Android and iOS are two of the most popular mobile operating systems and they are capable of handling your everyday smartphone needs. We all know that both operating systems excel in their own space, but the competition between them is always interesting for users.
And the latest versions of both operating systems – iOS 16 and Android 13 have intensified this battle. In this article, we have given a detailed comparison of iOS 16 vs Android 13 and also we have given a look at what’s new in the latest releases and why some people are choosing one over the other.
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Which iPhones Have iOS 16
Apple has already released its latest mobile operating system iOS 16 to all the iPhones that are able to run Apple’s newest mobile software update. Almost 72% of all iPhones are running iOS 16 and 81% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years are now running iOS 16.
However, not every iPhone supports iOS 16, but the iPhones that don’t support are generally older devices. All iPhones from iPhone 8 and up are compatible with iOS 16. And Apple is well-known for supporting its devices for a long time after release.
Android 13 Vs iOS 16: Which Operating System Is Right For You
Choosing one between Android and Apple smartphones is really difficult. That is why here we have given you a friendly comparison of iOS 16 vs Android 13 to help you choose the one that is right for you.
1. Home Screen And Lock Screen Customizations
Lock screens have been the place where you can see your notifications at a glance and easily go to the app right from that screen, which can save you two to three steps and some time.
And since iOS 7 in 2013, Apple has not made any fundamental design changes to its platform and has only focused on constant and some basic improvements.
However, Apple has added some excellent and unexpected upgrades to iOS 16. Apple’s iOS 16 lock screen is far better than that of Android 13. In iOS 16, both the Home Screen and Lock Screen are customizable.
With iOS 16, you can add widgets to the lock screen and also change your preferred font and wallpaper at any time you want, and lock screens have never been as personal as you will find them on iOS 16.
Image Source: apple.com
But, widgets on the Lock Screen are no longer an option on Android and you cannot select your preferred font of any type. Whereas on iOS 16, you can choose from several widgets, customize colors, and also use depth effects with wallpapers for a really unique look.
It means that iOS’ lock screen has now become much more customizable and Android’s lock screen comes with a more straightforward approach. And it is definitely a personal preference which type of lock screen users would prefer.
2. Android 13 vs iOS 16: Per-app Language Options
Per-app language options are actually not new to iOS 16. Apple has supported per-app language switching since iOS 13 in 2019.
However, Android 13 is the first release from Google to introduce official support for per-app language options. This feature can be useful for a lot of people.
It basically allows you to use any app on your phone in your preferred language which means the app will always show content in the language of your choice, independent from the language you have set for the whole system or the one set for other apps.
This option makes apps on both operating systems more friendly for multilingual users, which is estimated to be almost half of the world’s population.
Because they might prefer to access some specific apps in languages different from the system default. And once it is set up, the feature works almost similarly across both platforms.
However, setting it up is a completely different process on both platforms. But, you should remember that not all apps on iOS or Android have that added support for multiple languages.
3. Dictation And Keyboard
Before we start the keyboard comparison, you should know that the iOS keyboard is part of the system in the Apple ecosystem, however, Google’s Gboard is an app that can be easily updated at any time via the Play Store. And Gboard is available on almost every Android device, not only Google Pixel phones.
This is where Google has one crucial advantage, as it can push new features for its keyboard faster with an app update and doesn’t need to push out a system update.
However, Apple can do so only via System Updates. But, we can still see some changes coming to the Google and Apple keyboards in the system update announcements.
Also, both operating systems offer powerful dictation features now and the way dictation works on both platforms is almost similar, however, there are some differences as well. And now it has become accurate enough that users can actually consider giving up typing.
With both Android 13 and iOS 16, you can seamlessly switch between voice input and typing if you want to make corrections, and also punctuation is added automatically on both platforms.
4. Android 13 vs iOS 16: Media Player
The Media Player is a really important feature that should look appealing to the users while they are playing a song.
We haven’t seen any huge changes in the media player on either platform with their respective upgrades, however, some things are definitely notable. Android 13 looks to have a more visually appealing media player than iOS 16.
Image source: android.com
However, both Android 13 and iOS 16 have made some small changes to their media player. In Android 13, the background of the media player is the album art, and the colors of the play/pause buttons and other interface elements are also adapted from the album art colors.
In iOS 16, the media player hasn’t changed much visually but has been repositioned. Instead of appearing at the top of the lock screen while music is playing, the media player notification now appears at the bottom of the lock screen, like other notifications on iOS 16.
Also, you can tap on the album art to see a bigger version of it in the middle of your lock screen, with a background pulling its colors from the album art.
