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Android vs iOS

Prepared by:

Akash Rana 12100115006

Arnab Banerjee 12100115010

Iquyan Sabigh 12100115020

Manoj Kumar Shaw 12100115029

COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

6th SEMESTER 3rd YEAR

MAY 2018

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Android vs iOS
PREPARED FOR:-
DR. SOUVIK SENGUPTA

(HEAD OF CSE/IT DEPARTMENT)

PROF. DALIA MAZUMDAR

(ASST. PROFESSOR, BASIC SCIENCE & HUMANITIES DEPT)

APPROVED BY:
DR. SOUVIK SENGUPTA
HEAD OF CSE/IT DEPARTMENT

__________________________________

MAY 2017

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Certificate

This is to certify that this project entitled “Android vs

iOS” submitted to
Bengal Institute of Technology, West Bengal, is a
record of work done by Akash Rana, Arnab Banerjee,
Iquyan Sabigh, Manoj Kumar Shaw under my
supervision.
________________

Dalia Mazumder,
Assistant Professor
Bengal Institute of Technology

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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

BENGAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

The work presented in this manuscript report has been

funded by Bengal Institute of Technology. The report
consists of the key difference between the two biggest
mobile operating system. Representing which OS in
mobile is better for our daily lifestyle. Before buying a
new smart phone we must know about the OS that hive
in it and about its inner programming and structure of
development. Between these operating systems whose
interface is more friendly, more creative, more useful, or
more pleasant.
These factors might differentiate these two OS but under
the hood these are fishes of different species in same
pond. IOS is developed using objective c while android
is developed mostly by java partially by c++. These
programming languages are different but uses similar
properties like object creation, polymorphism,
multithreading, etc.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The success and final outcome of this project required a
lot of guidance and assistance from many people and we
are extremely fortunate to have got this all along the
completion of our project work. Whatever we have done
is only due to such guidance and assistance and we would
not forget to thank them.
We thank Dalia Mazumder, for giving us an opportunity
to do the project work on “Android vs iOS” and
providing us all support and guidance which made us
complete the project on time.
We are extremely grateful to her for providing such a
nice support and guidance though she had busy schedule
managing the company affairs. We are thankful to and
fortunate enough to get constant encouragement, support
and guidance from all Teaching staffs of Department of
computer science which helped us in successfully
completing our project work. Also, we would like to
extend our sincere regards to all the non-teaching staff of
department of computer science for their timely support.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC PG. NO.
I) ABSTRACT

II) INTRODUCTION

III) IOS, APP STORE VS ANDROID, PLAY

STORE

IV) GENERAL SPECS COMPARISON

V) ANALYSIS OF ADVANTAGE &

DISADVANTAGE OF ANDROID VS IOS

VI) CONVERTING APPS FROM ANDROID

TO IOS PLATFORM & VICE VERSA

VII) DEVELOPMENT

VIII) FRAGMENTATION

IX) PUBLISHING AND RESTRICTIONS

X) PROFITS

XI) LOOK TOWARD FUTURE

XII) CONCLUSION

XIII) REFERENCES

XIV) APPENDEX

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

TOPIC PG. NO.

I) MODEL ON ANDROID - IOS CONVERTER 27

II) XCODE INTERFACE FOR IOS APP 30

DEVELOPMENT

III) ANDRIOD STUDIO INTERFACE FOR 31

ANDROID APP DEVELOPMENT

IV) THE TWO PLATFORMS USE CARDS 33

V) OS SHARE COMPAIRISION BETWEEN 34

IOS AND ANDROID

VI) DOWNLOAD OF APPS: ANDROID VS IOS 37

VII) DIFFERENT PLATFORM INCLUDING 41

REFERENCE SITES, SOFTWARES ETC.

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Abstract
The innovation of mobile devices and applications for mobile devices
has created a huge economic value. Powering the mobile devices with
the internet and making the information, entertainment etc. accessible
wherever the user is, have raised the adoption rate to a new
heights.We conclude by accounting the advantages and drawbacks of
each mobile platform and present some points for betterment in
utilization of the Information Technology and also the arduous efforts
to make the proper usage of the technology.
Here we focus on a comparative study of the most used two operating
systems for mobile devices: Google Android and Apple iOS. The
report presents which are the most important features of this two
operating systems. The report also deals with the features that these
operating systems have in common and analyzes some of their
disadvantages.The operating system is a program that acts as an
intermediary between a computer user and the computer hardware.
An operating system has the following main objectives: first it has to
execute user programs and facilitate troubleshooting for users;
secondly it has to make the computing system easy to use; and third it
has to use efficiently the hardware of the computing system. This
report focuses mobile app development for anyone, who are unsure as
to whether they should use iOS, Android, or both. To help them make
an educated decision, in this report we discuss on building one app, to
implement the apps, in both platforms. By doing so, they will be able
to make a head-to-head comparison of the respective development
environments, languages, and frameworks, guided by experienced
instructors. For ios development any MacBook with Xcode, Eclipse,
and appropriate SDKs, must be installed. For android devepment any
Laptop with either macos or windows is required.

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Introduction

Today there is a number of mobile operating systems that have tried to

be the best in the world, but none has managed to climb to the top and
make such impact as iOS and Android. Android is a software set of
software subsystems needed to provide a fully functional solution for
mobile devices. iOS is a mobile operating system that allows all other
applications to run on one of its iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad products.
Both platforms contain similarities in method of use and the devices
that are used, but there are many differences that result from different
operating systems: Android and iOS. These challenges are thoroughly
explored and explained in this paper. In the mobile phone market, the
emergence of various smartphone platforms such as Android and iOS
forcing developers to constantly develop applications with the same
content in order to ensure compliance with each of the available
platforms. Then, each application developed from one platform in order
to be used on another platform must be reprogrammed. As a result, it
takes considerable time and cost to analyze and convert the contents of
a mobile application to use a platform on a smart phone. By
automatically converting existing application content to the content of
other application content, existing application content can quickly be
downloaded to different platforms. As a result, their usage will
increase, and therefore the workforce, time and costs will be reduced.
In this paper, in order to solve this problem, automatic converting and
converters designed to automatically translate Android content into
iOS and vice versa has been studied.

