Main Difference – Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) vs iOS 9
The main difference between Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and iOS 9 is that Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) has better permission features to provide more privacy, and battery enhancement to elongate the battery life while the iOS 9 comes with better mobile payment options. The Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or Android M was released in the month of May and this was later known as Android Marshmallow. It was first available with the Nexus devices which were released in San Francisco in September. It was later made available to many devices the world around. The iOS 9 was released in parallel with the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus in the month of September 2015.
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) Review – Features and Specifications
The Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) is available now for Nexus devices and soon it will be made available on other devices. Is it really worth it to upgrade to this new operating system? Is it better than the Apple’s iOS 9 and the Windows 10 OS? Let us take a closer look at what the device has to offer.
App Menu
The App menu in the Android 6.0 os has seen a major redo. The app pages have been removed, and a long horizontal list of apps is available with the Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). This will provide a long list of applications that can be easily viewed and selected. This app menu is similar to the ones found on Windows Phones and HTC sense Android interface.
This is a useful feature which lets the user scroll to the app he/she is looking for with ease. The apps will be arranged alphabetically and if there is a long list of application, this is an easy way to find and execute applications.
App Search Bar
Another helpful feature known as the App bar is placed on top of the app menu. When we type an application into the search bar, it will look for the app in the app menu and if it cannot be found there, it will move on to Google play to find the particular app. This app search bar also comes with four slots which will automatically pick apps that are most frequently used or the ones that are most recently used with the use of a special algorithm.
Clock
The clock found on the new operating system has been redesigned. The new clock is sharper than the clock found on the previous version. Although this is a minor adjustment, it gives the new software a bit of a different feel to it. The date text is in all caps now and the font used for the characters on top of the screen is thicker.
Memory Manager
One of the problems that was evident with the Android 5 Lollipop was the memory consumption which caused some performance issues. The memory manager which comes with the application is able to analyze which apps are consuming memory the most and how much. This feature will also allow the user to view if any application is not behaving itself in the memory department. It will also show how the memory has been used within the last 24 hours. This will enable the user to spot all memory activities and take necessary precautions.
Lock Screen Messages
A line of text can be added to the lock screen with the advent of the new Android operating system. This will enable the user to add a custom text the user prefers without any issue. This text is written in lower case as opposed to the font of the clock. The text is also less bright when compared with the clock related font.
Battery Optimization
Battery saving features were first introduced with the introduction of Android Lollipop. With the advent of the Android Marshmallow OS, a whole new feature known as battery optimization has been included with the package. The battery optimization feature tweaks the apps so that it consumes less energy and save the battery life on the device. This feature can be exempted to important applications running on the new operating system.
Change on Volume Controls
With the Android 5 Lollipop, the silent mode was completely removed. This did not go well for the users as it is a very essentials feature with the phones of today. Certain alerts can be switch off for a stipulated period of time with this new operating system. This mode is known as Do not disturb mode. This feature also enables the phone to retain the alarm settings while keeping the other features silent. There are many volume options that can be controlled separately with the new volume controls. This gives the user full control over the volume, which is a convenient feature for the user.
Fingerprint Scanner
The fingerprint scanner which comes with the new operating system has hardware support natively. The Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P have their fingerprint scanners on the rear of the device. This is referred to as Nexus Imprint according to Google.
Android Pay
Recently Google announced Android Pay. It may take some time to catch up with some of its Pay rivals like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
iOS 9 Review – Features and Specifications
The new operating system released by Apple comes with a lot of features designed to enhance the experience of the user to a greater level. The new software produced by Apple has some nice features and changes as well. Key feature upgrades include battery life improvements, low power mode to extend the life of the battery, Siri, and the note app. Improved features also include News and Apple Maps for easy navigation.
Support
The new operating system is able to support a lot of devices from the iPhone 4S to many other Apple devices that have been released afterward. But the main highlight is the new operating system’s ability to support the tablets designed by Apple, the iPad Air 2, iPad Mini, and the iPad Pro. The iOS 9 comes with new multitasking features like split view which enable the device to support applications side by side. There also some cool features like a better on-screen keyboard, picture in picture support and slide over feature.
Siri
The new digital assistant that comes with the new OS is better than the one found in the previous version. This time, Siri can be more accurate and specific in it searches. Siri is even able to give us reminders.
Search
The search feature can be activated by just swiping right to the home screen. This feature can also be opened by swiping down. Searches can be done for a variety of things like contacts, calendar dates, messages and make calls. Search has been designed in a more proactive way when compared with its predecessor. It is able to show frequently used contacts, interesting locations that are nearby, app suggestions.
