iOS 18 vs Android 15: Which is the best mobile OS?

Apple iOS 18 was just announced at the WWDC event leading many users to wonder what an iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison would look like. Both are expected to be released towards the end of this year and pack quite a few features.

iOS 18 showed some insane upgrades at the WWDC event. Some of its updates even made Android 15 seem a little dull. That said, do note that Android 15 is still under development and is only available in a beta version. Android will indefinitely improve its features considering iOS 18 has just raised the bar.

This article will look into the Apple iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison to help you get a better idea about what each OS packs.

iOS 18 vs Android 15: What are the differences?

The major differences in the iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison (Image via Apple, YouTube/@ Marques Brownlee)

A lot of the features we see on iOS 18 were already available on Android. However, as is mostly the case with Apple, they seem to wait it out and outperform their opponents with a big update. Apart from the overall software design, we see some very contrasting features, but also some very similar ones.

While iOS 18 is expected to introduce advanced AI features and a potential design overhaul, Android 15, codenamed "Vanilla Ice Cream," focuses on smaller, behind-the-scenes improvements.

Photos

The Photos app has received some big updates with iOS 18. We now see a more unified view of the images with the grid view at the top and collections at the bottom. With several AI features, you can now search for specific images by describing them. Again, this feature has existed on Android and isn't new for Android users.

Android 15 on the other hand, keeps things familiar with Google Photos, but it's getting a Magic Eraser tool that lets you delete unwanted objects from pictures with a single tap. Android is also focusing on adding several features to the camera app to enhance overall usability.

Hidden apps and app lock

iOS 18 now has a hidden folder for all apps (Image via YouTube/@TechWiser)

Hidden apps are now a thing on iOS 18. Earlier you could only lock selected applications like WhatsApp and banking apps, but now you can hide or lock pretty much any app. iOS 18 uses Face ID to lock apps and hides it from the home page and also the app array.

Android has had this feature for a long time and the "Vanilla Ice Cream" update doesn't shed much light on App Lock directly. However, it does feature Privacy Space which allows you to hide files and apps with an extra layer of security.

Theft detection lock is another significant feature we see on Android. It uses AI to detect sudden movements which might be similar to someone grabbing your phone and automatically locks it. This is something we don't see in Apple yet. However, we could expect something similar with future iOS 18 updates. Thus, we can't decide on a winner in this segment of the iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison.

Also check out: 5 best features coming to Android 15

iOS 18 vs Android 15: Customization features

We get to see some major customization updates on iOS (Image via Apple, YouTube/@Xtream Droid)

Android is still king when it comes to customization. However, the iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison is now finally a close one as Apple is truly stepping it up. We can now customize app icons, icon colors, and much more with iOS 18. The lack of customization features was a dealbreaker earlier, but that is very much not the case right now.

Do note that while this may be a big change for Apple users, these features have existed on Android for quite some time. The new Android 15 update brings in some improvements but isn't anything monumental.

Home screen and lock screen

You can now personalize the icons on both Android and iOS, with changes in the theme and color of the icons. Android is superior here in terms of a greater number of themes and overall aesthetics. When speaking of widgets, it's more of what ecosystem you prefer and what taste suits you. Apple goes for a more minimalistic approach whereas you get some very poppy widgets on Android.

You can now add apps to your lock screen like Torch, QR code scanner, calculator, stopwatch, and more.

Control Center

With the new update, we see a worthy iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison when it comes to the Notification panel. Control Center on iOS can be compared to the Notification panel on Android. Currently, both look relatively similar in terms of design and function. Android has had customizable features in the Notification panel for quite some time now. Apple has just launched the ability to customize the Control Center, where you can choose the apps and widgets you wish to see.

iOS 18 vs Android 15: AI

There are major upgrades in Apple Siri and it competes with Gemini (Image via Apple, Google)

When speaking of AI in the iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison, we get some contrasting results due to the nature of AI seen in the platforms. Siri is now far superior to Google Assistant with the new iOS 18 update. However, Android is focusing more on Gemini and we see strong differences here.

While Gemini certainly surpasses Siri in terms of overall ease of use, suggestions, and automated actions. It is typically more proactive than Siri at the moment. However, Apple has taken a giant leap when it comes to offline AI availability. That's right, you can now access most AI features offline as all of them are processed in the Neural Engine of modern Apple devices.

While you can access AI offline on Android, it is not yet fully established due to the vast number of processing power required. Even if it is made available, it would only work on certain powerful processors alone. Android still has room for improvement in this segment and Apple surely takes the win in this segment of the iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison.

iOS 18 vs Android 15: Final Verdict

The final verdict in the iOS 18 vs Android 15 comparison comes down to your personal preferences. If you're someone who's been a long-time Apple user, the current iOS 18 update may seem incredible and make it worth holding on to your Apple device for longer. For Android users, the "Vanilla Ice Cream" update may seem like a small upgrade.

Take it this way, if you prefer a polished, user-friendly experience with a strong security focus, iOS would be the one for you. The new AI features and revamped apps are exciting additions. However, if you crave ultimate customization abilities and a powerful AI assistant, Android might be the way to go.

Currently, we could say iOS 18 surpasses Android in some fields due to its AI-powered features, but we'd say it's still worth the wait as Android might up their game considering Apple set the bar so high. We are yet to see AI enhancements on Android but currently, when speaking native features like customization and UI, Android still offers better results.

Check out similar articles by Sportskeeda:

Android 14 vs Android 15: Is the new Android OS worth upgrading to? || Android 13 vs Android 14: Which one is better in 2024? || All Samsung Galaxy phones set to get Android 15 (One UI 7) update || All Xiaomi phones set to get Android 15 (MIUI 16) update

Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul