Ryan Haines / Android Authority I love a healthy disagreement — it’s kind of my day job. I get paid to sit down and write about my favorite and least favorite things in tech, and I know that not everyone will agree with what I have to say. It comes with the territory, as it were. Lately, though, I’ve noticed that the healthy part of the debate that I like so much is missing, and it’s been replaced by whoever can shout the loudest. Wait, am I still talking about phones? Actually, yes, I am. That’s the problem — comparing Android and iOS these days feels like an argument where both sides want to stay in their camp and call those on the other side copycats. Whenever either iOS or Android introduces something new, the other side wants to take credit for having the idea first, regardless of the facts. And, when the result of that argument is the sweet, sweet feeling of victory, it’s understandable why nobody wants to back down. No, I don't just want to have the same argument over and over again. Except me. I’m ready to back down. I’m ready to return to the days when iOS and Android were rivals who respected each other, because it was actually fun to compare one to the other. I could show off a clever Pixel trick, and my friend could show me their favorite part of iOS, and we could both come away with a little new perspective. But until those days actually seem feasible, it’s time to move on. It’s time to find a new topic of discussion, because I’m tired of Android vs iOS. If we’re comparing hardware, I think everyone is a winner Ryan Haines / Android Authority Perhaps the reason I’m so tired of the Android vs iPhone (or iOS, I’ll use them interchangeably) debate is because it’s silly. People will always have differing opinions, and that’s what makes life interesting. I have a close friend who supports Tottenham, and I love to poke fun at him whenever I can, simply knowing that my beloved Chelsea will find a way to take three points off his Spurs time and time again. Do I try to convert him? No, I want him to stay a Tottenham fan, because it keeps us happy as rivals. The thing is, though, iOS vs Android always feels like a battle of conversion, and sometimes it means portraying something objectively good as being bad. I think talking about build quality is a perfect example, because Apple has offered top-notch reliability across its iPhone lineup for generations. Did they change much from one year to the next? No, but they were always so well-built that it was never a big deal. All flagship phones feel great these days, why do we pretend they don't? Then, when Google upgraded its Pixel 9 hardware to be on Apple’s level, I praised both sides. I didn’t declare that Google had copied Apple so much as raise its own game to match one of the industry leaders. It made the best iPhone ever, and it did so without necessarily tearing down a rival in the process. Well, Google will beat Apple on software features all day long, but it was happy enough to match build quality while taking the high road. Was there some copying? Yeah, maybe, but it’s made the whole industry better. See, this is what wears me out — I’ve picked out things like copying and minor updates, and I’ve automatically painted them as bad. They don’t have to be bad. In fact, minor updates are probably only minor if you’re the type of person who buys a new phone every year. For the average consumer, the one who waits three, four, or even five years between updates, the jump from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10 is a game-changer. They’ve gone from a top-heavy phone with curved glass and a camera bar to a flat, yet comfortable flagship that’s gorgeous from every angle, and they’ve probably done so without tearing down an iPhone in the process. Right now, there’s no better (or sillier) example of the hardware debate than comparing the iPhone Air to the Galaxy S25 Edge. Both phones are thin, eye-catching, and made of titanium. In many ways, they’re two sides of the same thin coin. However, Samsung fans will tell you that its dual cameras and SIM tray are must-have features, while iPhone fans will point out that the Air is a little thinner and a lot more comfortable to hold, thanks to its rounded frame. It doesn’t make either phone bad, just different. I won’t sell you on Android if you don’t sell me on iOS Ryan Haines / Android Authority Another thing that has worn me down about this whole debate is the idea that we can’t have nice things. Everything new has to come from somewhere; it has to be someone’s existing idea from somewhere along the way. Don’t get me wrong — I’m guilty of writing about how Apple and Google have copied each other several times over the years, but it’s not because I think it has to be that way. Instead, I’m fairly sure we can all agree that a strong iOS leads to a strong Android, and vice versa. When I say that I want Chrome to copy Safari or iMessage to pinch from Google Messages, it’s because I want a better overall experience, not because one or the other is broken. Wanting clever features doesn’t have to come with putting down one operating system or the other, because the truth is that Android and iOS are more alike than ever — and I like it that way. I don't need to like iOS better than Android, I just need both operating systems to keep each other on their toes. Look at it this way: iOS took a long time to add color-matched icons and the ability to drop your apps wherever you’d like them on your home screen. When it finally happened, Android users gloated, pointing out that they’d had the same capabilities for years. Did it matter? Not really, it just probably earned someone some upvotes or something. In the same vein, when Android phones started adding high-level face unlock, iPhone users boasted that Face ID was still better and more secure — seemingly ignoring the Dynamic Island, which remains a must-have to house all that hardware. And so, I’ll be the one to ask it again: Does it matter? Does it really matter which platform gets a feature first when it’s probably going to come to the other in due time? No, I don’t really think it does. Instead, I think new features on both sides should be celebrated. I think the debate of Android vs iOS should build each other up rather than tear down an operating system in the name of made-up internet points. Besides, if everyone does the same things and likes the same things, aren’t we all just going to get bored? Follow