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Android Operating System and

Play Store

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, which is

primarily intended for mobile devices such as smartphones. The
operating system uses touch inputs such as dragging, tapping and
pinching to manipulate display objects and virtual keyboard. In 2015,
Android had the largest installed base on all mobile operating systems.
In June 2017, the Google Play Mobile App Store has released over
3,000,000 Android apps, and over 80 billion applications have been
downloaded.
In 2017, the Google I / O company discovered that they had over 2
billion active Android users per month, unlike the previous year, with
a figure of approximately 1.5 billion active users. 117 Lazarela
Lazareska and Kire Jakimoski: Analysis of the Advantages and
Disadvantages of Android and iOS Systems and Converting
Applications from Android to iOS Platform and Vice Versa Starting
from 2008 to the present, Android has had many upgrades that have
been gradually improved its operating system by adding new features
and fixing errors in previous versions. Each new version is named after
a dessert in alphabetical order: Cupcake 1.5; Donut 1.6; Eclair 2.0;
Froyo 2.2; Gingerbread 2.3; Honeycomb 3.0; Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0;
Jelly Bean 4.1; KitKat 4.4; Lollipop 5.0; Marshmallow 6.0; Nougat 7.0
and the latest Oreo 8.0 version

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iOS Operating System and App

Store

iPhone operating system or iOS is a mobile operating system developed

in 2007 by Apple Inc., which works exclusively on Apple's mobile
devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV and other Apple
devices. By January 2017, Apple’s App Store contains more than 2.2
million iOS applications. All these mobile applications wefre
downloaded more than 130 billion times.
In 2017 the operating system had 710 million active devices. In the
latest data obtained on the basis of the reports received in the third
quarter of 2017, Apple announced that it has sold more than 1.2 billion
iOS devices.
Apple Inc. almost every year provides updates to the iOS operating
system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via iTunes, and from iOS 5.0
version provides over-the-air software updates. All available versions
of iPhone are: iPhone OS 1, iPhone iOS 2, iPhone iOS 3, iOS 4, iOS 5,
iOS 6, iOS 7, iOS 8, iOS 9, iOS 10 and the latest iOS 11 version

General Comparison

Affordability

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Apple has always been at the top end of the market in terms of pricing.
The iPhone Xis taking things to a whole new level with a starting price
of $1,000. The iPhone 8 Plus starts from $800 and the iPhone 8 from
$700. If you don’t want to spend that much, then you can go for the
two-year-old iPhone 6S at $450 or the diminutive iPhone SE at $350.
That’s as cheap as it gets unless you delve into the second-hand market.
For sheer scale and variety, nothing competes with Android. You can
spend a lot if you want to, for example, Google’s new Pixel 2 phones
and Samsung’s Galaxy Note line match Apple’s iPhone pricing, but
there’s also a huge choice of low-cost handsets from a wide variety of
different manufacturers and the platform has been deliberately
optimized to run on low-end hardware. The fact that Android also leads
the field in free apps makes it the natural choice for the budget-
conscious.
Winner: Android

Battery life and charging

As one of the biggest bugbears for smartphone owners, battery life is a

huge factor. It’s difficult to compare the two platforms because there’s
no common hardware. We could say iOS is optimized to squeeze the
most out of the battery per mAh rating, but you can buy an Android
device with a much bigger battery that will easily outlast the iPhone.
Both Android and iOS allow you to see your battery usage at a glance,
broken down by app, but only Android shows an estimate of how much
battery life you have left. They both offer power saving modes that can
extend your battery life by limiting performance, connectivity, and
other power-sapping features, but precisely how it works is generally
more customizable on Android.
For a long time, Android had an advantage in the charging department,
because many Android phones offered fast charging capabilities and
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wireless charging. However, Apple’s iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X

all offer wireless charging and fast charging. It’s worth noting you have
to buy the fast charging adapter separately, whereas it’s usually
provided in the box with an Android phone.
This category is far from clear cut, but comparing similarly priced
Android phones with iPhones, they tend to have longer battery life, so
Android gets the win.
Winner: Android

Updates

Apple’s iOS offers consistent and timely software updates and security
patches. If you want the same experience on Android, then you must
buy one of Google’s Pixel phones. This is how iOS version share
breaks down according to Mixpanel research:
• iOS 11: 49.18 percent
• iOS 10: 39.03 percent
• Older: 11.79 percent
Just under 50 percent of all iOS devices are now running the latest
version. By contrast, only 0.2 percent of Android devices are running
the latest Android 8.0 Oreo. This is how Android breaks down
according to the official Android Developer website:
• Android 8.0 Oreo: 0.2 percent
• Android 7.1 Nougat: 2 percent
• Android 7.0 Nougat: 15.8 percent
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow: 32 percent
• Android 5.1 Lollipop: 21 percent
• Android 5.0 Lollipop: 6.7 percent

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• Android 4.4 KitKat: 14.5 percent

• Older: 7.8 percent
If you want the latest features, bug fixes, and security updates, then you
should choose iOS.
Winner: iOS

Customizability

This has always been one of Android’s main strengths. It’s very easy
to theme your phone, you can set up the layout you want on your home
screen, add widgets and shortcuts, and even change your entire user
interface with launchers.
You can set backgrounds in iOS and there’s limited support for
widgets, but you don’t have anything like the same level of freedom.
Android also allows you to set up third-party apps as your default
options for many things that are still locked down in iOS. If you enjoy
tinkering, or you want a truly unique, personalized look for your home
screen, then Android is the platform for you.
Winner: Android

Accessibility

The perception that Android is more complicated than iOS prevails, but
there’s no need to dive into customization options if you don’t want to.
Both platforms offer a good range of accessibility features.

