Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Apple vs Android Mobile Application Comparison

There is a rivalry in the mobile application world and it is one well worth watching. The famous Apple and the upstart Android are duking it out over the numbers of their applications and app market numbers. The fact is that since the first smartphones which allowed you to maintain a calendar and emails the IQ requirement for smartphones has skyrocketed. If you ask anyone in today's world what it is that makes their smartphone smart they will quickly inform you that it's the apps.

For years Apple and the apple store have had a massive lead over all other platforms. They have been known as the top dog and best of the best. Their phones are no joke but as we stated the mobile applications are what make the iPhone what it is. Since this whole thing started both Apple and Android have taken their lumps or walked home victorious. In recent times it has been anyones game but the last quarter has shown that Android is now in the lead 44% to 31% of total market shares. If we get down to it the fact is that both platforms are different and bring specific things to the table while they lack in some way as well.

The iPhone boasts a massive application count and this has hurt them a time or two. Apple does not run widgets. This is a big thing for those that love their Androids as a widget is an extension of an application that shows on your home screen. These provide a huge advantage when you are factoring in social networking and music.

Android however is lacking in other ways however. For example Android boasts several screen sizes among their phones which creates a need for a flexible OS that can be spread out among them all. This can be difficult to code for and makes it less reliable for game developers who know that Apple releases one phone every year that has a pretty standard size.

As far as games go the iPhone has a massive lead. A very large portion of game developers focus on Apple as it offers a more stable and easy to work with environment. The exception to this rule is GameLoft who is one of Androids premier developers. They even they are stating that they are going to scale back on Android development. You would think that this means they are going to move to apple but the fact is they refuse to sell to Apple and their chaotic market instead opting to sell off of their own website rather than an App market. Android has some good casual games but the fact is that they don't really compare to that of the Apple Market.

Social networking in the iPhone is lacking pretty heavily. Truly the most you can do with you iPhone is set up alerts from Facebook and Twitter but you cannot browse feeds. Android on the other hand has geared heavily towards social networking and its feeds for a good time now. With widgets and the like you can not only get alerts but keep an eye on everything that happens. This one is a massive win for Android.

For those of us that enjoy e-books and their benefits on our phones this one is tight. With the arrival of e-reader apps on smartphones this is becoming more and more commonplace. Android does not have anywhere the quantity of Apples iBooks. Apple offers other gadgets and devices that also can share in on the collection. Yet Android doesn't require iTunes or its special file type to read the book. This is a huge boost in Androids favor as this enables a simple USB and any of the vast collection of e-book file types to be read by the single device. Ultimately both companies have different benefits in this regard and it comes down to making a choice rather than comparing numbers.

In the battle between Android and Apple there is yet to be a victor and truthfully there may never be one. These two mobile giants each bring something to the table for a specific audience and no one platform is perfect. Opinion and preference will always rule the final say between the two and this means that a consensus will likely not be reached. Regardless of how you look at it and which you prefer, this competition will spark new and exciting content as the platforms compete for the top dog slot? Keep an eye out and you mind open and enjoy the future.

Source : Apple vs Android Mobile Application Comparison

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