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When considering Android and its features, the latest iOS 17 comes across as a pretty limiting operating system. While Apple is trying to push the envelope with new customization and accessibility features in the latest iOS, it's still perceived as a refined yet restricted software. On the other hand, Android is an open-source operating system, meaning any brand can use it to build for any device.
With Apple iOS 17 public beta rolling out, the stable release is approaching. It means the company is still testing and developing the latest update. While the new features showcased by Apple at its WWDC 2023 were groundbreaking, the upcoming iOS still leaves much to be desired.
Here are the top Android features that Apple can add to iOS 17 final release to make the iPhone 15 Pro a perfect flagship.
Which Android features will make iOS 17 better?
While iOS 17 is a great operating system with several new innovative features, it still feels restricting to some. It is missing the advanced Android customization options and several core features. Below are the top Android features we feel Apple should add.
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1) Pause video recording
Ask any smartphone enthusiast which phone has the best videography capabilities, and 9 out of 10 will reply with a resounding - iPhone. Apple has a great history of creating mobiles with amazing videography ability unmatched by any other smartphone.
From unparalleled true-to-life color accuracy to video stability, it's hard to beat iPhone's video prowess. Apple also introduced the cinematic mode with iPhone 13 range, which took its videography to the next level. It records cinema-grade videos with stunning shallow depth of field and incredible focus transitions.
Having said that, Android users who switch to iPhones have been seen complaining about one missing feature. The ability to pause the video recording and resume when the user is ready.
This feature is quite handy and allows users to record whatever it is that they are recording with continuity. It also comes in handy when recording a reel or a documenting video.
Right now, Apple users must start and stop recording whenever there's a break. This results in a cluttered Photos app with 100s of videos of the same subject, making it hard to follow the continuity.
The ability to pause the video recording and resume whenever the user wants in iOS 17 will result in a single output file, reducing the headache of sorting multiple videos and the storage space on the iPhone.
2) App sideloading
Apple is big on security and privacy protection for iPhone users. The company has allowed apps to be installed only from its proprietary App Store for years. The argument given by them against sideloading is that it undermines the privacy and security protections in place to protect iPhone users.
The same logic is also used against Bluetooth file sharing, which is another feature we would like on iOS 17. However, Android users can not only install apps from Play Store but also third-party marketplaces, official websites, and even mods (we don't condone piracy).
There have been reports that Apple might allow sideloading in iOS 17 in the EU region because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The act, which went into effect on November 1, 2022, requires closed ecosystem companies like Apple to open their services and platforms to third-party companies and developers.
However, despite the rumors, Apple has not yet included app sideloading in initial versions of iOS 17 so far. While there are options like AltStore, they pose a risk to your iPhone and don't have as many good apps.
Why is this important, you ask? Apple charges a 30% commission from app developers to test, develop, and publish their apps on the App Store. No wonder paid apps on App Store command a premium as compared to Apple.
With sideloading, app developers can quickly install, test, and develop their apps on desired iPhones with iOS 17 without paying a hefty commission. It will result in lower prices of apps that will benefit iPhone users at large.
3) Default app selection
Apple has a solid collection of stock apps from Safari browser to Weather. The company has spent years developing these apps into a trusted and secure platform for iPhone users.
No wonder they want their smartphone users to use the stock apps as much as possible. While Apple has the best interest of its user base at heart, it feels restricting even on the latest iOS 17.
Some users prefer Microsoft Edge over Safari or Waze for navigation. On an Android smartphone, users can simply head to the Apps setting and make their preferred apps the default choice for a specific task. For example, external links can be set to open in Edge by default.
This functionality is missing from iOS 17. Giving this freedom of choosing default app selection might just make iPhone 15 Pro a perfect flagship.
4) Custom icon packs
Apple is making strong inroads into smartphone customization with a custom lockscreen introduced with iOS 16, custom contact posters with iOS 17, interactive widgets, and so on. However, the most significant element of customization is the ability to pick icon packs to personalize the phone truly, which is missing from iOS 17.
On Android, users can simply download icon packs from official websites, DeviantArt, or Play Store and set it with just one click. Android icon packs automatically apply across the entire app library, with some advanced paid icon packs even masking unsupported apps.
Apple has a long way to go before it can match the same level of customization offered by Android icon packs. Users can change the icons on iOS 17 with any image they want, but it requires an elaborate process involving the Shortcuts app on iPhone and has to be repeated individually for all apps.
There are also third-party apps on iOS 17, which allow users to set icon packs in one go to save them from the cumbersome process. However, such apps create shortcuts to the apps on the homescreen with custom icons, which reroute through the app for a split second before opening the desired app, which is not ideal.
It would be a great move from Apple if it introduced Android-like icon packs on iOS 17. And the direction in which the brand is moving (read customization advancement) could help them convert a lot of skeptics into Apple fans.
5) Material You theming
For the uninitiated, Material You is Google's unified theme engine introduced with Android 12. It ensures that all UI elements, assets, widgets, system colors, and third-party apps are similar in terms of the palette. It provides a unified UI experience across the board, lending a great sense of aesthetics to the Android interface.
The best part of Material You is the wallpaper-based theming engine. It picks the dominant color in the wallpaper and bases the entire interface on that color. It adds a sense of uniformity and is highly intuitive.
Provided Apple has some great stock wallpapers and Apple-exclusive wallpaper apps, something similar to Material You could be a game changer for iOS 17 and expand the horizon beyond the mundane light and dark modes.
There's no denying that Google and Apple have been borrowing features from each other's platforms for years. There's also no denying that iOS 17 is one of the best iOS updates from the brand yet, but there's still a lot to be desired compared to the competition.
By adding the features mentioned in this list, Apple can boost its chances of making the iPhone 15 Pro the best flagship.
