We see how the latest version of Android performs against its newly updated rival, iOS 8
Availability
The fi nal version of iOS 8 launched in September, while the fi nished Android L is expected any day now. You don’t have to wait that long to check out Google’s new o ering, however – if you’re running a Nexus 5 or 7 you can get the developer preview. To run iOS 8 you’ll need an iPhone 4s or later, or iPad 2, iPad mini or later; for Android L you’ll need a Google Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 to get the developer preview, and it will roll out to other devices soon.
Design
The design of iOS 8 is mostly unchanged from that of iOS 7, which is no surprise as it was iOS 7 that brought the major design changes. iOS 8 has that ‘flat’ design, ditching all signs of skeuomorphism for minimalism.
This year, it’s Android’s turn for a bit of a design shake-up. Google has introduced a new ‘Material Design’ look for Android, which has also been offered to developers for use in their Android apps.
Android L brings more depth to the operating system’s appearance using shadows, and also automatically generates little patches of colour based on the content being displayed. Additionally, there are new animations and touch feedback, so the overall look and feel is both smooth and responsive.
Notifications
In Android L, you’ll fi nd new, enhanced notifi cations. You’ll be able to get see them on your lock screen, and they’ll be automatically listed in priority order. Swipe them away to dismiss them, or you can double tap to open them in the relevant app.
Similarly, notifi cations have improved in iOS 8. They’re now interactive, so you’ll be able to reply to text messages, accept calendar invitations, snooze reminders and even Like Facebook statuses you’ve been tagged in – all without having to leave your current app. You can already swipe them to automatically go to the relevant app, but you can’t yet swipe to dismiss them (that’s new).
Lock screen
As mentioned above, Android L brings a new lockscreen to its devices. As well as being able to see notifi cations, you’ll also be able to swipe up to unlock, right to launch the dialler or left to launch the camera.
In iOS 8, the lockscreen is as it was before. Simply slide right to unlock it or upward to access the camera. There’s no quick way to access the dialler.
Multitasking
Multitasking in iOS 7 was already pretty good, but Apple has taken it a step further by adding recent and favourite contacts to the screen when you double click the home button to access the multitasking menu. These contacts appear in a handy list along the top of your screen, to allow you to quickly call, text or get in touch via FaceTime.
Android L brings multitasking to a new level for its users, too. Now, open apps will appear as cards in a carousel, which you can browse through by sliding up or down on the screen. To close a particular app, simply swipe the card to the left or right. What’s cool (and it’s something that iOS can’t do yet) is some apps will show multiple cards depending on how you’re using them. For example, if you’ve got multiple tabs open in Chrome, you’ll see each of them as an individual card on the multitasking screen.
Security
Google has introduced a new personal unlocking feature that will enable users to unlock their smartphone or tablet without entering their passcode, but only when they’re close enough to a device such as an Android Wear smartwatch.
Apple has its Touch ID fi ngerprint sensor, which is built-in to the home button of the iPhone 5s. In iOS 7, it was only able to unlock the device or be used instead of entering Apple ID details, but this will be opened up to third-party developers with iOS 8 – so users will be able to use their fingerprint to access other apps such as banking applications.
The wealth of new security features in both Android L and iOS 8 won’t be available to everybody, of course. If you don’t own an iPhone 5s or an Android Wear smartwatch, you won’t be able to use them.
Battery life
We don’t yet know exactly how Android L and iOS 8 will a ect the battery life of the devices they’re running on, but both let you identify how individual apps are draining power, and to make improvements based on their consumption. Android L has an additional battery saving mode, which iOS 8 doesn’t. Google claims that the new battery-saving mode bundled with Android L will give the Nexus 5 about 90 minutes more battery life.
New developer features
Both Google and Apple have added some new tools for developers that could mean lots of exciting new abilities will arrive on Android and iOS devices soon. It’s particularly surprising that Apple has opened up iOS to developers – as it’s a company that has always been known for its closed nature.
