The Great Debate: Apple vs. Android

When it comes to tablets, smartphones or other devices, there has always been a feud between Apple and Android products. For the past 10-15 years, Consumers all over the world have fought over what software, design, and usability is superior and what device media makes popular. Apple, founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, introduced the iPhone in 2007 and has been selling strong ever since. The iPhone is technically in it's “own class” because almost every mobile phone that isn't made by Apple, most likely has an Android computer and operating system. Android, unlike Apple, does not produce actual phones, tablets, or devices. They only manufacture the computers, operating systems, and anything internals to run the phones. That explains why Android has almost double the sales of Apple operating systems. Apple Insider claims that the proportion of sales of iPhones over Android is slightly changing according to the data. The proportion of iOS device sales shrank from 38.1% in Q3 2018 to 36.1% in Q3 2019, a year-on-year decline of 2%, while Android gained 1.8% from 61.8% last year to 63.6% this year. Besides sales, which phone operates the best? The final answer is determined by which phones to compare. For this, I'm going to compare the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max versus the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.

First off, the new iPhone has a 6.5 inch display while the Note 10+ has a 6.7 inch display. The Samsung has a 0.2 inch difference but both are not easy for one handed access. PC World states, “While they look extremely similar on paper, however, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is a bit easier to hold. The 5mm reduction in height, as well as its “flat” design, stands in surprising contrast to the Note 10+’s infinity screen and ultra-tall body.” Also for display, the Note 10+ has a beautiful display with adjustable resolution while with the iPhone what you see is what you get. Performance wise, the Note 10+ uses the new Android Snapdragon 855 computer chip and the iPhone 11 Pro Max uses the A13 processing computer chip. Both are very fast and would be close to impossible to tell which one is dominant. Cameras are where these phones start to get interesting. The Samsung uses one 16MP ultra wide, f/2.2, one 12MP Wide, f/1.5-f/2.4, and one 12MP Telephoto, f/2.1. On the other hand the iPhone uses one 12MP wide, f/1.8, OIS, one 12MP telephoto, f/2.0, OIS, 2x optical zoom, and one 12MP ultra wide, f/2.4, 120-degree FOV. PC World claims, “While the camera array is similar on each phone, the way they work isn’t. Apple puts greater emphasis on its ultra-wide lens, snapping simultaneous photos with it and the wide lens so you can choose your favorite. There’s also a new night mode on both phones, which wasn’t so successful in our testing of the Note 10+, and some fancy HDR processing.” So which phone wins?

While both of these phones are great yet expensive, Apple coming in at $999.00 to $1,449.00 and Samsung at $950.00 to $1,200.00, it's the consumers choice to pick which phone they want to invest in. Everyone has different preferences on their devices and a winner cannot be determined on performance just yet. Personally, my preference would be the iPhone because I have always had an iPhone and love mine.