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If you’re looking for a device for an elderly relative, or a technophobe

then you’ll find some specialist offerings on Android, but they tend to
scale down what’s possible. Manufacturers like Samsung also include
options like “Easy mode” which make the interface bigger and simplify
the whole experience, or you can opt for a third-party app to do the
same. There are lots of good apps aimed at the elderly on Android and
iOS.
Ultimately, iOS is simpler and easier to use in some important ways.
It’s uniform across all iOS devices, whereas Android is slightly
different on devices from different manufacturers. We also think iOS
is less cluttered and more streamlined than most Android phones,
although Google’s stock Android is every bit as elegant and accessible.
Winner: iOS

Calls and messaging

Basic calling and messaging functionality is good on both platforms,

but it can be confusing on Android. Google appeared to be folding
everything into Hangouts, which allows messages, SMS, video chat,
group chat, and more via Wi-Fi or your data network, but then it
somewhat confusingly released Allo and Duo. There’s also Android
Messages, which used to be called Google Messenger, and it’s the
default texting app. To make matters worse, you’ll find many
manufacturers like to offer their own alternatives. Many Android
phones come with their own messaging and dialer apps in addition to
Google’s messaging apps, or they eliminate the Google apps.
FaceTime and iMessage come pre-installed on every iPhone and iPad,
so it’s remarkably easy to connect with your friends and family. While
iMessage is very easy to use, it works best when communicating with
other iPhone users. You’ll find third-party app integration, fun stickers,
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GIFs, and much more in iMessage. We give iOS the win for its
consistency and ease of use.
Winner: iOS

Email

The default email apps on Android and iOS are very easy to use and
quick to set up. You can pull in multiple email accounts and view them
in a single inbox if you desire. Android and iOS have a huge range of
third-party email apps available as well. However, Gmail is a stronger
default email app than iOS’ Mail. Since Gmail is the most popular
email address system in the world, it makes sense that the Gmail app
would be a winner. You can also add email addresses from different
providers in Gmail with ease.
The only issue is that Android phones often offer alternative email apps
made by the manufacturers, which may or may not be good.
Winner: Android

Maps

As the newer navigation system, Apple Maps did not have a great start,
but it has improved significantly. Key features are similar, you can
download maps for offline use, get accurate estimates based on current
traffic conditions, and find turn-by-turn directions for driving or
walking. You’ll also find public transit and ride-booking integration.
They all work well and should get you where you’re going.
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One thing that Google Maps offers that Apple Maps doesn’t is cycling
directions. Overall, the scale and quality of Google Maps is
unsurpassed. It has more points of interest and it is generally more
detailed than Apple Maps, but the accuracy can vary from place to
place. Given the choice we’d always pick Google Maps and, though
you can get it on iOS, it’s better on Android because it’s the default
navigation app.
Winner: Android

Camera

This is a difficult category to call. In the past, we’ve argued that Apple
does the best job capturing lighting, coloring, and other details, but the
latest Android smartphones are casting a lot of doubt on that assertion.
Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL boast the best cameras we’ve used so
far, but the iPhone 8 Plus comes close and we expect the iPhone X
camera to be something special.
While most of the current crop of Android flagships sport good, or
sometimes great, cameras, there’s a fair bit of variance and the camera
quality of many mid-rangers doesn’t come close to the quality of
iPhone cameras. As you’d expect, most budget Android phones have
lower quality cameras.
The camera apps on both platforms are very good and very fast. For
ease of use and best results without tweaking, the iOS camera app takes
the cake. There’s more variation on Android simply because OEMs
tend to add their own camera apps with lots of features, some good,
some a bit gimmicky. We’re going to give this one to iOS, but with the
caveat that the top Android phones, particularly the Pixel 2, offer the
best smartphone camera experience around.

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Winner: iOS

Cloud services

Apple is still lagging when it comes to cloud storage and automatic

backups. Google Drive offers 15GB for free and has cross-platform
support. You only get 5GB with iCloud, and it only works with
Windows, Mac, and iOS.
If you need a lot of additional space, then Google Drive was the
cheapest at $2 per month for 100GB ($24 for the year), but Apple
dropped its prices to match. Apple charges $1 per month for 50GB.
They both offer 1TB for $10 per month.
Android’s cloud storage is easier to use and more effective than iCloud,
though you can use Google Drive on an iPhone, whereas iCloud is iOS
only.
Winner: Android

Voice assistants

You can do many of the same things with Apple’s Siri as you can with
Google Assistant, but Siri is more like a straightforward helper for
setting calendar appointments, searching the web, or making calls.
Google Assistant has an extra layer. It can pre-emptively offer useful
suggestions, and it has a more conversational side that offers up
entertaining games and contextual information based on what you’re
doing. It’s smarter and more versatile than Siri.
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Winner: Android

