Android Lollipop has been around for months and now that we’ve had lots of time with this operating system, it can be scrutinized and compared head to head with Apple’s iOS 8, which was also released towards the end of last year.
Design features
Apple did not do well, when it did away with the skeuomorphic design in favor of a bolder, flatter and more colorful iOS 7, which of course many users were not that impressed with. The iOS 8 was later introduced and rather than come in as an upgrade to the iOS 7, this OS steps in as a refinement, introducing a number of features that are very familiar with the users of the Android devices, for instance, use of third party keyboards, ability of apps to share data, autosuggestions when texting as well as Google Drive-style of sharing files.
Just like the iOS 8, the Android Lollipop took a flatter approach to its new design, introducing an aesthetic philosophy known as Material Design that makes it bolder and much simpler than the previous versions. The interaction language that Google uses is amazing, where all icons react to any form of activity, be it tapping, pulling or swiping. The new MD also adds juice to visual context of the OS by coming in with new animations.
In both cases, Apple and Google went for intelligent changes to the visual appearance of the operating systems rather than go for a total change.
Features
The latest iOS 8 now offers support for widgets and you can also notice changes in the way notifications are displayed. They are now more discreet, but still very interactive, where you can reply to a message directly from the notification. As earlier mentioned, you can now add third party apps to the iOS 8, which has never happened before; for instance, keyboards. This has made the iOS 8 “open” than never before, making it easy for third party developers to access it.
Android also made some changes to the notifications area, where you can see them on the Lock Screen and as such, you don’t need to unlock the handset in order to view them. The latest Android Lollipop also supports multi-user profiles as well as unlocking or access of your Android smartphone with the help of an Android Wear device that is within vicinity.
Despite the recent “openness” of the iOS 8, it is still nowhere near the Android Lollipop as far as customization and use of third party apps are concerned. However, this makes the iOS 8 feel a lot more “safer” to use than the Android Lollipop, since third party apps and developers have always been associated with bugs and insecurity problems that affect open platforms like Android.
Camera
Android has numerous devices that use it and over its period of existence, this OS has had lots of issues when it comes to optimizing its camera app. However, there are tweaks that Google has managed to include in the latest Android Lollipop that render this software app more usable and much better than in previous versions; for instance, it is now possible for developers and users to access RAW image files directly.
With the iOS 8, you won’t be disappointed with the camera software. While many have often written off the iPhone with its relatively lower megapixel numbers on its cameras, the quality of images you get with these snappers is unmatched. In addition, the latest Apple OS comes with a timer mode plus other photo editing features that were not present in the past OS, for instance, exposure, brightness and color controls.
Battery life
Even though the battery capacities may still vary, you will get some of the best battery lives with the iOS 8 devices. Despite the fact that Google claims the latest Android Lollipop OS adds 10% to the total battery life that KitKat managed, this has hardly been experienced in all devices running on this OS. This is true because there are numerous manufacturers using this OS and this ensures that there are also multiple user interfaces. The good part is that with the Android devices, you can easily replace your inferior battery with a more superior one, however, it is almost impossible to get an Android Lollipop device than can beat the 3 or 4 days that the iOS 8 manages with the iPhone 6 Plus.
Related ItemsAndroid LollipopApple iOS 8
