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| By MakeUsesOf |
The
debate about whether iOS or Android is the best platform has raged on since,
well… forever. Android is the biggest platform in the world by quite margin,
but Apple makes the most money and Google likes to get almost all of its
services up and running on Apple’s iPhone, which means you can switch from iOS
to Android pretty damn easily. Go the other way, though, and things get a
little dicey.
This
is because of Google and Apple’s divergent business models which, while
appearing rather similar on the surface, are very different once you get into
the guts of how each functions and the end results both are after. Google, for
instance, is ALL about advert revenue, Google Play and its suite of services Google
Maps, YouTube and the like and wants to get these apps and services up and
running on as many devices and machines as possible. This is why you get access
to Google services on iPhone and MacBooks but don’t get things like Pages or
iBooks on Android, for instance. Apple is ALL about hardware and software and
uses the former to generate cash through the latter; it controls every aspect
of every device and transaction inside its iOS ecosystem.
Apple’s
ecosystem is a walled-garden, one you gain access to by buying an Apple product
like an iPhone, iPad or MacBook. Once you’re inside Apple’s ecosystem, however,
you’re locked in and it is rather hard to access core services iTunes stuff
like films and music, for instance on non-Apple machines and devices. Google
does things differently, however, and lets you access most of its stuff on
either Android or iOS. Google has a much more open approach to this type thing
compared to Apple but, again, this is down to how both companies go about
making their money. Google is essentially in the advertising business, while
Apple is more or a straight-up technology company.
Neither
platform is better than the other, really. Both are excellent and both have
their ups and downs. I use two handsets at present, the Google Nexus 6P
and the iPhone 6s, and switch between then as the mood takes me. Traditionally,
I am very much an Android user I love Google Nexus phones. But I also love
Apple’s iPhones too. I know, quite a paradox. After using iOS 9 and Android
Marshmallow for a few months, though, I have found a TON of features on
Marshmallow that Apple is sorely missing aboard its iPhone.
With
that in mind, I decided to put together a post detailing which Android features
I’d love to see inside iOS 9 or iOS 10, which is the next big instalment of
Apple’s platform that’s due out mid-way through 2016.
1. The ability to
change default apps
As
much as I love iOS, I have to admit my iPhone never feels like it's truly
“mine” it always feels like I’m borrowing it from Apple. This is mainly because
iOS doesn’t allow you to change the default apps it comes preinstalled with:
Mail, Calendar, Safari, etc. While these apps are at the top of their game and
are fine for 95% of users, power users and more advanced tech geeks would love
the ability to set third-party apps as the default apps for their email,
calendar, messaging, maps, and web browsing needs. I mean, this is a feature
Android has had for a while now and the OS is still standing. How hard can it
be to implement on the iPhone?
2. Multiple user
accounts
This
is a feature that many Android devices have had since Android 5.0. It’s also
been a long requested for iOS particularly on the iPad for quite some time:
multi-user support. The way this would work is that iOS would allow users to
create multiple accounts on a single device. A user could log in with their
pin, password, or Touch ID fingerprint and their iOS device would then be fully
customized to their last-used settings: everything from app layout to wallpaper
to email accounts.
This
is arguably a feature more appropriate for the iPad or iPad Pro as often times
families or couples share one iPad between then. Also, iPads are frequently
shared in work environments. Multiple user accounts for the iPad in these
environments would mean secure sharing between people without the risk of
anyone else seeing your private information. As for the iPhone...multiple user
accounts could also be enabled, but since our phones are such personal devices
it’s not clear how many people actually share their phones with others to begin
with.
3. Customizable Control
Center
Control
Center was introduced in iOS 7 and was pretty much stolen from the Quick
Settings feature of Android. With a swipe up from the bottom of any screen
users could finally quickly toggle Airplane mode, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and
rotation lock on or off. Users also finally got quick access to music controls
and shortcut icons to Flashlight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera. But in Android
M, Google went further and now offers the ability to customize quick settings.
This is something Control Center desperately needs. I mean, I don't use the
Timer that much, so I’d love to replace its shortcut button in Control Center
with a button for Calendar, an app I use a lot. And who the heck needs constant
access to Flashlight? Here’s hoping Apple steals the rest Quick Settings’
features.
4. Smarter Proactive
In
iOS 9 Apple introduced Proactive, essentially a Google Now competitor that
learns things about you–such as your favorite apps or upcoming events you have
schedule and offers you quick access to or information about those things
without you even having to ask. The problem is Proactive looks like a kid’s 4th
grade coding project compared to Google Now. I’m constantly amazed how well
Google Now works showing me things like apportionments and upcoming flights
automatically.
Yes,
Google Now is available on iOS, but it’s not deeply integrated like it is on
Android. I would say Apple should steal all the good things Google Now offers,
but in order to do that Apple needs to reevaluate their privacy stance. The
reason Google Now works so well is because Google mines your personal emails,
browsing history, and calendars for information about you–something Apple isn’t
willing to do. But as our devices begin to embrace more autonomous AI features,
if Apple is to compete they’ll need to be willing to mine our data
automatically.
5. Dark mode
Okay,
okay, so technically Android doesn’t have a dark mode YET. However, references
to a “Night Mode” have been found in the latest Android M builds–so you know its
coming. The way it will work is that when Night Mode is enabled, all the bright
UI elements will turn darker colors. This has multiple benefits: first, it
makes using your device easier on the eyes at night. Second, dark colors use
less backlighting, and thus can save battery life. Third, dark modes can make
it easier to focus on being productive in any given app instead of being
distracted by colourful UI elements. Here’s hoping Apple steals Android’s
upcoming Night Mode feature from Google…or that it steals the feature from
itself.
What’s
that mean? Well, with OS X Yosemite, Apple finally added Dark Mode to the
operating system. This allows users to replace the white menu bar and dock with
a darker version. Professionals love this because if they are editing video, photos,
and doing other graphics work, the dark elements of OS X allow them to focus
more on their work. While the iPhone and iPad aren’t as big of productivity
devices for professionals as the Mac (though that could change with the iPad
Pro) we still think it’d be awesome to see a dark mode on iOS–especially since
all Android devices should have it soon.
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