While there were players such as Windows Phone and BlackBerry OS in the smartphone market, it is now literally divided into Android and iOS. Both sides have some advantages and disadvantages over each other. The situation that bothers Android users the most is that they are behind iOS in updating. So why is this the case?
How does iOS outperform the Android operating system when it comes to updating?
Apple, the creator of the iOS operating system, uses this software only on the iPhone models it releases today. iPad models that once used iOS now run a new software called iPadOS.
In addition, Apple only released 1 device each year until the iPhone 5S. It was released to 2 devices with the iPhone 6, and indirectly to 3 devices with the iPhone 8 and X. Afterwards, it started to introduce 4 devices with the mini models that joined us in the iPhone 12 series. Of course, this device was replaced by Plus again.
Why should you choose Android over iOS?
We have brought together the advantages of the Android operating system, which dominates a large part of the market, over iOS for you.
However, since this year’s devices have just gone on sale, if we look at last year, the company that decided to launch the iPhone SE 3 launched a total of 5 new models in the same year. However, it even offered the iOS 15 update to the iPhone 6S model, which it launched 7 years ago in 2015. So in total, he kept 24 models up to date.
On the other hand, when we look at the Android side, we see that flagship devices receive 2 or 3 years, while entry and most mid-segment models receive only 1 new Android update. Of course, this year, some brands said that they will share 4 years of software and 5 years of security updates for all new models. However, when we look at the devices that have been released so far, we see that there is a gap between them.
There is a general perception that this situation has 3 different reasons. The first is that the software is not directly owned by smartphone manufacturers, but by Google. Although there are some agreements made, the slightest delay from Google can directly affect brands. In addition, configuring different interfaces such as One UI and MIUI on each new update requires both time and labor.
The second reason is the outsourcing of hardware parts. For example, since Apple produces its own processor and software, it can determine how long it wants to keep this device active. However, brands that buy processors from chip manufacturers such as Qualcomm or MediaTek are necessarily limited. We see that this situation is especially evident in entry and middle segment devices.
Why should you choose iOS over Android?
Why are iPhones with the iOS operating system among the top sellers when there are so many Android devices on the market?
The third reason is the large number of devices. Android smartphone manufacturers launch dozens of new devices each year. For example, when we look at Samsung, although it has reduced this number in recent years, it has series with at least 3 or 4 models in each such as S, Note, Z, A, J and F series. In other words, it offers as many devices for sale every year as Apple has released in the last 7 years.
A similar situation applies to Xiaomi. In addition to the Mi series, the company launches dozens of new models every year under the series such as Redmi, Redmi Note, Redmi K, POCO M, POCO F, POCO C and Black Shark. Moreover, it gives some of them Android 12 and some of them the MIUI version developed on Android 11.
In addition, unlike other brands, Xiaomi can sell the device that it sells under the POCO brand in one country under the name Redmi or Mi in other countries. For example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G model, which came to Turkey in the past period, is actually the device sold as Xiaomi Mi 11i in India. The Pro Plus model, which it offered for sale in India, actually came to our country under the name Note 11 Pro.
Therefore, at this point, we can say that the main source of the problem is smartphone manufacturers rather than Google and processor manufacturers. As long as Samsung and Xiaomi brands continue to produce more than 20 devices in 6-7 different series every year, it seems very difficult for them to catch up with Apple in software.
What do you think about the update sharing of the Android operating system? Don’t forget to share your feedback with us on the SDN Forum or in the comments!