Out of respect for both of these quality operating systems and for the lack of fair comparisons out on the internet today, I’m offering a quick table for those who want the facts and unbiased information for BOTH platforms.
This is the COMPLETE list of features (that I could find documented) for both platforms, not wattered down to show the strengths of one over the other. If you have more to add, please let me know by adding it in the comments.
Keep in mind the hardware is NOT included. The only variable here is that some of Apple’s OS decisions were based on giving better performance to the hardware (speed/battery-life)
| Android 2.2 (Froyo) | iOS 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Devices |
|
*Not all features |
| Network |
|
|
| Apps | 65,000-80,000 | 200,000 |
| Flash Support | Yes. Flash Player 10.1 available on Android 2.2. | No |
| Tethering | Yes, additional fees vary. | Yes, $20 for 2GB/month (AT&T, also must have the limited 2GB/month DataPro, no option to tether with Unlimited plan) |
| Multi-tasking | Yes | Limited, only a limited set of features are allowed in API to run in background |
| Widgets | Yes | No |
| Hot-Spot Capability | Yes. Wi-Fi can be shared with up to 8 devices. | No |
| Folders | Yes | Yes |
| Copy & Paste | Yes | Yes |
| Video Chat | Available through free add-on apps. (Wifi/3G) | Native suport via FaceTime, front facing camera (Wifi Only) |
| Books | Available through free add-on apps. | Support for iBooks to download and read digital books. |
| Unified mailbox, setup online, threading | Unified mailbox, setup on phone, threading | |
| Digital Zoom | 4x | 5x |
| Sharing | Email,Twitter,Facebook,Messaging,Picasa,Bluetooth | Email,MMS,MobileMe,YouTube |
| Notifications | Notification bar, multiple types of notifications shown in bar at top of screen, Pop-up notifications for messaging, viewable from lock screen. | Pop-Up notifications, only native apps viewable from lock screen |
| Social-Integration |
|
Available through add-on apps. |
| Full-text search of Mail messages | Yes | No, headers only |
| Voice-recognition | Yes | Voice commands |
| Push to Phone | Messaging, Links & Maps (Apps coming soon) | Notifications |
| Music Purchasing | Amazon MP3 | iTunes |
| Music Sync | Available through free add-on apps. | iTunes |
| Music Streaming | Available through free add-on apps. | Available through add-on apps. |
| Automatic Updating | OTA updates to OS, Automatic updating of apps. | OTA minor updates, physical connection required for apps & major OS updates |
| Search | Web, Apps, Contacts, Mail, Phone | Web, Apps, Contacts, Mail (headers only), Phone |
| Spell Check | No | Yes |
| Search Suggestions | Yes | Yes |
| Customize Wallpaper | Yes, includes Live Wallpaper | Yes, includes seperate wallpaper for lock screen |
| Voice Recording | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar Sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Maps & Compass | Yes, Compass available through add-on apps | Yes |
| Parental Controls | Limited through policy manager | Yes |
Enterprise Support
| Android 2.2 (Froyo) | iOS 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | Yes | Yes, Hardware encryption, email & attachment encryption |
| Device Policy Manager | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Wipe | Yes | Yes |
| Password Policy | Yes | Yes |
| Exchange calendar sync | Yes | Yes |
| Global Address Lists | Yes | Yes |
| SSL VPN | Available through add-on apps | Yes |
designerati daily 
2 Comments
Both iOS4 and Android 2.2 are pretty even, with some characteristics better than others. Some are minute, like who needs an 8 megapixel camera on their phone? Other things like having flash are more important. Overall, iOS4 rules!
Opinion: I’d say iOS4 coupled with the iPhone 4 is what makes it so good. There are a lot of features missing in iOS4, but they weren’t included because of the hardware limitations.
Personally, I like Android, but it’s based on the fact that I love to customize my phone, I am not going to leave Verizon, and I think Android has all the features I’m looking for in a phone.