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What is the best mobile operating system?

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Here’s the Deal

8 Options Considered

Best mobile operating system	Price	License	OS Family
89 Android	Free	mainly Apache 2.0	Linux (AOSP-based)
73 Sailfish OS	OEM	proprietary	GNU+Linux
-- LuneOS	Free	mainly Apache 2.0	Linux
64 postmarketOS	free	mainly GNU GPL	GNU+Linux
61 iOS	OEM Apple only	proprietary	UNIX (BSD-based)

Android

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Top 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. See More

Top 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. See More

Infernal Apex's Experience

Flexible, customizable, side-loadable and fast. Root and repurpose out of contact phones and older tablets for always-on IoT devices - home security cameras, motion sensors, cloud music player, Netflix remote, crypto mining, etc.. See More

Specs

License:mainly Apache 2.0

OS Family:Linux (AOSP-based)

Based On:Android Open Source Project (AOSP)

Programming Language:C(Linux Kernel), C++(Dalvik,Art) & Java

Top 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. See More

Top 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. See More

Capuccino 's Experience

Android emphasizes the philosophy of "Be together, not the same". The OS itself promotes a more robust diversity and consumer choice, which makes it a succesful product as a Phone OS See More

Top 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. See More

Top Con

Most preinstalled distributions are not open source

Although the AOSP exists, your phone is most likely running a proprietary apps like the GApps or manufacturer specific applications. See More

SophisticatedMidir's Experience

It's far better than iOS now. Ease of access and great security See More

Top Pro

Lots of hardware choices

There are about 18000 released devices that run on Android. This means that a user familiar with Android can have a large variety of devices from which they can choose. See More

Top 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. See More

Electric Games's Experience

Horrible. Just horrible. See More

Top Pro

Integration with Google Services

For those that already use Google's services, like Google Maps and GMail, Android offers tighter integration with those services than any of the alternatives, and saves users the need to create extra accounts. See More

Top 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. See More

HumbleKingu's Experience

Highly customizable and has a lot of support for apps See More

Top Pro

More integrated sharing options

CreativeBanebdjedet's Experience

I have Android 7.0 what's the top Android is 2018 See More

Top 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. See More

Top Pro

The most widely used mobile OS

Top Pro

Security updates

Android does frequent updates to keep users secure. See More

Top Pro

Accessibility

Built in text to speech is provided by TalkBack for people with low or no vision. Enhancements for people with hearing disabilities are available as are other aids. See More

Top 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. See More

Top Pro

Not bound to Google

It is fully working without the play store or the Google play services. See More

Top Pro

Sideloading of apps

You can sideload apps. See More

Top Pro

ROOT

You can root your phone to get full access. See More

Top Pro

Great user experience right out of the box

Top Pro

Consistent back button makes navigation easy

Top Pro

Supports plenty of peripherals

You can use external displays with MHL, HDMI, DP or miracast. It supports external storage devices like microSD cards or USB OTG devices. You can also use almost any kind of USB or Bluetooth input devices like keyboards, mice or game controllers. See More

Top Pro

Cheap phones

Android phones can cost little as $100. See More

Top Pro

Gesture based interface

Since Android 10 you can use gestures to control the OS. See More

Top Pro

No Backdoors

Since Android is written by a worldwide community of developers it is very unlikly that backdoorss exist for any local governments. See More

Top Pro

Modular

There are major versions of android however the most important components are modular and get frequently updated. See More

Top Pro

Built-in screen recording

Android 5.0.+ supports screen recording via a new api. Android 4.4 KitKat supports screen recording accessible via an ADB command on unrooted devices. See More

Top Pro

Customizable multiple "desktops"

Can customize the home screens with widgets (not just a grid of apps like iOS). See More

Top Pro

Highly secure core system

Since Android is open source and developed worldwide, anyone can read the code and there are no government forced backdoors. See More

Top Pro

It's all yours

You can do anything you want with YOUR phone... See More

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Sailfish OS

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Top Pro

Unique gesture-based interface

There are no buttons needed to use it. See More

Top Con

Only a few native apps, needs Android support to access many apps

Users may need to install Google Play store or other alternative android app store to access your bank's app or any highly specific app you might need. See More

PhilosophicalAinina's Experience

Best OS ever See More

Specs

License:proprietary

OS Family:GNU+Linux

Programming Language:C, Qt/QML, C++

Top Pro

Easy to use Swipe UI

Tutorials. See More

Top Con

Only a few available phones

There are currently only a few available phones on the market with Sailfish OS and both the Jolla and the Jolla Tablet are out of stock and unavailable. See More

PoliteOrcus's Experience

usability + privacy See More

Top Pro

Usability and privacy

No private data transfer to other companies. See More

Top Con

Has proprietary UI component

This would lead to unwanted security compromising bugs that may not get enough eyes to be marked as a bug See More

Top Pro

Very customizable

You can use patches to change UI or other stuff. See More

Top Pro

No pre-installed Google services

But if you want, you can install it. See More

Top Pro

Inbuilt Terminal app and ssh essentials

Smartphone for power users, not just for users. See More

Top Pro

No annoying search bar that you might not be able to remove

You can actually manage your files. The third option to iOS vs Android. See More

Top Pro

Lower power consumptions

Top Pro

Nearly monthly updates and security fixes

Version history. See More

iOS

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Top Pro

Great selection of high quality and polished apps

Apps must pass tighter guidelines to make it into the app store. See More

Top Con

Tied to Apple

No alternative software can be installed unless you keep your phone jailbroken (with the system outdated and probably with security issues). See More

RealisticEleos's Experience

Specs

License:proprietary

OS Family:UNIX (BSD-based)

