Last Updated on September 17, 2016 by Larious

We’ll explain 15 reasons the Apple is better than Android with a fresh 2016 Apple vs Android comparison. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus offer a huge feature set and iOS 9 delivers upgraded features that you simply don’t get on an Android phone. iOS 10 is on the way this fall to add more features and security to the iPhone.

Yes, 2016 brings a plethora of new devices like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, One Plus 3, the LG G5 and other phones that deliver a bigger challenge for Apple — but there are still places where the iPhone is clearly better than Android and iOS 9 is better than Android Marshmallow. With Android Nougat and iOS 10 coming some changes will take place later this year, but this is where the iPhone beats Android.

You need to learn what the iPhone does better and how Apple delivers a better experience than Android to see if an iPhone is the best smart phone for you in 2016.

15 reasons the iPhone is better than Android phones in 2016

Use our list of reasons the iPhone is better than Android to figure out which new smart phone you should buy this year 2016

Even if you think you know which phone is best, you might be surprised to learn about all the reasons the iPhone is better than Android.

1. iPhone Apps Are First and Better Looking

Most of the popular apps are on both platforms, but many top games and apps still come to iPhone first. We’re seeing more apps come to both Android and iPhone at the same time, but there are still way more iPhone only apps that we see than Android only.

When apps are available on iPhone and Android we still often see a better design on the iPhone version than on Android. This is something that still rings true in 2016. For example we still see some new Snapchat features and Spotify features come to iPhone before Android. Apps are an area where the gap is closing, but the differences still exist and are noticeable

2. Fast iPhone Updates for All

iPhone owners enjoy quick and regular iOS updates for the iPhone no matter what carrier they use.

Android updates take months to arrive on all the devices. After an Android device is 18 months old, you may need to wait for a new Android smart phone to get the latest software.

Apple delivers iPhone updates to devices that are three years old. Apple offers iPhone 4s iOS 9 support. It is unheard of to see support for an Android phone that old. iOS 10 is available for the iPhone 5.

When you look at Android devices support ends much faster. Google promises at least two years for Nexus devices, which means Nexus 6 support ends this fall and the Nexus 6P in September 2017. Google may push farther out, but it is not a guarantee. Other Android device manufacturers don’t typically match the longevity of iOS updates.

3. Works Great with All Your Devices

If you own an iPhone, iPad and Mac your information flows smoothly from one device to the other. You can quickly sync photos to all of your devices, answer a phone call on your iPad or Mac and send text messages from your other devices. There is also support for Handoff that allows you to start a task on your iPhone and continue on your iPad or Mac

Overall the connectivity between these devices is something Android doesn’t yet match without relying on a collection of third-party applications and services to hodgepodge together a similar feature.

Sharing a file from your iPhone to your Mac is also faster and easier thanks to AirDrop. This built-in service sends the file wirelessly directly to the Mac, even when there is no other WiFi around.

4. No Carrier Bundled Apps

There are no extra carrier apps installed on the iPhone when you buy it. On many Android phones, there are a dozen carrier branded apps, and there might be another dozen apps that you will never use but that someone paid the carrier to install.

Many times you cannot uninstall these extra apps, only disable them. This means they still exist on your phone and take up space. This is a small issue on day one, but after a year when you need more memory, and you cannot delete Candy Crush and VZ Navigator, it’s a problem.

5. AppleCare+ iPhone Warranty

Apple offers an iPhone warranty that extends the manufacturer’s warranty to two years, adds two years of accidental damage coverage and support by phone or in store. This is AppleCare+ and it is a service that you need to buy, but it is something that most Android phones don’t come with.

6. Sharing to Other iPhones

When your friends have iPhones sharing everything is a bit easier. For instance, if you want to share your location with friends on iPhone it only takes a tap or two from the message you are sending to share it. Sharing a photo, link or file is also simple with AirDrop.

This seems like a small thing, but once a friend switches to Android you’ll quickly find out that you need to download several apps to maintain the same level of sharing that Apple builds in.

