What does iOS have that Android doesn't?

A proper apps ecosystem and the iTunes store. If those two things were available on Android, I wouldn't be posting here.

 

What are some examples of apps on iOS that aren't on Android (and for which a reasonable equivalent doesn't exist)?

 

Apple apps, some game franchises, and some exclusive apps like iStudiez and so forth that are useful for students. There's a ton of apps out there but I really can't think of lot right now. I know there's a lot of gems in about every app category that you won't find something like on Android, like Little Crane That Could, Machine World, etc.

Then there's the fact that practically every app available for both platforms will be polished far more for iOS. The UI will almost always be generations ahead in polish.


I don't mean to sound biased. I had a Nexus S for over a year and did practically everything possible under the sun when it comes to hacking it. I'm talking custom ROM, custom kernel, custom sound/vibration drivers, custom governors, custom schedulers, custom clocks, custom volts, you name it. I was "that guy" for a long time. So there's no bias here. It's just the difference I saw between the two platforms. Android is far, far behind when it comes to apps and a consistent experience.

 

It's the experience of iOS. After using my Brother's Galaxy S3 or whatever the thing is called, I can say that the phone is great, but the operating system just isn't as polished, as smooth, as easy, as... everything. Android may be more flexible, but I'll take that hit for the ecosystem and ease of use.

 

Here are a few that I'm aware of:

• a unified inbox for email
  
• the Do Not Disturb feature
  
• iMessage (Google has a bunch of different official messengers that aren't actually compatible with each other)
  
• iTunes Match
  
• the App Store/iTunes Store are better than the Android equivalents
  
• I don't believe that Android has an equivalent to PhotoStream or other numerous other iCloud features

 

A well-integrated ecosystem. Well, how well-integrated this ecosystem is one's opinion, but to me its reasonably well-built (with a little additions desired).

 

Android doesn't run on any aesthetically pleasing phones, just lots of plastic 4.5"+ monsters.

 

1 - Quality Control
2 - see 1

 

Lol true.. I think OP meant iOS the software though

 

In addition to above points:

• A simple, unified cloud backup system (iCloud)
• A simple, unified messaging system superior to SMS and transferrable to multiple devices and even desktop Macs (iMessage)
• Unmatched technical support and warranty services
• Unmatched OS upgrade support, with iOS 6 supporting four hardware generations, more than any other mobile OS platform.
• At the moment, the iPhone is THE fastest phone on the market.
• Arguably THE best camera for a smartphone in its class (with the exception of the Nokia 808 Pureview, but while the 808 is decent as a camera, it's absolutely horrible as a smartphone)
• Fully integrated social media "baked-in" to the OS (Facebook, Twitter, Find My Friends)
• Find My iPhone, and security features (remote lock/wipe) if your phone is lost/stolen.
• Siri

Here's the thing though: if you're interesting in picking a phone platform solely on ticking off specs and items, then you might as well get an Android device. Android, and its legions of fanboys, excel at making the platform look really good on paper. Samsung pointed this out really well.

But the devil is in the details. So the Galaxy S III has NFC, for instance. Wonderful! So it's so easy to share content with my friends?... oh, wait... ONLY the ones who happen to also have Galaxy S IIIs. Not the Verizon Droid series, or any other Motorola Android users. Not the HTC One X users, nor the LG Optimus G users. Not even the ones who bought Galaxy Notes, or SIIs, another other non SIII device, even if its a Samsung.

Oh, and let's not forget that I kinda don't need NFC to share my photos, videos, and other social content, because this neat invention called Facebook (or Google+, twitter, or flickr, or youtube, among others) lets me do much of the same things.. and my friends can use any smartphone, tablet or desktop/laptop they want, and don't even need to be right there, in the same spot with me.

Suddenly, the NFC doesn't seem so useful. Nor does ShareShot, or Group Cast, or Direct Call, or the dozens of other SIII-specific features that kinda run counter to the "Android is an open platform" idea, because, well, they only work on one that phone model.

Other Android phones have similar issues: they have features that are non standard, aren't taken advantage of uniformly when it comes to apps or otherwise across the Android platform, and that ends up limiting that feature's usability quite a bit. Remove all of those single-phone specific features, and you get stock Android, which doesn't have as much to offer against iOS except some added interface customizability, and some neat live wallpaper.

Unfortunately, Android's greatest strength continues to also be its greatest weakness: the base platform is so "open" that phone manufacturers and cell carriers (who don't really care about or even like "open") can come up with their own specialized, locked-down versions with non-standard add-ons that end up fragmenting the platform, leaving its users disjointed and uneven, and having to deal with cross-device conflicts and incompatibilities. So while an Android user can snark about how iOS users have to jailbreak to get full control of their devices, they've likely gotta hunt down the right custom boot loader to root their own, allegedly "open" device.

