Top 5 Reasons to Choose Android as Your Operating System

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Let’s be honest here; if you’re looking for a new smartphone, there are two serious contenders in terms of the operating system – Android and iOS. There’s a lot of debate about which is the better option.

If the statistics are anything to go by, though, it would appear that Android wins hands down. At least, that is how it seems. In November of 2018, the Android operating system could be found in just over 72% of devices globally.

If you want more convincing that it’s the world’s favorite operating system, then check out the infographic that we have for you at the end of this post. You’ll see that there is no question that Android is crushing it here. The question then becomes, should the popularity of the operating system be enough reason to get an Android device?

No; you don’t have to rely on its popularity to make a decision. In this post, we’re going to give you the top five reasons for installing an Android operating system.

You Have a Lot More Freedom with Android

Apple is something of a tyrant when it comes to what you can put on your phone. You can only download apps that are from its App Store. With Android, there are no such limitations. Apple’s reason is to improve security, but it could be a problem in some instances.

At one stage, Apple would not allow Google Voice. According to the company, that’s because it didn’t want to allow apps that duplicate the features of your iPhone. The company has since relented thanks to interference from the U.S. government, but you have to wonder how many other potential apps didn’t quite make the grade.

You Can Perform More Customizations

With your iPhone, you are limited in how much you can alter the basic software. You have the same basic options on an iPhone and not much scope to change them later. With Android, you can download apps that allow you to change your input methods and a whole lot of other settings as well.

You can also customize the home screen, replace launchers, and a lot more besides. One feature that really appealed to us was that you could use apps to load automated tasks on your phone. Say that you want the phone to be muted automatically in a certain place, like the school library. You can do that with an Android-based phone.

You simply cannot get the same level of customization on an iPhone. If you know very little about computers and smartphones, this probably won’t bother you. If, however, you like to fiddle with the operating software to tweak it, Android is the better option.

You Have a Lot More Choice in Devices

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Now, Apple has a few different models available, but the models are all pretty much the same. This is awesome if you like the features on an iPhone and if you have the money to pay for the phone. If your budget doesn’t stretch quite that far, you’re out of luck.

Android is used across a range of different devices, making your choice of hardware a lot more varied. You can get a basic, entry-level smartphone for a reasonable price. There are a lot of good phones out there that won’t break the bank.

Apple’s Tyrannical Policies

One issue that has come up is that Apple can censor what you watch. You might legally buy an app and load it to your phone. If Apple at a later stage decides that the app should be banned, it could stop you from using it. And that’s it. Game over.

Android is more laid back. It’s not as strict about what apps are allowed in the store. Apple might ban a particular app, but the Android App Store is a lot less strict. If an app that you wanted did get banned, you could also go straight to the developer and buy directly from them.

We’re not advocating this course of action unless you are 100% sure that the app is genuine and does not contain malware. At the same time, though, we do think it’s a bit of a cheek that Apple decides that it can make those kinds of decisions for us.

Custom ROMs Can be Installed

What’s the big deal, I hear you say – it’s easy enough to jailbreak an iPhone. Here’s the rub, though. What you might not know is that jailbreaking your phone is actually illegal. That means that you could be charged with a crime if you do that.

Besides which, if you do jailbreak your iPhone, every time the software updates, your hard work will be undone.

Android allows you to install a custom ROM if you want to. It’s not all that hard, and some manufacturers take the further step of trying to make it even easier. Also, since the Android operating system is open source, it actually encourages tinkering with it.

That gives you a lot more options when it comes to your phone.

Final Notes

There you have it; the top five reasons that it might pay you to get an Android-based phone. There are a good few others, including the ease of use, music players that are a lot better than iTunes, and even the Google Wallet app that makes it possible to swipe your phone instead of your card when making purchases.

We do have to raise the issue of security for a minute. It is true that Apple’s heavy-handed tactics make it harder to download malicious apps. That being said, iPhones can still be hacked, so there is no operating system that can keep you 100% safe all the time.

We think Apple takes things too far. It’s like being able to install Office Word and not being able to change the fonts because your anti-virus software won’t allow it. Overall, the flexibility and versatility that you get from Android can prove to be the tipping factor here.

It’s your phone; you’re paying for it. So you should have the right to download anything you like.