What real differences exist today, in mid-2024, between iOS and Android

iOS vs Android. Android vs iOS. A war that seems to have no end and that in 2024 is more alive than ever. iOS 18 and Android 15 are the latest versions, and it’s worth wondering what the real differences are between one operating system and the other today. Apple’s system is becoming more customizable, Google’s offering is becoming more stable and continuous.

Is iOS as closed and uncustomizable as ever? Is Android still much freer and richer in features? At Xataka, we wanted to look at current photos of both systems to detail what makes them different today.

Let’s talk about technical data

To understand some of the differences between iOS and Android, we need to talk about how they work. iOS is an operating system based on XNU, the Darwin kernel. You don’t need to learn names, but keep in mind that Its architecture is closed and controlled by Apple.with a tighter ecosystem and a focus on hardware and software integration. This results in more stability but less flexibility.

Android, in turn, is based on the Linux kernel, adapted with several additional layers. Is more modular and open systemwhich allows for greater customization and adaptability, but can also increase ecosystem fragmentation.

When developing applications in iOS, the Swift language is usually used, as well as Objective-C or React. Android apps can be developed in Java, Kotlin, C++, JavaScript, etc., so when we talk about iOS, it is more common to find some additional consistency with the apps.

Apple develops both hardware and software for its devices, allowing overall excellent optimization the one we see on Android phones. Mobile phones like the Google Pixel have “in-house” processors, although in real-world use we’re talking about chipsets made in collaboration with other manufacturers – in this case Samsung – rather than in-house designs like Apple’s.

The file system itself is also different, Android ext4 or F2Fs is used, and Apple uses its own. The Apple system is somewhat more reliable from a security point of view, although it provides almost no access to system folders. On Android, even without root, we have access to almost all of them.

In fact, one of the main advantages of Android is the ability to install apps in .APK format from any repository without having to go through app stores or complicated processes.

In short, the two systems are still very different on a technical level, and that security and secrecy is preserved in iOS compared to the greater freedom that Android provides.

Is it true that iOS doesn’t have multitasking?

One of the main differences between iOS and Android is background process managementwith almost opposite approaches. iOS is much more strict in this regard, not only to save power, but also to protect privacy and optimize system efficiency.

This limitation allows apps like Spotify to play music in the background, but makes it difficult for apps like Google Photos or Amazon Photos to download photos if the screen is off. It’s not that iOS doesn’t allow background processes, but that it enforces significant restrictions to prevent excessive resource consumption while maintaining control over what activities can continue to run.

On the other hand, one of the advantages (and disadvantages) of Android is that applications can let your seconds pass without problems. There are certain system elements that put processes to sleep if they are not used for a while, but if we have many applications installed, management tends to be somewhat chaotic.

This has two meanings: firstly, Android allows us to carry out many more tasks in the background and we can turn off the screen without any problem, it will continue to do what it should. The second, not so positive reading, is that if we have many applications and processes in the background, autonomy and productivity can be compromised.

Let’s talk about customization

A few years ago, customizing iOS was considered heresy. Today we can take the interface to extremes we never imagined. Despite this, Android is still a much more customizable systemsince we can change the system launcher itself.

This is the application that is responsible for launching and displaying applications on the desktop, which in iOS cannot be changed under any circumstances. On Android we can also have more freedom to create widgets, add themes to the system and change almost the entire interface without relying on custom ROMs.

The ultimate way to customize Android is to literally change the operating system to another one. We can root and access the root folders of the system, as well as unlock the bootloader – the element responsible for starting the system – to load new ROMs. There are alternatives such as LineageOS, GrapheneOS and countless third-party ROMs for the most popular mobile phones.

In iOS, the alternative is jailbreaking, a process that allows us to modify the system more deeply, but never to the same extent as in Android with a modified ROM.

Updates and long-term support

Not too long ago, buying an Android phone meant buying a phone that would hopefully be updated within a couple of years. Both Google and chip makers have stepped up their game, and there are already several manufacturers offering system upgrades that last between five and seven years.

Apple never gives exact numbers on how many years its phones will remain updated, but the average is six years. In this sense, both systems are relatively equal.

The main difference is that when Apple releases a new version, all devices receive it at the same time. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone 16 Pro or an iPhone 12: on the day the new version of iOS launches, they receive it at the same time.

On Android, from the moment Google releases a new version until the manufacturer optimizes its software, it usually takes at least six months. We have some guarantees that our phone will be updated, but it’s hard to say when exactly.

Artificial intelligence

One aspect in which Android, according to Apple itself, is two years ahead is artificial intelligence. Gemini Nano models are integrated into a large part of the system of the most modern mobile phones, and in those that are not integrated, we can replace Google Assistant with Gemini .APK.

In addition to Google’s artificial intelligence, manufacturers themselves, such as Samsung, implement functions for deleting objects, voice recording with smart summaries, transferring calls… Artificial intelligence is applied in everyday processes. We may or may not use these features, but they are available and quite polished.

For its part, iOS is taking its first steps with Apple Intelligence. Problem? We won’t see this on iOS until spring. You can try this with a US account by setting the phone to English and using a process that I honestly don’t recommend for any average user.

To date, iOS does not have artificial intelligence available in Europe, while Android manufacturers are making steady progress in this direction.

Neither iOS is the same iOS nor Android is the same Android

Over time, both systems have merged into proposals that, although they remain very different, have increasing similarities. Android is an increasingly advanced system, far from unstable and buggy, and completely on par with iOS in terms of support.

iOS, for its part, is still a safe bet, very stable and with a bit more customization, so not everything is a complete mystery. The decision remains purely personal.

Image | Hataka

In Hatak | After ten years of using an Android phone, I switched to an iPhone three months ago. It is already clear to me which platform I will choose.