Platform War - iOS vs Android - Apple vs Google - Comparison

Transcript

0:00 Speaker A: Hi, I'm an Apple fan, Sander. Speaker A: Hi. Speaker A: And I'm an Android fan Sander as well. Speaker A: With regards to lots of conversations happening around iPhones with iPhone 6 launch and iOS versus Android, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts and hopefully in an objective manner. Speaker A: So we want to look at hardware then also software side, how the service side looks like, both from developer and also consumer perspective, and also see what the future will hold for both of them.

0:39 Speaker A: I've been an Android user from the very first day when Nexus One came out and been using Galaxy S2, S3, S4 and also Nexus Five. Speaker A: Now with regards to iPhone, I've also been using it since the very first iPhone and now up to iPhone6 every model in the way. Speaker A: And I'm really excited about that. Speaker A: Do that for two reasons. Speaker A: First of all, I'm just really excited about the development and the fight between those two platforms.

1:04 Speaker A: But I'm also really keen to find the best phone for myself, which is always going to be a balance and comparison of values and features. Speaker A: There is no best phone in the world. Speaker A: What is best depends on the values you have and also who's measuring it. Speaker A: So if it's you or someone else, it could be something totally different. Speaker A: So I'm going to be as objective as possible or share some ideas with you that I consider or think about when I look at those two very competitive platforms.

1:33 Speaker A: One who's making money by making hardware and making it really expensive, and the other one who's making money via advertising or media, who's trying to drive the device prices really down and take everything up to the cloud and make money there. Speaker A: So first when you look at the operating system, they're so similar, especially after Android 4.0, you they're both great phones to use out of the box.

1:59 Speaker A: With regards to Android, I think there's one thing I need to clarify. Speaker A: Android devices could mean anything for me when I talk about Android now, they mean clean, pure Android OS from a Nexus phone. Speaker A: So if you think about an HTC phone, it could have an operator version, so it could be someone like AT and T version or O2 version, whoever you're using. Speaker A: It could have a second version which is Google Play Edition, which is probably as close as it gets to the Nexus phone or the purest Android.

2:28 Speaker A: And then also they have developer editions which are all three completely different Androids. Speaker A: But here I'm talking about the purest Android on Nexus devices. Speaker A: Those two operating system always been in fight and they've become so similar after probably Android 4.2 so if Apple now introduced Apple Health Kit, Google has Google Fit. Speaker A: If Apple introduced iOS CarPlay, Android introduced Google Auto.

2:54 Speaker A: If iOS introduced HomeKit, then Android introduced Nest Developer Kit. Speaker A: So as you can see, they're always fighting between each other and that's what's driving the ecosystem. Speaker A: IOS 7 was 64bit first, now Android L also supports 64bit. Speaker A: The biggest challenge here is, as you can see, it's an update race is that most of the Android devices are not kept up to date.

3:19 Speaker A: For example, when I was using Galaxy S2, I had to wait nearly a year, actually even more than a year because my Android version was like three major updates behind which is the biggest limitation because I could know all of those features are available, but not for me. Speaker A: HTC has published a great graph to show why is that so, first of all, when an Android version is released, it goes through the manufacturer and the manufacturer will send it through to the chip maker.

3:47 Speaker A: The chip manufacturer will then look whether it's possible to integrate with a new Android OS and then will make a decision whether to build the drivers for it or not. Speaker A: Once the drivers are built, Then, for example HTC will start building their version of the new Android operating system. Speaker A: Once that is built, they will also start building a layer for the operator, mobile operator, and then any additional apps that need to be updated.

4:14 Speaker A: So it's a fairly long cycle and most of the time they just can't make it happen before the new model already comes out and it's a year long wait since their last version. Speaker A: That's not the case with Nexus 5 or any Nexus phone because Google is doing their best to keep it updated all the time. Speaker A: Compared to iPhone for example, iOS 8 is even available for iPhone 4S which is 3 years old or 4 version generations old phone now, but you can still run the latest.

