To put it short, everything you care about. 

To clarify, I’ve personally owned both iOS and Android devices for multiple years. I prefer an Android for my current needs, but don’t think poorly of the iPhone. All of this information on the hardware/software is from my personal use of the phones, and hardware specifications from the manufacturer’s websites. 

If you walk into an Apple store, they’ll tell you they have the best camera on the market. Regardless of your personal stories however, the physically manufactured hardware in the Galaxy Note 9 was the same as the iPhone X’s camera in most respects. The only difference is how the operating system handles the cameras, and that’s purely opinion and circumstance.  

For example, the Note 9 is better at close up detail shots, while the iPhone X is (based solely on my opinion) better at selfie taking. This is probably a result of trying to appeal to their consumer bases.  

Because let’s be honest, when you think of a vsco girl (a stereotyped personality who is very active on social medias and uses a common photo editor with recognizable filters) you don’t think of Android. You think of a rose gold iPhone 6 plus because it has a headphone jack. 

Before I anger all the Apple fans now, Android sellers lie too.  

For the sake of comparing the full capabilities of Android, I will use the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 ($630). Android is put on a wide array of mobile devices, but the Samsung Galaxy is the most recognizable, and at least the most comparable to the iPhone in price point (the iPhone X is currently about $650). 

A large lie told to customers in Samsung stores is “This can replace your computer!” 

Well darling, have you seen the apps for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint? For one, both are available on Android and iOS. Second, I’ve used both apps on my Galaxy Note 9 for over a year and they just aren’t the most useful things ever. I was lucky enough to not be forced to use them when I had my iPhone. 

Both Samsung and Apple are making phones that are more and more capable as far as hardware goes. This doesn’t make their software (apps) more capable, however. No one wants to type a 1,000-word essay on a phone. Even with a Bluetooth, full size keyboard, the small view makes for a troubled experience. 

So yes, your phone can probably run Minecraft at 100 frames per second with the fancy hardware, but you still need a keyboard and mouse to get the same experience a laptop or desktop computer gives. And if you’re just going to keep a keyboard and mouse on your desk anyways, then you basically have a portable desktop computer with a screen smaller than the pretzels at the country fair. 

Finally, though, we can’t forget the famous “longest battery life!” This is done with both phones. 

Something phone companies really don’t want you to understand, is that phone batteries for high end phones are all pretty much the exact same. They even have similar or the same manufacturers, depending on the exact phones you’re talking about. 

We just don’t have better technology for batteries. They’re as good as they’re going to get until we develop a whole new type of battery. So for the time being, the bigger the battery, the longer it lasts. The more powerful the phone, the shorter the battery life. 

This means your 6.4 inch Galaxy Note 9 will always have a longer battery life than a normal sized, thin 5.8 inch iPhone X, and by a lot. That’s just the sacrifice for a thin phone. Which hardware consumes more battery depends LARGELY on usage, so I won’t discuss that more than saying playing games like Fortnight uses more battery than Googling the weather. 

If you’re going to take anything from this article, please just take that Apple and Android target different consumers. Android is from the more in-depth user, featuring close up camera features and more complex interfaces with longer battery life.  

Apple’s mobile phones, meanwhile, are for folks who just want their social media and YouTube to run fast, and the ability to take cute snapchat photos to post on Instagram because Instagram filters are terrible.  

But in the end, neither phone makes you better. It just shows what issues you’re willing to deal with.