Security

Much has been made of the supposedly “toxic hell stew” that is
Android, but the threat of malware is exaggerated. The truth is that most
people will never encounter a problem because they don’t go outside
the Play Store for apps. Specific manufacturers like Samsung have
taken extra efforts to beef up security for the enterprise market. But the
slovenly nature of updates on many Android devices can seriously
delay important security patches.
Speedy updates are now more important than ever because security
breaches are becoming more serious. Android is behind in the update
world, unless you have a stock Android device, and so it’s less secure.
Because millions of Android phones are still running software that’s
years old they can be vulnerable to serious hacks like Heartbleed and
Stagefright.
Apple is already firmly entrenched in corporate America and has also
worked on improved security for general consumers, most notably with
Touch ID and the forthcoming FaceID in the iPhone X. The tight
oversight that Apple has on apps and the ability to push updates out to
more devices, more quickly, gives it a definite edge over Android. The
company also encrypts data in iMessage and its other apps.
Apple prioritizes user privacy, so you can feel safe knowing your
personal data is not stored or read by Apple. It is all encrypted, too.
Meanwhile, Android encrypts some data, but your privacy is less
protected. Google mines your data for information that it can use to sell
better ads and market products to you. Your data is also stored and read
to provide you with a better AI experience.

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Google said it’s challenging to fully protect user privacy and still
provide the AI services it offers, but some security experts and Apple
argue that Google presents a false choice between privacy and AI.
Apple even went to war with the FBI to guarantee your right to
encryption. It’s hard to beat that kind of dedication.
There’s no denying that iOS is the most secure platform and the one
that best protects user privacy. If you care about your privacy and
security, go with an iPhone.
Winner: iOS

Rooting, bootloaders, and

jailbreaking

We’ve looked at how to root your Android phone or tablet before. It’s
not for everyone, but if you want root access and complete control over
your device, then rooting is the way to get it. Rooting gives you access
to more apps, the latest OS updates without waiting, new software skins
to get the aesthetic you want, the chance to get rid of bloatware from
carriers and manufacturers, potential tweaks to boost your device’s
speed and battery life, and more.
Many Android OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) also offer a
way to unlock the bootloader, which determines how the operating
system loads up on your device. Apple is completely opposed to this
kind of thing. Jailbreaking is an option for iOS, which lets you
download and install apps from outside the App Store and bypass some
other limitations.
Winner: Android

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Accessories

The average iPad or iPhone owner spends more money on more things
than the average Android device owner, and Apple has built up a great
ecosystem of peripherals for its phones and tablets. There are far more
peripherals and cases aimed at the iPhone than any other device, but
something like Samsung’s Galaxy S8 would be a close second.
On the other hand, Android devices have adopted the Micro USB or
USB-C standard, whereas Apple insists on its proprietary Lightning
cable, which means it’s much easier to find a charger if you’re not an
iPhone owner. This often means you have to splash out on an
overpriced Apple adapter. Peripheral manufacturers may still go after
iOS as their main target, but it’s very rare to find something without
Micro USB support.
Another mark against Apple here relates to its abandonment of the
standard 3.5mm audio port, which started with the iPhone 7 and iPhone
7 Plus. You do get an adapter in the box, but it’s easily lost and the
choice of headphones sporting 3.5mm audio jacks far exceeds those
with Lightning connectors. Of course, now some Android phones are
axing the headphone jack in favor of USB-C audio, so this may not be
a difference for much longer.
It’s also important to note that Apple’s ecosystem of products all work
together exceedingly well. The iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and
HomeKit products all work together in perfect harmony. MacOS,
WatchOS, and iOS are all well connected, making it easy to have all
Apple products on the same page.
Since Android phones are produced by many different manufacturers,
product ecosystems vary. Samsung has a great ecosystem, for example,

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and Android phones have support from Home, Chromecast, and

Android Wear. However, it’s not quite as seamless.
Overall, taking all available accessories into account, you have more
choice with an iPhone, so iOS takes the win here, but with caveats.
Winner: iOS

Analysis of the Advantages and

Disadvantages of Android and iOS
Platforms

Regarding the analysis made in various categories, I can conclude that

in the interface section iOS is convincingly leading over Android
because of its more uniform, stylish and convenient interface, while in
terms of user experience slight advantage is given to Android due to
the huge set of choosing menus, their ease of use and an ideal customer
QWERTY keyboard. In the application availability section, iOS runs
over Android due to the simpler interface, higher buying of expensive
games, and thus more profitability and more recommendations for new
applications. Following the operating system stability section, and the
research conducted in the first quarter of 2017, it was found that 68%
of iOS devices experienced a failure concerning the number of
problems, application decline, overheating of the device and drop in
connectivity, etc., while for Android devices this figure is 50%. In the
research, the results showed that Android applications were more likely
to fall by 18%, while the decline in iOS applications was 50%. As the
most unstable iOS models are mentioned iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone
5s and iPhone 6 Plus, while Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, Sony and
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Lenovo are mentioned as the most uns Android manufacturers. In terms

