Apple
and Google have both recently unveiled their upcoming mobile operating
system updates, both set to be released this autumn. Google's offering
is Android Lollipop, while Apple's is iOS 8. Here, we compare the two in
our Android Lollipop vs iOS 8 comparison preview, to determine what's
in store for iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and Android tablets
later this year.
Apple and Google have both recently unveiled their upcoming mobile
operating system updates, with Apple's final iOS 8 due to be unveiled
today on the iPhone 6 (see How to watch iPhone 6 launch live and iPhone 6 launch live blog),
while Android L will be released later this autumn. Google's offering
is Android L, while Apple's is iOS 8. Here, we compare the two in our
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison preview, to determine what's in store for
iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and Android tablets later this year.
See also: Android Lollipop new features
Android and iOS are actually getting closer than ever, so there are
many similarities to discuss in addition to the differences between the
two rival operating systems. Read on to find out more about how they
compare. Also read: Google I/O 2014 round-up
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Availability
As mentioned above, both iOS 8
and Android L will be released to the public this autumn, probably in
September or October. There are ways to get your hands on iOS 8 and
Android L now, though they're both in beta or preview versions so it's
advisable not to install them on your main device. See: How to get Android L now
You'll have to pay to join Apple's developer program if you want to
start using iOS 8 (it's £60 per year) but you can get your hands on
Android L for free. Here's how. Also see: Android L offers remarkable battery life, but it's no faster than KitKat
To run iOS 8, you'll need an iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPad mini or later, and for Android L you'll need a Google Nexus 5 or Nexus 7.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Design
The design of iOS 8 is mostly unchanged from the design of iOS 7,
which is no surprise as it was iOS 7 that brought the major design
changes. iOS 8 has that 'flat' design, ditching all signs of
skeuomorphism in favour of minimalist aesthetics.
This year, it's Android's turn for a bit of a design change. Google
has introduced a new 'Material Design' look for Android, which has also
been offered to developers for use in their Android apps. Android L
brings more depth to the operating system's appearance using shadows,
and also automatically generates touches of colour based on the content
being displayed.
Above: The dialler in Android L is a good example of the new
design. It uses circles instead of squares, and is brighter and lighter
overall. The icons along the bottom have been tweaked too.
Additionally, there are new animations and touch feedback, so the
overall look and feel of the operating system is smooth and responsive. See also: Android L screenshots
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Features
When it comes to new features, both Android L and iOS 8 have many.
We'll go through some of them here, and discuss how they compare to one
another.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Notifications
In Android L, you'll find new, enhanced notifications. You'll be able
to get them on your lock screen, and they'll be automatically ordered
in priority. You can swipe them away if you want to dismiss them, or
double tap to open the relevant app.
Similarly, notifications have improved in iOS 8. They're now
interactive, so you'll be able to reply to text messages, accept
calendar invitations, snooze reminders and even Like Facebook statuses
you're tagged in without even having to leave the app you're in. You can
already swipe them to automatically go to the relevant app, but you
can't swipe to dismiss them.
We'd say iOS 8 when it comes to its new notification features, and
we're particularly excited about the new interactive capabilities
they'll offer.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Lock screen
As mentioned briefly above, Android L brings a new lockscreen to
devices. In addition to being able to see notifications, you'll also be
able to swipe up to unlock, swipe right to launch the dialler or swipe
left to launch the camera.
In iOS 8, the lock screen is unchanged from iOS 7, offering
notifications, slide right to unlock and slide up to access the camera.
There's no way to quickly access the dialler, though. See also: How to get iOS 8 now
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Multi-tasking
Multi-tasking in iOS 7 was already pretty good, but Apple has taken
it a step further by adding recent and favourite contacts to the screen
when you double click the home button to access the multi-tasking menu.
These contacts appear in a swipable list along the top, to allow you to
quickly and easily call, text or FaceTime call that person.
Android L brings multi-tasking to a new level for its users, too.
Now, open apps will appear in cards in a carousel, which you can flow
through by sliding up or down on the screen. To close an app, swipe the
card to the left or right.
What's cool, and something that iOS can't do yet, is some apps will
show multiple cards depending on how you’re using them. For example, if
you've got multiple tabs open in Chrome, you'll see each of them as an
individual card on the multi-tasking screen.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Security
Google has introduced a new personal unlocking feature that'll enable
users to unlock their smartphone or tablet without entering their
passcode, but only when they are close enough to a device such as an
Android Wear smartwatch.
Apple has its Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which is built-in to the
home button of the iPhone 5S. In iOS 7, it was only able to unlock the
device or be used instead of entering Apple ID details, but it'll be
opened up to third-party developers with iOS 8, so users will be able to
use their fingerprint to access other apps such as banking
applications, for example.
Both Android L's and iOS 8's new security features won't be available
to everybody, of course - if you don't own an iPhone 5S or an Android
Wear smartwatch, you won't be able to use them.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Battery life
We don't yet know exactly how Android L and iOS 8 will affect the
battery life of the devices they're running on, but both let you
identify how individual apps are using battery, and make improvements
based on that information. Android L has an additional battery saving
mode which iOS 8 doesn't.
