iOS 4 vs Android 2.2 – War is Over

iPhone OS 4 vs Android2.2iOS4 came with most awaited features: Multitasking and several others and now all new iPhone 4 released at WWDC 2010. But what does it take to trash the dream? Simple, more innovation.

Google announced Android 2.2 codenamed Froyo at it’s yearly Developer conference: Google I/O 2010. The latest release brings some tasty features that makes iPhone OS look ugly. Let’s go ahead and compare what these two OS can do, as per today.

The Android already multitasks, and does a better job than does iOS 4. I regularly listen to Pandora while doing many other things with my Droid, and have been ever since I bought the device.

It’s nice to see that iPhone users can now do this…some of them, i.e.  Apple has limited multi-tasking to seven specific kinds of services. Android does not have that limit. Apple says it imposed the limit in order to preserve battery life. I say give the user freedom to do what he wants, including running down his battery too fast.

iOS4 now lets you change your wallpaper. Once again, Android has had that for quite some time. So there’s nothing to brag about there.

Update: Launch of iPhone 4 with iOS 4 still doesn’t change much, overall scenario is still similar.

iPhone 4  iOS4 vs. Android 2.2

Feature

iOS 4

Android 2.2 Froyo

MultiTouch

Phenomenal Multitouch
interface, great UI, unbeatable
gestures

Good Multitouch interface, good UI, decent gestures.

Multitasking

Yes. Looking closely, apps pause in the background, cripple multi-tasking. Apps except VoIP, Streaming, don’t execute in background, no matter what.

Full Multitasking, OS allows full background processing on demand,
kernel controls and kills apps when low on resources.

Push/Cloud Notifications

PUSH notifications, cloud notifications to trigger apps.

Apart from what iPhone does, Cloud notifications can initiate Intents (Actions) within defined applications. E.g. open a map with a specific route from PC, without touching phone.

Sync/Backup

Contacts, email, calendar, apps, music, videos Only via iTunes

Wirelessly sync Contacts, email, calendar apps, Apps settings (app
data) over 3g, Wifi. Sync
multiple devices by Automatically getting apps on new phone with same Google
login

Corporate/Business users
Features

Exchange support, VPN client, email sync, Remote Wipe

Exchange support, VPN client, email sync, Remote Wipe plus Open API
(Device Admin API) for further extending the scope.

App Installation

From app Store or via USB
iTunes sync

From Marketplace or remotely from PC/Mac via Online marketplace.
Choose any Android phone (if you have multiple) and app gets installed
automatically.

Music download/Sync

iTunes via USB or iTunes store on iphone.

Over the Air (OTA) transfer to phone without touching the phone from
PC or via any 3rd party stores.

Stream Music from PC to phone

Use 3rd party apps

New Official plugin (Simplified media) works with iTunes, Windows
media player and lets you stream any media onDemand right to your Android
device.

Gaming

Much bigger,better gaming
base

Small gaming base, but newer, powerful OpenGL APIs, and Dalvik VM JIT are making Android more
powerful for all the existing and future apps.

Game Social Networks

Xbox Live alike social
network for iPhone gamers

Unavailable

Internet Browser

Safari Browser is decent on speeds

Nexus one
was already faster than iPhone 3GS
OS 4.0, Android 2.2 makes Javascript run 2-4x times faster using Chrome’s V8 engine making it World’s Fastest Mobile Browser. And Froyo support Flash Player 10.1 with Multitouch

No. Of Apps

Nearly 180,000

50,000

App Updates

Individual, Update all at a time

Individual, Update all, Automatic App updates as soon as update
becomes available

App Performance

No App performance improvements in 4.0 from 3.1.3 or 3.1.x

Dalvik VM’s JIT (Just in time compiler) is now enabled, all existing apps (which already run fast vs. iPhone) would run 2x – 4x times faster than Android 2.1

App Feedback/Crash Reports

Users can rate the Apps and judge based on that

Users can see Ratings, Failures, Crashes and Complete Java StackTrace of failures

Tethering

Bluetooth + USB. Wifi only on Jailbroken devices

USB + Wifi out of the box. No word on bluetooth

Turn by turn Navigation

Good apps available, but not for free

Google Maps Navigation is the most superior navigation app, yet, free

eBook reading

Superior iBooks + Kindle reader

Inferior 3rd party apps, Kindle coming soon.

