I’ll admit it: I’m an Android fanboy. While I recommend iOS to the average consumer, I have a hard time respecting any tech junkie who prefers iOS. Sure, iOS has it’s strengths, but Android excels in many areas in my personal opinion. I have a lot of experience with both operating systems, and today I’m here to point out Android’s biggest weakness.
Speed and Optimization
Plain and simple, speed and optimization are where Android falls behind. If you pay attention to PhoneBuff’s YouTube channel, they regularly hold speed tests of the latest flagship Android phones, which go up against the iPhone 6s. As of the writing of this article, no phone, not even the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Snapdragon AND Exynos) have been able to beat the iPhone. So how is it that the latest flagship phones are stuffed with double the RAM the iPhone has, yet are so lacking in performance?
How Apple Is the Optimization King
Apple optimizes their software with 1 thing: their hardware. By only allowing iOS to run on their specific hardware, this ensures that they can get the experience as clean and robust as possible. It’s simple and pure – it’s iOS. It’s no wonder Android is always lacking, when companies – *cough* Samsung – add skins – *cough* TouchWiz – on top of the OS. In addition to that, each carrier adds their own bloat! Also, not every company is going to optimize Android to it’s fullest for their hardware. The simple fact that Android can run on all hardware leaves it open for slowness. In my honest opinion, the only way Google could compete with iOS in speed is by taking on Apple’s business model and restricting Android to Nexus devices only.
Here’s Why Some Slowness Is Ok
While iOS is hands down faster, Android users don’t care about the best speed. Android users care about customization. We don’t want to be thrown in a box – both a software and hardware box. We don’t want to be forced to pick from 2-3 hardware options “or else.” We want freedom. That’s why iOS hasn’t completely crushed Android. Having the ability to choose our specs, screen resolution, camera, and all the other bells and whistles are what keeps Android users coming back for more. Not to mention the customization of the software itself.
Conclusion
While iOS is faster, Android keeps up the fight by giving freedom to it’s users. iOS is more stable and optimized, which is convenient for the average consumer, but tech junkies such as me love Android.