5. Focus Mode
Focus Mode can be really helpful for you when you want to set your mind only on the task at hand. And Apple brought Focus Mode to iOS 15, however with iOS 16, it recently got a big upgrade.
This feature actually stops some specific apps and people from reaching you and your notification area at specific times of the day, so you can easily stay focused at work and relax at night.
However, you might use the same Calendar and Mail application for both personal and business purposes.
But with iOS 16, you can hide certain parts of apps and display only those parts that are appropriate for that time, so you can only block some specific notifications from Calendar and Email to avoid receiving work messages when you are going to bed to sleep.
Image source: apple.com
And it has several modes – Do Not Disturb, Personal, Sleep, or Work. You can easily customize these modes to make sure that only some apps are allowed to show notifications and that only some selected people can call you at specific times. However, Apple’s solution might feel really complicated when you first set it up.
Image source: apple.com
Whereas Google’s approach to Focus Mode is a lot simpler. In Android 13, Focus Mode will turn the icon of select apps grey and you can’t access those apps during that time and their notifications are hidden.
When you tap on the app, it will alert you that Focus mode is on, but you will be given the option to use it for five minutes. You can also set a schedule for Focus mode depending on your preference.
6. Privacy And Security
Privacy and security are definitely important aspects of an operating system and both companies are improving security in their operating systems every year.
With Android 13, now you can select only the specific photos and videos that an app needs access to. However, iOS has introduced this feature with iOS 14 in 2020.
Also, in Android 13, you can prevent any unwanted access to your clipboard. Because if you copy any sensitive on your Android device, then Android will automatically clear your clipboard history after some period of time.
And Android 13 will help you keep your notifications under control and it will ensure that you only get the notifications you ask for. Apple has had this feature for a while as well.
On the other side, in iOS 16, whenever an app accesses your clipboard, you will now see a pop-up asking you to allow or deny access.
So, as you can see, both operating systems are now providing more security and privacy features with each update, but in this field, iOS is slightly better than Android.
7. Smart Drag-and-drop Features
Apple’s new smart drag-and-drop Visual Look Up tool is extremely impressive. This feature actually lets you pick a random object from a photo on your screen, then tap and hold it, and drag it into another app as a standalone object.
From several testing, it has been found that the feature works really well. And Apple’s algorithms are really efficient at recognizing where an object ends in a photo and where the background begins. So, most of the time, the cutout areas are accurate.
However, manual editing in Photoshop can give you better results, but this process on iOS 16 is as smooth and easy as it can get. You can easily send personalized stickers to your friends and family on WhatsApp or Telegram, which would usually take a lot of time for you to create.
Also, Apple has introduced the feature to copy the live text in videos, which allows you to hold and select text in paused video frames. And then you can copy or share the text in it.
However, Google came first in this feature, but it seems that Apple has implemented it a lot better in the operating system.
8. Messaging Apps
RCS support came to Android in 2020. However, for those people who don’t know about it, Messages based on the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard features upgraded SMS text messaging.
So, you could be able to send and receive better quality photos and videos, and also chat over WiFi or data. You could also know when your message is read, share reactions, and enjoy more engaging group chats.
And these are some of the features that Apple’s iMessage supports, but only when messages are being sent from iMessage to iMessage.
Also, from various sources, we have known that RCS would not be coming to iOS anytime soon. So, it means that Android 13 has clearly the upper hand when it comes to messaging.
Wrap Up On iOS 16 VS Android 13: Which Should You Choose
Both operating systems have introduced several improvements and enhancements from their previous versions. And from the features of iOS 16 and Android 13, we can see that both operating systems are adding features that are actually useful for the users.
So, if you want to know which one you should choose, then Android will allow you more customization and Apple’s closed approach makes it a more secure option. Overall, you will find that some things are easier on iOS and others are much easier on Android.
We hope that our detailed article has helped you to know which one is better between iOS 16 vs Android 13. If you still have some doubts in your mind, please let us know in the comments below.
FAQ: iOS 16 VS Android 13
As a lot of people are confused about what they should choose between iOS 16 vs Android 13, they are asking several questions on the internet. Here we have picked some of the most commonly asked questions and answered them here.
Q1. Is Android 13 More Secure Than iOS?
Ans: It is generally considered that Android phones are less secure than iPhones because of Apple’s focus on encryption. However, both operating systems can get hacked.
Q2. Why Apple Is Superior To Android?
Ans: The iPhones have a series of superior processors that are able to deliver more efficient performance than most Android phones. Also, Apple blends hardware and software extremely well and it makes the iPhone more effective and efficient.
Q3. Is iOS 16 Bad For Battery?
Ans: Some people have reported that they have been experiencing bad battery life after the latest iOS 16 updates.
