10. The iTunes Media Store
While iOS still doesn't allow you to sync wirelessly, you can, at
least, use your Wi-Fi (and in some cases cellular data) connection to
purchase and download music, video, and books over the air. While
Android's not without Amazon's media offerings, Apple gives you access
to an enormous library of entertainment that you can purchase in a few
taps. Everything you buy is sent to it corresponding app and transferred
over to your computer the next time you sync. The process is seamless.
When it comes to buying media for your device, there's really no better
implementation.
9. AirPlay
There are plenty of alternatives to Apple's AirPlay,
but none that work quite so elegantly and intuitively. Out of the box,
AirPlay doesn't really seem all that useful if you don't own other Apple
devices but there are actually several ways to make your non-Apple devices AirPlay compatible. Two-tap video streaming that actually works really well is pretty great, and you won't find such a nice solution on Android.
8. Find My iPhone
It's not like you can't roll your own device-tracking setup on Android,
but now that Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) is free it's no
longer the best paid option—it's just the best. It's simple to use, it's
easy to track your phone, and it has even helped people catch criminals
when the loss was a result of theft (like this or this, for example). It's been proven effective and costs you nothing. There's not much more you need.
7. A Better Support System
What happens if your Android phone breaks? There are a few answers to
that question, but often times it means dealing with your specific
carrier. They didn't make your phone and they have many different kinds
of devices to support. Neither of those things are in your favor. What
about your iPhone or other iDevice? You take it to an Apple Store or
call Apple tech support. Often times you can make a Genius Bar
appointment and get your issue resolved right away (assuming that
problem isn't the total obliteration of the hardware). If you've ever
tried to get tech support at a Verizon store, for example, you know how
frustrating that can be. Apple's support team—while not perfect—is one
of the best there is.
6. Better Battery Life and Management
Over the past few years, Apple's started to consider battery life to be
one of the most important features of its products. This is especially
evident in the iPad, which contains around as much battery as humans
contain water, but it's also Apple's battery management tactics that
make this possible. Some may be disappointed that the lack of true
multitasking is lost in the name of power economy, but true multitasking
isn't all that great when you device dies because it ran out of juice.
While it didn't start off that way, the latest batch of devices running
iOS will get you through the day (and sometimes longer). That's not
always something you can count on with Android.
5. iTunes and Tethered Syncing
iTunes is a behemoth of a media manager but it handles a lot
of data as it goes from your computer to your iDevice and back again.
It has an enormous amount of responsibility for those who do sync with
their computers. You can certainly argue that DoubleTwist brings the features of iTunes to Android, but the fact of the matter is that an application needed to be created to bring iTunes to Android. Android is missing iTunes in the same way iOS is missing Android's wireless capabilities.
4. No Crapware
Sure, you can pick up the Nexus S and get a phone with no added
applications and have an Android phone without any crapware added by the
manufacturer, but most people aren't getting their Android phones from
Google. When you buy your Android phone from a particular carrier, you
can often to expect a few apps you won't want and can't get rid of. With
iOS you just get iOS. While Apple might be a little overprotective at times,
their walled garden is not without its upsides. It's nice buying an
iDevice with the knowledge you won't get stuck with a Sprint NASCAR app
you don't want.
3. A Bigger and Better Variety of Apps
While the iTunes App Store is never going to sell classic game console
emulators and other questionable apps—and that's a shame—there is, on
average, more money to make when developing for iOS. The downside is
that most apps cost a bit of money, but it's rarely more than a couple
of dollars. The upside is that developers who make money are more likely
to be able to afford to spend time developing. The gold mine that is
the iTunes App Store has also attracted plenty of big name game
developers who've brought some pretty amazing titles to iOS. Sometimes a
little money can go a long way, and it does with apps. iOS has some of
the most elegant, polished, fun, and even useful apps. They may be a bit
more restricted than Android apps, but it's not like you can't jailbreak if you're looking for more.
2. A Well-Designed, Intuitive User Interface
Whether you like Apple's hardware and software or not, it's hard to
argue that they aren't beautifully designed. Apple puts a lot of thought
in the design of the interface, from its looks to its ease of use. iOS'
user experience is one of the most intuitive. Android can take some
time to figure out, and there's a lack of consistency in the way
third-party apps operate, but if you give someone an iOS device they'll
generally be able to figure out much of the functionality on their own.
People are posting videos of their very young children using iPads. Android ends up with sites like this
(which isn't representative of the platform and a bit much, but still
makes a point). iOS is nice to look at and easy to learn, welcoming
pretty much everyone to the party.
1. Consistency
iOS is nothing if not consistent. When you pick up an iOS device, you
know exactly what you're getting. This shouldn't come as a surprise from
a company like Apple, who likes to control every aspect of their
products. When it comes to receiving major feature updates, you get them
on a fairly regular schedule. While there's some update fragmentation
with iOS, it's only ever been between phones and tablets. With Android,
it's between the many, many different phones as well as
fragmentation between phones and tablets. Knowing what you're getting
and that you'll be receiving updates for at least the next two
generations of devices increases the value of an iDevice long past the
date of purchase.
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