the latest iOS operating system Apple's (AAPL) iOS 17 is a definite upgrade for Apple users, but it has some similar features that Google's (GOOGL) Android has had for a few years.
Android dominates the systems market mobile operating system and is the default operating system for more than four-fifths of smartphones sold worldwide, while iOS is more popular in the United States.
Key takeaways
- Apple on Monday released iOS 17, the latest version of its iOS operating system. system, which just precedes Google's latest Android update.
- iOS 17 comes with improved AirDrop and AutoCorrect, and introduces live voicemail, a feature that Android devices have had since 2015.
- Google's Android dominates the mobile operating system market and is the default operating system for more than four-fifths of smartphones sold worldwide.
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The iOS 17 version precedes Google's Android 14, which should go live by the end of the year. While the technical specifications of the features it touts may be beyond the scope of this article, the fact that Android had similar features years ago begs the question: Did Apple really impressed with its latest version of the operating system?
File Sharing
Apple's AirDrop and Android's Near Share work similarly to file-sharing programs, allowing users to exchange photos, videos, and documents wirelessly between devices. iOS 17 improves on previous versions of AirDrop by connecting devices farther apart and letting you exchange files by touching two iPhones together. With the latest AirDrop, you can also share files between your iPhone and Apple Watch. Android Nearby Sharing works the same way, allowing you to transfer files between your Android device and nearby PCs.
Live Voicemail
iOS 17 Apple introduces Live Voicemail, featuring a transcription of a person's message when they send you a voicemail. This feature has been available on Android devices since 2015, when Google released its Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Apple's latest update also allows users to leave audio and video messages via FaceTime, if the person they are calling is unavailable.
Automatic correction
iOS 17 looks to improve autocorrect using a new machine learning model to predict what users want to type, making it more efficient at completing sentences and correcting grammatical errors.
iOS AutoCorrect is a feature that Apple users have long complained about, alleging that it often generates wrong words and changes words after sending a message. This contrasts with Android's autocorrect, which users say is more effective.
How the two systems compare On a global scale?
Google's Android, the operating system installed on popular devices including the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel, is the dominant mobile operating system worldwide. In the second quarter, 81% of global smartphone sales were made up of Android operating systems, compared to just 17% for Apple's iOS.
Android dominates the smartphone market in China with a 72% share and in India with 95%. In contrast, Apple iOS is more competitive in the United States, where 52% of smartphones sold use the operating system, compared to 48% that use Android, according to Counterpoint Research.
Google released the beta version 5.3 of Android 14 on September 6, with the live version expected by the end of 2023.
Shares of Alphabet, parent company of Apple and Google, were relatively flat Tuesday morning. They are up 37% and 56% respectively so far this year.
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Source: investopedia.com