If you go into a store and buy any random smartphone today, it’s likely that you will be getting a device that runs on either iOS or Android developed by Apple and Google respectively. There are other operating systems that power smartphone but they’re so insignificant that they don’t even amount to 0.1% of market share. Obviously, the people have smoken. When it comes to smartphone operating systems, it really comes down to the two big players. And it’s not that hard to see why. Both of them have their fair share of strengths and distinguishing features. This is also why many modern smartphone users continue to be divided. There are Apple super fans who will stand by everything that the brand churns out. There are also Android fans who will be quick to counter with their fair share of arguments. But none of us should be surprised at this point. Both brands shine so well in certain aspects of the smartphone experience.
Apple has always had the reputation of being able to make devices that blend well into a seamless ecosystem that’s natural and intuitive. Android, on the other hand, brings with it all of the functionality of the Google brand that allows power users to really customize their personal preferences in the way they enjoy their tech. Again, they have their own strengths and weaknesses. But how do these two operating systems fare against one another when it comes to gaming? It’s no secret that mobile gaming is gaining ground these days, especially as smartphones get more and more powerful. You have competitive gamers playing Mobile Legends against one another. Even first-person-shooter fans are content to playing Call of Duty on their phones. Games like Fortnite and PUBG have a strong mobile fan base as well. There are also the casual gamers who enjoy crosswords, puzzle games, and casino games. The ceiling is high for the mobile gaming market.
So, it begs to ask the question, who does gaming better? Apple or Google? iOS or Android?
Price
We’ll save you some time here. Google wins this category. Apple has always set itself up as a premium brand. And while that may have its strengths, it also does have its caveats. One common accusation that Android fans will throw toward Apple is that their products are overpriced. And considering that there are many Android phones that are being sold at much cheaper rates while still matching the overall specs and hardware performance of Apple products, it can be really hard to argue that point. There’s a certain level of luxury that’s associated with Apple. It’s a status symbol for many and there’s nothing wrong with that. It just so happens that Android devices tend to be more palatable to the mass market because of the value for money that they provide.
App Availability
This is where things get tricky because the winner of this category isn’t so clear-cut. Currently, the Google Play Store has almost 3 million apps while Apple is still working toward achieving 2 million. By that metric alone, you might say that you get a lot more choices from Google and so they have the better app experience. However, it’s Apple that does a good job of really aggregating its apps and making sure that it’s easy for users to find the apps that they really want. Moreover, US-based developers tend to prefer working on iOS versions of their apps first and that means that Apple users tend to get the best games before Android users do. However, for the rest of the world, the Google Play store still seems to be the priority. It’s also important to note that Apple pushes app updates a lot more efficiently than Google. All in all, it’s hard to pick a winner for this category. But Apple might have to take the cake.
Quality of Gaming
When it comes to the quality of gaming, it gets a lot more convoluted. If you’re comparing the flagship Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max to just some substandard Android phone, it’s a no-contest. So, in that sense, Apple should win. But if you let the best iPhone go head-to-head with a gaming beast like the ASUS ROG Phone 5, then you would have to go with Google. And if it’s the contest of the best of one versus the best of another, then Google will have to win.
Conclusion
Ultimately, it’s a hard decision. There are too many variables to consider. But when it comes to just pure gaming and you don’t consider anything else, it’s hard to say that Apple does things better than Google, especially when you factor price and overall gaming performance.
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