Google and Apple always go hand-in-hand with every OS launch every year. The features on their operating systems are unique in their own way catering their own eco-system audience. This year as well, Google introduced Android P-OS and Apple introduced the iOS 12. Though Apple received flake for rolling half-backed iOS 11 upgrade last year, this year, it trimmed down on many features focusing on stability and performance improvements. This move literally cut down on many awesome features that Apple initially planned. Despite that iOS 12 is one of the most hyped upgrade of the year, however, it still lacks many features that Android rocks and in this article, we will be taking a closer at that feature that iOS 12 lacks, but Android enjoys. Let’s get started:
- Multiple user and Guest mode: iOS ecosystem runs on your Apple ID and iTunes; this doesn’t allow you to add another user account. Yes, we do agree that smartphones are designed keeping in mind single-user use cases, but imagine if you are the one who wishes to keep two separate spaces for work and personal, this situation of iPhone becomes tough. On the other hand, Android operating system lets you add multiple Google accounts and also lets you create a fresh guest mode, so you can also create a space with limited accessibility. This allows someone to use your phone for simple tasks while keeping your stuff separate. We hope Apple hears us and brings such ability in the future.
- Customization: For any smartphone to not become boring after a few months into using is the ability to provide reasonable customization options. As for Android, there are tons of launchers, icon packs, the ability to change fonts, don’t even get us started with Rooting and the options it provides. There are literally thousands of way for you to customize your Android phone. In fact, Android has a wide range of communities where members are so focused on theming the device. However, for iOS, at best you have the ability to scroll around icons and create folders. We hope Apple brings some meaningful customization feature not just limiting to moving around the icons.
- No ability to change default apps: You can download 10’s of launchers or browsers or keyboard apps and set any of them as default so that you can keep changing them according to your mood. Thanks to its openness, you have full control over your phone. On iOS, you basically get what you are given. Any link you click will be opened by Safari and iOS keyboard is what you get by default, though you can add it to the existing keyboard. This closeness and limited restriction make iOS fall behind in terms of features availability.
- Always on-display: AMOLED displays have this ability to display any new notifications, time, and missed calls (if any), messages and more. This basically lets you have a glance at your phone without even turning it on fully. This feature is available to regular LCD displays as well through third-party apps. Another advantage of this is that it doesn’t drain your battery much as well. Many new modern phones these days pack this feature and it is sad to see Apple missing it out. The closest thing you can get on iPhones is “Rise to wake” but it isn’t the same as it turns on the screen completely. With Apple moving towards OLED panels, we hope it includes this feature.
- Multi-window: Going back in years, Samsung introduced the feature called multiwindow that lets you run two apps at a time on the same screen. Starting with Android 7.0, Google introduced the ability to run two apps side-by-side on the screen. While the question of how practical this feature is a debate for another day, it is nice to have the option. Though this feature is available for iPad, we hope it finds its way for Android as well someday. iPhones come in two form factors; one the regular and another is a Plus variant. Apple could at least make it exclusive for the Plus variant some day.
Conclusion: I myself being an Apple fan boy hope that Apple acknowledges the lack of such wonderful and many others and starts taking steps in bring them together in the days to come.