Apple has introduced what it calls Extensibility, which basically means that apps in iOS will be able to ‘talk to each other’ like never before. For example, using Action extensions, Safari could gain a Bing translate feature, taking advantage of the Bing app’s capabilities. Or, Safari could gain a Pin button for Pinterest users if that app is installed. The possibilities here are endless, and extremely exciting for iOS users and developers.
Another element of Apple’s extensions is ‘Today extensions’ which are actually widgets that can be chosen to appear in the Today view in iOS 8’s Notifi cation Centre. Android has had home screen widgets for a long time, so Apple is bringing itself in line with its biggest rival with this feature. Widgets and other extensions are much more restricted in iOS 8
compared to those in Android, though. Apple is keen to keep its OS secure and, historically, didn’t allow developers to release apps that were just widgets or keyboards. For the first time, iOS 8 allows users to install third-party keyboards.
Google has added several new features in Android L for developers, such as direct links to apps from Google searches carried out using Chrome (something that’s already been available for a while, but only for a select bunch of developers).
Apple used last year’s iOS 7 to fi rst introduce 64-bit compatibility to the operating system, and that continues with iOS 8. For Google, however, Android L represents the fi rst time the operating system has been compatible with 64-bit devices. We expect to see many more smartphones and tablets with 64-bit chips to emerge in the coming year. This should mean speedier and smoother performance, and a big power boost for Android devices.
Health and fi tness
Both Apple and Google have unveiled fi tness and health-tracking platforms for their OS updates. Apple’s o ering is called Healthkit, which works with the new Health app; while Google’s is called Google Fit for Android.
Both have similar purposes: they’ll help you keep an eye on your health and fi tness thanks to the sensors on your mobile or wearable devices, and also some input from you. Healthkit and Google Fit are platforms for developers to take advantage of, but Apple’s Health app is a bit like Passbook, pulling together data from other health and fi tness apps into one, easy-to-access place.
Hey, Siri; OK, Google
There’s no doubt that Apple’s new ‘Hey, Siri’ trigger to activate the voice assistant hands-free, is a feature borrowed from Android’s ‘OK, Google’ activation for Google Now. However, this works only if the device is running on external power or if Siri is already open.
Plus, in a similar way to Google Now, Spotlight in iOS 8 will let you search more than just the contents of your phone, including the App Store, iBooks Store, Wikipedia, Maps and iTunes. It’ll also display local fi lm times and friends’ trending news.
Handoff
Also new in iOS 8 is Hando , a feature that’s going to be a huge bonus for anyone with multiple Apple devices. It’ll mean that, if you’ve been writing an email on your way home and have just got in the door, your Mac will automatically ask whether you’d like to continue writing it using OS X instead. It’s not just for emails, either. Most Apple apps that work across both OS X and iOS will work with Hando . You’ll also be able to pick up calls on your Mac, and see all of your text messages, even if they’re not part of iMessage.
Some of these features are available for Android, too, although third-party apps are required, and it’s not all quite as seamless or refi ned as Apple’s Hando . If you own a Chromebook, Android L will automatically unlock your laptop when your smartphone or tablet is close by, and notifi cations will appear on both your laptop and mobile device.
CarPlay and Android Auto
With Android L Google has introduced Android Auto, which is similar to Apple’s CarPlay feature unveiled with iOS 7 last year.
They are both very similar services, using your smartphone to o er you information and controls on your dashboard, including maps and music.
Compatibility
Another factor to take into consideration when comparing these two updates is compatibility. iOS 8 will be able to run on the iPhone 4s or later, the iPad 2 or later and both generations of iPad mini.
Those with Android devices might have more trouble getting their hands on Android L straight away. If you own a fl agship phone or tablet from Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, Motorola or any other bigname brand you should get the update quite quickly. Anyone with a Google Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 should get access to Android L right away.