of the most unstable apps on the iOS operating system are Facebook,
Instagram, Google, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and Pinterest
appear on Android, while on the Android system are IMS Service,
Facebook, Goggle Play Services, TouchWiz Home and Address Book.
As the final conclusion about the stability of the systems, it can be said
that Android is more serious and stable system in terms of the iOS
system. Regarding software upgrades, both platforms are regularly and
timely updated and there is a lot of control over their software.
However, preference is given to Apple because it offers a safer and
more up-to-date update of its versions, while on Android depending on
the mobile operator of the user who is testing the new versions depends
when the new updates are going to be provided. It's hard to compare
these two platforms when it comes to battery life due to the diversity of
their hardware. iPhone is limited with size of its battery, while Android
devices have various sizes of batteries that can easily overpower the
iPhone. Apple's battery is still unchangeable, unlike Android that has a
variable battery and thus increases the utilization of the Android device.
Newer models of Android, with the exception of the standard wired
battery charging, also include wireless charging, which is slower than
the standard yet gives great convenience to users, while in Apple
models this feature is still unavailable. In this section, Android is in
great advantage because of its greater benefits over the iPhone. In the
camera's device area, a small advantage is given to iOS because it
extracts the maximum values from its hardware. By comparing the 12
megapixel camera on the iPhone 7 and the 16 megapixel camera of the
LG G5, the iPhone has far more powerful camera than just a megapixel.
The camera and platform applications themselves are fast and easy to
use, although the iPhone's preference is given for greater ease of use
and better image results without filtering them. The analysis made in
terms of peripheral devices with Android and iOS preference is given
to iOS because Apple has built a larger ecosystem of peripherals (iPad,
Apple Watch, MacBook and HomeKit and in that way has a larger
number of peripherals devices. In terms of routing, launching the
operating system and jailbreak, Android is the winner because of the
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possibility of routing the mobile device. With the routing mobile device
has access to multiple applications and is available for the latest system
updates, greater aesthetic enhancements to the operating system,
increased device speed, increased battery life and many more. While
iOS has jailbreak feature of the device that allows downloading and
installing apps outside the App Store and removing some restrictions,
it's still not as effective as Android routing. With Android and iOS
settings, there are many different elements, but a huge advantage is
given to Android because the user can customize his experience in
many ways, there is a possibility to install various launchers to change
the look of the user interface, a possibility to set up more backgrounds
in the background and shortcuts and also opportunity to choose its
default keyboard, while iOS 8 supports third-party keyboard, but it's
not even close to that of Android. The connectivity on both platforms
is classical because it American Journal of Software Engineering and
Applications 2017; 6(5): 116-120 118 supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Android uses NFC, i.e. wireless communication in a short field, while
iOS has this feature included on the iPhone 6 and 6+. In this category,
Android wins because NFC is unlocked and it is much easier to add
third party add-ons. When choosing devices, Android is incredibly
leading due to the huge variety of various mobile devices, while iOS is
only available on Apple devices. The basic functionality for calling and
messaging is effective on both platforms. Android offers Hangouts,
Messenger, Allo and Duo, through which users can send messages over
the Internet or SMS, while iOS has FaceTime and iMessage that offer
many more features, GIFs, stickers, integration of third-party
applications and according to stated and according to ease of use, iOS
wins. Regarding standard email applications, both platforms use a
number of third-party email applications. However, the Gmail app on
Android is more popular and more powerful than the e-mail application
from iOS Mail and it offers the user an option to add more email
addresses from various providers. Because of this reason, the advantage
is given to Android. Each platform uses its own web browser, Google
Chrome on Android and Safari on iOS. Both browsers are high quality
with the difference that Chrome is available for iOS, while Safari is not
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for Android. Both, Android and iOS offer good maps and accurate
estimates, but the quality of Google Maps is unbeatable. It contains
more points and is more detailed compared to Apple Maps. Safety on
both platforms is at a satisfactory level. Due to the huge focus on rapid
updates, Android lags behind with the security of its system compared
to the iOS system. A number of Android devices use software that is
older than 3 years and are therefore susceptible to serious hacking that
is a threat to security. Apple is working to improve its security with the
Touch ID that represents fingerprint recognition. Increased
surveillance over iOS applications and the ability to update multiple
devices more quickly takes advantage over system security. The
privacy of iOS users is on high level because user personal data is
encrypted and not read, used, or stored by Apple, while Android is less
encrypted and privacy is more unprotected. That's why Apple offers the
best protection for the privacy of its users. As a platform iOS is simpler
and easier to use because it is the same in all iOS devices, unlike
Android that is different on each device from different manufacturers.
Also iOS is less cumbersome and more fashionable than most Android
phones and it makes iOS a winner in this category. And finally, in terms
of creating and publishing applications, Android and Play Store are
winning because of their greater freedom and cheaper registration fee.

Study of Converting Applications

from Android to iOS Platform and
Vice Versa

An analysis of a mobile application has been made that automatically

converts Android apps into iOS and iOS apps in Android with the help
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of content analyzer, resource converter, engine mapping engine, and

source translator. The Android platform developed by Google is an
optimized platform for mobile devices with the perfect combination of
operating system, middleware and application programs. The iOS
platform developed by Apple is the world's most advanced mobile
operating system, which is constantly redefining its devices. By
converting Android apps into iOS, resources such as images and sounds
can be converted, the API can be converted using the platform mapping
engine, and the application sources can be converted using a source
translator with compiler-writing technology.
The analyzer analyzes the input content and produces output where the
resource data and source code stored in the content are separated. A
resource converter is a system that converts text or binary data from an
application that needs to be converted to image, sound, and user data,
so that it can be used for the purpose of the platform of the file system.
The engine mapping platform is a system that provides API functions
that allow the previous platform to recreate the executable environment
using the target platform functions. The platform can supports the
functions to work in the same form and also it enables the converted
codes to be easily understood and changed.
It also takes care of the reliability and stability of performance from the
homogeneity of the environment. The source translator receives
Android codes that are produced by the content analyzer and translates
them into iOS source codes that are semantically equivalent and
perform the same function on the Android platform.

