Android. However, but lots of users like phone makers' custom software, like Samsung's One UI or OnePlus' OxygenOS, because of their extra capabilities, such as the ability to take scrolling screenshots and hide photos and videos in password-protected folders.
But Google changed things up with Android 12, which brings with it the new Material You design language. This direction builds upon the last several years of Android's look and feel, offering more personalization. There's a pseudo-theming system which adapts to the colors in your wallpapers and applies that shade system-wide.
You can (sometimes) expand the storage. Although expandable storage is somewhat less popular these days, some Android phones still offer it. This allows you to use a microSD card to keep photos, apps and other media that won't fit on your device's internal memory.
That's an amazing benefit, given the exorbitant prices that Apple and other phone makers charge to double or quadruple storage when you buy your handset. Why tack on another $100 to $150 to the price of a new phone just for an extra 128GB or 256GB of storage (that you're not even sure you'll need) when you can just drop $70 on a 512GB card later?
Additionally, while it's certainly becoming more of a rarity on high-end phones these days, some Android devices still come with headphone jacks — a hotly requested feature Apple retired from its phones in 2016. That's a big deal to people who still love to use their trusty old wired headphones.
USB-C is universal. Android phones largely rely on USB-C ports for charging and data transfer these days, which is super convenient if you're one of those people who really likes to pack light and carry only one cable. USB-C is also on many PCs these days, as well as on the Nintendo Switch. It's a beautiful thing.
Apple only switched to USB starting with the iPhone 15, so older models are still stuck with the Lightning port. But it's going to take a long time before every iPhone user has moved on from a device with a Lightning port.
There's an actual file system (with drag-and-drop support on PC). Most people don't need to get their hands dirty with their smartphone's file system. Still, it's good to know that Android gives you that option, if you desire it. Even better, when you plug an Android handset into a Windows PC, you can very easily drag and drop files into folders, as if the device were just another drive.
That means your media libraries and documents are a snap to carry over and store locally, and you don't have to subscribe to a monthly cloud service if you have an especially large library. iPhones obscure the file system from the user for everything except photos, which can be very frustrating for dealing with music, documents and other forms of media.
Some Android phones, like the Galaxy S24 series, even have special PC or display projection features, that let you use view and use your device in a desktop capacity. Samsung's DeX interface is one such example of this. With such versatility, a high-end Android phone could legitimately function as a replacement for one of the best Chromebooks or similarly ultraportable laptops.
Innovative features usually land on Android phones first. Sure, Apple's coffers are pretty stacked. However, it is just one company, with one philosophy. As a result, iOS can be slow — or at least slower than the Android community — to adapt to emerging technologies.
With so many companies building Android phones, it's little surprise that Android partners tend to beat Apple to the market with innovations in the mobile space. Wireless charging, fast charging, NFC, 4G LTE, 5G, OLED displays, in-screen fingerprint sensors, water resistance and multi-lens cameras all landed on Android devices before iPhones, as well as software breakthroughs like true multitasking, copy and paste and multiwindow support.
Of course, this isn't to say Apple hasn't delivered breakthroughs of its own. The iPhone X wasn't the first phone with face recognition, but it was the first with one that worked reliably and securely. However, far more Android phones are released from a variety of vendors every year, so it's just a matter of scale that hardware running Google's platform is swifter to adapt.
Which should you choose?
So then, iPhone or Android: Which should you choose? Both platforms have pros and cons, and, as with many purchase decisions, your choice will depend on what you value most.
Owning an iPhone is a simpler, more convenient experience. There's less to think about, and because Apple's iPhone represents the single most popular brand of smartphone, there's an abundance of support everywhere you go — whether you need your battery replaced or you're just trying to pick up a new case. There's also the iMessage draw, at least in the U.S.
Android-device ownership is a bit harder in those respects. Yet it's simultaneously more freeing, because it offers more choice — choice of how much you want to spend, choice of hardware and software features, and choice in how you organize and personalize your experience. If you're extremely particular about the technology you use, you might find Android more liberating — dare I say, fun — though you'll also likely lament the relative lack of high-quality apps (e.g. Twitter) and accessories.
If you're wondering which particular device you should switch to, there's no better place to start than our lists of the best iPhones and best Android phones. Whichever device you pick, just make sure it fits with your operating system preferences.
