I think the title says it all. How are Android apps compared to iOS apps? Should I expect similar quality or not? What I have seen so far on the Internet isn't that much encouraging..
I am getting an HTC One M8 tomorrow and I plan to test it for a week and compare it with my iPhone 5S....
I will probably sent it back, but I am interested to see what Android is doing and how it has evolved. App quality and availability is important, so this will be one of the things that I will be checking this week..
Im going to concentrate on app availability and ignore quality, since that is more subjective. My math is: Vast majority of app developers develop for both platforms + Google provides the same core apps to both iOS and Android - Apple does not reciprocate = iOS better out of the box since Google is more platform agnostic than Apple.
My house is majority Apple (computers, shared iPad, iPhones, Apple TVs), some Google (my tablet, a Chromecast). Other devices include a PS3 and the ISPs DVR. Services include Netflix, Amazon Instant Streaming via Prime membership, Google Play (uploaded my music), Google Video (a few movies) and iTunes (a lot of movies).
In out of the box, home entertainment, iOS applications win. Apples Remote and Airplay applications work beautifully with iTunes via our Apple TVs and with streaming media from Amazons Instant Streaming. Grab the iPad and youre good to go. In addition, Googles iOS media apps (YouTube, Play Music ,and Play Movies) on my iPhone work wonderfully with my $35 Google Chromecast. It can turn on my 2008 era tv, switch to the proper HDMI port, and start pulling down (vice streaming from the phone) whatever Ive queued up. Apple does not allow (out of the box) an Android device to manipulate my Apple TV and Amazon does not have Instant Video for my Nexus 7 (but it does for my iPhone).
The same is true of productivity applications. Im very much invested in Google as a cloud service. Google provides iOS versions of every service I use. Apple does not even allow the Chrome browser on my Nexus 7 to access iCloud services nor apps to access them.
TL;DR - iOS devices win because Google has the superior strategy with regard to users accessing their services.
Communication wise, my iOS Google Voice app is my most important stand alone communications app. I use my Google Voice number as my primary number and that allows me to block anonymous calls, dual ring depending on the time period (if you call my Google Voice number when Im at work, both my cellphone and work phone will ring), and have both a voice message and text transcript of any missed or ignored calls.