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Figure. Model on Android - iOS converter

Closed vs. open systems

Android is well liked by some developers because it provides an open

development platform, one on which rich applications with potentially
game-changing feature sets can be deployed. Developers can leverage
the Android device hardware, create location-aware apps by accessing
GPS and other sensory information on the device, set alarms to remind
users of events, include notifications and other information on the
status bar of the device, and more.
In contrast, iPhones have difficulty displaying multiple notifications,
since applications are restricted to pop-up messages that are shown only
one at a time. Additionally, developers on Android, at least in the
United States, can leverage various carrier features across the spectrum

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of Android devices, whereas iPhone devices are limited to the network

features that AT&T allows.
With the functionality of the Android software development kit
(SDK), a developer can build apps that use either the touch screen or
the device keyboard. This is an important point, since Android
developers have to accommodate a larger set of devices, all with
different hardware configurations.
In a recent TechRepublic article, Justin James reported that Jason Chen,
an Android developer advocate at Google, said the two biggest hurdles
for first-time Android developers to overcome are understanding and
handling the multitasking on the Android platform and dealing
gracefully with app interruptions, like receiving an incoming SMS text
message or phone call.
On the other hand, developers fare pretty well when writing apps for
the iPhone, at least at the outset. Since the iPhone operating system is
a closed system, created specifically by Apple for its own devices,
developers have a known spectrum of devices to target, with a well-
defined scope of capabilities and limitations.
Some developers report that this closed-system model makes for better
usability -- a trait for which Apple products have traditionally been
lauded. With such tight integration of the phone, operating system and
third-party apps, users' defined expectations are met with a minimum
of fuss around getting an app on the phone, what it does when it's on
the phone, and what features that app will support.
That's a good thing from the drawing board perspective, but in some
instances -- for example, where your software could work better, or at
least differently, with a different type of device -- it limits the flexibility
developers have in creating apps.

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Learning resources and testing

tools
Getting up to speed is an important part of the development process.
Apple makes information for iPhone app developers available in many
forms, including multimedia. "Important concepts are explained in
videos, which makes grasping concepts easy," says David Green, a
software developer at MAKE Technologies Inc. in Vancouver, British
Columbia. "However, I did find that videos progressed slowly and I
was watching for what seemed like hours to find information that
should have taken minutes."
In contrast, Android's support of open-source applications makes
sample apps and other programs easy to learn from. "I also downloaded
many open-source Android projects for ideas on architecture and API
usage. This is an area where Android has the advantage, [since] with
Apple's previous NDA policy there isn't much out there in terms of
open source for iPhone," says Green.
Of course, the development environment and testing tools comprise a
significant part of the overall experience for app creators. Green says
that here, Android is the clear winner. "Android development leverages
the excellent JDT tools, which are pretty much stock and standard with
every Eclipse installation," he says. "I've used these tools now for many
years and they're excellent. Everything Java is indexed, the IDE has a
rich model of the source code, and refactoring is so seamless that it has
changed the way that I work."
On the flip side, Apple's Xcode integrated development environment
(IDE) is not up to par, according to Green. "Xcode is so shockingly bad
that I almost don't know where to start," he says.
Green suggests that at a minimum, Xcode should be improved to
include a decent windows/editor management system for ease of use,
integrated API documentation to save time, and content assist
functionality that represents a larger set of coding styles than is
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available now. "Content assist provided by XCode is often wrong, and

almost always suggests a small subset of what's actually available,"
says Green.

Development
Let’s start with how you actually go about creating an app for either
Android or iOS. In both cases, you’re going to have a lot of
documentation and support to help you out, which is a good start. But
at the same time, both platforms have tons of options, various different
elements. This is not just a case of learning a new programming
language and getting to work.

iOS Development
In Apple’s case, you’ll be creating your apps using the Xcode IDE with
the iOS SDK. Xcode supports multiple programming languages but the
one that most new developers will choose is Swift. That’s because
Swift is a programming language that was created specifically by Apple
for iOS and OS X. It is based on Objective-C but is apparently less
prone to errors and more concise. If you’re determined to though, then
you can use Xcode with plain Objective-C, Javascript or even Python
(among other programming languages).

So just how easy is all this? Reports vary but it’s certainly true that
things could be more straightforward. Swift works with Cocoa Touch,
which is an API for building iOS UI elements. This means you’re going
to have to get your head around not only Swift but also Cocoa Touch
and the iOS SDK.
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And adding an extra barrier is the fact that Xcode will only run on
Macs. That’s right: if you’re going to develop for iOS, you’ll need to
buy yourself a relatively powerful Mac and an iPhone/iPad if you don’t
already own one. This significantly increases the initial investment
you’ll need to make before you can get started.

Android Development
On the Android side, things aren’t actually that different. Once again,
you’ll need an IDE which in this case is probably going to be Android
Studio. This means you’re going to be programming in Java and
simultaneously using the Android SDK.

So which experience is more streamlined and accessible? To be honest,

neither is a particularly appealing prospect for a beginner. And I have
much more experience with Android development, so I’m not really in
a position to judge the quirks of Xcode. What I can tell you is that
Objective-C/Swift and Java are not worlds apart. If you’re used to
developing in one, then transitioning to the other shouldn’t be too
jarring. Both are object oriented and a fair amount of the structure is
similar. There is also no clear consensus on the web as to whether
Android Studio or Xcode is superior. Both have their strengths and
weaknesses and both could stand to learn a thing or two from the other.
It’s certainly true that the iOS simulator is considerably better for
debugging than the Android emulators. On the other hand, you can
install Android Studio on a PC or a Mac, which is a big win. And it has
better autocomplete. In either camp though, you’re going to find a lot
of people complaining about things not being as intuitive or quick as
they should be, which is fair.

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There isn’t a clear winner here but there is a clear loser: us. If you want
to develop for both iOS and Android using the official methods, then
you’re going to have to install two IDEs, learn two programming
languages, get to grips with two SDKs and learn various APIs. That’s
a massive headache (and it gets worse as we’ll discover).

There isn’t a clear winner here but there is a clear loser: us.
That said, it’s also only fair to note that there are alternative tools for
both platforms, some of which make it much easier to port both ways.
There’s the excellent B4A and B4i for example which let you code in
BASIC, Unity for easy game development and tools like PhoneGap that
let you make cross platforms apps in HTML and JavaScript. Each has
their limitations though, so you’ll need to do some reading before
committing to one.

