With the increasing popularity of smartphones today, developers are scrambling to perfect their mobile operating systems along with hardware development. But two mobile OSes that many users like to compare are android and iOS as both come from the two most distinguished tech giants: Google and Apple, respectively. Of course, the usual question is, which one is better?

First, let’s examine iOS for the iPhone – the game changer in the mobile phone industry. Apple should be credited for giving rise to the new breed of cellphones that changed the way we think about these devices. Not only are they capable of texting and calling, they are the new multimedia devices that also allow us to go online wirelessly.

There’s no doubt that the iOS user interface is the most gorgeous UI around. The capacitive touch gives it an even smoother effect as you slide your finger to fiddle around the menu. Because the software and hardware both come from Apple, they are seamlessly integrated and gives the device an impressive speed and stability.

However, just like any Apple product in the market, the iOS is a closed system. That is, users have much less control over the customization of their device, unless they resort to other means like jailbreaking and unlocking, which ultimately voids the warranty. And speaking of unlocking, one problem with the iPhone is you are stuck with just one carrier. A lot of users have tried unlocking their iPhone only to find out that their files are deleted each time they plug it in a computer.

On the other hand, android is an open source OS, meaning users have greater control over their handset. This allows mobile manufacturers to release handsets powered by android unlike the iOS that is exclusive for the iPhone. It is also easier for developers to program just about any apps for the android. Other handsets can even be overclocked to give it a higher speed. The android is also nicely integrated to Google’s products and switching from one network to another is a lot easier.

Android-based phones, however, were reported to be buggy and battery hogging. Other users complain about annoying error messages from applications that frequently crash. But Google claims this problem will be solved by simply upgrading to the latest version of android.

In the end, it is the consumers that should decide which handset is best for them. Each company clearly targets a certain market segment. If you need a phone that you can just use and want it to score higher in the looks department, then go ahead and buy an iPhone. If you like Google’s products, hate Apple’s restrictions and wouldn’t mind tweaking your handset then an android-based phone is best for you.