iPhones are Buggier than Android Devices: Study

Apple’s iPhone may be the posterchild of modern mobility, but IT managers and business users looking for a smartphone that works reliably may want to start paying closer attention to Android. Wi-Fi connectivity hiccups, crashing apps and other performance-sapping issues are likelier to strike iPhone owners than Android users, according to Blancco Technology Group’s latest State of Mobile Device Performance and Health report (registration required).

The mobile device diagnostics company’s analysis of the market reveals that the failure rate for Apple iOS has climbed to 58 percent during the second quarter (Q2) of 2016, more than double the 25 percent rating iOS devices scored in Q1.

The company also found that the iPhone 6 was more prone to failure (29 percent) than its successors, the iPhone 6s (23 percent) and 6s Plus (14 percent). Most complaints can mainly be traced to apps that quit unexpectedly (65 percent) and flaky Wi-Fi (11 percent).

Android has made big strides on the reliability front. Devices powered by Google’s mobile operating system have a failure rate of 35 percent compared to 44 percent during the previous quarter.

Given the wide variety of Android models from numerous vendors that are available in the marketplace, there were bound to be some under-performing handsets. Blancco discovered that Le 1S (10 percent), Le 1S Eco (7 percent) from LeEco and Lenovo’s Vibe K5 Plus (6 percent) were among the worst offenders.

Android devices suffer from camera problems (10 percent) and battery charging woes (10 percent). Unresponsive touchscreens (7 percent) also emerged as a top complaint.

Richard Stiennon, chief strategy officer of Blancco Technology Group, noted in a statement that “since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007, Apple’s iOS has been a force to be reckoned with – launching new models every year and raking in strong sales and revenue quarter after quarter. But our data suggests that the performance battle between iOS, Android and other operating systems is constantly changing and is likely to be influenced by several factors.”

It remains to be seen if the successor to the iPhone 6s, which is expected to be announced any week now, will turn the tide. “As industry experts, wireless carriers and consumers look ahead to the highly anticipated launch of the iPhone 7 in September, it will be interesting to see how the new model’s features may, or may not, impact the phone’s performance,” Stiennon added.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Datamation. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.

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