Google vs Apple. Android vs iOS. The debate of which is better will probably never end because everyone wants the best for themselves.
These days smartphones are as essential to our daily lives as our automobiles. For some, smartphones are even more essential as they are giving up their cars in favor of Uber and Lyft. We use our smartphones for a multitude of activities: pictures, texts, calls, social media, and GPS are just some of the basics. Given the high cost of smartphones, most people will be stuck with their choice for a minimum of two years. That’s where the great debate of Android vs iOS lies and will continue as both dominate the mobile world.
I left my last writing gig at AndroidGuys last fall which gave me the freedom to use any smartphone I wanted. I switched to the iPhone 7 Plus (32GB) for several months. Next came the Samsung Galaxy S8+ until the end of June. I went back to the iOS world in the beginning of July and have been using the smaller Jet Black iPhone 7 (128GB) and have developed several thoughts on the great debate.
This debate though is not about pure Android. The Samsung Galaxy S8+ uses a heavily skinned version of TouchWiz and one can make different arguments using the Google Pixel. This debate is about the most popular selling smartphones and my experiences with them.
Physical size matters. The iPhone 7 is the easiest to carry.
After using two large phones for six months, the most glaring change that I observed was how well the iPhone 7 fits in my pockets. It’s significantly different. No matter how you look at it, both the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S8+ are large devices. The iPhone 7 Plus sports a 5.5″ in a much too large frame proven by the fact that Samsung could squeeze a gorgeous 6.2″ display in the S8+ which manages to be narrower. The 7 Plus is 4.5mm wider than the Galaxy S8+ and it makes a difference when holding the phone. However, the iPhone 7 is far skinnier than both: 10.8mm less than the iPhone 7 Plus and 6.3mm less than the Galaxy S8+. (It’s not 100% fair to compare these phones without the smaller Galaxy S8, but that phone is on order and I will update my thoughts then.)
I’m a large male and as a result, have big pockets on my clothing. When carrying the larger phones, they take up my entire pocket. They also feel awkward when sitting, and while this may not be important to how phones are used, the reality is the phone spends far more time in my pocket than not. Their large sizes are most noticeable at the gym when I’m trying to exercise. Whether it’s the iPhone 7 Plus or Galaxy S8+, they’re so big for my gym clothing that I end up carrying the phone in my hand. The iPhone 7 on the other side of the spectrum fits in my pocket comfortably at all times. And when I get dressed up to go out on a date, I appreciate the smaller iPhone 7 the most because I’m wearing better fitting pants that have smaller pockets.
I can also one hand every task with the iPhone 7. That’s not possible unless you have massive hands on the very wide iPhone 7 Plus. It is possible to do some tasks with one hand on the Galaxy S8+, but even unlocking the phone on the long phone requires two hands.
Verdict:
iPhone 7 physical size is the easiest to deal with.
The iPhone 7 Plus is way too wide for an average sized display.
The Galaxy S8+ fits great in the hand for its large 6.2″ display but it’s still a very large phone.
Display size matters.
After using the iPhone 7 for all of July, I realized I’m a big display kind of person. My eyes aren’t getting any better with age and I need the ultra clear and massive display found on the Galaxy S8+. While the iPhone 7 is great to carry, it’s not a phone that I read or watch videos on. The display is simply too small and combined with the average (by Android standards) pixel density, makes for a bad combination for my eyes. I find myself holding the phone closer to my face so I can read the content on it. And I’m in denial about getting old so I refuse to make the text larger.
The iPhone 7 Plus has a larger 5.5″ display and that’s about as small as I can take. It also has a higher pixel density at 401ppi than the smaller iPhone 7 at 326ppi which makes it easier to read and view fine details on pictures and videos. The Galaxy S8+ has 529ppi making it one of the clearest displays you can get now, and yeah it helps my eyes focus at normal range.
I’ve found that I simply do not like the small display size of the iPhone 7. It’s not a compromise I’m willing to make, but I fully understand how many people don’t have the real estate in their pockets for anything larger. The iPhone 7 is good enough to keep me connected to colleagues, friends and family through messages and calls, but everything else is a struggle for me. I don’t like reading on it and I certainly desire more display and pixel density when looking at pictures I just took.
In the image above, you can see the Galaxy S8+ display is about the same size as the entire iPhone 7. It’s a gorgeous and massive display and I love it. I find myself reading on the phone much more than any other previous phones I’ve used and it has me looking forward to the Galaxy Note 8 which is rumored to have an even larger display.
When it comes to color accuracy, both iPhones have an argument against the vibrant Galaxy S8+’s vibrant and saturated AMOLED display. However I’d take the Galaxy S8+’s display over iPhones 100/100 times. It colors, brightness and contrast ratios are second to none.
