Many moons ago I had an Amiga A500. It was, at the time, the best piece of technology I could ever dream of. It was pitted against the Atari ST, and for quite some time we’d have a fierce rivalry between the two.
In recent years we’ve had fans of the Xbox and Playstation continually trying to claim that their favourite console is the one to choose for games but, with the move to a more portable gaming solution, many have chosen to use their smartphone for a gaming solution. After all, it’s in their pocket, the games are usually cheaper, and they don’t need to be stuck in one room to play it.
As the years have gone past we now have a competition between Android and iOS for gaming supremacy. However, the rivalry between the two platform has been going on for years – before advanced gaming was even considered. Both operating systems attempt to override the rival in design, overall performance, camera abilities, etc. Now though, with many quality games entering the market, they strive to optimize their product for mobile gaming as well.
Both operating systems do this job pretty well. But we’re now – on the Android side of the fence – seeing phones which are exclusively designed and created with gaming in mind.
However, as we’ve seen of later, there’s some other important factors at play if you’re looking to get the latest hot game on your mobile. It’s not just about how well your phone performs either….
Accessibility
How patient are you? If you want to be the person playing the latest games first, you might become an iOS supporter very quickly. Games like Fortnite have appeared on the Apple devices first, and it’s not the first time that Android has had to wait. A few years ago, you may remember how Plants vs. Zombies 2, Clash of Clans and Worms 3 all appeared on iOS first.
Why do they have this preference for iOS? Although some reasons relate to many developers simply loving Apple more than Samsung or Meizu, there are practical reasons too:
- Developers need to make an app responsive to different devices. There are much fewer Apple devices on the market compared to more than 24,000 Android products, so it’s easier to test an app on iOS first.
- Developers want to get well-paid for their hard work. This happens more often with apps on iOS. Apple users are usually more open to spending money for apps and games. Moreover, there is no piracy on iOS, unless a user jailbreaks their phone.
The good news for Android users is that this tendency is slowly changing, but at the moment, there’s only one winner in this department.
Winner: iOS
Variety
Of course, not all games even land on both platforms so there’s the question of where you’ll find more games. This is especially important if you value variety and love browsing for something new rather than sticking to popular releases.
Although the Apple store’s revenue is usually higher than the Play store’s, there are more downloads from the latter. This is in part due to the better choice. You’ll also find more apps going from iOS to Android, than the reverse.
The only downside here is that it’s sometimes more difficult to find quality, rather than quantity. Yes, there’s a colossal amount of apps for Android, but are they a certain level of quality?
Winner: Android
Hardware
However, you won’t enjoy any of those downloads if the hardware can’t cope with heavy games. This is a top priority for demanding gamers who prefer playing GTA series, Mortal Kombat X, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and FIFA without compromising performance.
Now, here’s a surprising fact: there’s no clear winner here. Yes, Android usually has better tech specifications and there’s now special Android handsets with gaming hardware, but iOS is one step ahead when it comes to software optimisation and memory management.
So, both are worthy contenders.
Winner: Tie
Battery life
Here we find an aspect that may soon be difficult to judge.
For long Android won this contest easily because there’s a wide selection of phones and some have bigger batteries, so you have the choice of buying a phone with a chunky battery and playing for longer. This is great if your on a long drive, you want to entertain the kids or you’re just wanting to spend more time killing time.
However, Apple has now started adding bigger batteries. With the iPhone X, Xs and Xs Max there’s already a huge improvement. Will Apple engineers one day beat their competition?
Winner: Android
What platform is more secure?
Here’s a feature that has a very clear winner: iOS can proudly — and truthfully — proclaim to have the best security features, because:
- Android is designed for flexibility, but this unfortunately opens it up for abuse.
- Android’s large market share makes it a more lucrative target for hackers.
Therefore, Android users automatically put themselves more at risk of cyber-attacks. In normal use, this might be less true, but the option is there to remove Android security fences that protect you .
Winner: iOS
The presence of “Sensitive” games
We’ve been asked to review and mention apps which promote piracy and promote the growing and distribution of drugs here on the site. These apps are available on app stores and are widely available. Advertised as “fun” games, this is really only the tip of the iceberg and there’s a huge range of games out there across several genres.
Gamers can feel that guidelines are still too strict. Some apps can be classified as “sensitive games” because the play requires real monetary investments. This includes games with offensive content, but also gambling apps and games that have been made illegal in some regions.
If you want to engage with online casinos via your mobile device you’ll prefer Android, which allows in-app payments and even instant access to casino apps, no download is needed. If you play via your Apple device you’ll have to use a mobile version of casino websites just to make a deposit. So, it’s not impossible but definitely requires more effort.
On your Android phone, the process is easier as in-app payments are allowed. You can even access games that aren’t available on the Google Play platform by using an APK (Android Package Kit). Just remember the risks involved in this as it reduces your security.
Winner: Android
Conclusion
Slowly but surely, the winner emerges.
Final Results: Android – iOS: 4:3
Granted, it’s a close contest. Apple is a decent contender due to its better safety and software optimization. Also, who wants to wait for a game if you can play it first?
But the features that matter to many such as battery life and variety of games are linked to Android, that clearly shows why it’s still a market leader & dominates a large market share. So, what game will you download next?