Android Phones Lead iOS in New Mobile Security Research

New independent research from Counterpoint Research, detailed in a Google blog, indicates Android devices offer superior protection against phishing, malware, and theft compared to iPhones. Google's Android and Messages teams shared these findings, highlighting Android's security leadership.

Credit: APPLE

YouGov research found that Android users were 20% more likely than iOS users to rate their smartphone's scam protection as very or extremely effective. This difference was even more pronounced for Pixel users.

iPhone users were 150% more likely to state their device was not effective at all in stopping mobile fraud, when compared to Pixel users. The YouGov study also revealed that 58% of Android users reported no scam texts in the previous week.

In contrast, 65% more iPhone users reported receiving three or more scam texts during the same period. This suggests a notable disparity in user experience regarding scam attempts.

Credit: SAMSUNG

Counterpoint Research specifically examined AI-powered protections against mobile threats. Security researchers compared the latest smartphones from four vendors: Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, and iPhone.

Across categories including scam, phishing, web, application malware, and physical theft protections, Android devices provided safeguards for all nine sub-categories. The iPhone, by comparison, met the mark in just two.

Lyubov Farafonova, a product manager with Phone by Google, stated that Android's scam defences protect users worldwide from over 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages each month.

Alberto Pastor Nieto, a senior product manager with Google Messages, RCS Spam and Abuse, and Vijay Pareek, a manager for Android Messaging & Chrome Extensions Security, added that independent security research was commissioned to reveal how well Android and iOS protect users from mobile threats.

A Kaspersky report on the merits of each mobile operating system concluded there is no clear answer to which is safer, iOS or Android. Technology will always have some weaknesses, meaning users may be targets.

The Kaspersky report emphasised that users must employ safe practices and continuously re-evaluate the organisations they trust with their data.

---

• New research indicates Android phones lead iPhones in mobile security.

• YouGov found Android users 20% more likely to rate scam protection as effective.

• iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device was ineffective against mobile fraud.

Source: FORBES