Google claims that the new battery saving mode coming with Android L will give the Nexus 5 90 minutes more battery life.
We'd like to see Apple introduce a similar feature, as iPhones are notorious for their poor battery life.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: New developer features
Both Google and Apple have added some new tools for developers that
could mean exciting new abilities will arrive on Android and iOS devices
soon. It's particularly surprising that Apple has opened up iOS to
developers a bit, as it's a company that has always been known for its
closed nature.
Apple has introduced what it calls Extensibility, which basically
means that apps in iOS will be able to 'talk to each other' like never
before. For example, using 'Action extensions,' Safari could gain a Bing
translate feature, taking advantage of the Bing app's capabilities. Or,
Safari could gain a 'Pin' button for Pinterest users if the Pinterest
app is installed. The possibilities here are endless, and extremely
exciting for iOS users and developers.
Another element of Apple's extensions is 'Today extensions' which are
actually widgets that can be chosen to appear in the 'Today' view in
iOS 8's Notification Centre. Android has had home screen widgets for a
long time, so Apple is bringing itself in line with its biggest rival
with this feature.
Widgets and other extensions are much more restricted in iOS 8
compared with Android, though. Apple is keen to keep its operating
system secure, and won't allow developers to release apps that are just
widgets, or just keyboards (yep, iOS 8 allows third-party keyboards for
the first time).
Google has added new features in Android L for developers, such as
direct links to apps from Google searches in the Chrome browser
(something that has been available for a while, but only for select
developers until now).
There are many more new features for developers in both Android L and
iOS 8, but we'd argue that iOS 8's changes in this area are more
exciting, even if they are playing catch up in some cases. See also: 5 Android features you're about to get on your iPhone
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: 64-bit
Apple used last year's iOS 7 to introduce 64-bit compatibility to the operating system, and that continues with iOS 8.
For Google, however, Android L represents the first time the
operating system has been compatible with 64-bit devices. We expect to
see many more smartphones
and tablets with 64-bit chips to emerge in the coming year following
the announcement. This should mean speedier and smoother performance and
a big power boost for Android devices.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Health & Fitness
Both Apple and Google have unveiled fitness and health tracking
platforms for their upcoming operating system updates. Apple's offering
is called Healthkit, which works with the new Health app, while Google's
is called Google Fit for Android.
Both have similar purposes: they'll help you keep an eye on your
health and fitness data thanks to the sensors on your mobile or wearable
devices, and also some input from you. Healthkit and Google Fit are
platforms for developers to take advantage of, but Apple's Health app is
a bit like Passbook, pulling together data from other health and
fitness apps into one, easy to access place.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Hey, Siri. Ok, Google.
There's no doubt that Apple's new 'Hey, Siri' trigger to activate the
voice assistant hands-free is a feature borrowed from Android's 'Ok,
Google' activation for Google Now. However, this works only if the
device is running on external power or if Siri is already open on
screen.
Plus, also like Google Now, Spotlight in iOS 8 will let you search
more than just what's on your phone. It can search the App Store, iBooks
Store, Wikipedia, Maps, iTunes and more, and it'll bring up local movie
showings, news trending among your friends etc.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Handoff
Also new in iOS 8 is 'Handoff,' a feature that's going to be a huge
boon for anyone with multiple Apple devices. It'll mean that, if you've
been writing an email on your way home and have just arrived home, your
Mac will automatically ask whether you'd like to pick up that email on
OS X instead. It's not just for emails, either. Most Apple apps that
work across both OS X and iOS will work with Handoff. You'll also be
able to pick up calls on your Mac, and see all of your messages, even if
they're not iMessages.
Some of these features are available for Android, too, though
third-party apps are required and it's not quite as seamless or refined
as Apple's Handoff. If you own a Chromebook, though, Android L will
automatically unlock your laptop when your smartphone or tablet is close
by, and your notifications will appear on both your laptop and your
mobile device.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: CarPlay & Android Auto
With Android L, Google has introduced Android Auto, which is similar
to Apple's CarPlay feature unveiled alongside iOS 7 last year.
They are both very similar services, using your smartphone to offer
you information and controls on your dashboard's screen including maps,
music and other apps. You can find out more about Android Auto here, and more about CarPlay here.
Android L vs iOS 8 comparison: Compatibility
Another factor to take into consideration when comparing these two
upcoming updates is compatibility. iOS 8 will be able to run on the
iPhone 4S or later, the iPad 2 or later and both generations of iPad
mini.
Those with Android devices might have more trouble getting Android L
straight away. If you own a flagship phone or tablet from Samsung, HTC,
LG, Sony, Motorola or any other big name brand, you should get the
update quite quickly. Those with Google's Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 should get
access to it immediately when it's released to the public. HTC has said
that HTC One M8 owners will get Android L within 90 days of its release,
but we've not yet heard from other manufacturers. We'll update this
article when we find out more.
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