iOS apps are better than Android

I have both Android and iOS tablets - the Google Nexus 7 and an Apple iPad 2. The obvious question is which is better? From a hardware point of view, there isn't that much between them and both devices are superbly made and offer excellent performance. I haven't run lab benchmarks, but in general use with a wide range of applications I haven't ever thought "This is taking ages, it's really slow." Apps are always fast and responsive and I've never had a performance problem.

The screen on the Nexus 7 is clearly better than the iPad 2 and although it isn't called a retina display, it obviously is. I can't see the pixels because they are smaller than the smallest thing my eye can see. The iPad 3 with its retina display is probably slightly better, but there isn't a lot of difference. Both devices have great hardware.

iOS and Android are very different operating systems though, despite what Apple might claim in the courts. There may be half a dozen similarities, but there are a thousand differences. Just look at the home screens of iOS 6 and Android 4.1. I like both and both irritations too.

The Apple iPad and Android tablets like the Google Nexus 7 are very different, but many apps are the same and it is interesting to run the same app on Android and iOS and compare them. Skype, Facebook, and many others are available on both platforms. But which is best?

Without a doubt iOS has better apps. Apps seem to be developed for iOS first and then Android second. This means that the Android version often comes along later and is then a version or two behind. Skype, Facebook and others I have run on both tablets are good examples and the iOS version was better on both. I say 'was' because Android is catching up. Perhaps it is the popularity of the Google Nexus 7, the Amazon Kindle Fire and Samsung Tabs that is encouraging developers to put more effort into their Android apps. I didn't like Android Skype when I first used it, but after some updates it is now more or less equal to the iOS version. Facebook is better too.

Android apps are definitely getting better and in some cases they are as good as their iOS cousins, but you still come across apps that don't have all the features or the great design that the iOS version has. I'm not saying that all Android apps are poor and quite the opposite is true. There are some great apps (compare maps on Android 4.1 and iOS 6!) and I really like Android devices. Probably more so than iOS devices, partly because they are so much more affordable and having limited funds. Check out the price of the Amazon Kindle Fire, for example, and you can get great deals on the Samsung Galaxy SII, which isn't the latest model, but is still a great phone.

Android will only get better and as the market grows, developers will put more time and effort into Android apps, making them just as good as iOS versions.