Apple and Android Comparison - Research Paper Example

Number] Apple and Android Comparison Introduction The mobile technological realm is under the control of two major software development companies from the past five years; Apple Inc. and Android. Both of these firms have produced exceptional firmwares for cell phones, gadgets, tablets and PCs. The competition between these giants has been beneficial for the customers as they have experienced revolutionary technological measures in the recent years. Apple Inc. invaded into mobile technology in 2007 and named its firmware as ‘iOS’. Apple Inc. produces its own hardware and software. It has not licensed its software like other software development companies. iOS came in the first version of iPhone in 2007 and since then, it has been one of the most illustrious mobile firmware till date. Steve Jobs was the man behind the creation of Apple Inc. and its respective software’s. There are more than 400 million iOS enabled devices all around the world. Apple holds second position in terms of market share of Smart phones industry (Lee 31). Android initially started its development in 2003 and the theme was to produce spectacular mobile phone software. Google took over Android in 2005 and sustained the initiators of Android group to stay attached with the company. Android was launched in the mobile phone device for general public in 2008. It has achieved significant milestones in the past four years. Android enjoys of having the largest Smartphone’s market share. Android has given software licenses to many technological firms. There are more than 500 million android users all over the world (Lee 38). Apple’s Prestige Apple Inc. has notorious name in the mobile phone industry. Company holds the prestige of launching first capacitive touch screen phone with one of the most advanced mobile operating software. Apple’s iOS is only used in its gadgets that are, iPhone, iPod, iPad and Apple TV. The company produced iOS firmware 1.0 originally and currently iOS firmware 6.1 is present in the market. Apple has been attracting software developers through its interesting interface. iOS was the pioneer in launching interactive applications and games for mobile phones which was later on followed by many companies. iOS interface is user friendly which enables its user to customize options. Applications and games purchasing mechanism was also introduced by Apple Inc. by deploying Apple Store in its software. Customers have the option to purchase applications and games online through Apple account (Rogers and Mark 112). The unique feature which distinguishes Apple from other mobile phone companies is the sole development of software for its devices. It has not allowed iOS to be installed in any gadget. Software is developed in an elegant and delegate way that no other device can install or hack it. Security issues are also kept supreme which makes Apple Inc. cachet. Apple produces applications and games for the iDevices and also appreciates software developers for producing iOS games and apps. It has been paying considerable amount of money to the applications producing software firms. There are more than 7 million applications available on Apple Store (Tilson and Carsten 377). Android Impact Android was able to make prime position in the market after software licensing. Mobile phones industry giants like Samsung and HTC deployed android in their gadgets and received spectacular response from the customers. Samsung gained magnificent market share and profits were increased dramatically after initiating android into its phones. HTC also made glorious impact in the Smartphone realm by deploying Android. Google also launched its own phones with android technology which were not able to attain positive response of customers. Android also posses Android market where applications and games are accessible for customers. It followed Apple’s legacy in the applications and games development section. Due to enormous number of software licensed firms; Android market gained great response from the customers as people started to purchase applications on Android Market. The Android market also posses 7 million applications which is an ample amount (Tilson and Carsten 382). Software developers prefer android in the development phase as it is based on Linux and the portal is free for everyone. There are several restrictions on the Apple portal however Android applications development is open for all. Android also agreed with admired software development firms for the production of apps by paying respectable amount of money. The purchase mechanism on Android Market was recorded more than Apple Store in 2012. The reason behind Android’s success is the user-friendly interface, easy development, minimum restrictions, open access and easy up gradation. The protocols of Apple are difficult to understand and complex to grasp (Rogers and Mark 109). Market Competition Apple and Android are having great market competition in the Smartphone’s software industry. Research analysts believe that the era is of software dominance instead of hardware. The difference between Android and Apple’s competition is that android has various clients which sell it software in various gadgets while Apple solely produces its own devices and only one Apple Smartphone comes in the market every year. The statistical figures of 2012 portray that Android has 53.4% Smartphone market share while Apple has 36.3% Smartphone market share. The market share of android has been increased by 6.1% and Apple’s increase is 6.7% in 2012. The third in the smart phones industry league is Research in Motion which produces Blackberry Smartphone’s. It only holds 6.4% market share in 2012 (Jones, 2013). The inception of Microsoft Windows technology in Smartphone’s and tablets has not shattered Apple’s and Android’s position in the industry. The contract of Microsoft with Nokia can bring great results for Windows mobile software but the customer’s response attained yet is not satisfactory (Wonglimpiyarat, p.56). The lack of applications and games is the problem of Windows phones. It is also reported that windows phones are hanged and slowed down while using it. Several issues have been emerged in Windows mobile operating systems due to which it has only 2.9% of market share (Jones, 2013). Industry’s Future According to Rogers and Mark (115), Apple and Android war is still a long way to go. The development in firmware’s of Apple and Android has brought considerable results for the world. Android’s technology has strengthened tablet devices as most of the upcoming firms have deployed Android instead of Windows or any other firmware. Apple on the other hand is producing iPads which posses respectable market share and enormous clients. The benefit Apple cherishes is the possession and production of hardware; therefore before the launch of any software, it can be checked on different stages according to the hardware protocols. Both the companies will be making huge landmarks in 2013 because of their eminent software technology. Android is increasing on more rapid pace than Apple, but the way Apple is competing is commendable. It is predicted that iOS 7 will be launched in the next generation of Apple’s iPhone, which will be launched in September 2013. The launch of Apple’s firmware takes place first in its mobile phones, similarly iPads, iPods and Apple TV will be upgraded to iOS 7. Android will be producing latest version of its software which is predicted to be deployed in Samsung Galaxy phones and HTC latest series (Wonglimpiyarat 63). Research in Motion has also launched its latest firmware in January 2013 by the name Blackberry 10, which is expected to attract numerous customers. Windows 8 technology for mobile phones is also expected to make progress in the second quarter of 2013. Conclusion and Recommendations The technological advancements have made incredible impact on human lives and people are blessed to experience the best technological moves in the recent years. Apple has made prominent place in the market by not licensing its software which is the right move; but it’s time that they should join hands with dominant mobile producing firms, and license its software to capture huge market share. The technology of Apple is cherished by the people and its accessibility in other mobile phone versions can bring great results for the company. Android is progressing extraordinarily but they should restrict its licenses. The same android software can be found in $100 device and $1200 gadget, which discourages customers to spend such huge amount of money. The progress of Android and Apple has revolutionized world’s technological market which is exemplary and imperative. Work Cited Jones, Chuck Apples and Androids US Smartphone Market Share Continues to Increase, Forbes. January 2013. Web 27 Feb 2013. Lee, Jeng-Hong, The Evolution of Smart Mobile Devices–Using Operate system iOS and Android as an example. 2012. Print. Rogers, Michael, and Mark Goadrich, "A hands-on comparison of iOS vs. Android," Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education, ACM, 2012‎. Print. ‎ Tilson, David, Carsten Sorensen, and Kalle Lyytinen, "Change and control paradoxes in mobile infrastructure innovation: the Android and iOS mobile operating systems cases." System Science (HICSS), 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on, IEEE, 2012‎. Print. ‎ Wonglimpiyarat, Jarunee. "Technology strategies and standard competition—Comparative innovation cases of Apple and Microsoft," The Journal of High Technology Management Research. 2012‎. Print. ‎ Read More