Apple and Android Devices: A Comparison of Operating Systems
Apple and Android devices are two separate brands, but they have applications that enable them to perform similar tasks. One of the things that makes these two devices to be different is the operating system or popularly known as the OS. An operating system is an essential software that ensures these devices are working well as expected. Also, the two operating systems are neither the same nor compatible, even though they perform the same functions. The iPhone usually uses the iOS, an operating system that is made by Apple. On the other side, Android phones use the Android operating system which is made by Google. Therefore, two operating systems are not compatible because Android only works in Android phones tablets and even laptops made by several companies while iOS can only work in Apple devices like iPhones, iMacs, MacBook, and many others. Apart from the differences in hardware, prices, and software between the two devices, several researchers have found interesting details about the users of these devices. Therefore, this research paper will address the differences between Apple and Android devices, but the main focus will be on culture, for instance, what kind of people use Apple phones and Android phones, lifestyle and impact more than the basic differences in specifications (Hill, 2018).
The Similarities and Differences in User Demographics
The main similarity between the users of the two devices is age. In age, there are no significant differences between both Apple and Android users. Both the two brands have almost the same age distribution in the U.S. Therefore, one cannot associate Apple devices to people of a particular age group or do so to Android devices (Hixon, 2018).
Personality Traits and Smartphone Choices
One of the areas that were researched on is personality. A study was presented at the British Psychological Society Social Psychology Section annual conference that was held in Cardiff showed that the choice of phones that people speak a lot about their personality. According to the author of the study, a person's choice of a smartphone is the most basic form of personalization hence can give many details about him or her. The study found out that Android users had higher levels of humility, openness, and agreeableness as compared to iPhone users. The study also found out that iPhone users are more extroverted as compared to Android users. Android users were seen to be more honest, humble, and agreeable as compared to Apple users were also seen to be more extroverted (Borreli, 2016).
Smartphone Choice and Dating Personality
In addition to that, Kimberly Moffit, who is a counselor and psychotherapist found out that a person's smartphone choice can reveal a lot regarding his dating personality. Most iPhone users were found to be "office romantic," this is a term that is used to refer to people who would date their colleagues at the workplace. Moffit added that almost 25% of iPhone users had practiced office romance in the past five years. On the other hand, Android users are known as "the seducer," this is because they are more likely to engage in sexual activity on the first date as compared to their iPhone counterparts (Borreli, 2016). A total of 62 percent of Android users admitted to having engaged in the act after their first date; this is slightly higher than iPhone users in which 57 percent agreed to have engaged in the act. Additionally, 72 percent of Android users had a high probability of joining a dating site as compared to only 58 percent of iPhone users. Moreover, plans are underway to research the relationship between personality traits and applications that are downloaded (Borreli, 2016).
Apple Devices as a Wealth Indicator
Researchers have also claimed that owning Apple devices can be a wealth indicator. A paper called "Coming Apart? Cultural Distances in the United States over Time" which was done by economists from the University of Chicago analyzed usage of certain brands and the income received by those people. The research was conducted from 1992 to 2016, and iOS topped the list in the most recent year of the study. The study showed that 69.1 and 66.9 percent of iPhone and iPad users respectively had a higher income. Owning an Android-powered smartphone was the fourth position with 58.1 percent. To add on that, a report done by ComScore showed that the median earning of an iPhone user earns $85,000 annually, which is more than that of Android users who earn $61,000 per year. Also, Apple devices are very expensive as compared to Android; this means that for one to buy the device he or she is most likely to be well off (Hixon, 2018).
Education and Platform Loyalty
The level of education is also another important aspect when comparing the cultures of iPhone users and Android users. Studies show that iPhone users tend to be more educated as compared to Android users. According to Chitika, most of the people with Ph.D. or Masters preferred to use Apple devices as compared to Android (Apple Insider, 2018; Passary, 2015).