Design Guidelines

If there was a miraculous program that could take your Android app
and transform it into an iOS app, then you’d still have a fair bit of work
on your hands before you were ready to release. One cannot simply
take an app designed for one platform and drop it onto the other,
unfortunately.
The main reason for this? The design language is completely different
on iOS compared with Android and so is the expected interface. Both
Apple and Google want to encourage more consistency between apps,
so it will be jarring for users if you don’t conform at least somewhat to
the design sensibilities of the specific OS you’re targeting.

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One cannot simply take an app designed for one platform and drop
it onto the other, unfortunately.

iOS vs Android Design

Like Android, iOS has seen a recent shift away from skeuomorphic
shadows and toward flatter designs. However, Android is much clearer
and more precise in how it wants users to go about adopting this
language and gave us Material Design to refer to. I won’t go over this
in detail again here but it essentially means treating UI elements as
though they were made from physical material (paper specifically) and
using cues like shadows, animations and the Z axis to communicate
how the user should interact.
While iOS design is less clearly defined, it generally involves the use
of negative space, large images, transitions and lots of translucent
elements (often with the ‘frosted’ effect). Generally speaking, iOS is
also a little flatter and this can be seen in the different ways the two
platforms use cards, for example.

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In terms of navigation, the most obvious difference is that iOS devices

lack a back button and so need to include them in the UI (normally in
the top left). Including a back button in Android is generally considered
a no-no.
Winner: Android
There’s no arguing that Google has provided some very clear
guidelines for its developers when it comes to design – and for the most
part this results in some rather pretty and intuitive UIs. There’s more
guidance and documentation for Material Design and so Android
comes out on top in this case.
That said, the clearer guidelines also mean that Android developers
need to work a little harder if they want to keep up.

Fragmentation

The apps you create will always be defined to some extent by the
hardware they’re intended to run on. We’ve already seen how the lack
of a back button can end up affecting your UI and design and of course
this relationship goes deeper.

When it comes to comparing iOS and Android hardware from a

developer’s perspective, one word springs immediately to mind:
fragmentation.
When it comes to comparing iOS and Android hardware from a
developer’s perspective, one word springs immediately to mind:
fragmentation. Unfortunately, developing for one Android device is
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going to mean developing for countless Android devices. That means

different screen sizes, different DPIs and different aspect ratios.
Beyond that, you also have fragmentation in terms of the Android
versions that people are running. According to Open Signal, 5.6% of
users were still on Gingerbread in 2015!

This becomes a problem for developers. Not only does it mean that we
need to come up with flawlessly responsive designs (which ironically
is one thing that Xcode supports better than Android Studio) but it also
means we need to think hard about whether we want to add a new
feature that will prevent a large portion of the market from being able
to run our apps.
That said, there are also advantages to this fragmentation. Ultimately,
this situation is born out of the open nature of Android, which means
that there is a much broader range of hardware capable of running the
OS including media streaming devices, wearables, TVs and in-car
navitainment systems.
This means that you can potentially get a little more bang-for-your-
buck by learning Android development as it will allow you to create
apps for everything from watches to smart TVs. And in each case, you
can find new markets and new opportunities. Perhaps the Play Store is
too saturated for your liking? Then how about releasing an app for the
Kindle, for smartwatches or for the Gear VR? I’m super happy I’m an
Android developer right now rather than an iOS one, because it means
I can start working on some cool VR projects.
Winner: iOS
While Android’s open nature is to be encouraged, the fragmentation
still ultimately makes life difficult for developers and that means this
round has to go to iOS. While iPhones are gradually getting more

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diverse, the situation is still considerably easier, which saves

developers time (and bad reviews) and ultimately improves revenues.

Publishing and Restrictions

As we’ve already seen, there are significant advantages to the open
nature of Android. And the same can be said more broadly for Google’s
generally laissez-faire approach.
For starters, Android allows access to more of the system’s inner
workings, which lets you create things you just couldn’t make on iOS.
This includes all manner of customization apps, launchers, floating
apps and more. And when it comes to actually publishing apps on
Android and iOS, Android clearly comes out on top from the
developer’s point of view too. See, when iOS itself doesn’t limit what
you’re able to create, Apple probably will. Apple obviously has a very
clear idea regarding what kinds of apps it’s happy to support and is
much more stringent when it comes to checking apps that developers
submit.

Publishing to the Play Store vs the App

Store
To publish an app on Android, all you need to do is sign up and upload
your APK. It will then take a couple of hours before it’s live in the store
and people can start downloading it. It costs a one-off payment of $25
and that’s it. That simple!
On iOS meanwhile, you need to pay a recurring annual fee of $99 and
submit your app more formally for it to be tested by real-life humans.
This can take a couple of days and there’s always a good chance the
submission will be rejected. In some cases, this is at least
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understandable; Apple wouldn’t let you release a Genesis emulator for

instance because of the potential legal issues. Likewise, anything that
it deemed to be offensive or too low-brow would also be off the cards.
But then there are the more obscure reasons that iOS can reject an app.
My friend built an insult-generator that used unusual words to amusing
effect and had a very nice design (he’s a web designer). The app was
rejected on the grounds that the words were made up! This in fact was
not the case and so my friend added a dictionary element to the app that
would explain the meaning of the word. He hoped this would also add
an educational aspect. Again, the app was rejected, this time because it
‘wasn’t fun or interesting’. Ofcourse that’s their opinion but
considering that there were similar apps in the App Store at that time
with much less originality and far worse designs, he was
understandably infuriated.
My best-selling app meanwhile was a multitasking app – the
functionality of which simply would not have been allowed on iOS.
And my other big app was a launcher. So…
Winner: Android
Apple’s approach surely has its benefits. Apart from anything else, it
maintains a higher standard of app on the App Store which is good for
the user. But you could definitely make the case that Apple goes too far
in that direction and that this ends up causing problems for developers
and even stifling creativity. And the firmware restrictions are of course
one of the reasons many of us gravitated toward Android in the first
place. Ultimately, developing for iOS could mean investing in a Mac,
learning Xcode and Swift, investing hours and $$$ into development…
only to have your app rejected. Thankfully, this danger doesn’t exist on
Android.

