iOS 8 vs. Android 4.4 KitKat: Apple’s Newest Mobile OS & Google’s Latest Platform; Home Screen & App Differences Reviewed
iOS 8 vs. Android 4.4 KitKat: Apple’s newest mobile platform, the iOS 8, is scheduled to be made available today at 1 PM Eastern and millions of iPhone users are expected to upgrade. The Android 4.4 KitKat, Google’s own mobile OS, has been available to millions of Android users lately and is also a dominant platform for handsets.
This review looks at the differences between the iOS 8 and Android 4.4 KitKat’s home screen and app experience.
The iOS 8, which was revealed during Apple’s annual WWDC event, sports a similar and clean appearance like the iOS 7. The Telegraph notes that the transparency and illumination of the new OS gives the illusion of layers, thus making iOS 8 more intuitive and easier to navigate.
The Android 4.4 KitKat, on the other hand, has tweaks that makes it effortless to use it. It’s more vibrant and uses non-standardized icons and shadows to give a 3D effect.
HOME SCREEN FEATURES
One noticeable change in the home screen of the iOS 8 is that it now changes in orientation depending on how you hold your handset. While before it was purely vertical, it can go horizontal as well, while keeping the home dock with three to four standard apps. Apps can continue to be organized in folders.
Android, on the other hand, provides similar experience and customization but also allows users to drop widgets straight onto the homescreen. These are basically functions from an app that you can use without actually launching the app itself. It’s a handy feature that’s not available on iOS 8 just yet.
APPS
The app store is an industry powerhouse at this point, making available over 1.3 million apps to Apple users worldwide. It’s still bigger than Google Play’s and continues to boas more updated selections.
But what levels the playing field for the Android 4.4 KitKat and the iOS 8 is that key apps like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are available on both Android and iOS format.