Verdict:
iPhone 7 display size is too small for me.
iPhone 7 Plus display is better at 5.5″, but it is way to0 small for how wide the phone is
Galaxy S8+ has the best display of any device on the planet (besides the smaller Galaxy S8)
Notifications
I simply can’t comprehend why iOS is so bad at notifications when compared to Android. Apple is usually all about usability but its notification system is anything but usable. Whereas notifications on the Samsung Galaxy S8+ are organized and are interactive. I can reply to text messages from the notification shade, but more importantly, I can even turn on/off WiFi and Bluetooth, turn off the sound and even block all notifications altogether from one screen. iPhones can control things like WiFi too, but those exist in a separate control window that has to be swiped up from the bottom. I know it’s a gripe that doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially to iOS users, but Android users have it so much better and switching between devices makes me that much more appreciative of Google’s efforts.
Verdict:
Apple should take a few lessons from Google and simply copy how Android does notifications better.
iMessage is da bomb
One area where iOS owns Android is with messaging. While Android offers great text messaging apps like Textra, Allo and Google Messenger, nothing comes close to iMessage. iMessage continues to get new functionality with age and if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, you can take advantage of using a single iMessage account across all of your devices. That means if you get home and switch to using your iPad, you can pick up where you left off on the conversation from your iPhone. Or you can message from your Mac laptop or even Apple Watch. I have all of these things and love iMessage. I even love when my friends who own iPhones are surprised when I’m back to Apple and get the blue text message. I feel so welcome to the iOS club.
Verdict:
Google needs to do some work on this. The Galaxy S8+ messaging app is more than adequate, but nothing compares to iMessage. If you love to video chat, nothing is better than Facetime too.
Photos on all of these devices are fantastic
Cameras on smartphones are arguably the most important feature for premium users (outside of the display and internal specs). All three of the phones, the S8+, 7 Plus and 7 all have great cameras. They may not rank the highest on DxOMark but I think that rating system is a bunch of crap anyway (I’m not a camera expert). Details and specs aside, the iPhones excel at color accuracy while the S8+ is an all around great shooter even in low light settings.
I could spend hours comparing photos, but what matters most is that all of the pictures I take with any of the phones look great.
Verdict:
Everyone wins with cameras this good.
Battery life matters too
One area where the smaller iPhone lacks is in real-world battery life results. I could do a scientific measurement of battery life by having all of the phones run a video loop for hours on end, but I like to do my battery tests by actual usage.
I’m not quite a power user like most tech geeks where I watch videos away from home, play a wide range of games, or even use social media for that matter. I mainly use my phone for messaging, calls, pictures, navigation, music, emails and reading when I have downtime. I don’t play more than one game (Clash Royale), but even that is limited to 2-3 minutes per session maybe once or twice a day. My usage to be similar to the average consumer instead of the average tech geek.
The iPhone 7 battery is not good. I find myself reaching for a charger once during the day, sometimes twice, and I even conserve power when I know I won’t have a charger handy. If I didn’t have choices of phones to pick from, I’d probably invest in a battery case from Mophie.
On the other hand, the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S8+ have all day battery life that previous versions did not have. The iPhone 7 Plus battery life is very predictable and I always know I will have all day battery life. I can also leave it off the charger at night knowing iOS does standby battery management ridiculously well. Samsung managed to squeeze in a massive 3500mAh battery into the S8+ and it gets me through the day with ease. I also love that it charges super fast with its Adaptive fast charger in addition to having wireless charging built-in too.
Verdict:
The larger phones have bigger internal batteries than the iPhone 7 and real-world usage time is better than the smaller 7 as a result.
I still love the 3.5mm audio jack and I also love Bluetooth 5.0 on the Galaxy S8+
I still don’t understand why Apple thought it was necessary to remove the 3.5mm audio jack from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. It didn’t make the phone any thinner. And while both of those phones did gain water resistance, the Galaxy S8+ has the audio jack while offering water resistance too.
As a tech lover and writer, I have a wide range of headphones to choose from. That means I can use wireless ones like the Jaybird X3, or the Master & Dynamic Over Ear MW60, but I also love to use my wired headphones too. I’m an audiophile and sometimes feel like listening to different ranges of music. Each set of headphones offers different sound signatures. Wired also can transmit better details than Bluetooth and I still love the audio jack.
Most importantly though, sometimes I forget to charge my wireless headphones and want to plug them in to be able to use them. The iPhones don’t give me that option unless I use a Lightning adapter that I’ve already lost two of. I don’t want to buy more adapters, I just want the audio jack back.
A new feature found in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ is the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.0. It was the first smartphone to include it, and even now there’s only a couple of other devices that employ Bluetooth 5.0. I never have connection issues with my wireless headphones anymore and I can stream further to wireless speakers in my home. But the best feature of Bluetooth 5.0 on my Galaxy S8+ is being able to stream to two devices at the same time. I have a wide range of Bluetooth speakers and pairing two up at the same time is far better than just one.
Verdict:
Steve Jobs loved music. Taking away the 3.5mm audio jack was unnecessary and I doubt Mr. Jobs would have agreed with that move. The Samsung Galaxy S8+ owns the iPhones in this category as well as with Bluetooth 5.0.
