iOS 19 is rumored to tamp the most important user interface overhaul since iOS 7 , with a streamlined visionOS - cheer excogitation for the iPhone . While I ’m attend forwards to visualise what these enhancive changes bring , I ’m far more interested in the alteration Apple will bring to the iPhone ’s functionality .
As a former Android exploiter , it ’s knockout not to see the influence Google ’s operating system has had on Io over the years . But despite Apple already bringing a long ton of Android features over to the iPhone , such as nonremittal app options and in advance scheme customizations , there are still a lot of affair that Android just does better . Here are a few software system features Apple needs to bring to the iPhone .
1. Proper audio sharing
Whether I ’m running with a friend or deal the underground with them , I like sharing the same euphony waiting line to synchronize the vibration . iOS has long supported sound sharing , but it ’s limited to AirPods and choose Beats earpiece . So my friend should be capable to connect their earbuds to my iPhone to hear what I ’m listening to , whether or not they ’re using AirPods .
Conversely , my friend ’s Android phone does n’t care whether I have AirPods or some other brand of earbuds — it can stream medicine to both pairs of earbuds at the same time . Limiting audio share-out to AirPods is a typical Apple ecosystem restriction designed to promote the company ’s own devices . And , even though I ’m fully invest in Apple ’s products , the limitation downgrades my experience when a friend opts for a dissimilar steel . It ’s irritating , as there are n’t any obvious technical constraints relegate Apple from elevating the feature for all parties involved .
On Android phones , users can divvy up sound no matter what headphones they ’re using ..
On Android phones, users can share audio no matter what headphones they’re using..
Foundry
2. Actual multitasking
Way back when I used to shake a Samsung Galaxy Note II with a 5.5 - inch projection screen , one of the handy features I actively relied on was the split - concealment view , which let me operate two apps at the same time . While I agree that smartphone displays are comparatively small for multitasking , sometimes you do need to open up two apps side by side for quick citation .
Today , Apple sells 6.9 - in iPhones with processors many clip quicker than the Galaxy Note II ’s Exynos chip . Yet , due to its complex philosophy , Apple resist to impart Split View or even Slide Over to iOS . At the very least , I like iOS 19 would support Android - style floating confab babble so we could speedily open , reply to , and give the sack levitating New World chat while performing other tasks .
3. A better keyboard
While the iPhone supports a wide variety of third - party keyboards , arguably none of them work as well as the one that come with your iPhone , and it ’s high prison term Apple impart some overdue features to its stock keyboard . The master one I lack from my Android headphone is the work up - in clipboard , which lets you salt away multiple snippets of copied information , such as school text and image , so you may paste them into apps as needed . Meanwhile , iOS still limits its users to a single copied item , which is inconvenient for all but the simplest uses , and a simple software package update can fix that . And while we ’re at it , an optional number row for the nonremittal keyboard is long overdue as well .
4. Personal always-on display
Apple has ultimately taken most of the shackle off the Home Screen , Lock Screen , and Control Center , letting drug user personalize them in all manner of style . Despite that , however , the always - on showing feature carry on to merely mirror the same setup on the Lock Screen . While you could individualize it in very basic ways , such as turning off the wallpaper and hiding notifications , you ca n’t do much else to tailor-make it on its own .
Meanwhile , most Android phone brands allow user to design always - on persuasion from scratch , letting them tot up alone widgets found on their needs . For example , on Samsung Galaxy phones , users can interchange the clock , tot up their own wallpaper , set up their own widgets , and pin memos for ready access . I ’d love to be able to do the same on my iPhone .
The selection for the iPhone ’s always - on presentation are very special .
On Android phones, users can share audio no matter what headphones they’re using..
Lewis Painter / Foundry
5. More (and better) AI tools
In the era of powerful AI systems , Apple evidently still has no idea what it ’s doing in this domain . While Apple Intelligence is still struggling to deliver the most basic of promises , Android phone manufacturers are offering their customer telling AI perks with build - in chatbots and powerful image existence peter .
With iOS 19 , Apple needs to take a more adventuresome route and explore deeper AI integrations . adopt the unexampled Siri arrives in September , future update need to go further with how Apple Intelligence mix with the speech sound — Android already has things like a build - in wallpaper generator , material - time conversation with Google ’s Gemini Live , and sophisticated photo use dick , so Apple has a circle of catch up to do .
6. Category-based notification system
With iOS 18 , Apple endeavor to desexualize its notification mess by swear on AI . Apple Intelligence can rake alerts , summarize them , surface priority ones , and filter out the rest . While this is undoubtedly a pace onward , it does n’t truly fix the underlying core problem .
This is n’t the first prison term Apple endeavor to fix notifications , but the answer is right under its nozzle : Android ’s channels , which divide notifications into gritty family that can be individually turned on and off . This would provide user with greater control over the alerts they receive and only let the significant material through .
The iPhone in conclusion allows RCS , but Apple does n’t make it seamless .
The options for the iPhone’s always-on display are very limited.
Petter Ahrnstedt
7. RCS that works with everyone
orchard apple tree elevated texting with RCS financial backing in iOS 18 , which brought iMessage feature such as read revenue , high - quality media , and more to immature - bubble conversations . However , unlike Google , Apple adopted a carrier - drug-addicted approach shot , requiring both military service providers to support it in Holy Order to send and receive RCS messages .
While the bulk of relevant U.S. carriers are now compatible with RCS , outside markets are still far behind . So , even if your common carrier supports the protocol , you still wo n’t be able to get the benefit of RCS when texting most of your international friends . Apple could address this by heading the Android way and offloading the service to its cloud infrastructure , but it has made it clear that it wo n’t do that . Instead , we ’re stuck with an subscript service .
8. Charging time estimation
Android drug user have love exactly when their headphone will hit 100 % for year , and we were hopeful Apple was discharge a like feature of speech this class . A hidden iOS 18.2 genus Beta feature revealed that Apple is forge on a new feature call Battery Intelligence that estimates how long it will take the iPhone ’s barrage to charge fully based on the bombardment remaining and the charger being used . However , it did n’t appear in iOS 18.2 , 18.3 , or 18.4 , and does n’t come out to be part of iOS 18.5 .
Given that Apple has n’t officially announce the feature as part of iOS 18 , it ’s grueling to auspicate when or whether it ’ll actually happen , but we ’re bright it ’s get in iOS 19 . But Apple clearly took poster of Android earpiece that have offered a similar perk for years , and I hope Apple incur it right by the clock time iOS 19 debuts .
When you charge an Android phone , you know how long it will take — that ’s not the case with iOS .
The iPhone finally allows RCS, but Apple doesn’t make it seamless.
9. App cache management
This is a corner squawk , but one thing I fondly call up about my Galaxy Mini is how often I cleared sure apps ’ memory cache due to the speech sound ’s circumscribed storage . While Modern iPhones now offer at least 128 GB of storage , clearing an app ’s cache can still come in handy .
For object lesson , the Threads app on iOS occupies less than 100 M of storage for the app itself , but its cached data on my phone has surpassed 3 Gbit . The only room to reclaim this significant disk destiny is to delete the app and reinstall it . However , this also microwave anything you may have individualize or put in rather than only purging unneeded content . A simple “ Clear Cache ” push button in iOS 19 ’s memory options would treat this issue .
When you charge an Android phone, you know how long it will take—that’s not the case with iOS.
