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Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Customize what apps perform what actions
Android gives users the ability to define which apps perform which action. For example, if an Android device has several browsers installed, the user can choose a default one which will start every time a link is for example opened from another app.
Pro Open source
The AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is the software stack for the Android OS. It is led by the open handset alliance which includes firms like Google, Acer, NXP, Motorola and many others.
The fact that Android is an open source software has led to many custom Android variants. It also is a big assurance of Android's safety in terms of privacy.
Pro Highly customizable
One of the massive benefits of Android being open-sourced are all the modifications you can make to the phone to customise pretty much anything. Some of the cooler things you can do are:
- Replace the entire operating system with a custom ROM.
- Replace the keyboard.
- Change the home screen launcher.
- Change the lock screen.
Pro Desktop and lockscreen widgets
Desktop widgets provide quick access to the information you need quickly and access the most. These are available out of the box, and can be developed by anyone. Widgets on the lockscreen have been removed since the Lollipop update, but is available on 3rd party lockscreens such as AC Display and KK Locker.
Pro Personal assistant with Google Now
Google Now is an intelligent personal assistant available within the Google Search mobile application for the Android and iOS operating systems. It's software that makes your life more convenient by giving you all the information you need at any moment.
Cons
Con Fragmentation and security flaws due to negligence
Most Android phones seem to be released on a "Let's release a few software updates until we release the next phone, and never push out an update again." For example, In May 2014, 8.5% of phones were Kitkat, 60.8% were spread out between three versions of jellybean (with bias towards older versions), and the another 20% spread out over ICS, Honeycomb, Gingerbread, and Froyo.
Google no longer maintains Android 4.3 or prior and serious security exploits remain in those versions. Device manufacturers are also taking no action, which leaves almost a billion Android users exposed.
You may also encounter lingering and unfixed bugs, glitches, etc. as a result of the manufacturer's and Google's lack of interest in older versions.
Some flagship phones are well supported into the future, but the fact that your phone won't be supported by its manufacturer and/or Google is a consideration you must make when purchasing an Android phone.
Con Wide variety of phones forces variance in quality
While there are many great Android phones, there are also many Android phones that lack in both hardware and software. When purchasing Android phones, a consumer might want to do some research first - especially when buying on a budget. Not only do you have to worry about shotty hardware or poor quality testing, manufacturers tend to tinker with the software on phones. More often than not this leads to poor performance, unintuitive 'features', slower (or complete lack of) updates, and custom software that detracts from the user's experience.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Con App permission issues
Outdated: It is very unlikely that you buy a Lollipop phone in 2020.
Any users from Android M onward are not affected by this issue.
Permissions are only granted via a pop-up when the app requests.
The application permission system used requires requesting access to more user data than should be needed to run an app. For example, in order to enable matchmaking in games the app needs access to contacts list. Additionally, since Google doesn't enforce requesting only the permissions necessary for an app to function, a culture of requesting permissions that aren't in any way needed for the app to function has emerged.
Con Tied to Google
Even though Android is open-source, it is near unusable without Google Apps and a Google account. For example, it's impossible to download apps from the Google play store without a Google account unless the user is sideloading the app from 3rd party source such as APK Mirror.
Out of Date Pros + Cons
Con Difficult to use for pro audio
Outdated:
There are also now plenty of phones for audiophiles like the LG V50 with its quad DAC.
Con Android does not have the best reliability.
Android products might appeal to the more technically capable, people prepared to invest in considering their product, who like a particular device form factor and / or who already uses a lot of Google’s online product suite.