UI customizations: Widgets, Skins, themes

Only wallpapers

Everything: Themes, Widgets, Skins, Multi-Screen Wallpapers

Hardware access from Browser

GPS location via GeoLocation API

Upcoming access to magnetometer, accelerometer, GPS, Camera,
microphone and more

Integrated Search

Search email, sms, app names instantly

Google search, apps, search within apps (when supported by app)

Notifications

Decent Notification manager, can get annoying.

Notifications hide smartly and are easily accessible when needed.

P.S. At this time I own both Nexus One and iPhone, and I can’t stop loving what Google is doing to the Android.

Related: iPhone 4 vs. Android – Why Apple has lost it

For latest Google, Open Source, iPhone, Android, Tech news @taranfx on Twitter or subscribe below:

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52 thoughts on “iOS 4 vs Android 2.2 – War is Over”

  1. Are you positive on the USER being able ANR's and FC's for Android? I was under the impression that this was a developer feature. For instance, some Googler's must have my app because I've got a few bug reports in my web console now.

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  2. Sync/Backup

    iPhone:
    Contacts, email, calendar, apps, music, videos Only via iTunes

    Android:
    Wirelessly sync Contacts, email, calendar apps, Apps settings (app
    data) over 3g, Wifi. Sync
    multiple devices by Automatically getting apps on new phone with same Google
    login

    This is wrong since the iPhone could Wirelessly sync Contacts, email, calendar, and notes over 3G, 2G, WiFi

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    • You can only sync contacts, calendars and notes over Wi-Fi if you have Mobile Me, which is overpriced and WORSE than Gmail. If you use Google/Yahoo/Hotmail etc. you can only sync through iTunes.

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  3. Oooh the war is over eh? Remember customer service? Basically, you'd better keep that precious Nexus One or Hero in perfect condition, because remember Google is “only” a software company.

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    • um HTC has been replacing phones with problems even if rooted and custom roms on a here is your new phone no questions asked basis 🙂

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    • HTC, not Google, provides the support for those handsets, and HTC has great support. Unlike Apple, they will overnight ship you a replacement Nexus One or Hero before you send your faulty one in so long as you authorize a charge which drops once they receive the faulty handset.

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  4. I don't know about you, but I sync my email, contacts and calendar without iTunes on my iPhone. Can be done with either moblieMe or gmail's exchange services.

    My buddy just got a new Incredible. It is a nice phone, but I had to help him setup his wireless connection, and he is a technical person! So, from an ease-of-use perspective, I would say the Android is for geekier/techier types, and the iphone is for everyone else.

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    • Android phones are much more logically designed. They aren't designed for idiots, and are inherently not idiot proof. So, if you have a brain, get an Android phone, if you're an idiot, get an iPhone.

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    • How to connect to a Wi-Fi Network on Android:
      Open Settings (it's an app)
      Press Wireless Settings
      Press Wi-Fi Settings
      Choose a network
      The same as on an iPhone.
      Android is only hard to use if you're a COMPLETE IDIOT.
      In fact there's an instruction widget that is ON THE SCREEN when you start up the first time on Froyo that tells you what to do. It's very, very simple. You just have to get used to more than one button.

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      • Sorry, froyo wasn’t installed on his phone (see my post was 3 MONTHS AGO)

        Also, simple wifi might be easy, but this was enterprise wpa2. On iPhone, 2 or 3 fields, and I could connect On android 5+ fields to fill out, requiring me to know much more about the wifi configuration.
        I got it set up for my friend, but the fact that you are implying my friend is an idiot is rude.
        If you don’t have anything better to do but tofoame 3 month old posts, I would then question your own intelligence.

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  5. I don't know about you, but I sync my email, calendar and contacts all wirelessly. Can be done on iPhone with either mobileMe or google's exchange support. Email is always wireless, never through iTunes.

    My buddy just got a new Incredible. He's a technical guy, but I still had to help him get on my company's wifi network (enterprise WPA2). On my iPhone, this is dead simple, but was confusing on the android phone (it was obvious it was a linux phone). So, for ease of use, give the android to the geeks/techies, and I would recommend the iPhone to everyone else.

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    • hate to tell you this, but apple uses linux also, they just create their own flavor.