Platform Loyalty and User Preferences
Loyalty to a particular platform is also another area of comparison. Apple users are more loyal to the devices or the company's products as compared to Android users. Most Android users like the way their platform is open hence giving them room for customization of their devices. iOS, on the other hand, would like their devices to remain straightforward so that they can try out the various apps that are available. Also, More Android users usually switch to Apple devices after a while. For instance, 25% of people with Android devices are most likely to switch to Apple after six months of usage while only 16% of those using Apple are likely to go to the other direction. Furthermore, most iOS would prefer Mac computers as opposed to Android users who rarely use Chromebooks. As a result, most of them will prefer computers with Windows OS. This shows that more Apple users are loyal to the brand as compared to Android users (BuildFire, 2018; Gikas, 2015).
Different Approaches to Technology
The users of the two devices have different approaches to technology. A poll that was done by Hunch.com showed that Apple users are most likely to be early adopters of technology and more of them used the internet before 1992. On the other hand, Android users were found to be late adopters of technology, and most of them are not expected to back up their computers. Also, Android users are more likely to use Gmail or Yahoo as compared to iOS users who would prefer to use an email domain that is related to their work or website (BuildFire, 2018).
In-App Engagement and Retention
The users of the two devices have different rates of in-app engagement and retention. According to a study conducted by Liftoff on app engagement and retention, iOS outperformed Android. They discovered that iPhone users engage with their apps nine more hours every month as compared to Android users. This led to iPhone users being referred to as "power users" when it came to the use of their smartphones (BuildFire, 2018; Lella, 2018).
After-Sales Service and App Quality
Between Android devices and Apple devices, Apple is the better one because it provides better after-sales services to its customers as compared to Android. This is shown by the presence of unmatched Apple stores that help in repairing malfunctioned Apple products. Also developing applications for use by Apple products is very difficult as the company monitors the apps closely in its store as compared to android. As a result, there are no junk apps in the App Store as compared to the Play Store which has a lot of unnecessary apps (Hill, 2018).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Apple and Android devices are two separate brands, but they have applications that enable them to perform similar tasks. The main difference for the two is the OS; Apple devices use the iOS or Mac OS while Android devices use the Android OS that is created by Apple and Google respectively. The main similarity between the users of the two devices is age hence no device can be linked with people of a particular age group as they have an almost same age distribution. The main areas of differences between the users of the two devices can be seen in personality where Apple users are more likely to be extroverted. Also, Apple devices tend to be bought by rich people as compared to Android devices. Additionally, users of Apple devices tend to be more loyal and engaged as compared to those of Android devices. Therefore, even though the two devices have the same functions, Apple is the better one and the users of the two devices have different cultures as shown in the paper.
References
Apple Insider. (July 9, 2018). Researchers claim iPhone and iPad ownership is a wealth indicator. Retrieved from https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/07/09/researchers-claim-iphone-and-ipad-ownership-is-a-wealth-indicator
Borreli, L. (2016). What your smartphone choice reveals about your personality. Retrieved from https://www.medicaldaily.com/iphone-vs-android-choice-smartphone-reveals-your-personality-traits-396883
BuildFire. (January 4, 2018). Android vs. iOS users: how do they behave differently? - BuildFire. Retrieved from https://buildfire.com/ios-android-users/
Gikas, M. (December 21, 2015). Android or iPhone: what kind of person are you? Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/smartphones/android-or-iphone-what-kind-of-person-are-you/
Hill, S. (July 3, 2018). Android vs. iOS: in-depth comparison of the best smartphone platforms | Digital Trends. Retrieved from https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/android-vs-ios/
Hixon, T. (September 21, 2018). The big promise of everything-as-a-service: ongoing revenue, smarter services. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/insights-intelai/2018/09/21/the-big-promise-of-everything-as-a-service-ongoing-revenue-smarter-services/
Lella, A. (2018). iPhone users earn higher income, engage more on apps than Android users. Retrieved from https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Infographics/iPhone-Users-Earn-Higher-Income-Engage-More-on-Apps-than-Android-Users
Passary, A. (January 23, 2015). Study links iPhone usage rates per state to level of education, wealth. Retrieved from https://www.techtimes.com/articles/28272/20150123/study-links-iphone-usage-rates-per-state-to-level-of-education-wealth.htm
