Your iPhone 17 May Be Less Safe Than Google Pixel 10, Other Android Phones

A new post from Google’s Android and Messages teams highlights Android’s dominance in defending against phishing, malware, and theft. The post cited various studies that compared the safety of Apple and Android devices, concluding that Apple’s iPhone may be less safe than Google Pixels and other Android devices.

According to a Google and YouGov survey of 5,000 smartphone users across the US, India, and Brazil, Android users received fewer scam texts and felt more confident in the safety of their device. Key findings included:

• Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report zero scam texts in the past week.

• Pixel users were 96% more likely than iPhone owners to avoid any scam messages.  

• iPhone users were 65% more likely than Android users — and 136% more likely than Pixel users—to receive over three scam texts weekly.  

• Android users rated their scam protection “very/extremely effective” 20% more often than iOS users.  

• iPhone users were 150% more likely than Pixel owners to say their device offered no effective fraud defence.

In another study cited, Counterpoint Research evaluated the latest Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, and iPhone models. Android led with AI-driven safeguards against phishing, malware, and theft across 10 critical areas, including email, browsing, and on-device behaviour monitoring, while iOS covered just two: messaging and App Store security (see below).

Additionally, Leviathan Security Group conducted a funded analysis of the iPhone 17, Moto Razr+ 2025, Pixel 10 Pro, and Galaxy Z Fold 7. Leviathan Security declared that the Pixel 10 Pro was the leading device in default scam and fraud protection. As per the report, Android further stood out with superior call screening, real-time scam detection, and warning systems.