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      • Yep I think some people don't realise that Apple just took a flavour of linux and put their own interface over it

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        • Gah! Not all *NIX is “Linux”. Get that through your heads, people! >_<

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          • Lets see how simple is iOS4 and 2.2 Android, iOS wins sorry. But now in my view it does not matter becasue both phones and OS have features alike and different. Some say oh i like android, fine you like it but iPhone yes it is a great phone so it comes down to consumer likeness. Mac OS is based on linux and iOS is based on mac os. For me I own a HTC EVO 4G and ordered the DROID X and don't enjoy as much as my iPhone 4. BTW I live in America

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          • “Mac OS is based on linux”

            Holy crap! Have you not read what both Aguy, Paco, and I have already said? BSD is NOT Linux! How many iTards are going to keep repeating this drivel?

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    • I am rathe puzzled her e- does Android 2.2 support WPA/WPA2-enterprise with EAP-TTLS authentication protocol for instance ( as used in many UK Universities)? As far as I understand it does not and this has been oner of the major reasons not to buy an Android phone! If this works, can you direct to a HOWTO of some kind? My Uni IT state that Android currently doe NOT support WPA/WPA2-enterprise and thus they give no support, despite the fact that even my 4 y.o. Nokia is supported fully!

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  6. You may want to clarify that wireless sync on Android is PC only!

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    • and why do you think that is.
      they are competing with apple!

      I am surprised there is still google maps on iphone 4.

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    • Actually the app for it, iSync, has a Mac and PC version.
      There is a wired sync app called DoubleTwist too which is amazing.

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  7. Great article, and great work in compiling this in a nice readable way. I'm also glad to hear that you think Android is still ahead, as I'm taking delivery of a shiny new EVO June 5/6th. I'm really curious to see what Steve has to show. Kinda funny it is right after the EVO release. I'd be nervous if I cared about being best, but since the EVO w/Android has everything my heart desires, there's no point in being concerned. Besides, be it Apple, MS, Nokia, whatever, newer and great things will always be in the pipe. I'm not stressing over it.

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    • The iPhone has it for basic tasks, so you can just say “Call” or “Text Steve”. You can't use it to type.

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  8. You forgot that you can install Apps from SD-Card and don't need any access to the market for that. On Android of course…

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  9. Interesting that the biggest selling point of iphone 4 wasn't even mentioned. The “face time” feature, in my mind, is the single biggest leap forward in mobile phone technology since the original iPhone launch brought us visual voicemail. This feature alone will bring people to iPhone in droves.

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    • umm dude the droid x and evo 4g have video chat with and entire megapixel difference on the iphone.and also iphone fails to mention that you must be on wifi to use it.with the droid x and evo you can use 3g.

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  10. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but this article was certainly written by an Android fanboy. The new Android phones and a 3Gs with iOS 4 are both extremely good. The iPhone 4 is likely the best of the bunch, but it's not a big difference there either. However, a LOT of the things in the iPhone column in this article are either wrong or written in a very misleading way. The areas where the iPhone is ahead are also written with a tiny blurb, while the Android column gets several sentence explaining why it won't be behind for long…the way that's written, people will get the impression that it's a win for Android even in those situations. Take the gaming point for instance. You correctly point out that the iPhone CRUSHES Android for gaming…yet you give the iPhone one sentence, then immediately start sticking up for Android in their column, even though, at present, it's not even close. A few errors that jumped out to me:

    1. You can sync calendars and contacts wirelessly on the iPhone.

    2. Spotlight search also searches the web in iOS 4.

    3. Your description of the Apple multitasking is essentially wrong and extremely misleading. Yes, it's not true OS level multitasking. However, it's not just VoIP and audio streaming. Background GPS, the ability to complete tasks upon exit (such as large downloads or computational things), and such are also part of it, which when combined by a developer properly, will yield a multitasking experience essentially identical to true multitasking, but without the horrendous resource hogging downside. The big downside to Apple's approach, is, of course, the fact the the developers need to code for the multitasking rather than the OS doing it, but most major app developers are releasing iOS 4 updated apps very quickly and enabling multitasking.

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    • actually, having used both as a power user, gamed on both, and developed apps for both, I'd say he was pretty accurate in how he worded things. I'd disagree about a couple of points (for example Laputa is an excellent reader for android and the modern book selection for free is phenomenal due to their licensing method). Live Wallpapers for android are never mentioned, and while not important certainly are extremely cool.

