iOS 13 vs Android 10: where Apple wins and loses with Google

Without the software that powers them, iPhones and Android phones would be very expensive pieces of glass, metal and plastic. Now let's see how the new mobile operating systems from Apple and Google compare. iOS 13 will go online September 19 and Android 10 – previously called code Q – is available for Pixel phones.

IOS 13 includes one side of the table. dark mode throughout the system, more control over privacy settings and many improvements designed to make the iPhone safer and easier to use. On the other hand, Google Android 10 also brings on the dark mode, a focus on privacy and helpful improvements of the AI.

With the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Max Pro we just announced, we will see soon the new iOS software absorbed by the hardware. And if you have a Pixel phone, the new Google software is your reality.

This means that we base this comparison on the delivery version of Android 10 and on the delivery version close to iOS 13. After the release of the final version of iOS 13, we will have the confrontation final with Android 10.

One last note – this piece does not cover all the features advertised by Apple or Google. It focuses on the main elements that we think are most interesting, useful and important for ordinary people. Here is a more complete list of the main features of iOS 13 and more about Android 10.

Respect your privacy

Advantage: iOS 13

Over the years, Apple has made the privacy of users' data a selling point. And unlike Google, Apple does not rely on targeted ads based on user data, but earns money on hardware, applications, and services. At WWDC, Apple said that would give users greater control over location permissions with apps, choosing to share this information once, and then asking the app to ask them again if they wish. Apple also unveiled a new connection method which allows you to anonymously login to websites and apps without being tracked. Functionality, Connect with Apple, will be mandatory for applications to include this autumn. Apple is not perfect: Google has recently pointed out a security breach on iPhones.

Google is also talking about protecting users' data, as in a New York Times article in which CEO Sundar Pichai wrote: "privacy can not be a luxury product This offer is for people who can afford high-end products and services. "But Google has more difficult arguments to defend, because its advertising activity is a major source of revenue, depending on what users are looking for, for example, and videos they watch. not in the right direction with the next version of Android: Android 10 gives users more control over the information they share via applications and services.

But the privacy approaches of both companies are manifested in different ways. For example, Google is working on an update to its Chrome browser that developers could hobble blocking ads and extending privacy. In contrast, Apple announced last year Safari would prevent third-party trackers to monitor your activities on the web.

Dark mode for all

Advantage: iOS 13

In addition to allowing you to switch from a bright white screen to a white screen, activating dark mode can offer the advantage of preserving battery life by illuminating fewer pixels on the screen and also reduce eye strain. Google folded a dark mode in an update Android Pie earlier this year, but the company did not use the theme everywhere. in the Android 10, the dark theme is distributed more evenly on the mobile operating system. However, some Google mobile apps, such as Chrome, still do not have a dark mode option.

Apple has more experience in this area. It got dark on the desk first and looked dark in MacOS Mojave in 2018. In iOS 13, Apple will bring a dark theme to its mobile operating system. Apple lists a vast collection of places that display the dark mode theme (wallpaper, widgets, notifications, calendar, messages). For now, iOS 13 should offer a more uniform experience of the dark.

Take, edit and share photos

Advantage: Android 10

Google Photos offers almost everything you want in a photo service. It combines effortless backup and photo sharing with powerful and easy-to-use editing tools to create a critical photography tool for an Android phone. Fashion Night Site on Pixel Phones almost alone is enough to tip the scales towards Android. Because that's Google, you can search for people, places, things and even text to see all the images that Google Photos has attributed to the tag. And the first 15 GB of online storage are free. (And if you use Google's high-quality compression setting to store your photos, you get unlimited storage.)

Apple Photos comes with many editing tools and, in iOS 13, the application will gain even more, including the ability to adjust the intensity of portrait lighting using a slider. (And, coupled with the new iPhone 11's camera, it should give a good boost.) Apple Photos excels at recognizing faces, objects, and scenes to help you sort your images. Unfortunately, much of the power of the application is reserved for Apple users. And the first 5GB iCloud storage is free.

Running mobile apps in other places

Advantage: iOS 13 (and MacOS)

At the developer conference last year, Apple had announced the launch moving some of your own iOS apps to MacOS using a new development tool that was named Marzipan Project and is actually now named Project Catalyst.

And now, iPadOS developers can import their own iPad apps on Mac in the next release. Catalina. This initiative should benefit developers – who can more easily create an application that can run on Apple's mobile and desktop platforms – and Mac users, who could potentially access a selection of more apps. rich.