Samsung is making it easier to share between Samsung phones and Android Marshmallow does a better job of Android to Android sharing, but the odds are some of your friends will still be a phone behind you or an update behind you.

7. Worth More When You Re-sell

The iPhone holds its value better than an Android phone. If you sell your one-year-old or two-year-old Android smart phone, even a flagship device, you will often get much less than you paid.

When you sell an older iPhone, it is easy to find offers of almost double the value of an Android phone that came out at the same time.

8. Lightning is Miles Better than Micro USB

Apple uses a reversible Lightning cable to charge and sync the iPhone. Lightning is vastly superior to the Micro USB cable that most Android phones use to charge and sync

With a Lightning cable, there is no wrong way to plug it in because there is not a top or bottom. Micro USB cables force users to attempt to plug the cord in multiple times before finding the right direction and proper angle.

9. Apple Stores for Support

When something goes wrong or you break your iPhone and need a replacement fast, there is no substitute for the Apple Store.

If you need to replace your iPhone a trip to the Apple Store can resolve the problem in a few hours instead of waiting a day or two without an iPhone.

10. Ease of Use Wins Over Android

The iPhone is still easier to pick up and use without issues than most Android phones on the market.

Google delivers more ease of use than in older versions of Android, but not all phones run these updates yet. Samsung has come a long way in making Android easier to adapt with an Easy Mode, but there are still issues.

While helping friends and family with iPhone and Android there are more instances where I need to help turn a setting on again on Android than on iPhone and it takes users longer to understand how something works.

11. Headphone Controls

If you love to listen to music and you constantly need to control what you are listening to, the iPhone has an advantage thanks to headphones that can control many aspects of playback.

The standard iPhone headphones, and most third-party ones, can play, pause, skip forward or back a track and that’s just music. iPhone users can also control volume without grabbing the phone thanks to volume up and down buttons. Apple includes an option to launch Siri so that users can make a phone call and perform other activities.

This is a small win, but it is a very convenient one that we miss when we switch to most Android phones.

12. iMessage, FaceTime & FaceTime Audio

Apple makes it easier to communicate with other iPhone and iPad owners with a trio of services that allow for fast and simple connectivity.

iMessage allows users to send longer messages at one time and the messages can go to any Apple device that user owns.

FaceTime delivers an excellent way to video chat and unlike Hangouts it is built-in to the phone so it is easy to switch from phone call to video call with the push of a button.

FaceTime Audio also helps iPhone users call when coverage is spotty, by using data to make an audio call. FaceTime Audio calls also sound better.

13. Share Apps, Music, Movies & More Easily

Apple delivers Family Sharing in iOS 8 and iOS 9. This service lets users share apps, music, movies, books and calendars easily. With Family Sharing turned on anyone in your family can use the items you purchased, so you don’t need to re-buy apps, books or movies.

14. Better Control of Notifications

The iPhone still does a better job of managing notifications. Android makes it easier to clear out your notifications, but we still prefer Apple’s separation of notifications, options and what’s happening now to what Google and Samsung offer.

With the iPhone you can see a short summary of what’ happening today and access widgets that keep you up to date and then tap into Notifications. Unlike with Samsung devices and stock Android devices there are no settings options to accidentally toggle while looking at notifications.

15. Storage Use and Carrier Options

No matter what carrier, you can get the same color iPhone as any other major carrier and the same storage options.

Sure, Samsung simplified things with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, offering similar colors and only one storage option across carriers, but there are still issues.

The Galaxy S7 does not support an Android feature that essentially tricks the phone into thinking your Micro SD card is part of the internal storage. Because of this you cannot move all apps to the SD card (although you can move many) and apps that you use widgets for are not good to move to the SD card.

When you compare this to a 64GB iPhone 6s that treats all storage the same there are still clear advantages despite the higher cost of upgrading to more storage on the iPhone.

I hope this article would inspire the iphone lovers and Androids users to make a see the various differences between both devices. Its either you use them both or use one.