      The iphone is typically ALWAYS responsive, instantly, without hesitation, where android can sometimes even on 2.2 have minute hesitations. However I can certainly live with that considering that I can setup my phone any way I want, do literally anything with it, and have just released an app into the android market place in the space of 20 minutes of typing and uploading on the android market's website.

      for instant responsive UI I'd go with iPhone as the winner. For features and the power user end of things, I'd go with Android as the winner (all the way back to 1.5). For search and speech control Android wins. for gaming iPhone wins, but not my nearly the margin implied here (there are some absolutely amazing games for android and most of the popular online turn-taking games for iPhone exist for android as well).

      They're both great phone. If you want super quick UI animations with screen rotation of the main UI and the current #1 in handheld mobile gaming then iPhone would be great. If you do social networking, office work, multimedia/audio/video or web browsing, then I'd lean to Android.

      But overall they both do what each other does, it's a matter of preference. I think Apple has done more nice things with the UI overall, but the UI concepts in Android are better, just not as pretty. I care more about what I can do with it than how pretty it looks, but I do get jealous of the amazing first impression the iPhone presents.

      It's only after using both for a while that one finds out that the iphone doesn't really let you grow too much, where the Android is the power user's dream come true.

      Honestly though, the pre's gui is the best of the bunch. Too bad it's so late to the race.

      For me – both great but Android way more useful to me, but use them both and you'll decide which you prefer.

      Android is LESS intuitive – the customization is incredibly deep but most new users don't even know it can be done or how. Once you know how simple it is you get kind of obsessed with changing your home screen(s) layouts all the time I find LoL

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    • I'm a developer myself and i can say your understanding of true multitasking is wrong. If you (as developer) have to write your “multitasking-code” yourself (which i would call multi threaded-code), your missing the point of true-multitasking. You're right saying the developers on IOS4 need to do it them selfs which explains enough.

      This controlled “multitasking” makes IOS run that smooth which wouldn't be the case if it had true multitasking.

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  11. and I'm still isn't clear about PIM sync, Can the new Android do the sync contacts, calendar to Evolution on the Ubuntu without Google? about to buy one, but can't find this solution.

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    • The world isn't just black and white, so no; it's not a ”no brainer”.
      People are different and have different needs and preferences. That's a no brainer if anything.

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  12. How can you say the multitouch is better in iOS? The gestures are the same. The only thing iPhone has that Android doesn't is the rather pointless Rotate gesture in the gallery app.

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  13. You sound like you have a google dick in your mouth. You sound like an idiot. Please never review anything ever again. Your views are skewed and misleading to those who don't know anything. People like myself think you sound like a douche bag though.

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  14. There Is No Point In Saying That You Have Been Using iPhone For 3 Years And There iOS Sucks.

    Even I've Been Using For About 3-4 yrs Now. I have An iPod 1st gen. Did you know iOS Had Multi Tasking Back for 2.0. And did u know we were able to customize The Themes, Icons and so on. And Also it supported in Making Folders. Actually All These Features were There Back in iOS 1.0 when App Store Never Existed. And Do You Know How? Its All By Jailbreaking iPhone. Most Of The People complaining about iPhones are the once who doesn't know about the Jailbreak feature. And Just recently I found a software Which Allows you to play flash, avi and divx video formats in iOS And also you can sync wireless by wifi with itunes.

    I Just saw the posts about the Jailbreak… Then Why The Heck Dont you include those features here too!!!??

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  15. This is definitely a fanboy review. I agreed that Android is chasing up quick, but the war had just begun, instead of the war is over. If war is over then just throw away you iphone and use Android as your only phone, u will miss all those iphone apps.

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  16. A Jailbroken iPhone is better overall as it adds the open source option to the better looking OS, More customisation, And since the introduction of the Unreal engine to the iphone, the Android will get smashed out of the Gaming market, The best looking Graphics ive ever seen on a portable device. i Never like “Open source”, i like to pay for my software, its a known fact, if you get payed a SHITLOAD to do something, you are bound to work harder than if you are doing it for piss-all profit,

    Phone general usage:
    Jailbroken IOS>Android>IOS

    Gaming/Apps:
    Jailbroken IOS>IOS>Android
    <3 my 3GS

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