The eternal question – which is better, Apple or Android? The Cosmic office has been hot on the topic this week, and I’m here to deliver a list of the pros for each.
In the office today we're discussing the pros and cons of Android and Apple- which is your favourite and why?!... http://t.co/8JvB55rONs
— Cosmic Apprentices (@CosmicDAs) October 22, 2013
Two of our Digital Apprentices, James and Toby, have voiced their opinions for each side; we’ll let you make your mind up.
Apple Pros
James Bull is here to tell us his top five reasons why he loves his Apple devices. He loves that they are environmentally friendly, as well as easy to use and well built.
1 - Ease of use James loves how he doesn’t have to hunt around for what he wants to find as he can find everything he wants right from the lock screen of his device, which he says makes it really user friendly and efficient to use.
The home screen has a very friendly and slick interface that is really appealing.
2 - Upgrading is free
Apple roll out their new version of iOS to every user for free which allows users to keep up with compatibility and ensure everything works as it should.
3 - All Apple software is free
iCloud now let’s all of its users use their versions of editing software for free such as 'Pages' , 'Numbers' , 'Key Note', 'iMovie', which is really handy for James’ work. All of these are professional, slick apps and don't require any monthly subscriptions unlike Microsoft's offering: Office 365, which is a huge bonus for James.
4 -Environmentally friendly
James believes that being 'green' is very important in today's world. Apple says "designed to have a big impact on the world, not the environment." All of their devices are:
5- Build quality
James argues that Apple devices such as the iPad feel incredibly balanced. He said that it is because everything about it is the result of careful consideration, and that every detail serves a purpose. They are made from mono crystalline diamonds that are cut to form the bezel so that it can be measured in microns.
Android Pros
Opting to side with Android, apprentice Toby Rutherford loves the customisability and choice he has with Android devices.
1 - Price
Android devices are more often than not, cheaper than competitor phones. But Toby says this doesn’t mean a lack on quality; he believes the HTC One is a prime example of an affordable, great smartphone. It is one of the most powerful smart phones on the market and has some of the best speakers available.
2 - Customisation
Toby loves that his Android device is so customisable. If he doesn’t like a function of the Android OS, he can change it to suit his preferences! He likes how easy it is to download extras such as a new keyboard.
“There are some cool innovative ways such as Swype, where you keep your finger on the screen and continually move from letter to letting producing words at remarkable speeds.”
Toby was even able to change his lock screen, adding quick use tabs and widget without having to unlock his phone.
Like James, he enjoys the ease of use with his device, as he can set the default browser to Chrome or his e-mails to Hotmail, as well as a host of other defaults that can be changed including PDF readers, video players, music players and many more.
3 - Widgets
Widgets allow you to quickly view to important contents of some of your apps, such as your Facebook, Twitter or the latest news, without opening the app. These widgets are customisable themselves, letting you change the size and location of them that suits you the best.
Toby is hugely in favour of widgets as they save battery, rather than using up power to open up an entire app, the phone runs a low power widget periodically in the background.
4 - Expandability
Toby believes that one of the best features his Android has is the ability to expand the memory using an external source, most often a Micro SD card. This way, he doesn’t have to pay and extra to have the bigger internal memory, instead he spent just £40.00 on a 64GB Micro SD card, on top of the basic internal memory.
5 - Choice
Since Android is an operating rather than a company, many different manufacturers are able to use it. Toby says how this creates a lot of competition, but thinks it’s a positive thing as it keeps prices low and quality high. He also says it’s great how if you don’t like how your Android phone feels or works, there is a huge array of alternatives out there, and that Android is available on big phones, little phone, cheap phones and powerful phones, giving you the choice of the phone that suits your needs.