Google also allows application developers to move software between platforms by giving owners of Chromebooks access to Android apps via the Google Play Store. However, the limitations of Chromebooks – they require an Internet connection, for example, and the lack of popular Windows and MacOS applications such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop – also limit the utility of this option.

Games: Arcade vs Stadium

Advantage: In fact it depends

With Apple Arcadeyou will be able to download and play games on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac and Apple TV devices for $ 4.99 per month. Interesting, You will be able to play some arcade games with the help of controllers.

Google with its Stadium Service is all about streaming games and will allow you to play anywhere you can find a Chrome browser from $ 9.99 per month. Google Stadia will have its own controller and will work with third party controllers.

With Arcade coming September 19th – and Stadiums debut in November – we have little to do after studying video demos of each service (and play a little with Stadia at the recent video game developer conference), but we suggest that if you like console games and have a good internet connection, Stadia could fit well into its controller-driven service. If you are an occasional gamer who likes to play mobile and independent games during your free time – or in search of an affordable family package – Apple's approach could be a better fit.

Apple and FaceTime Messages or Duo and Google Hangouts and Messages and …

Advantage: iOS 13

Apple puts the emphasis on messaging FaceTime and Messages, who are hard to beat for video chat and text. Communications are encrypted end-to-end. Email transfer between iOS and MacOS devices is transparent. And you can further customize Memoji avatars.

Google's approach to email on Android is more varied, with Duo and Hangouts for voice and video calls, Google Voice for dedicated voice calls, Hangouts Meet and Chat for business communication, and Messages for text messaging . You can use the Hangouts website to continue messaging on your Mac and Windows devices, and you can track your message texts through the web version of the application. The web version is convenient but not flawless, and it sometimes seems to forget that it is connected to the mobile version of the service.

Google Assistant vs Siri Voice Assistant

Advantage: Android 10, by a long shot

Apple may have been the first to come out of the door voice assistant in 2011 with Siri, but Google Assistant does the trick and, over the years, Apple has done almost nothing to reduce this gap. In iOS 13, Siri gets a new robot voice and picks up some tips here and there, like WatchOS application search on the Apple Watch and be able to read and respond to incoming messages via AirPods and broadcast radio stations. iOS 13 will also be preloaded with Siri Shortcuts.

But Siri does not work as well as Google Assistant to recognize and understand different voices and commands. It's this basic feature that is at the heart of the problem, but the Google Assistant is also tightly integrated with everything you do on your phone and can proactively recommend by viewing your Gmail calendar and account for reservations and upcoming appointments.

Google put his assistant on all Android phones, in the $ 49 Google Home Mini and $ 299 Google Home Maxand in cars in auxiliary driving modeand at this summer Google I / O developer conference, the company presented a range of Google Assistant customization features.

Siri is also widely available – runs on iOS, MacOS and watchos devices and the AccueilPod. Siri shortcuts can create custom tasks that the intelligent assistant of Apple can perform for you. However, Siri remains unsatisfactory, mainly because the database from which she relies is limited, while Google adjusts the search.

Swipey Keyboards

Advantage: Android 10, maybe

If you slide instead of typing, iOS 13 wins an interchangeable keyboard is a big – but extremely late – affair. Google has its own keyboard, Gboard, and many other Android phones implement other applications such as SwiftKey, in their default virtual keyboards.

There is a lot to love about Gboard, in particular, beyond its scanning capabilities. I like being able to apply different themes, use different languages ​​and easily insert GIFs. QuickPath's Apple typing demo, the slippery part of the iOS 13 keyboard also looks attractive, but it's so late on the competition that it's hard to see it as a long-time catch-up.

Cartography and exploration

Advantage: Android 10

If you just need to go from here to there, Apple Maps is up to it. And with iOS 13, Apple rebuilds the cards include better information on roads and pedestrians and more accurate addresses. The Apple Update Cards application will also have a search tool that will allow you to see a 3D view of a place.

However, Google Maps has had these features for some time, including its own 3D mode called Street View. But Google has many more, constantly updating its Maps application to make it even more useful for you to place yourself, in part by incorporating the useful elements of its other mapping application, Waze. But the cards are also useful after your arrival. For example, its Explorer tab allows you to find a seemingly endless list of places to eat and things to do, no matter where you are.

Shara Tibken contributed to this report. Apple has not responded to a request for comment.

Originally released on June 4th.

Update of September 12: Add details.