Android has been at the top of the smartphone food chain for a couple of years now. It has easily passed Nokia’s Symbian, Blackberry’s stock OS, and it has continuously emerged victorious over its closest rival, Apple’s iOS. Still, the world’s most popular OS platform continues to get more loyalists. Two big questions here are how and why?
If you have owned a smartphone powered by any of android’s versions, you may already have an idea. But for those who haven’t, then you may need to know five of the most common reasons:
- It offers more customization options. Two of the most important features that people love about this operating system are its infinite customization and personalization options. If you love changing homescreens, wallpapers, icon appearances, keyboard themes, etc., then this platform will certainly work for you.
- There are dozens of handsets to choose from. Unlike Windows Phone which is only offered by Nokia, and a few handsets from HTC and Samsung, or iOS that only comes with Apple’s iPhone, Android can be enjoyed through a wide variety of smartphones in the market. Aside from that, each manufacturer has also developed their own ‘skin’ to blend with Android’s UI.
- It is supported by more individual developers. There is a vast community of Android developers who ‘cook’ modified firmware and other add-ons for the benefit of other smartphone owners. This only adds to the unending options when it comes to customization.
- The Play Store has more than 300,000 apps. Google’s most precious Play Store is the home of any smartphone buff. From document viewers, phone management apps, and games, to personalization, entertainment and organization software, this store has it all. In addition to that, more than half of all these apps are free of charge.
- Android phones offer both affordability and functionality. If you are someone who wants to enjoy the perks of a smartphone without spending too much, most Android phones are great options.
These are just five of the many reasons why users from other platforms switch to android, and android users stick to their favorite OS.
However, and perhaps obviously, Android OS is not as perfect as it seems. Like other operating systems, there is still room for improvement. Unlike Apple’s iOS, the look of android’s user interface depends on the technology of the device where it is running. For instance, if you are going to test android using an outdated version of Samsung’s Galaxy series, you may find yourself getting annoyed with the ‘crawling’ homescreens and clunky interface. On the other hand, if you try one of HTC, Sony, LG, or Samsung’s latest phones, you will definitely like the animations, smooth transitions, and vivid colors.
Conversely, iOS always performs above par due to the technology which comes with its devices. It is also worth noting that because Android is shipped in more kinds of phones, by more manufacturers, obtaining quality phone services for bugs and other issues would not be too easy.
But other than these minor issues, Android is still and will continue to be the operating system-to-beat in the smartphone world.