Third-party apps are better on iOS
The reality is the Apple App Store generates more revenue than the Google Play Store for developers. It’s also easier to keep one version of the app updated on iOS than it is to update multiple versions of the same app on Android to comply with a wide range of devices. As a result, apps are simply better on iOS in just about every single way than on Android. That doesn’t mean apps are bad on the Galaxy S8+, especially for me since I use very few apps outside of the basics. When I talk to my friends about the apps they use: Snapchat and Twitter are two that come to mind where they’re better on iOS.
Google apps are better for Android devices
Beyond those apps, I do prefer native Google apps on Android devices. Yes, that’s a “no duh” conclusion, but the reality is most iPhone users use Google apps but in a much more limited fashion. My favorite Google apps are Photos, Google Play Music, Gmail, Maps, and Google Now. I think those apps beat all of the iOS native counterparts too.
The Google apps still function well on iOS, just not as well as on the Galaxy S8+. I also hate iCloud and wish Apple would improve it and include unlimited free photo storage for its users like Google does with Photos. I can’t tell you how many iPhone users come to me with storage issues on their devices and the only option for iPhone users is to pay for more cloud storage. They could use Google Photos but it’s not native to the iPhone and many people won’t go out of their comfort zone.
S Health vs Apple Health
This is an area that most consumers probably aren’t concerned about, but as an active person, I do care about the native health apps. Samsung calls its health app Samsung Health where Apple calls it app Health. I’ve used S Health for several years now on previous Samsung devices and have always loved it. I think it’s the best health app available especially when you throw in the oxygen sensor, heart rate sensor and native activity tracking view in Bixby. S-Health can also now pair you with doctors when you have health issues. I have yet to try it since I have a primary care doctor across the street from me. However, I can see a wide variety of users accessing this feature in the future, especially those with limited mobility like the elderly.
Apple Health is an adequate health tracker, but it relies on add-on devices like the Apple Watch too much for more details like heart rate and activity tracking.
The main area where S-Health is better is with step tracking. It doesn’t just track steps, it also lets you join competitions with other S-Health users and I like that feature. It motivates me more with goals and competition and I find myself just a little more active when I use the Galaxy S8+ and that’s better for me in general. I know there are apps I could download on the iPhone that goes beyond Health, but I prefer the native apps over third-party apps.
Verdict:
Apple Health is adequate but S-Health is the best native health app for all smartphones.
Gear VR
Virtual reality was supposed to be the next big thing in 2015, 2016 and 2017. It’s still not mainstream but is getting better with time. I received a free Gear VR headset and controller from Samsung when I preordered my S8+. I’ve always thought VR needs more content to be the next big thing, and with Samsung partnering up with Oculus it has come a long way in a short time. I find myself setting aside time at night to put my Gear VR headset on to travel the world, play interactive games like fishing, and I even watch 3D movies and tv shows through DirecTV Now on the headset.
It’s really easy to use, comfortable and the content is now there for me to enjoy it on a regular basis. The iPhone has no answer to this and I feel like it is missing a great opportunity in an area that will explode.
Verdict:
Both iPhones have no options for VR. The Galaxy S8+ is quite an experience with Gear VR. If you own an S8 or S8+, I highly recommend you get a Gear VR for yourself. It’s good.
Conclusion
The iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Galaxy S8+ are all great phones. They all have their shortcomings and advantages. I love the predictability with iOS and iMessage is a feature that most will choose an iPhone over Android for on its own. It’s that good. The cameras are fantastic, software is regularly updated and the Apple ecosystem is fantastic if you use the iPad, Apple Watch and/or Mac computers. I didn’t talk about this in the article above, but Apple’s in-store service is a feature that tech geeks like me can’t appreciate. We cycle through phones so fast that if we have a problem we just wait for our next phone. But Apple stores can fix broken displays, software issues, and battery problems in less than 30 minutes where Samsung users have far fewer options. For long-term use, that is something that is very important to the average consumer.
However, if I was forced to go with one device it would be the Samsung Galaxy S8. It’s got a smaller form factor than the S8+ and 7 Plus and is just slightly physically larger than the very carryable iPhone 7. If I had to choose out of the three I used over the past 7 months, I still would go with the S8+ too. Reading on a large display is important to me as is looking at the fine details in pictures and it’s done best on a Galaxy S8 or S8+. When you combine the build of the Galaxy smartphones, with basics like fast charging, 3.5mm audio jack, much-improved TouchWiz, and you also throw in Gear VR and S-Health, it makes for an overall package that can’t be beaten. After spending several months with the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Galaxy S8+, I’ve recently just put in an order for the Coral Blue S8 that will be my companion until the Galaxy Note 8. I also love Samsung’s LED cover which shows a multitude of things on the cover as well as the free AKG headphones that came with the phone.
With that being said, all of the phones are great. Android and iOS does everything well, it just happens that I like Samsung’s version of a phone better.