iOS 7 vs. Android KitKit: Which Had the Most Hype?
By Kia Dargahi
Android and iOS have come to be the most used and talked-about operating systems in the mobile industry. It comes to nobody’s shock then that when these gargantuan platforms receive major updates, everyone is watching. The two have been duking it out to become the world’s best and most-used mobile system, and Android is currently leading the latter of the two races. With this in mind, things may take a turn for the better for the Cupertino-based company.
iOS 7 was the first of the two major updates to be announced on June 10, 2013. Flashback a month however, and the first rumors regarding iOS 7 had begun to circulate the web. Inside professionals spoke of a flatter and completely redesigned operating system. It was an alien experience according to those who found themselves with the revolutionary software. Upon hearing this news, most thought of a Windows Phone 8 counterpart; however, this was not the case. Apple had managed to keep its OS very recognizable yet changed enough so that it would be considered cool again (the skeumorphism was getting old). When the official release started hitting shelves, it either blew away the user’s expectations or failed to meet them. iOS 7 can be described as a love-hate operating system; there doesn’t really exist a middle ground with this version of the iPhone operating system. Furthermore, the largely positive and optimist reviews made by those inside the loop had the general public waiting for a storm to arise, and in some cases, it did. Some acclaim the new features such as Control Center or AirDrop; however, others dismiss the so-called “breakthroughs in features” as a mere copy of those existing on Google’s mobile-operating system. This being said, it can definitively be stated that iOS 7 had a large amount of hype surrounding its imminent release.
When Android 4.4 KitKat launched on old Hallows’ Eve, the general public was more than pleased with the direction the candy-coated operating system was headed toward. The tech giant is taking a step away from the design that debuted on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich; the familiar shades of bright blue that once made the face of Android have been replaced with a motif of cards showing user-personalized information. Replacing the design creates a step into the future, making a sleeker and softer color combination that will doubtless be popular amongst those with modern vision. While this can hardly be described as the kind of jump in design and software that occurred from iOS 6 to iOS 7, this is without a doubt a hint of more to come from Google. In a sense, the version number says it all: 4.4. It isn’t quite the leap in technology that 5.0 will certainly be, but it will undoubtedly cover most of the issues that plague the fragmented operating system. Don’t think, however, that KitKat isn’t going to pack a sweet amount of features. 4.4 is said to run significantly better on older Android devices. Google has also improved the phone and messaging apps, unifying Google Talk and Hangouts (this will come in the near future). Furthermore, if a business or chain pops up on your caller ID, the search-engine giant will automatically add all of its contact information into your contacts — cool! That’s not all; Google Now can be opened from anywhere within the operating system with a mere “Okay, Google” — neat! Google is showing its intentions with the future of its operating system; the tech giant is willing to hold off on the big release for an entire year so that it can further improve the one thing that the operating system is made fun of for: fragmentation.
While it would be foolish to say that the loser of this “competition” is just not as good an operating system as the other, it clearly shows the directions that the two giants of our time are heading. iOS 7 was without a doubt the most-anticipated update of the year, and Android 4.4, the incremental update that it is, simply could not meet the expectations of this massive accomplishment. Apple wanted to make a bold move with iOS 7, and that’s certainly what it seems to have come off as. Google never expected the general public to think that KitKat would break the rules of mobile operating systems, but it does nevertheless expect noteworthy regard for its full focus on driving the operating system to a stable and defragmented future. iOS 7 may have come out on top this time, but there’s a storm looming over in the horizon — a sugary one.
