Operating systems are software that manages the hardware resources of a mobile device. They provide an environment for applications to run within, and they determine how activities are managed on the mobile device. There are many different operating systems available for various mobile devices, all of which have their own unique capabilities. However, two of the most prominent operating systems found in today’s mobile devices are the Android and iOS.
Android
Android is an operating system developed by Google for the mobile devices. The core of Android is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel. Because of this, many applications written for Linux-based systems can run on the Android platform without any issues. As it stands, there are over 1 million different types of apps that are available in the Play Store for the Android platform.
Many of these applications are free to download, thus making it easy for users to try them out. The way that Android works is by allowing apps to access different hardware resources on the mobile device, but only when it has been enabled by the user first.
iOS
iOS is an operating system developed by Apple for its line of mobile devices. As with Android, iOS is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel. Much like Android, many applications written for Linux systems can be run on an Apple device without much modification. The number of apps available for the iOS platform is reported to be at well over half a million as well (although it’s difficult to get an exact number).
The way iOS works is by not allowing apps to access certain hardware resources on the mobile device until they have been granted permission. Once this has taken place, users can quickly and efficiently multi-task while running different applications in the foreground and background of their mobile devices.
Operating System Similarities
Both Android and iOS are open source systems, which means that their codes are available for anyone to view. The both utilize different kernels (the heart of the operating system), but they still provide an environment in which applications can run without any issues. Unfortunately there isn’t much interoperability when using one OS on another mobile device; this is due to many factors such as hardware compatibility issues.
Operating System Differences
The way that Android and iOS run their apps is the main difference between them. While both require an application to get permission before accessing hardware, iOS does not allow access until this has taken place. On the other hand, Android allows applications to access hardware without having to be given explicit permission beforehand. This is why many iOS users might think that Android is insecure.
Although there are other small differences between the two operating systems, this remains one of the main reasons why people often argue over which one is better. It’s also something to keep in mind before deciding on a mobile device or choosing what kind of application you want for it. One of the major features to look out for in a device is how it runs its applications.
Or, if you want to get a basic understanding of Android and iOS, check out the video below:
Where The Operating System Resides In an Android Phone
The operating system of an Android phone is primarily located in its internal storage, which is the memory that is not easily removable. With this being said, there are also partitions on the NAND flash that include a certain amount of read-only data as well as code for both kernels and drivers.
When a user turns on their device through the boot loader, it will load the kernel and check if there are any files in the boot partition. If so, these files will be loaded after everything has been checked out. This is how a user’s operating system starts up on a mobile device before anything else takes place.
Once everything is finished loading, the application processor allows certain partitions to have access to the rest of the file system and hardware resources.
Where The Operating System Resides In an iOS Phone
The operating system for an iOS device is found in its protected boot area as well as the root directory of all storage space that is not user-accessible. The kernel, drivers, and a small amount of code are also stored in the boot area of an iOS device. This is all part of what’s called I/O Kit drivers, which are responsible for communicating with various hardware components and their drivers on a specific mobile device.
As far as security goes, anyone who wants to install or remove any software from an iOS system must have administrative access of some kind.