APPLE
7 Essential Features That iPhone Users Want to Steal from Android
The grass is always greener, or is it?
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Recently, 9to5Mac.com asked their Twitter followers what Android features they wished their iPhone had. In a world where smartphone updates are incremental at best, the replies were an interesting look at where the iPhone could go next. Here are the seven most requested features.
1. USB-C Charging
Apple’s Lightning connector was first introduced with the iPhone 5 back in September 2012. However, it’s starting to show its age. Today, it is becoming increasingly frustrating to swap between different cables for different devices. Can’t we just have one connector for all our devices?
Recent reports have suggested this utopian world might not be too far away. If the iPhone had a USB-C connector, I know my life would be a lot easier, and my iPhone would be a lot easier to charge, given the numerous other USB-C devices we have at home.
2. Always-on Display
Apple is rumored to introduce an always-on display (AOD) with the iPhone 14 Pro this September. However, Android phones have had this feature for years.
An always-on display is helpful to display the time or widgets on the lock screen of your device. Tap to wake is great, but nothing beats a hands-free glance across your desk. I love this feature on my Apple Watch, and I can’t wait to get it on my iPhone.
3. Home Screen App Layouts
Springboard has served the iPhone well over the years, but it still prevents you from placing an app anywhere on your home screen. The iPhone will always fill your screen from the top left corner and move sequentially to the right (and to the following line) as you add more.
It doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that Apple could allow you to put apps wherever you want them on that familiar grid pattern. Yet, despite recent moves to allow more customization, home screen app layouts seem locked in place, at least for the near future.
4. Split Screen Multitasking
The iPad has seen numerous updates to address its multitasking abilities. The iPhone, not so much. In a way, that makes sense. The iPhone is a different kind of device. It is used for other things.
However, split-screen multitasking would be a welcome addition for those who would take advantage of it. iPhone screens are bigger than ever, and there are lots of scenarios where it would come in handy.
For many people, the iPhone is their primary computing device, so more multitasking options seem like an easy win for the next version of iOS.
5. Reverse Wireless Charging
The first iteration of wireless charging let you place your device on a Qi charger to recharge the battery. However, it wasn’t long before Android phones went a step further and allowed you to use your phone as the charging pad for other devices like headphones or even another smartphone.
So, imagine what it would be like to charge your AirPods by placing the case on the back of your iPhone. It would be amazing! But is this feature coming to the iPhone any time soon? Well, technically, it already has.
Apple already allows you to charge the Magsafe battery pack from an iPhone if the phone itself is connected to a power supply. Right now, this is the only accessory that can use wireless charging, but it gives me hope that more could be on the way.
6. Archiving Text Messages
When people move from Android to iOS, they are often confused at the absence of options to archive text message conversations. iOS will let you save iMessage conversations for 30 days, one year, or forever, but on Android, you can archive, delete, or restore conversations at will.
If you’ve been an Apple user all your life, you might not know what you are missing here, but the ability to save conversations without having them in your inbox is a great option to have. It can be a great way to save messages from loved ones or to keep prying eyes away from your recent conversations.
7. App Cache Controls
When I look at the Twitter app on my iPhone, it takes up 1.06GB of space. However, the app itself is only 218MB. So, why does it take up five times as much space on my iPhone?
The answer is app cache. Like a web browser, the Twitter app caches links, photos, and videos so that they can be viewed more quickly when called upon.
On an Android phone, you can delete the app cache to shrink the footprint an app uses on your device. On an iPhone, you have to delete the app and then re-install it to free up that space. This is tedious.
I don’t know whether Apple wants people to buy iPhones with more storage or if it just doesn’t see this as much of a problem, but I want more control over how much space apps use on my iPhone. App cache controls give you that.
Have Your Say!
Are there any other Android features you want to see on an iPhone? Leave a comment below, and let me know what you think.
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