Android dominates global market share (72%) with more device variety and customization. iOS (28% share) offers a more polished, secure experience with longer software updates and better privacy controls.
Android vs iOS — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Google's open-source mobile OS powering 70% of global smartphones with integrated Google services
Apple's proprietary mobile OS exclusively for iPhone, iPad, and Apple devices with 2.2 billion users.
Market Share. Customization. Software Updates. Privacy
Android for freedom and choice. iOS for privacy, polish, and ecosystem integration. Both are excellent mobile platforms.
Android: $150-200 (budget models) | iOS: N/A
Android: 3.5 million (Google Play) | iOS: N/A
Android: 6-12 months (varies by OEM) | iOS: N/A
Android: Samsung Galaxy Z, OnePlus, others available | iOS: N/A
Android: Varies by manufacturer | iOS: N/A
Android: 1000+ models actively updated | iOS: N/A
Android: Extensive (ads, analytics, personalization) | iOS: N/A
Android: Requires unlock (manufacturer dependent) | iOS: N/A
Android: 2-3 years (most brands) | iOS: N/A
Android: ~15% human reviewed by Google Play | iOS: N/A
Android: 200+ manufacturers worldwide | iOS: N/A
Android: $1,000-$1,500+ (Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra) | iOS: N/A
Android: Monthly (Google); 3-6 months (OEMs) | iOS: N/A
Android: Extensive (telemetry, location, usage) | iOS: N/A
Android: Bootloader locked on most OEM devices | iOS: N/A
Android: Extensive (advertising profile, location, usage patterns) | iOS: N/A
Android: Limited (OEM/Knox restrictions on Samsung) | iOS: N/A
Android: 1-4 years (varies by manufacturer) | iOS: 5-7 years (simultaneous for all)
Android: 200+ global manufacturers | iOS: 1 (Apple only)
Android: Launchers, widgets, default apps, file system access, icon packs | iOS: Lock screen, home screen arrangement, app library folders
Android: ~1,800 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | iOS: ~3,400 (A18 Pro)
Android: ~5,200 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | iOS: ~8,100 (A18 Pro)
Android: 3-5 years (varies by OEM) | iOS: 6-7 years (guaranteed)
Android: 3.6M+ (Google Play) | iOS: 2.2 million
Android: 9/10 (launchers, widgets, mods) | iOS: 3/10 (widgets, icons only)
Android: 200+ brands | iOS: 1 (Apple only)
Android: $150 (budget options available) | iOS: $429 (iPhone 16)
Android: 3-7 years (varies) | iOS: 6+ years guaranteed
Android: Extensive (launchers, widgets, system mods) | iOS: Limited (lock screen, app icons only)
Android: Full (Gmail, Drive, Maps, YouTube, Play Store) | iOS: N/A
Android: 200MP (various manufacturers) | iOS: N/A
Android: 12+ (flagship devices) | iOS: N/A
Android: From $100 (various manufacturers) | iOS: N/A
Android: Extensive (launchers, themes, defaults, widgets) | iOS: N/A
Android: Factory pre-installed | iOS: N/A
Android: N/A | iOS: 67% use iPhones in corporate environments
Android: N/A | iOS: 2.1 million registered App Store developers
Android: N/A | iOS: 9% (iCloud + services)
Android: N/A | iOS: 5-7 years guaranteed for iOS devices
Android: N/A | iOS: Estimated $180B (Apple's iOS + Services division)
Android: N/A | iOS: $4.99 median for paid apps
Android: N/A | iOS: 15-30 days average patch deployment
Android vs iOS — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Android vs iOS. Contains 87 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Android vs iOS — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Android vs iOS.
Android is more popular globally: approximately 72% of all smartphones run Android vs 27.5% iOS. However, in the United States, iOS leads with approximately 57% market share — a reflection of Apple's dominance in the US premium smartphone market. The global gap is largely explained by Android's presence at every price point ($50 to $1,400), while Apple competes only at $429 and above. In terms of active devices, there are approximately 3.3 billion active Android devices globally vs approximately 1.4 billion active iPhones.
Is iPhone or Android better for privacy in 2026?
iOS has historically had a stronger privacy architecture: the App Store review process, app sandboxing, on-device processing (Apple Intelligence runs locally on the A18 chip), and the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework (introduced iOS 14.5, 2021) that requires opt-in for cross-app tracking. Android 15 added a Privacy Dashboard showing app permissions usage. Google's business model is more advertising-dependent than Apple's, creating structural tension. However, Google Pixel devices running stock Android with Google's VPN and security features are meaningfully more private than older or budget Android devices. For maximum privacy: iPhone with Lockdown Mode; for good-enough privacy at any price: Pixel or recent Samsung with privacy settings tightened.
No — iMessage is exclusive to Apple devices and cannot be used on Android. iMessage delivers messages as blue bubbles (end-to-end encrypted, over Wi-Fi/LTE) between Apple devices; Android recipients receive green SMS/MMS bubbles without encryption. Apple added RCS (Rich Communication Services) support in iOS 18 (2024), which improves Android-to-iPhone messaging with better media quality, read receipts, and typing indicators — but it is not iMessage. If you need encrypted cross-platform messaging, Signal, WhatsApp, and Telegram all work on both Android and iOS.
How long does Apple support iPhones compared to Android?
Apple provides software updates to iPhones for approximately 6-7 years from release. The iPhone 12 (2020) receives iOS 18 (2024) updates — 4 years of support still running. Apple typically guarantees 5-6 years of iOS updates for new iPhones at release. Android support varies by manufacturer: Google Pixel 9 series (2024) promises 7 years of OS and security updates; Samsung Galaxy S25 series promises 7 years of OS updates; most other Android OEMs provide 2-4 years. Google and Samsung have now matched or exceeded Apple's update longevity on flagship devices.
Is switching from Android to iPhone difficult?
Switching is easier in 2026 than ever. Apple's "Move to iOS" app (available on the Google Play Store) transfers contacts, messages, camera photos, email accounts, calendars, bookmarks, and free apps during the initial iPhone setup. What doesn't transfer automatically: app data from Android-only apps, WhatsApp chat history (WhatsApp added an iOS transfer tool in 2022), Google Play purchases (apps must be repurchased on App Store if paid), and Android-specific app ecosystems. The largest friction points are app repurchases, learning iMessage/FaceTime vs SMS/Duo, and adjusting to iOS's more restricted file system vs Android's open file access.
Market Share: Android has 72%, while iOS has 28%.
Customization: Android has Extensive, while iOS has Limited.
Software Updates: Android has 2-3 years, while iOS has 5-6 years.
Privacy: Android has Good, while iOS has Excellent.