The never-ending debate: which one is better, Android vs iOS phone? To be fair, we’ll never get a difinite answer to this.
But as someone who grew up in the country that gave y’all Nokia, and who thus has her first mobile phone in the 1990’s, I think I’ve got some experise on these devices and many lack.
Especially as a content creator I’m quite specific when it comes electronic devices.
- It has to be easy and quick to use
- The phone has to fit it in my smallest clutch (#femaleproblems)
- Camera quality must be top notch, and then some!
- Battery life has to be longer than the river Nile
Not easy to check off half of these specifications these days, is it? We’re probably all aware of the way phone companies slow down their phones’ batteries after a certain time.
Or that our everyday appliances and devices are built to last only up till the end of their warranties. This is the base of capitalism because that way we need to keep on buying more. No more 80’s microwaves that would survive a nuclear attack… But while phones may not be built to last forever, at least you can make them look timeless with custom phone cases reflecting your personality.
But anyway, which one would I, as a content creator, opt for: Samsung or iPhone? Let’s see.
Android versus iOS Phone
Ever since the death of Nokia I had to move on to other manufacturers’ phones.
- First I went for Samsung Galaxy S6. It was easy to use but the battery went to shit after a year and it wasn’t the fastest device to use… Which caused some gray hairs for someone like me who likes things to happen IMMEDIATELY.
- Next up I opted for iPhone 6S. It stayed with me through my time in Slovakia and it served me well. For then: photos I could add to my blog posts (I didn’t worry too much about quality back then) and worked well together with Google applications, like Gmail. That was all I needed then.
- But then I saw the picture quality on my best friend’s Samsung Galaxy S7! And here was zero competition. Even though I had promised myself never to go back to Samsung, suddenly I had a need for it! Especially in dark spaces, like a bar, Samsung’s camera is absolutely superior.
- Around that time my boyfriend got a really nice offer and thus ordered both, the new iPhone X AND Samsung Galaxy S9. He asked me if I wanted one of them. Of course I did! He chose the Samsung so I was left with the iPhone.
And that phone was the last iPhone I will probably ever own. When it comes to choosing between Android vs iOS phone, I have noticed certain things that simply can’t be compared between the two.
Please note, though, that these views are from a content creator’s point of view, and also personal opinions. Even though my Samsung phones have worked flawlessly, my friend’s Samsung didn’t work as it should have. So, take what resonates and leave the rest:
1: Usability
Both types of phones are the same when it comes to ease of use. The basic functions are similar and navigation is easy and straight-forward.
There’s a small difference in how fast these phones react to “orders” and on that aspect iPhone scores higher. Samsung is a bit slower in reacting and can even be a bit twitchy when, for example, opening an app.
The only bigger difference use-wise for Android vs iOS phone, is that iPhone started relying on swiping technique earlier than Samsung, with which you click. Nowadays this has been updated though, but both phones have different swiping ‘teqhnigues’ and purposes.
At the end of the day ease of use in terms of smartphones comes down to what you’re used to. For me, I definitely prefer Samsung even though I’m familiar with both operating systems and don’t see too much difference between them.
2: Camera / Photo quality
There is absolutely no competition here! Samsung wins iPhone any given day 6-0 when it comes to camera and the quality of pictures! Has done so for a decade already.
This is a fact I can’t wrap my head around… Apple developers MUST be aware of the superiority of Samsung smartphone cameras. Why have they not made any improvements??
To take an example for this Android vs iOS phone article, the camera on the iPhone X was absolutely SHIT. And so was the camera on iPhone 6.
Sure, you had all sorts of options from ‘Portrait’ (for better selfies) to all sorts of ready-to-use filters but sorry mate, that don’t cut it for me. The quality of the photos is much more important than fancy gadgets. Especially for content creators!
Of course, since those days Apple has absolutely improved their cameras massively. For a while they’ve even been marketing their phones as compareable to professional cameras. Sorry to let you down, this is false marketing. Samsung still beats Apple cameras 6-0.
Especially when it comes to photographing in the dark! HOW is it so hard for Apple to create phone camera lenses that can handle dim rooms? Cause they still can’t, not compared to Samsung phones!
3: Functionality with Google apps
Now, Google is everywhere, right? Whenever we need answers we google, our e-mails are in Gmail and we navigate to places with Google maps. Google has become an integral part of our everyday lives. And for a looong time Apple pretended like one’s life could roll without Google in the mix. It didn’t!
This was an absolute nightmare for a content creator. Checking my e-mail (Gmail!) on my iPhone or thinking about importing pictures from Google Drive to my phone for editing was a no-go. And don’t even get me started on trying to get the phone to cooperate with my Acer laptop…
As with everything else, also in this regard Apple has had to yield. Although by the time they yielded it was already too late. In choosing between Android vs iOS phone I would never opt for iPhone again.
4: Compatibility with other devices
Apple’s absolute greed is more prominent than anything else when it comes to their devices compatibility with other devices. Forcing iPhone users to buy all kinds of extra equipment to get the basic functionalities out of their phones is pure insanity.
Now, what does that say about the people who go and buy all that extra shit just to get the basic functionalities out of their phone?
I’d rather buy just one phone and have all the functionalities and compatibilities as a default setting, thank you very much. And that’s exactly what I get with a Samsung.
Obviously the compatibility issues with an iPhone don’t just end with laptops. Also, for example, my Nikon camera was too much of a challenge to the iOS device. It’s possible to send pictures from the camera with Wifi to both phones.
With Samsung the memory might be an issue (depending on your chosen device). But while my iPhone X had the memory it was only because the phone reduced the photo quality to 10% of their original quality… You can’t even imagine how angry I was when I realised this!
So, at the end of the day, from a content creator’s point of view, iPhones, which cost insane amounts of monet, can’t even compare with Samsung or Huawei phones, which are often half the price.
Yes, Apple might have their own apps that one could download to improve usability but that’s too much to ask, tbh! Nobody should pay for a phone that isn’t ready-to-use and compatible with ALL the basic applications and devices.
Thus, there is really no competition for me when it comes to Android vs iOS phone.
Final thoughts: iPhone is useless for me
The only positive point that I have been able to find on an iPhone in the past was the battery. Up til the day when Apple decided to slow their phones down to make people buy another device.
I honestly can’t recommend an iPhone to anyone who creates content of any sort. Instead Samsung I can, and I will, recommend. And Huawei as well.
Unfortunately it escapes me which Huawei Honor it was specifically, but one of my friends took pictures as good as with a professional camera with her Huawei phone.
Any iPhone fanatics in? Have I gotten it all wrong, is there a way for me to download and edit proper photographs with my iPhone without damaging the quality?
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