Heard something very interesting a day ago...

[Speedygi]

You see, my friend was talking about the Android versus iOS argument, and she mentioned something that I found interesting and unexpected. She said that iOS was a little harder to use than Android, which struck me as something I thought the opposite of was true. iOS always maintained, to me, as the most user friendly mobile platform of today, but she was basically saying Android was easier to use. I wasn't sure if it was the way she said it, but if that is coming from someone I know, it could be a valid opinion...

That got me thinking, could maybe the iOS user interface and how we maneuver between apps, and actually do tasks in there, could it all be getting a little off-tangent when it comes to intuitiveness and user friendliness?

Just wanted to read some thoughts from you guys...

 

[tgp]

Android has come a long way in the last year or two. Currently I wouldn't really say that one is harder to use than the other. I'd put them roughly in the same boat for most functions. In fact, before iOS 7 I would've put Android ahead, mostly due to Quick Settings.

 

[sting7k]

You see, my friend was talking about the Android versus iOS argument, and she mentioned something that I found interesting and unexpected. She said that iOS was a little harder to use than Android, which struck me as something I thought the opposite of was true. iOS always maintained, to me, as the most user friendly mobile platform of today, but she was basically saying Android was easier to use. I wasn't sure if it was the way she said it, but if that is coming from someone I know, it could be a valid opinion...

That got me thinking, could maybe the iOS user interface and how we maneuver between apps, and actually do tasks in there, could it all be getting a little off-tangent when it comes to intuitiveness and user friendliness?

Just wanted to read some thoughts from you guys...

Easier and harder are subjective so what is easy or hard for one person might not be ease or hard for another. I find them equally easy to use. What I do feel is that iOS is SIMPLER to use. It requires far less interaction with the device to do things IMO. I posted yesterday about how I feel I finally have my Moto X setup just how I like it. But then I realized that I'm doing the exact same things on my Moto X that I do on my iPhone. I have all my apps arranged more or less on a single home screen now on my iPhone. I have essentially those same apps spread across 5 home screens and 3 docks on my Moto X. The first home screen of my Moto X has only a simple calender launching widget that displays the date and day, a Weatherbug widget, gmail, facebook, twitter (falcon pro), and the stock email app (I don't know how anyone could ever say Android is "easier" without a unified inbox and the stock email still doesn't automatically resize emails to fit the screen.).

Examples -
1. Google Maps - iPhone first screen so I just tap the icon and launch. On my Moto X I swipe right on the dock then tap the icon.
2. ESPN ScoreCenter - iPhone first home screen, tap to launch. On Moto X swipe to the right and there is a widget that 80% of the time displays a non-relevant game score to me and I tap to launch the app.
3. Music - iPhone first home screen has a folder with music apps, two taps to launch what I want. Moto X I swipe to the left twice and tap the music service of my choice.

So to get to the same apps I have to interact with the device quite a bit more. If I just arranged my apps on the first home screen like iOS then I might as well just use my iPhone in the first place. So for that reason I resist setting up my Moto X like that. To me Android takes more work to use. It's not hard at all. But it's not nearly as simple as iOS. The simplicity of iOS is what makes it so powerful and IMO superior in usability. On iOS I just go, I'm not constantly moving around the OS looking for stuff.

 

[EmceeGeek]

iPhone or iOS is used with ease to me. There is a lot more to Android.


Sent from my [Gold] iPhone 5S

 

[anon(4698833)]

I think it's just the transition between the two devices that make people feel there is a true "difficulty" in usage. None of the devices are really that hard to use these days, none of them really require in depth technical know how to use 90% of the functionality within them. That was a much different story back in the mid 00's, where some of the "smart" phones were like mind numbingly ridiculous to get so much function out of...now, even the least technologically advanced person can pick up a smart phone and go to work.

My sister in law, who is literally as dumb as a rock, has used a Galaxy S 3 (and now 4) for years, and she can navigate it and change things on it and use it very well...she picked up my iPhone and it was like Japanese to her...her first response? "I couldn't use this, it's just too damn difficult." I think that kind of speaks well for the fact that it falls more in the changing of familiarity than the actual difficulty of learning to use it. If she had started on an iPhone, she would have said the same thing in opposite light, i have no doubt.

 

[kataran]

I agree

Windows 6 smartphones were like a corn maze took me months to get fluent with that phone


Sent from my iPhone 5s Gold 64GB

 

[theKHMERboy]

I think it's jut based on the user and what they are comfortable with.. In my opinion I think iOS is the easier to figure out out of all os that is out there that's just me I am sure others think differently


Sent from my iPad using iMore Forums mobile app

 

[taz323]

I agree with Sean, when you use a device everyday its will seem easier in use do being familiar.

 

[mikeo007]

It could have been that they found certain tasks harder to do on an iPhone. Maybe tasks that aren't necessarily the forte of iOS, like managing files or creating your own ringtones.
For general use, I don't think there is anything out there that's easier to just pick up and use than an iOS device. For 90% of the things that 90% of people do, the iPhone IMO offers the most-user friendly methods.

 

[johnboysupergolf]

A jailbroken Idevice will always be able beat anything android can conjure up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Septembersrain]

I use to feel that exact same way actually. It's because it is so simple that certain tasks are not so clearly defined. Like the dependency on the back button most of us Android users have. At first the phone appeared too simple to me. In my attempt to "Figure it out", I had to change my process of maneuvering my device.

It's the reason why I can't use a Mac......

Edit: Jailbreaking helped to complicate that simplicity. I enjoy that immensely!