4:40 Speaker A: The slow cycle for Android is generally for a few different reasons. Speaker A: First of all, you got a phone which has a blank Android. Speaker A: Let's call that this Nexus phone generally then the manufacturer will add in their own software. Speaker A: So in this case let's say it's a Samsung and Samsung had their S Pen or S Health applications on it. Speaker A: Then they go to an operator, an operator. Speaker A: Let's say it's O2, O2 wants to add their own entertainment apps on top of and then when it gets to consumer, consumer will install their apps.

5:08 Speaker A: So you have this thick of apps on the phone or just additional software that is not needed and was not meant to be there when Android was founded before it was even Sold to Google. Speaker A: So it's really important to understand that Android in its purest is great operating system. Speaker A: Android with the full stack I'm not big fan of. Speaker A: At the same time when I talk about software, pretty much Google has taken over my life to be honest.

5:35 Speaker A: So all my emails are in Gmail, my work email is in Gmail, I'm using Google Drive for hosting my files, I'm using Google Calendar, I'm using Google photos, I'm using YouTube for my entertainment. Speaker A: So pretty much all of my life is in the hands of Google. Speaker A: So from software perspective they've done great job getting people on their platform. Speaker A: Both the platforms also have great app stores available. Speaker A: I think generally equal amount of apps and most of them are covered on both platforms.

6:02 Speaker A: The only difference here is that most of the apps come out on iOS platform first and then on Android. Speaker A: The pure reason here is that though Android is dominating the market of its devices, the revenues that developers get are still 60 or 70% coming from an iOS device. Speaker A: And that's a very simple reason why they always do iOS devices first. Speaker A: Another reason which leads more into devices and talking also from developers perspective is that Android is such a fragmented marketplace.

6:28 Speaker A: It's not just the versions, software, operating versions that are out there, but also the screen sizes. Speaker A: For example, Samsung itself has 27 different screen sizes being sold at the moment, while iPhone has six in its lifetime. Speaker A: So that's again massive differentiator and makes life so much easier for developers. Speaker A: Talking about devices, Android has the biggest market share. Speaker A: Nearly 60% or 58% of the market belongs to Android and around 40% to iPhone.

6:58 Speaker A: When talking about devices, iPhones 5S was since last month still the number one top selling smartphone in the world even after one year after its launch. Speaker A: As compared to for example Galaxy S4 which sold 10 million units in 30 days. Speaker A: IPhone6 sold 10 million units in 3 days. Speaker A: So on the premium market there's no doubt that Apple in the hardware space has got its lion's share.

7:23 Speaker A: Hardware doesn't make all the difference. Speaker A: You can have the highest specs, but it's not going to deliver value if it's not well integrated with the software. Speaker A: A great example of that is that Both of the Nexus 5 as well as the iPhone had 8 megapixel Sony image sensor inside. Speaker A: One of them delivers amazing image quality. Speaker A: The other one is just so poor that in most of the daily scenarios I would still need to use my pocket camera. Speaker A: Obviously the difference in focus shows also in device build quality.

7:51 Speaker A: Apple is just its own league with A glass and metal back at the same time. Speaker A: Most of the higher end models such as HTC One, the LG G3 and the C Samsung Alpha phones are just getting better and better and they're so close now that it looks and feels even exactly the same. Speaker A: But it's just the difference is how well the software and hardware come together. Speaker A: So the ideology of the ecosystem is just very different how they're making money. Speaker A: And that's what also derives the difference in how we're using those devices.

8:20 Speaker A: While Google is always innovating, bringing new features to the market and drive to be first to grab as many people to their platform as possible as they're making money that way. Speaker A: And then Apple is probably never first. Speaker A: For example iPod, there were loads of music players that even looked similar before that. Speaker A: But the biggest issue of music distribution wasn't solved. Speaker A: They didn't come up with a solution before that. Speaker A: For example, another one is an iPad. Speaker A: Microsoft had a try in the 1991, then 2000s didn't work out.

8:50 Speaker A: Apple came with a full solution how software and hardware work together and then it was picked up by developers and now it's a big success. Speaker A: So while Android is all about software, you're also going to have those great specs in those phones. Speaker A: But specs doesn't make the phone, but how the software and hardware work together that what makes the phone different. Speaker A: So looking at how hardware and software should work together, I think the best example is when the big screen started appearing for Android phones because there was very limited support from developers.

