iOS

iOS is the operating system designed by Apple for its products, including the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple TV. Other devices, such as the iPod Nano and Apple Watch, use a more basic, specialized system based on iOS, as it incorporates some of its gestures and icons, allowing synchronization with phones or tablets.

Introduced in 2007 alongside the company’s first phone, iOS marked an unprecedented shift in the market by introducing a system that required no more physical buttons than those for volume, power, lock, and a single “Home” button, which allowed users to return to the home screen. Nearly the entire system was and continues to be operated via the touchscreen on its devices.

 

History

Many years after Jobs’ garage days in Cupertino, Apple launched its first iPhone. Up to that point, the company had achieved several milestones, releasing devices that changed the lives of countless people worldwide. In 1981, the Apple II (created in 1977) had become a massive success, selling over 300,000 units, making Steve Jobs the youngest millionaire. A year earlier, Apple had gone public, and by 1984, the Macintosh 128K had debuted with a groundbreaking ad inspired by George Orwell's novel 1984.

From that first keynote with 2,500 attendees, which was Jobs’ debut on stage, much has happened, and Apple has released numerous devices. After the Macintosh, Jobs was dismissed, replaced by Sculley, founded NeXT, and later returned to Apple as interim director in August 1997. Ten years later, and seven years after the iconic iPod, Apple introduced its first phone, the iPhone.

Apple announced the iPhone OS at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 9, 2007, although it did not receive an official name until the first beta version of the iPhone SDK was released on March 6, 2008. Previously, it was assumed the iPhone ran OS X or a modified version of NewtonOS. From then on, it was known as iPhone OS. The iPhone OS was launched on June 29, 2010, and later, with the release of the iPad, which also used it, the name was changed to iOS.

Interest in the SDK grew over the following months due to the expanding iPhone platform, further boosted in September 2007 by the iPod Touch, a device with the iPhone's multimedia capabilities but without phone-calling functionality.

On January 27, 2010, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPad, a device similar to the iPod Touch but with a content-focused purpose. This device, featuring a larger touchscreen, shared its operating system with its two successful predecessors and introduced the official iBooks app for purchasing and reading e-books.

By April 2010, it was estimated that over 185,000 applications were available for iPhone OS through the App Store. On June 7, 2010, during the presentation of the iPhone 4, Steve Jobs announced that iPhone OS would officially be renamed iOS.

On September 12, 2012, iOS 6 was introduced. On June 10, 2013, iOS 7 was unveiled at the WWDC 2013 at 10:00 a.m. San Francisco time, described as “The biggest change to iOS since the original iPhone,” with a redesigned, flatter system and new icons. It also introduced new features like AirDrop, Camera Filters, and Dynamic Backgrounds. That same day, the beta 1 version was released to developers.

During the same conference, official iOS statistics indicated that over 600 million iDevices had been sold, iOS users spent 50% more time on their devices than Android users, iOS dominated the web market with 60%, and the iPad led tablet web traffic with 82%. It ranked #1 in customer satisfaction at 73%, followed by Windows Phone at 53%, and 93% of users had the latest version of the system installed.

iOS 8, the successor to iOS 7, supported iPhone models 4s, 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, iPod Touch models 5 and 6, and the iPad 2 onward. It was introduced on June 2, 2014, at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

On June 13, 2016, Apple presented the next version of the operating system, featuring a redesigned lock screen, more interactive notifications, increased widget integration thanks to 3D Touch, and other enhancements for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users.

Currently, the latest update available is iOS 15. As of September 2021, according to Mixpanel, 93% of iOS devices compatible with iOS 14 were running some version of the operating system.

 

What is it exactly?

It is a closed system exclusively for Apple-branded devices. This is a major difference from Android: Google’s operating system can be installed on an array of phones from various brands, but iOS is a closed, exclusive system for Cupertino’s products only.

Like other mobile operating systems, iOS allows users to install apps to add functions beyond those included by default on the smartphone. That is, beyond phone calls or messaging, you can browse the App Store for applications to meet a specific need, whether learning English or grocery shopping.

 

What are its features?

iOS offers a smooth, simple, and elegant interface with limited customization options, but it provides users one of the most comfortable experiences on the market. This is because iOS is designed to make the most of the hardware in Apple devices, which has always set itself apart significantly from other manufacturers.

The multi-gesture system that Apple provides with iOS on its devices was revolutionary in its early days. However, Apple has had to contend with a very competitive market, especially with Google's Android system, which has the largest market share thanks to its availability on devices from numerous companies. We also can’t overlook Microsoft, whose more personal system, Windows Phone, is highly versatile and adapts to the needs of a multi-screen customer base, accustomed to the seamless connection between their devices.

How is it different from Android?

In essence, it is quite similar to Android, allowing us to install applications, or apps, to enhance the functionality of our devices. In addition to the basic functions of a phone, we can access productivity, cloud storage, educational, gaming apps, and many more.

On the technology side, iOS doesn’t support technologies like Java or Flash, meaning that certain components on some websites aren’t accessible through its browsers and other applications. To install apps, we use its official store, the App Store, which currently offers nearly a million apps.

In terms of its differences from Android, the main one is that iOS is restricted to Apple’s own devices, while Android can be installed on countless devices. Additionally, iOS has a much higher security level, especially when it comes to viruses or malware. Apps go through a much stricter validation process, and the system firmware is more robust. On the other hand, an amateur developer may face more obstacles when publishing apps or any multimedia content. In summary, setting aside company policies and economic factors, we could say that Android is more open, while iOS is more secure.