Android vs. iPad POS Hardware: What's Best for Restaurants?

According to the Restaurant Technology Industry Report, 73% of restaurants are planning to upgrade their technology within the year.

This is a huge advancement, no doubt about it. Restaurants are either leaving their antiquated legacy point-of-sale systems running Windows XP, or graduating from their traditional pen-and-paper methods to more scalable technology. However, there are tons of questions restaurant owners may have while evaluating their systems:

Is your restaurant POS adding pain to your process, or is it acting as an extra limb, helping you out without getting in your way? Is your restaurant POS saving you money -- or even better, helping you make more money -- or has it become a cash cow for you and your team? Is your restaurant POS company easy to reach for support, or do they seldom answer your calls?

All of these are important questions to consider as you rethink your restaurant POS situation. However, at some point, restaurateurs will have a choice: Android or iPad?

 While I support innovation no matter what, and am proud of any restaurant choosing to upgrade to a more data-driven restaurant management system, there is always a bit of a tug-of-war between these two operating systems, especially when it comes to the POS hardware they operate on.

Both are committed to innovation. Both are easy to use. Both are way more secure than legacy POS systems.

But one stands out: Android POS hardware is more customizable for different form factors, durable for your messy kitchens, and flexible with many peripheral connections for ethernet, HDMI, and USB.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out this infographic comparing Android Elo I-Series touchscreen computers, and iPad POS hardware, and share your thoughts below. 

Share Your Thoughts 

What are your must-haves for POS hardware? What is your thought process for deciding which restaurant technology to invest in? 

Check out these related articles:

• A Comparison of Android POS Systems and iPad POS Systems
• Tablet POS Systems: The Benefits of Android POS Hardware
• 3 Ways Customer-Facing POS Tablets Can Increase Your ROI