What OS is Best for Boomers and Beyond? Apparently Not Android

When I first got into Android, my mother also made the switch. Over time, the majority of my family (siblings, aunt, uncle, cousins, etc.) followed suit. While great, due to the nature of my work, I became the go-to “IT guy” for many of their problems. Then, one day, my mom decided to get an iPhone. Since then, she has hit me up maybe one time regarding an issue with her phone. How could this be? Is Android really that much more complicated? Convoluted? Buggy?

Over on reddit, a user who goes by Not_Now_Cow (that’s awesome) posted the following: Do not get your grandparents Androids. As an Android fan, but someone who also uses an iPhone from time to time to keep things fresh and in perspective, I was curious how this person’s story might align with my own. I also hold the belief that a certain demographic among us would be better off with an iOS device or at least a Pixel phone.

They wrote, “An elderly person comes in and their phone is riddled with ads that corrupt their phone into an unusable piece of technology. They only play one game and click an ad on accident and eventually run into an unstoppable onslaught of ads.” They finish up the post with, “Get them an iPhone first. I don’t care your allegiance. They all do the same thing but at least it will save them from the pain of an unusable phone.”

I’m not sure which ads could be turning an Android phone into an “unusable piece of technology,” maybe because I know how to operate the device properly, but the existence of such ads don’t surprise me. I grew up using LimeWire and Kazaa. I know firsthand the evil nature of some software. RIP, my dad’s crappy Gateway computer.

Is simply buying an iOS device the cure to these problems? I would argue that users should be educated when it comes to using apps and how to spot bad ads, but that process is probably a bit more hands on than simply opting for an iPhone at time of purchase. I believe there are plenty of mature buyers out there that can use an Android phone with zero issues. However, there are plenty out there that also seem completely lost. That’s just how it is sometimes.

To my point earlier, Pixel phones seem to have that close-to-vanilla UI that the elderly can manage quite well. It’s simple and straightforward, while Samsung’s One UI can feel a bit overwhelming even to me at times.

What’s your take in the great Android vs. iPhone for grandparents debate?