New phones roll out regularly, leading to heated debates about switching platforms among users. On a business level, a great deal can be learned not only from the pros and cons associated with these phones, but also from iPhone versus Android users' profiles.
iOS serves a distinct category of users while Android addresses a different group. When developing a mobile app, organizations, startups, and enterprises need to know their respective user personas as best as possible in a bid to address their requirements.
This handbook outlines major iPhone vs. Android users distinctions, specifically in terms of demographics and behavior. These distinctions are used here to identify major points to keep in mind when deciding between a platform. This is meant to be useful for decision makers within organizations interested in refining mobile development plans.
Android vs. iOS market share within the global smartphone market
Android and iOS dominate the global smartphone market with a duopoly, where Android holds a market share of approximately 70% and iOS about 29% (up to fourth quarter of 2023). The market share of iPhone users versus Android users in Europe (up to 2023) also doesn’t vary much at 32% versus 67% respectively.
Google Play provides approximately 3.55 million apps to android users, giving it the app store with the largest number available mobile apps (as at Q3 2022). iOS users, by contrast, have access to a selection of about 1.6 million apps at the Apple App Store.
But although app users and apps favor Android, iOS leads in global mobile app revenue. Data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower shows consumer app spending from Apple App Store reached $43.7 billion during the first half of 2022, while spending from Google Play Store was $21.3 billion.
iPhone vs. Android Global Market Share
Android leads in global smartphone market share at a rate of 71.42%, while iPhone (iOS) holds a market share of 27.93%.
Android controlled over half of the mobile operating systems market for the first time in 2015 when it had a share of 53.65% at a particular moment and remained the dominant most-used mobile operating system among global users.
iPhone vs Android: Hardware
As far as hardware, not a lot differs between the best Android phones and best iPhones. You’re going to get great cameras, a beautiful screen and more, depending on your budget, if you focus in on the leading flagships. That being said, Android presents much more variety when it comes to design and cost.
Generally speaking, Android phones have more memory than the iPhone. Apple never makes a statement about how much RAM it puts inside iPhone, but iPhone 16 teardowns confirm it's 8GB in all four models. On the other hand, Android phones can be from 8GB to 32GB at different price points. Average users are never going to require 32GB, but gamers would appreciate it because it makes their phones play some of the best games without any lag.
iPhone vs. Android: Software
What sets the iPhones apart?
Since Apple makes both software and hardware for its phones, it can include new features in iOS that are applicable across devices — not iPhones alone, mind you, but Macs, Apple Watches, and iPads, too. Essentially, all your Apple devices can seamlessly integrate with each other and share files: You can store a project on your phone and move it easily onto your Mac or iPad. This integration has even been enhanced by iOS 18, particularly since users can now easily transfer their phone home screen to the screen of their Mac, and drag files over and access their messages.
Apple also gains from having little bloatware on its phones. They do have built-in apps, to be sure, but hardly any of the loaded-up cruft you'll see on certain Android phones. iOS can also be more secure, although its popularity means it's a more tempting target in recent years for hackers and nefarious actors.
All the same, iOS has a few drawbacks. iPhone apps are more expensive than those found on Android, with a lot of great iPhone games requiring a subscription to Apple Arcade. Apple also blocks apps from accessing certain capabilities like NFC, rendering them far less useful. Lastly, you can't really decide where you obtain apps, at least in America, where you can get them from Apple's App Store exclusively. In Europe, however, there's a little more choice due to government intervention.
Where Android stands out
One of Android's biggest strengths is flexibility, owing to how many devices use the software. Each device comes with its own Android skin, so your experience can be slightly different depending on the phone you purchase. You can also pick from a multitude of third-party options, however, which modify your user experience. For example, I was able to get a Persona 5 skin for my messaging app, something not possible with the iPhone.
There's also a case to be made that Android phones are subject to more innovation due largely to how open the Android codebase is. This gives developers more leeway to experiment. Although Google has its own app store in the Play Store, you're not stuck searching for apps within it. Therefore, it is much simpler to have access to items like emulators directly from phones with Android than within iPhone, where options are limited.
Android also provides a lot of interconnectivity with Google's software services, such as Photos and Google Drive. Although the integration may not be quite so smooth as Apple's, it integrates with a much broader selection of devices including some best laptops and best PCs.
That's not to say there are not disadvantages to Android, however. I do not think that people would argue against Android phones having a security problem, because it's a lot simpler for malicious hackers to gain access to the phones. Therefore, we would always advise users to invest in one of the best antivirus apps for Android. Android phones also have a chaotic update release schedule, whereby certain phones do not get updated until after other phones. That's in contrast to iPhones, where any phone can get an update at the same time.
I would also point out that repairing an iPhone can be a lot more straightforward, due mainly to Apple allowing official parts to be used. Apple has also been making it more possible for you to repair your iPhone 16 at home. Androids are repairable, and procuring parts can be far more convenient (and affordable), but quality variability can catch you out if you are not paying attention.
iPhone vs Android: Artificial Intelligence
Today, artificial intelligence is everywhere, with both iPhone and Android contributing to bringing those capabilities to each platform. Apple is behind on this front, having introduced Apple Intelligence last fall and continuing to introduce more additions to its collection of AI software with later iOS updates. Android phones, by contrast, have been offering up these capabilities for some time, with Google Pixel phones leading the pack in terms of on-device AI.
What makes the iPhone unique?
Though new, Apple Intelligence makes a solid entry, bringing with it writing capabilities, photographic editing capabilities and a new-look Siri assistant to the iPhone. That being said, nothing in Apple Intelligence yet hasn't been available on Android devices. Apple Intelligence, too, hasn't made it to any phones other than the latest iPhone 16 models along with iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
On a positive note, many Apple Intelligence functions are done exclusively within the iPhone, ensuring it remains private and fast. The ones that need to be done in the cloud are done by private, secure servers.
How Does Android Stand Out
Androids have a benefit when it comes to AI due to having a jump on the iPhone. There are more devices with access to AI, with each major manufacturer having its own spin on AI, whether Galaxy AI on Samsung phones or the selection of AI capabilities available to users with Google Pixels.
But those artificial intelligence capabilities can change considerably from one Android phone to another. Although Google capabilities are quite refined, it can't be said for phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. And with the unpredictable update cycle for Android hardware, new AI capabilities won't roll out with the frequency you'll enjoy with an iPhone.