 

I know that.

 

elegance, quality, and care.

 

quality support
less fragmentation
better apps
more streamlined linear experience
smoothness
iMessage
easy to use UI
better color saturation
better mail app
actually useful stock apps
no bloatware
faster and more responsive
software actually works with hardware, 2gb of ram means nothing if the phone comes with tons of stuff loading it down, while iOS has 1gb (512-25 on older models) that has little hiccups.
Developers can actually make money on iOS, instead of everyone having the same copy that some 30yr old pirated and not having to develop for like 50 different screen sizes.

 

An Apple logo with Apple's customer support. Need anything else?

 

Who cares what iOS has? You can buy a big Android phone with a stylus! Party like it's 1999!

 

It had a lot stuff earlier.

I waited quite some time for the first good android phones but gave up and got an iPhone.

And still, yep, a real app store with quality control, which as a developer and user is of great importance to me.

 

Unified inbox for email, yes android has that

Not 100% on how photostream works, but I believe google has similar
Take pictures with phone
auto uploaded to google
gives the option of sharing with people
can do the same on the website, upload photos, share with people

 

How is NFC different from Bluetooth anyway? Why re-invent something that all smart phones already have?

 

Yes the Google plus auto uploads pics and has no cap like photo stream. But really, Google is about getting their services onto every device possible, ero Google plus for iOS.

What does iOS have that Android doesn't? How about the patents for pinch to zoom and double tap zoom as recntly ruled by the courts, plus heaps of other gestures as can be seen on the iPad. Honestly, the navigation on Android tablets suck. The internal Android code infrastructure creates a laggy UX, cause its not as we'll built as iOS.

Don't get me wrong, infact, I'm an Android developer. Mainly cause its fun and easy to write apps for Android, but honestly, the OS's primary function is to drive Google services, which integrate with their data mining initiatives to sell better adverts.

 

I believe the App Store & iCloud are by far, Apple's greatest weapon & the reason why most people like/buy/continue to use their iOS devices. Apple has always been proud about the App Store & the multitude of apps available, just look at all the keynotes very year & you'll see that. Can you imagine iPhone without the App Store? After it was introduced in 2008, it became one of Apple's most powerful resource, & has continued to grow at an exponential rate year after year (I sound like Tim Cook..). Practically not a single soul will buy the iPhone without the App Store. Besides the powerful & impressive hardware of the iPhone 5, I can safely say right now that no one will be using their iPhone without any of their apps. And while google has developed their own App Store in an attempt to compete with Apple, it is still not up to standard even though most of the essential apps are there. Like what some of the guys pointed out above, apps for android need to adapt to the vast amount of different screen sizes and I think that alone is enough to discourage most developers from going any further/stepping in.

For iCloud, ever since Steve introduced it in his very last keynote last year, it has become a major part of most people's daily usage of their iOS devices. Now that it exists, I actually can't imagine how I can ever do without. For most parts, like what Steve famously said, "it just works." For people with more than 1 iOS devices like me, it makes the user experience much easier when you can just add a calender event/update a contact on one device, & it automatically updates on all your other devices, without you actually doing anything. And I think most people actually backs-up their devices to the cloud as well, so I think this is a major point in changing the way people use their iOS devices, while at the same time, quoting Scott Forstall, "ushering in the post-PC world".

I think both the App Store & iCloud are really significant developments, & I'm really glad Apple were the first to introduce both ideas.

 

I just like how all the Apple products play well with one another. This is what happens when you have one company make all their products (and so can better coordinate amongst them all).

Correct me if I am wrong, but till this day, I do not think that Android has a way of letting me mirror a tablet wirelessly to a screen or projector (I am doing this in my classroom).

I am not sure what sort of whiteboard apps android has (ipad, at last count, had at least 5 quality ones, and educreations, which lets me record screencasts effortlessly compared to a laptop, is currently ios only).

Photostream is great - take photo with iPhone, automatically gets transferred to ipad or mac when on the same network. One little benefit of the iphone's oblong shape - I once needed to do a recording of myself teaching in class, and did not have time to borrow a tripod and camcorder. I just propped my iphone standing up on an inverted cardboard box resting on a table. The height and angle was just perfect. I don't think you can get a S3 to stand up like that unsupported.

I am also not the sort willing to spend time tinkering with my devices, so Apple's simplified OS is perfect for my needs. I am not really interested in stuff like widgets or live wallpapers either.

In short, maybe android wins in terms of sheer power, but it is all these niche little features that they probably lack because different companies won't bother coming together to discuss how best their products can integrate with one another.

 

I'm surprised nobody has mention this yet.

An Apple Store. I physical presence where I can take my phone to be looked at, with the ability to walk out with a replacement phone the same day, instead of having to mail the phone and wait a week for a replacement.

 

What part of iCloud were Apple the first to introduce?