iOS-Advantages

1) Best of both worlds Apple is criticised for having a "walled-garden" approach but it's not as straight forward as it seems. Of course the firm pushes its proprietary services such as iCloud, iTunes and the App Store but you're not restricted to Apple's applications. Almost all of Google’s popular services - including Gmail, Maps, Hangouts, Now, Inbox, Chrome, Translate and Drive - are available on iOS. 2) Immediate backup and restore If you move to a new iOS device, you can install a backup from iCloud and get up and running in minutes. 3) Excellent default Mail app The Mail app in iOS is superb - allowing users to sync up multiple email accounts. It's got a unified inbox, and also allows you to set up VIP contacts and thread notifications as well as search by content type like attachments or flagged. 4) Tight security and privacy controls Apple keeps tight control of the App Store with all submissions vetted before they are made available to the public. This means there are few instances of malware. iOS allows you to see what information apps have access to on your device and allows users to restrict them if they wish. 5) Apple Pay Initially rolled out to retail stores across the US, Apple Pay uses NFC so users can pay for purchases using either the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. Payments are made in conjunction with Visa, Mastercard or American Express. Apple Pay is expected to arrive in the UK during 2015. 6) Opening up of APIs Apple has started to allow users to customise their devices with iOS 8. Core APIs have been opened up to third-party developers to provide a better user experience. There's a long way to go before it reaches the level of Android. But at least users can now do the basics like swap out the default iOS keyboard for a third-party alternative, such as Swype or Swiftkey. Opening up APIs has meant the usefulness of Touch ID has been extended beyond unlocking the handset and paying for iTunes and App Store downloads. Touch ID now works with third-party apps including Amazon, eHarmony, Evernote Premium, LastPass and 1Password. 7) Siri Apple's personal assistant lets users talk to their phone much in the same way as Google Voice. You can ask Siri to set reminders, take notes, compose messages or for answers to general knowledge questions. Unlike Google Voice, you need to long-press the home button to initiate Siri. You can only use it completely hands-free when the iPhone is plugged into a power source via the phrase "Hey Siri". 8) Content The Apple App Store is the first port of call for developers, so if an app is worth having, it's guaranteed to be available on iOS. Apple users generally get first access too. For example, Microsoft introduced its Office suite on the iPad before rolling it out to Android. 9) Connect iOS to Mac OS X Apple has increased communication between iOS and OS X devices with the latest updates (iOS 8 and Yosemite). You can now make and receive calls on your Mac when it's connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone. It's also possible to see all your iMessages and respond to them as well as start using an app like Safari or Pages and continue where you left off when switching devices. 10) Connect to Apple Watch Following the most recent update (iOS 8.2), iOS devices will be able to hook up wiht Apple Watch. At the time of writing, AppleWatch isn't genereally available, so the Apple Watch app (which cannot be uninstalled) will only open up a web page showing off the new wearable and not much else. When the watch is finally released, this will be updated to provide more detail on how iOS works with the device