News
This is Apple’s attempt to bring together all our interests into one news feed. This can be chosen from a number of topics that are available with the news feed. News can be saved for later reading. The user can also swipe between stories. Although this is a great feature, it still seems to be disorganized and the reading experience still needs improvement.
Maps
Maps on the new os show public transit routes which will make it easy when choosing to travel. Tapping on the bus stop or the train station will produce the lines that go through the maps and also a summary of the departure schedules for the relevant stops. Although the Maps of Apple comes with some unique features, it still is unable to replace Google Maps, but this seems to be a good start.
Notes App
The Evernote and the OneNote are the main apps that handle note taking on Android and Apple devices. But the Notes app that comes with the iOS 9 is now capable of sketching and doodling, thanks to sophisticated tools that come with the application. Now the Notes app is able to create checklists, add images to the notes, and share information with other applications. The app can also do formatting with the help of the tools that come with it and add styles as well. This application comes with iCloud support and folders can be created to keep all the notes organized. With all the additional options, it may be the go-to application to taking notes in the future.
Additional Features
The app switcher comes with a new look this time. The open apps will be narrowed down into a smaller page in which each one can be shuffled. This also gives the advantage of opening many apps at the same time. Choosing the application you want to run is also easy with this configuration.
Pressing the shift key on the keyboard will help to form capital letters. When not pressed it will revert back to lower case. Although this is not a significant change this makes entering information like passwords easy.
Battery Life
Apple has boasted that the new operating system will be able to last an hour more than that on the previous operating systems. This has been actually confirmed and will turn out to be good news for the user. There is also a low power mode feature which performs similarly to the Battery saver found on the android device. It will optimize the OS so that the power consumed by it will be kept to a minimum.
Difference Between Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and iOS 9
Interface
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow):
The Android Marshmallow’s interface is very similar to that found on the Android Lollipop. It comes with almost the same Material Design look which was found on the predecessor. The clock and the app drawer have seen a tweak which is almost unnoticeable. The Android Lollipop was a total change when compared with its predecessor. But the Android Marshmallow is a refinement of the Android Marshmallow. There are also many new features such as status bar, memory manage, simple storage options, quick setting and battery extending applications.
iOS 9:
On the other hand, the iOS 9 is also adopting the same style. The phone will now be able to automatically customize so that the user will get all the options and preferences he wants in a particular location. An API has also been developed for a search bar. This will enable developers to go into particular apps and search for information within them. Multitasking capabilities are also an important addition that comes with this operating system. Applications like Microsoft office and Adobe Photoshop are also supported by the operating system.
Siri and Google Now
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow):
Google Now is one of the best features that come with the Android Marshmallow. Google now is capable of understanding a question and finding the answer.
iOS 9:
Siri has also been equipped with similar features; if a phone call arrives from an unknown source, Siri is able to find information regarding the call and point out who this person could be. Siri is now able to search inside iTunes, apps, contacts and even the operating system itself.
Privacy Features
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow):
The Android Marshmallow comes with an enhanced privacy system which prevents important and private information from leaking out. Apps will not be able to access information like bank account numbers or passwords. The new operating system will only provide permissions as and when the application needs it. The user now has the power to decide if he wants to permit individual permissions according to the app that is being used.
iOS 9:
Apple has confirmed that none of the private data of the user is ever gathered, and it will always remain within the device. Google, on the other hand, makes use of private data in order to make itself the best advertising platform in the world.
Battery Features
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow):
The Android Marshmallow operating system has many features to optimize the power that is consumed by the device. It also comes with a special feature called Doze which improves the time on standby with the help of motion sensors. This will enable the phone to identify if the user is using the phone and power down to save energy. There is also a feature known as App standby mode which controls the background app activity when the phone is on standby.
iOS 9:
The low power mode which is available with the iOS 9 is expected to extend the battery life of the device by three hours. With the introduction of the new operating system, Apple has claimed the battery life of the whole system has been extended by one hour.
Mobile Payments
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow):
What was previously known as Google Wallet has been renamed Android pay with this operating system. This uses NFC technology to makes payments across the United States and is expected to expand worldwide.
iOS 9:
Apple pay remains the same but tries to expand more into the market.
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) vs iOS 9 – Summary
Both Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and iOS 9 are improving and trying to outperform each other. Both seem to equally match at this time and the differences between Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and iOS 9 are not that visible. Both Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and iOS 9 are targeting key areas in order to provide a better experience for the user.
Image Courtesy:
“Android 6.0 “Marshmallow” home screen”Di Google, AOSP – User-created screenshot, (Apache License 2.0) Wikimedia.commons