9:21 Speaker A: So most of my applications that I just had on smaller screens were just zoomed in on the bigger screen. Speaker A: So why would I carry on with the bigger screen just to see the same thing larger? Speaker A: I think that was again another example to show why Apple wasn't the first in the market. Speaker A: They just waited for developers also to come on board, understand how they can use the larger real estate that users will have in the palm of their hands and also to leverage and take full use of that.

9:48 Speaker A: Another interesting thing that a lot of people don't think about when they buy a phone is the support or after sales side. Speaker A: So when Apple has its shops all around the country, then most of the Android manufacturers and Google themselves don't have those shops around the country though Samsung is now building their network. Speaker A: A good example of that is when I had issues with my Galaxy S3 phone when it didn't want to start anymore and I had to take it back to the store.

10:13 Speaker A: Then I went there, they took it to Their expertise. Speaker A: It took them week and a half to come back to me. Speaker A: So I was just without my smartphone. Speaker A: Another example in Contrary when I went to Apple Store and I had issues with my camera so it always had those dots in the camera. Speaker A: When I was taking photos, I just took two sample images and then I was given a new phone straight out of the box without any questions asked. Speaker A: That's what makes a difference for me as well when I think about buying a phone.

10:40 Speaker A: There is no way to play the blame game when you are responsible for the hardware and software yourself. Speaker A: While on Nexus devices, the blame game is easy to come because the software is not good enough or it's not integrated with the hardware manufacturer or it's due to your cell operator in your country. Speaker A: So what the future holds like so don't just listen to the guys who say hey, you must be Apple fanboy or just dumb user when you're buying an iPhone.

11:05 Speaker A: No. Speaker A: Or you might be against iPhones just to show your rebellion. Speaker A: To buy an Android phone, I think you need to think about from your perspective what is important for you and and what you care about or need to use every day. Speaker A: And those things to consider is the software, is the hardware, is the support and is the developer community around it. Speaker A: None of these phones are perfect. Speaker A: Apple has its major downsides as well as Android has its major downsides.

11:31 Speaker A: For me, iPhone6 is the best phone to use just because I care so much about the camera though I use most of Google apps on iPhone and they work just great. Speaker A: Because Google is a software company, it's developing those apps to iPhones as well. Speaker A: And software company as they are, they're trying to lock manufacturers more and more in. Speaker A: For example, they just made more restrictions for Samsung or other manufacturers to include all Google apps on their home screen when they're launching their new phones. Speaker A: While Samsung has now paired up with intel to actually start building their own operating system, Tizen, which will launch in smartphones in Russia at the end of this year.

12:05 Speaker A: And they're already brought into their Galaxy Gear watches. Speaker A: So there's lots of change coming up there. Speaker A: Windows Phone is also really interesting now after Nokia's acquisition, how the Microsoft phones will look like maybe they will be the next phone that we're going to use. Speaker A: So I'm really keen always to follow that fight. Speaker A: Today I think iPhone6 is the best phone I can use. Speaker A: Maybe when Nexus 6 comes out, I think that that might be the best one.

12:31 Speaker A: The next one might be Lumia or even an update to an iPhone or a new Android phone we don't know. Speaker A: So let's keep our eyes on Always think about what's important to you, what's valuable to you, what do you use and then compare that to how much you have to pay for it. Speaker A: And then make up your mind because there's no right answer, there's no wrong answer, there's only answer that's best for you. Speaker A: And by the way, this is just my perspective. Speaker A: Someone else's perspective might be completely different.

12:58 Speaker A: So keep that in mind as well. Speaker A: Thank you for watching and see you next time. Speaker A: Thanks very much for watching. Speaker A: If you enjoyed the video, please give your thumbs up just below the video on the left hand side you will also find some of my recent videos about drones, about Google glass and about 3D printing and on the right hand side you can keep yourself updated by subscribing on YouTube, liking on Facebook, following me on Twitter or Instagram.