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Profits
Of course we also need to think about the potential moolah you can
earn developing for each platform and this is where Apple has the clear
advantage.
There are many more devices out there running Android and the Play
Store sees a much larger number of downloads accordingly. But despite
this, the App Store still brings in significantly more revenue – to the
tune of about 75% according to a report from App Annie. iOS users are
simply happier to spend more on their app purchases and this is
something you need to consider heavily before making your choice.

If you develop only for Android, then you are going to be losing out on
a lot of potential revenue. The best decision will always be to go cross
platform (which will give you access to the largest possible audience)
but failing that, you’ll earn more money by being iOS exclusive. But
hey, Android developers still earn more than Windows Phone
developers!
Winner: iOS
If you have two identical apps with identical marketing campaigns,
then you’re likely to earn more from the iOS version than the Android
version. This doesn’t always hold true (as mentioned, you might be able
to find a better route to market on Android) but it’s certainly the trend.

Looking toward the future

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Ultimately, the arguments for and against the approaches taken by

Apple and Google are irrelevant from the perspective of end users, the
eventual consumers of the applications that the developers create. What
matters to all but the tiniest minority of customers is the overall
experience: the marriage of form and function.
Besides, the onward march of technology generally renders obsolete
any arguments about tool kits and platforms. As Baxter-Reynolds
notes, the upcoming HTML 5 standard will solve much of the Adobe-
Apple argument for many developers.
"It's not all doom and gloom," he says. "Both Android and the iPhone
use the fabulous WebKit browser framework, which is pledged to fully
support HTML 5 and which will eventually turn into a cross-platform
application platform in its own right over the next few years."
Developing in HTML 5, additionally, will mean widespread
documentation for learning about the language, and freedom to develop
HTML code in any environment that a developer wishes.

Conclusion

Android wins some categories and iOS wins some categories, but iOS
wins in some of the more important categories – we don’t think rooting
or alternative app stores are as important for most people as
accessibility or security, for example. It’s very difficult to compare the
two. Because Apple controls the hardware and the software, you’ll find
that iOS offers a more uniform experience across devices.
A straight comparison of the latest versions of Android and iOS
wouldn’t be very representative of most people’s experience, because
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most Android devices aren’t running the latest version. The experience
you get is further complicated by the fact that most Android
smartphone manufacturers add their own user interface on top of
Google’s stock Android. As a result, there’s quite a big difference
between using Google’s Pixel 2, the Samsung Galaxy S9, and the LG
v30, for example.
If you do decide to go with an Android device, make sure you do a little
research and look at the version of Android it runs, the manufacturer
skin on top, and the manufacturer’s record for software updates.
Ultimately, different categories will be important to different people,
so you should pay attention to the ones that count for you and make
your decision based on that. If security and privacy are an important
factor, then the iPhone is the obvious choice. If battery life is top of
your list and you want to be able to customize your phone, then choose
Android. Both Android and iOS are mature, feature-packed platforms
with far more similarities than differences, and we can heartily
recommend either.
There are many aspects to consider when choosing a platform for app
development, but from a financial standpoint as well as a time
perspective iOS is a better choice. If your company has been
established in app development for a long time and can navigate the
more complicated Android OS, you probably afford longer
development times and testing. So, in any case, go for it!
Hence, the winner is nobody! Each platform gets two wins each and
one draw, making it a draw overall.Cop-out I know. It’s just like all
those superhero vs superhero comics where they reach a stalemate and
eventually team up to defeat a common enemy… anticlimactic and
ultimately unsatisfying.

The weighting you give each of these points will come down to
your own preferences and goals, and that will ultimately decide
which platform is best for you.
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Really there’s no way to make a fair comparison like this; it comes

down to what’s important to you. For me, the ease and flexibility
provided by Android trumps iOS. The ideas I had wouldn’t have
worked on iOS and I don’t own a Mac. The simplicity of submitting
apps to the Play Store meant I could experiment easily and get in some
early wins while I was still learning. But maybe you’re more interested
in earning the maximum profit from your apps, which would certainly
be understandable. Perhaps you find the fragmentation on Android very
off-putting. Or maybe you just like iOS more. Better yet, maybe you’re
willing to put the time and effort in to release on both platforms.
The weighting you give each of these points will come down to your
own preferences and goals, and that will ultimately decide which
platform is best for you. Let us know in the comments which side of
the fence you’re on and why! Because this is definitely an objective
place to have that discussion.

References
• https://developer.apple.com/
• https://developers.google.com/
• https://www.androidauthority.com/
• https://www.quora.com/
• https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/android-vs-ios/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKjBojY1O-w

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Appendix

KEYWORDS EXPLANATION

I. SDK A software development kit that enables

developers to create applications for the
Android & iOS platform.
II. API In computer programming, an
application programming interface
(API) is a set of subroutine definitions,
protocols, and tools for building
application software.
III. XCODE Xcode is an integrated development
environment for macOS containing a
suite of software development tools
developed by Apple for developing
software for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and
tvOS.