Programming Language:C, C++, Objective-C, Swift

Top Pro

Consistent performance

Unlike Android, iOS is developed to be used on similiar devices and both the hardware and iOS itself are developed by Apple. This means that they are highly adapted to work with each other. Even after the hardware becomes a little outdated, the performance still remains consistent and smooth on several iOS versions. See More

Top Con

No file managing

Managing files and directories is not possible. Files are in fact attached to applications. It is an oversimplification that can be limiting. See More

Electrux Redsworth's Experience

A bit limiting, yes, but rock stable, and smooth which easily makes it worthwhile to use :) See More

Top Pro

Everything works very well out of the box

It's engineered to be designed. Design means choice. A collection of best options, components and programs chosen by highly experienced curators/designers/engineers are installed by default. No need to customize. It's best by default. See More

Top Con

Older iPhone models with poorer batteries might perform slower

iOS delibrately slows the CPU down on older iPhones with worn-out batteries so as to preserve battery life, resulting in possible slower-than-expected performance. This only applies to iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, and iPhone SE running iOS 10.2.1 and above, and iPhone 7 running iOS 11.2 and above. See More

Buster Blue's Experience

It's too limiting and closed off. See More

Top Pro

Personal assistant called Siri

Siri is an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator. Siri lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. See More

Top Con

Not very customisable

Other operating systems like Android or Windows Phone (more or less), iOS isn't as customizable. See More

NonchalantAlecto's Experience

Top Pro

CarPlay

Available in select cars, CarPlay is built primarily around the use of Siri voice commands and prompts, providing an "eyes-free" experience where you can respond to incoming calls, dictate text messages, or access your music library from a vehicle. See More

Top Con

Inconvenient price and hardware lock-in

iOS is only available on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, in which these device may be more expensive than the competitors. See More

TirelessAhriman's Experience

A phone OS made for lazy people, in the latest releases it is just copying android by adding widget or dark mode support. You also have no control over your data and there is no source available to make sure there is no NSA backdoor. Like all Apple devices and services it is a fully closed ecosystem that makes it very hard to escape in the future. See More

Top Pro

Easy to learn to use

The iOS user interface is known by millions. It has mostly stayed the same throughout the years. The main view is a simple grid menu which displays all the installed applications. On the bottom there is an app tray which displays the icons for the most used apps. The iOS user interface is especially easy for users who want an easy experience and don't want to spend time learning on how to navigate through their phones. Everything is displayed right in the main view and it's easy to find. The fact that it has not changed, at least significantly in the past years has made it possible for it's most devoted users to keep upgrading their iOS devices without having any difficulty to adapt. See More

Top Con

Unlike Android, it is proprietary

Nobody can look into the system so you can't even say if it is secure or not. In the worst case Apple could log all your activities and data. See More

SuccinctBriareus's Experience

Top Pro

Support for standard sync protocols

Out of the box support for caldav and carddav. See More

Top Con

Vendor lock-in

You are forced to use the Apple ecosystem. Like the AppStore or iTunes. See More

Electric Games's Experience

AMAZING See More

Top Pro

Security

A trustworthy OS, secure for use with banking apps. See More

Top Con

Apple is very unfriendly regarding warranty and repair work

If your device breaks, they will just tell you to buy a new one. See More

RealisticOmfale's Experience

Ios better than android See More

Top Pro

Apple pay

Apple pay, an easy and secure payment option. See More

Top Con

No sideloading of apps

You have to install all apps from the Apple Appstore. See More

Top Pro

Apps request permissions when needed

Instead of an app asking for all permissions it will need when installed, iOS apps request permission to access certain parts of user's data only when the current action requires it. See More

Top Con

Jailbreak breaks iOS

Unlinke Android where you can still use a rooted device normally a jailbreak will break your iOS. See More

Top Pro

Longtime support for older smartphones / tablets

iPhones don't become obsolete in a year or so. Most of them get updates for even more than about 4 years. See More

Top Con

Outdates web browsers

All Webbrowser must use the Webkit/Safari webengine to display websites. See More

Top Pro

+8190964527

G-879716 See More

Top Con

Possible Backdoor

There are some rumors that Apple provides NSA backdoors to its products. See More

Top Pro

nigg1371@outlook.jp

Top Con

No widget support

iOS has no widget support. See More

Top Pro

Clean UI across the operating system

Unlike many other operating systems, iOS has a clean and consistent UI that is shared across the entire operating system, even with third-party apps. See More

Top Con

No privacy allowed

does not allow for privacy due to it's closed nature See More

Top Con

No privacy allowed

does not allow for privacy due to it's closed nature See More

Top Con

No alternative browsers

All iOS brower need to use safaris webkit rendering engine See More

Top Con

Closed source

The iOS source code is not available. See More

Tizen

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Top Con

Worst Code Base

Amihai Neiderman, a Kaspersky Labs researcher said, “It may be the worst code I’ve ever seen, Everything you can do wrong there, they do it. You can see that nobody with any understanding of security looked at this code or wrote it.” See More

Top Pro

Open source

Some parts of the OS are open source. See More

Specs

License:proprietary

OS Family:GNU+Linux

Programming Language:HTML5, C, C++, JavaScript/TypeScript, C# Xamarin

Package Manager:RPM Package Manager

Top Con

Lack of apps

Top Pro

Fast

Top Con

Aesthetically unappealing

Top Pro

HTML5-based

Top Con

Lack of security

With the recent discoveries of a number of security flaws, tizen is no longer a secure OS that it advertises. See More

Top Con

Based on EFL libraries

A perfect experience of a developer working with EFL: https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/15001/enlightened See More

PureOS (Phosh)

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Lineage OS

LineageOS

Ubuntu Touch

PrivatOS

Oxygen Not Included

Windows 10 Mobile / Windows Phone

Firefox OS

BlackBerry

/e/

KDE Plasma Mobile

maru

Symbian

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