Android is not just the most popular mobile operating system in the world with over 2 billion monthly active devices, smartphones and tablets running on it are also apparently significantly more reliable than Apple’s iPhones and iPads. That’s according to the latest report released by Blancco Technology Group, whose “Q1 2017 State of Mobile Device Performance and Health report” claims that the overall failure rate of Android devices stood at 50 percent during the first quarter of this year, whereas the failure rate for iOS devices was significantly higher at 68 percent during the same period. Both those numbers, however, are an increase from Q4 2016, when the failure rate for Android devices was at 47 percent, while the failure rate for iOS devices clocked in at 62 percent.
The report also suggests that Apple’s two latest smartphones – the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus – are the two biggest offenders in the smartphone world in terms of reliability. While only 3 percent of iPhone 7 units were reported to have malfunctioned during Q4 2016, the number jumped to 10 percent during the first quarter of this year. The number of failing iPhone 7 Plus units increased from 3 percent to 11 percent during that time. Among Android vendors, Samsung, LG and Motorola are the least reliable brands, with the failure rates of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge hovering around the 9 percent and 8 percent marks respectively. The three-year old Galaxy S5 is also one of the less reliable devices, with a 5 percent failure rate.
Android also seems to have an edge over iOS in a couple of other areas. Apps reportedly crash more frequently on iOS than on Android, while Apple’s devices also suffer more from overheating and GPS connectivity issues compared to their Android counterparts. However, it’s not all good news for Android users if the report is to be believed. Camera performance and cellular signal strength are two of the areas where iPhones seem to have a significant advantage over Android smartphones. While malfunctioning cameras were reported by 3 percent Android users during Q1 2017, cellular connectivity problems plagued as much as 6 percent of all Android users during the same period. Overall, while Android seems to have an edge over iOS in terms of reliability, most consumers will agree that even a 50 percent failure rate is way too high, so it will be interesting to see what these companies will do to make their devices more reliable going forward.