iOS 19 is rumored to pack probably the most vital consumer interface overhaul since iOS 7, with a streamlined visionOS-inspired design for the iPhone. Whereas I’m wanting ahead to seeing what these beauty modifications deliver, I’m much more within the modifications Apple will deliver to the iPhone’s performance.
As a former Android consumer, it’s laborious to not see the affect Google’s working system has had on iOS through the years. However regardless of Apple already bringing a ton of Android options over to the iPhone, similar to default app choices and superior system customizations, there are nonetheless a variety of issues that Android simply does higher. Listed below are a number of software program options Apple must deliver to the iPhone.
1. Correct audio sharing
Whether or not I’m operating with a buddy or taking the metro with them, I like sharing the identical music queue to synchronize the vibe. iOS has lengthy supported audio sharing, nevertheless it’s restricted to AirPods and choose Beats headphones. So my buddy ought to have the ability to join their earbuds to my iPhone to listen to what I’m listening to, whether or not or not they’re utilizing AirPods.
Conversely, my buddy’s Android cellphone doesn’t care whether or not I’ve AirPods or another model of earbuds—it will probably stream music to each pairs of earbuds on the similar time. Limiting audio sharing to AirPods is a typical Apple ecosystem restriction designed to advertise the corporate’s personal units. And, although I’m absolutely invested in Apple’s merchandise, the limitation downgrades my expertise when a buddy opts for a unique model. It’s irritating, as there aren’t any apparent technological constraints barring Apple from elevating the function for all events concerned.
On Android telephones, customers can share audio it doesn’t matter what headphones they’re utilizing..
Foundry
2. Precise multitasking
Method again once I used to rock a Samsung Galaxy Word II with a 5.5-inch display screen, one of many useful options I actively relied on was the split-screen view, which let me function two apps on the similar time. Whereas I agree that smartphone shows are comparatively small for multitasking, typically you do have to open two apps facet by facet for fast reference.
At present, Apple sells 6.9-inch iPhones with processors many instances quicker than the Galaxy Word II’s Exynos chip. But, on account of its complicated philosophy, Apple refuses to deliver Break up View and even Slide Over to iOS. On the very least, I want iOS 19 would help Android-style floating chat bubbles so we might shortly open, reply to, and dismiss levitating chats whereas performing different duties.
3. A greater keyboard
Whereas the iPhone helps all kinds of third-party keyboards, arguably none of them work in addition to the one which comes together with your iPhone, and it’s excessive time Apple added some overdue options to its inventory keyboard. The primary one I miss from my Android cellphone is the built-in clipboard, which helps you to retailer a number of snippets of copied data, similar to textual content and pictures, so you possibly can paste them into apps as wanted. In the meantime, iOS nonetheless limits its customers to a single copied merchandise, which is inconvenient for all however the easiest makes use of, and a mere software program replace can repair that. And whereas we’re at it, an optionally available quantity row for the default keyboard is lengthy overdue as effectively.
4. Private always-on show
Apple has lastly taken many of the shackles off the House Display, Lock Display, and Management Heart, letting customers personalize them in all method of the way. Regardless of that, nonetheless, the always-on show function continues to merely mirror the identical setup on the Lock Display. Whilst you can personalize it in very fundamental methods, similar to turning off the wallpaper and hiding notifications, you possibly can’t do a lot else to customise it by itself.
In the meantime, most Android cellphone manufacturers permit customers to design always-on views from scratch, letting them add distinctive widgets based mostly on their wants. For instance, on Samsung Galaxy telephones, customers can change the clock, add their very own wallpaper, set their very own widgets, and pin memos for fast entry. I’d love to have the ability to do the identical on my iPhone.
The choices for the iPhone’s always-on show are very restricted.
Lewis Painter / Foundry
Within the period of highly effective AI programs, Apple evidently nonetheless has no thought what it’s doing on this area. Whereas Apple Intelligence remains to be struggling to ship probably the most fundamental of guarantees, Android cellphone producers are providing their prospects spectacular AI perks with built-in chatbots and highly effective picture creation instruments.
With iOS 19, Apple must take a extra adventurous route and discover deeper AI integrations. Assuming the brand new Siri arrives in September, future replace have to go additional with how Apple Intelligence integrates with the cellphone—Android already has issues like a built-in wallpaper generator, real-time conversations with Google’s Gemini Stay, and superior photograph manipulation instruments, so Apple has a variety of catching as much as do.
6. Class-based notification system
With iOS 18, Apple tried to repair its notification mess by counting on AI. Apple Intelligence can scan alerts, summarize them, floor precedence ones, and filter out the remainder. Whereas that is undoubtedly a step ahead, it doesn’t really repair the underlying core downside.
This isn’t the primary time Apple tried to repair notifications, however the resolution is true underneath its nostril: Android’s channels, which divide notifications into granular classes that may be individually turned on and off. This would supply customers with higher management over the alerts they obtain and solely let the essential stuff via.
The iPhone lastly permits RCS, however Apple doesn’t make it seamless.
Petter Ahrnstedt
7. RCS that works with everybody
Apple elevated texting with RCS help in iOS 18, which introduced iMessage options similar to learn receipts, high-quality media, and extra to green-bubble conversations. Nonetheless, in contrast to Google, Apple adopted a carrier-dependent strategy, requiring each service suppliers to help it with a purpose to ship and obtain RCS messages.
Whereas nearly all of related U.S. carriers at the moment are suitable with RCS, worldwide markets are nonetheless far behind. So, even when your service helps the protocol, you continue to gained’t have the ability to get the advantages of RCS when texting most of your worldwide mates. Apple might handle this by heading the Android approach and offloading the service to its cloud infrastructure, nevertheless it has made it clear that it gained’t try this. As an alternative, we’re caught with an inferior service.
8. Charging time estimation
Android customers have recognized precisely when their telephones will hit 100% for years, and we have been hopeful Apple was releasing the same function this 12 months. A hidden iOS 18.2 beta function revealed that Apple is engaged on a brand new function referred to as Battery Intelligence that estimates how lengthy it is going to take the iPhone’s battery to cost absolutely based mostly on the battery remaining and the charger getting used. Nonetheless, it didn’t seem in iOS 18.2, 18.3, or 18.4, and doesn’t seem like a part of iOS 18.5.
On condition that Apple hasn’t formally introduced the function as a part of iOS 18, it’s laborious to foretell when or whether or not it’ll really materialize, however we’re hopeful it’s coming in iOS 19. However Apple clearly took discover of Android telephones which have provided the same perk for years, and I hope Apple will get it proper by the point iOS 19 debuts.
While you cost an Android cellphone, you know the way lengthy it is going to take—that’s not the case with iOS.
Foundry
9. App cache administration
This can be a area of interest gripe, however one factor I fondly bear in mind about my Galaxy Mini is how typically I cleared sure apps’ cache because of the cellphone’s restricted storage. Whereas new iPhones now provide not less than 128GB of storage, clearing an app’s cache can nonetheless turn out to be useful.
For instance, the Threads app on iOS occupies lower than 100MB of storage for the app itself, however its cached information on my cellphone has surpassed 3GB. The one solution to reclaim this vital disk portion is to delete the app and reinstall it. Nonetheless, this additionally zaps something you could have customized or saved quite than merely purging pointless content material. A easy “Clear Cache” button in iOS 19’s storage settings would handle this difficulty.