But it's not a . Although Apple is scratching a few Android-first features off its list, iOS 5 also leapfrogs ahead in its own way. Android, meanwhile, retains plenty of its own unique features that make it a viable competitor. The result is two operating systems that, however similar they are in appearance, are actually quite different.

The Apple Approach: All About Service

The individual features that Apple is adding to iOS 5 aren't as important as the big picture: Apple is creating services for its users. With iOS 5, an iPhone can remind you to pick up the milk as you drive near the grocery store. It can deliver newspapers and magazines automatically via the Newstand app. It can send quick iMessages to other iOS users. It can render Web pages in an easy-to-read format with no clutter.

In other words, Apple handles things so you don't have to worry about them. Siri, the virtual assistant built into the iPhone 4S, is an extension of this idea, allowing users to literally tell the phone what to do and get feedback from a computerized female voice. iCloud, meanwhile, is the glue holding all these services together. It remembers what you've done on one device, so that other Apple devices and PCs can make that data available. Even as Apple adds new features, it's removing friction.

The Android Approach: Practicality, Utility